deespicable me

Went along to training today. By the great deal of activity on Demonland I thought I might post as people like myself are excited by the season ahead. Main player missing was Hogan, but being early in the week it may not mean much. Drills all morning. Very little contact as you would expect. One drill was interesting which was four players, one at each corner of an 80 x 40 meter rectangle, kicking the ball to two players in the middle, who would take turns in marking, turning and kicking down to the other end of the rectangle. The ball would then go from one corner over a defender to the other corner then back into the middle and on down to the other end. A little confusing trying to write it down but it was making the players kick low and hard to a player, then when a defender was there up and over to the other corner. There was a period I think in the third quarter on Saturday when we had about seven or eight non-contested marks in a row and this drill was similar. The skills were good, especially the low hard passes, Garlett was really good. Like Hannan's pass to Petracca on Saturday just as Reiwoldt got injured, the boys are looking to lower the eyes and hit targets. Hibberd was doing run throughs and working with Cross and looked good but will probably join the main group next week. Frost and Wagner were in the main pack and looked good chances to replace Smith this week. Tyson and Kent were in the main group and also looked good. Pedo was on light duties running laps, I think he is O.k for selection if required if he trains at the later session in the week. They finished with goal kicking and ANB kicked more balls than anyone else. He missed a couple on Saturday and was working hard to lock down that small forward role.

Look who's having the cheap shots now.

Why, oh great wise one? What great teachings have you got for us poor, simple weak minded fools. The only thing I could possibly learn from your post is that you think your better than others.

There were a few incidents on Saturday where he goes close (and over) the line. He was very lucky last year as they viewed vision but he wasn't cited. They're not accidental. He will hurt you if he can. Not injure but hurt. Make them earn it. I love it. I reckon he was fantastic on Saturday. He's genuine tough, and he's ours. And I'm sad he's missing but I wouldn't change him. He's great.

Put Oscar on Casboult next week. What a match-up. Worth the price of admission alone.

Not surprised to read the Eagles "dossier" was suppressed by Fitzpatrick. Gee how's the game going to survive without him. What an arrogant c### he was.

Jack has shown no poor standards "outside" the inner sanctum of the Footy club. He has been reasonable to fine according to track watchers. Yet Goodwin has chosen to criticise Jack "outside" the inner walls of the Footy club. He has chosen to let criticism of one of his star players play out in the media. This was a choice of Goodwin. Would Roos have acted the same way? I'm not sure. I don't think he would have criticised Jack publicly. I don't think he did. This is the point Pro Dee, it's not taking Jack to task for approaching 2017 with a poor attitude. It's the danger of going public. So fine. Goodwin has layed down the law. We want everyone to follow high standards etc etc. No problems, he saw a chance to set standards and did it. I don't need to criticise Goodwin and back in Jack. I don't see it as one thing or the other. There's nothing I would like to see more than Melbourne kick the Saints butt and Jack be best on ground and come off the ground and give Goodwin a great big hug and publicly thank Goody for giving him the kick up the butt he needed. I want us to win. I don't need to be right. Now Pro Dee I understand your view and I think it's fine. It's the company line, and the company line always holds sway over the individual. But you surround your views with such dramatic words. "Unfathomable". "Absurd". You find my view unfathomable and absurd. Well, that's a little sad. I was hoping we could bond.

I have every right to have an opinion. I said in my post "I think". I said nothing about I know. For you and Pro Dee just remember there is a lot of love for a new coach in their "honeymoon" period. Goodwin has chosen to single out Jack and whether wittingly or not it once again became a big issue that Jack has had to deal with. I agree with Saty that Jack was a bit down at the intra club, and he may have had issues off field but I don't agree with how its been handled. My opinion. I'm not desperate to prove anything Pro Dee, just my opinion. And I'm happy for you to have yours. But for me its a black mark as much against Goodwin as it is Watts. Whats he going to do when Jack doesn't perform in a game. Coz we all know he will have off days. I will judge Goodwin by how he and we respond to a loss. That is quite often where a coach can lose his players. Roos has been a master at keeping a cool head and protecting the players sometimes when they don't deserve it. If this is an indication of how Goodwin handles his gun players "I think" we're in a bit of trouble. That o.k with you Wiseblood

I went along from about 10.30ish. Missed Frost. Spoke to Garlett who said he is back in full training next week, was doing run throughs and looks fine, Kent was in full training and is probably a week or so ahead of Garlett, if there is a choice between them. Watts looked fine as he has all pre-season. I am also in the camp that thinks he is hard done by. If you saw Suckling in the Dogs second pre-season game he had love handles! Goodwin says we'll get back "a very good player" when he returns, well he already is a very good player. He has been a top track worker over the years and this year is no exception, I'd be [censored] if I was him, getting dragged through the media again, but Jack just keeps bouncing back, he is a very resilient character. Anyway sorry I got distracted. He will play Thursday as reported above so hopefully all this can once again be put behind him. Tyson is back and should play Thursday, looked good. Jetta was in fine form and will take Hibberd's place in Perth I would think. He trained very well, never beaten and always hit his targets when he had the ball, which brings me to Melksham. I think Jetta helps free up Melksham to attack and get off his player and up the ground a bit as he was doing in the match sim. Kent needs a few games to get back to full fitness,came back with a bit of pud and with his injury has never got to full throttle this pre-season. May play Thursday. Johnstone keeps impressing me. He has something, I think he's a good pick up. They are working hard with Joel Smith. With especially Frost who was terrific in the intra club the last time we saw him and Wagner and now Hibberd out our depth is being tested for the third tall defender. Joels disposal is not great but he attacks the ball. Pederson who looks a bit out of favour used mainly as a back up was played in defence today.

He's a long way off. He won't get a look in for the first half of the season and if we go as well as we all hope (with some justification) he won't get a look in all year. He needs to look towards putting in a really solid year at Casey and maybe next year. In my humble opinion. I really like the look of Johnstone from the latest set of recruits.

But in this case they are going light. Anyhow why should it be in proportion to the length of the season. Why isn't it in proportion to the crime, as against other crimes.

I reckon O'Dea is one of if not our best player. She's tall, athletic, strong and her tackles stick. Go number 5.

Very, very light. Absolute minimum she could get. Chance to send a message and they go soft. She went past the ball, made no attempt to avoid contact and it could easily be argued she changed direction to intentionally hit her victim who was in a vulnerable position, raised her elbow and knocked her out. Meg had no chance of returning to the field and further will not play this week and was in hospital till 2am the next morning. It is an absolute disgrace. An absolute disgrace. It should be appealed. Disgrace.

The naysayers don't get it. Its not about quality football. I will get more frustrated by the mens game anyway with all the stupid umpiring interpretations. But women's footy is about free entry, a fun night out and back to suburban grounds and grass roots. I went to the Dogs, Demons game late last year and it was a totally different crowd. At one stage I just took time to look around and only about 30% of people were actually watching the game. But the rest were having a great time anyway. You remind me of people who carried on about the Big Bash as a joke game. Some people need to stop being "old stick in the muds"

He's pretty heavy through the thighs, his natural full grown weight will be 10 kgs heavier than Watts. Watts and Hogan are longer in the legs and probably have more spring in their legs. Oscar will get harder and harder to move in a marking contest as he has more weight closer to the ground. I think Hogan may have dropped weight in the last six months, both he and Watts will look to run a lot in the season, I think young Oscar will be more a stay at home backman on the less mobile forwards.

I just think Hird has tried every possible angle to be viewed as "the victim" in this whole sad and sorry mess.

Remember Dimwit tried to get North the sweet Tasmania deal near the end of his reign but got blocked by Hawthorn. In a State where plan A is and always should be a stand alone Tasmanian team and Plan B, the spoils of the Apple Isle should be shared equally like Friday night matches amongst all the Victorian clubs, but instead we are left with plan Z where Hawks and North (because of Dimwit sympathies) are the only ones to share in the booty. With Dimwit as Gils mentor its little wonder the AFL has bought Etihad and I'm sure we'll see more terrific little deals heading the Saints way while Gil is in charge. It's absolute corruption. But with the sycophantic media throng that surrounds the AFL we the public are fed #### and are expected to go "num, num, num. please give me more." It's becoming like the Olympics or F1 or World Cup soccer where there are families that are born to this life of elitism and privilege. "Ladies and Gentlemen let me introduce The Fitzpatricks, The McLachlans" "Oh yes, let's bring down the price of chips, that ought to shut them up for a while."

I think it was shortly before changing his name. Is it catchy? He makes me feel a little bit concussed.

What about how his brothers star has risen all of a sudden? Can't watch the bloke but channel 7 use him in everything. Now he's on SEN. Won't be listening to that show. It's as incestuous as Fat Phill's deal with GWS. They all drink from the same gravy boat.

Thanks for that, good info. I'm going to follow it in the New Year, I think it's slotted into a good time as a lead in to the big boys games and I hope our girls go better than maybe both of us think.

Why Goodvibes? Do you have any knowledge more than "the average bear" or are you just guessing? I went to see the girls train and I must admit I wouldn't be tipping them to win anything but my only referance is the boys training, I wouldn't have a clue how we stack up against the other girls teams.

I have been to training a few times and Trengove looks well and is running strongly. It looks like he may be doing more sprint work, especially 200's. Last year it seemed to me he was doing more long grinding running. You have to worry about self-doubt for a player like Trengove. Hopefully he doesn't accept that he isn't a top 22 player and start to drop off his intensity. A lot of us would now doubt his ability to make it back, it takes a strong personality to overcome all those perceptions and doubts. He and ANB will be the two boys given top midfield roles at Casey with a lot of 2016's midfield now gone. I think they will both get another chance at the top level at some stage next year and even though ANB has come back in ripping form and is ahead of Trengove at the moment it's all about grabbing the slim chance they get, when it comes along next year. They are both inside mids with a few ahead of them, but who knows, Clarry might have a case of second year blues, injuries, etc. Trengove is no fool, he'll be pacing himself for that one chance.

I think we're potentially one of the top three teams in it along with GWS and Bulldogs. GWS and Dogs played the brand of football that everyone will want to copy, contested, ballistic and very capable of scoring quickly. We gave glimpses of it in 2016 but also dropped off in intensity and were poor. Best example of this was against Adelaide at the G when we kicked 8 goals in the second quarter to lead and look good at half time then disappoint in the second half. I don't think we can expect us to not disappoint at some stage next year, but I fully expect us to string together 5 or more on the trot and be talked right up by all the media. It's what we then do that will determine our season, up until now whenever there is expectation we have fallen over. Until we deliver we probably have to be sceptical. Can we be more consistent week in week out like a good side? Can we handle the pressure of success? Hmmmm. Not yet. 9th

Not for me. There is a lot of desire on here for another ruck option but we have a mature age ruck back up in Spenser and a developing ruck in King. Why isn't that enough for some people? I don't get it. I mean I would have thought a back up developing key back would have been more important.

Apart from anything else, I can't agree with all the "he's just a kid" sentiment on here. If anything that's all the more reason to lay down the law so he understands he can't play AFL football and carry on like his mates. He has to grow up. Make smart choices. His mates will still like him, he doesn't have to drink and be a fool.