hemingway

Many ex-coaches have respectable reputations as ex-players, but Roosy had a stellar career. That brings respect. However as we know Roos has outstanding communication and interpersonal skills backed up by a teachable realistic game plan that players have confidence in. He has been realistic about the club's prospects and players abilities from the start. Players want to play for him. That is a powerful force. He has brought new blood to the club and players that have chosen to play for him (cite Lumumba) that otherwise would have viewed Melbourne as a graveyard. Then look at his support staff. He may not be the Messiah but he has gone a long way to resurrecting our old club.

Interesting comment on Viney TDI. Although I have enjoyed Vineys attack on the ball and the player, i have also been concerned about his longevity. A more moderate and even paced approach to training in particular might be good for him long-term. How do you rate Newton's pace/speed compared to Michie? Have not seen either Michie or Newton play. We know about Viney.

Good post. Smart move being Caligula's Cohort. I hope he had a long life. We no longer have the Praetorian Guard but we do have the Demonlanders.

Great reports guys. Ruffles and TDI tag teaming. great stuff and sensible mature response to recent posts. Well done guys.

TGA or Medical Board? No, Dank is not a registered medical practitioner although he may be certifiable!

defender for mine. we be disappointing if we have to play him up forward it will mean our forward line is in bad shape.

who honestly cares?

fair enough a well reasoned opinion

in one sense don't disagree nut, however, at the same time Trenners has a different background to say an under performing fringe player. Ex-Captain, committed loyal servant who renewed his contract early, dedicated trainer. In short an all round class act and a good role model for others. Remember the club has been heavily criticized for its handling of Junior and others. Would have been a very bad look to have delisted him.

agree on both statements. this site like others is just a representation of the biases, knowledge differences and divergent views of society. There is your right wing, left wing and moderates, including a few offbeat independants. these sites are what they are. you read or don't read depending on your interest and whether you can take a light hearted view towards the silly stuff. it's like going to a bullfight. you can put up with the gory bits like when the bull puts his horns through the horse but you admire the bull and the skills of the matador. despite it all, the training reports are great and there a lot of well informed posters which make for interesting reading. gotta be a tragic though.

Agree nut. Unfortunately his foot injury is one of the most difficult injuries to diagnose and manage. it will be very difficult to return to the top level for any sustained period of time given the amount of sustained running and variation of pace now required at the top level, i suspect that he will be walking a tightrope. my guess is that these injuries will become more common as time goes on. I hope I am wrong but I have a bad feeling about this one.

Sunshine Coast effect or Deep North effect? A little disrespectful to the Mexicans but i understand the inferiority complex you have up there.

Demons not Dees....that latter abbreviation is insipid and drives me mad.

great to have 3 training reports with different insights and emphasis. well done guys. you are either seriously dedicated individuals or have an untreatable case of obsessive compulsive disorder. I like what I hear from george with a re-emphasis on comments previously made by TDI. As a final aside, have been concerned about our medical management for a long time so good to read about the apparent improvement in managing player injuries. really critical area if we want to have our best on the field.

All I want for my match day experience is to watch a winning footy team. Anything else is irrelevant.

Not perfect, nothing is perfect but agree with your sentiments. No left field decisions and no surprises. The positive response from supporters tells the story. On its own not a big deal but just another example that the club is getting it right. Slowly changing the perception of the club and creating a feeling of confidence and stability.

great choices, a group of seasoned older players that lead by example. Another wise decision on top of many others since the end of 2014. We seem to be getting it right on so many levels.

good to read the training reports and varied opinions without the nitpicking and personal asides. Makes this site so much better to read. Thought I was died in the wool and informed but the folks on this site are incredible....or seriously unbalanced sick individuals who need to get a life.

Macca your last sentence says it all....never have truer words been written.

Really important area for improvement so this is good news. Even taking into account our turnovers, poor disposal, poor decision making etc, our leg speed has been poor in comparison to other sides. Whether we had the ball or were chasing. Sounds like some of our new kids such as Stretch have good speed. Just need to get the balance right between bulking up and speed.

Totally agree billy.

Hard to judge Tappy. His AFL career was always afflicted by injury. Hardly a period when he was ïnjury free. Good luck to him if he wants to play for Sorrento, who are we to judge.

Agree Ron, Jack is a highly skilled, athletic, outside player. What is frustrating is that he promises so much more. Our expectations have not been matched by his performances on the field. I think everyone wants him to succeed but become disappointed and frustrated with his efforts. Unfortunately, he is one of those players whose body language at times gives a poor impression of his intensity/effort. If we accept that he is an outside player, he still needs to apply defensive pressure and make the contest. This was also Liam Jurrah's biggest weakness and would have hampered his progress irrespective of the off field drama. Jack is clearly a player who will improve in a better team but top performing clubs require commitment and intense effort from all their players irrespective of their different playing styles and psychological make-up. One must accept that it must be difficult for all players particularly those still developing their game to reach their potential in a poorly performing club. Nathan Jones said as much last year when he admitted to feeling very depressed after each loss. That feeling eats into your whole being. In this sense, I am sympathetic to Jack's position. However, it did not stop our Captain putting in 100% week in week out. I guess though he is an exception and it is the reason he is our Captain. In concluding, Roosy has been a great supporter of Jack so if he can't get the best out of Jack no-one will. At the same time, we need to see overall team improvement to see Jack flourish. Here's hoping. As a newcomer to this forum, I apologize to seasoned Deelanders for a further post on Jack and perhaps stating the bleeding bloody obvious. Could not help myself. I won't do it again.....promise.

Matt Jones has plenty of upside. Can find the ball, run with the ball and is serious competitor who keeps trying all day. Like others, his disposal can let him down. However, overall was a very good pick-up and hats off to the recruiting staff for identifying that he had potential to play senior footy. Adds depth to the list and final 22. Happy to see him fight for a place. He seems to have a good attitude and happy to be given a crack with the Dees.

the picture of Petracca has me excited! he looks ready made for the big time. can we transplant Jack Watt's head onto that body please?