waynewussell

Full oval kicking to lead and running on at top pace now. A lot to like here. The skip is tearing it up. Bernie is fit and chomping the bit. ANB gets a crack at a full preseason. Petracca urges them on from the sidelines. Ollie might be low on middle distance stuff but he remains very high with the ball in his sights!

Haven't spotted Lewis or Garland yet. Main group rotating through agility and quick spread handball & kicking at the moment. Melksham and Hibberd running hard laps

The rehabs do some goal kicking. Harry not spotted yet. Big Max seems to be wearing number 34

Viney leaves the track early, Hogan jogs off for a wiss! Stretch, Kent & Petracca on triangular handball duties. Main group in warm up with footballs

Arrived a little early... Rehab group already out on the paddock, with Don Tyson joining the regulars. Tyson, Hibberd, Big Mac and Melksham kicking in pairs on the lead with Crossie overseeing them. Viney on straight sprints, Vanders on fast laps, King mixing it up. The whole group arrived with Watts looking like a former Brisbane Brownlow medalist!

Just their role in the drill, Wiseblood. They are in a small 'rehab' group with Viney and Mitch King. However, I do think both have been earmarked for half-back, with Hibberd a prime candidate for kick ins (in the Vince mode).

I was there for an hour or so. Frost joined rehab group and went in early. Slight upper leg strain my guess, but someone else will update the site on this, I'm sure. Beautiful Melbourne morning and the session had the feel of early season training, with several miss-kicks and lack of stamina by some in the competitive stuff. Brayshaw was one who surprisingly had poor delivery for a five minute period. It was quite willing at times with a few players copping a few bruises in the tackles. Hogan was impressive. Wagner was also fit and clean in his defensive work. Vanders still running the boundary line. Melksham and Hibberd looking sharp in the kick to the lead activity, Jack Viney was also working hard in this group, along with Mitch King, who was less impressive today when fatigue started to cut in. Billy Stretch impressed in the large group as did Petracca.

Some other minor observations after first training session... McKenna looks a lot like Wagner, so expect those two to be mixed up if they manage to play seniors together. Missed the voices of the senior players... it was awfully windy in the paddock today, but even so, there wasn't a lot of voice being used when I was there. Jack Viney didn't seem to be hindered in his ball handling or movement during his restricted program. Thought I saw Weiderman early, then walk of a little sore... BUT, then I realised I was thinking of the final qtr v Hawks, which I watched last night! I congratulated Vandenberg on the hard running he completed during the session.

I attended today and it's fair to say that it was a low key session. The former Dons ran hard with Hibberd looking in good nick. Tom McDonald led them through several full lap runs. In the 7 minute run the two recruits, Maynard and McKenna shone, with Hogan the only one that challenged them. Mitch King was able to do quite a bit of the leading and passing routine. He looks more athletic and a better kick than his recently delisted namesake

... and Jetts

I've been very quiet during the Trade period, but I've been reading multiple times daily, as always. Don't forget ANB had an interrupted pre-season in 2016. He has a few disposal deficiencies, as were exposed during VFL finals. He does, however get plenty of it! He also has the noddy head, arrogant front that gets up the nose of opponents. A little bit of Bugg there! He is young and he has shown something in more than a single game at the highest level. I think this is an important year for him and I hope he gets an injury free run at it. Then we will be in a position to draw conclusions.

Why so much disrespect in a thread that is celebrating MFC... no, all women?

Just on watching Hawks and Cats most recent games, I know who I would be drafting for two years and it ain't going slightly bald!

Tyson's recruitment was a masterstroke. Fits like a glove in our developing midfield. Any slow 'finding of form' is related to injury, which he carries like a Premiership contender!

Hi Mods... Could you relocate this thread to AFL Women's League Thread, if Poss?

What's Jordan L got that Jimmy B doesn't have (apart from the occasional P)?

You obviously didn't take the time to watch Bitter

After watching all the interviews of our women draftees on the official MFC site, I felt compelled to start a new thread here (apologies if I have missed someone else's thread). If you ever wanted to be uplifted by watching the response of a young group of dedicated, hard working and inspired sportspeople... here it is! I'm so impressed by the eloquence, unbridled joy and team ethic that these women display. I recommend their interviews as 'must watch' material for any Demon supporter. As the male trade period drags on, these new draftees have lifted my spirit and my already healthy interest in the National Women's League to new levels. Do yourself a favour!

A horrible end to 2016. This will have lasting effects. Membership for one. We still have a mediocre list! We still lack the game changers... and there have to be at least three... we don't have one! We got ahead of ourselves! I am very comfortable with 3/4's of the coaching panel and the off-field team, but there better be some BIG ins during off-season or we could just as easily fall away. Think what would happen if we were decimated by injury because 2016 has been one of our best years ever for games lost due to injury! I would think that the 22 players who took the field are embarrassed about the way they managed to send Roos off!

6 Gawn 5 Tyson 4 TMac 3 Jetta 2 Vince 1 Brayshaw

Kennedy is a hard nut who excels at VFL level, he is still young enough to have an upside. He has already played some good games at AFL level. He is a keeper!

I also watched the final quarter today and agree wholeheartedly leucopogon... the free against Watts was ludicrous and you have described it well. It was Umpire number 2, Niel Foot, I believe, the same umpire that called at least one of the dodgy DOBs. However, that one against Watts takes the cake because it was so obviously staged by Darling. When an umpire falls for this sort of staging I lose respect for the individual concerned.

The responses to the Hulett question were not totally opposed. One was responding to whether he was ready to replace Dawes now! My response was related to his long term prospects.

Hulett was impressive. He gathered possessions in defense as well as up forward, he marked well and competed well. The best game I have witnessed from him and the first time I have felt confident that he will make it to the next level.

6 N Jones 5 Gawn 4 Tyson 3 Viney 2 Watts 1 Kent