Harvey Wallbanger

Hi GW - any reports from Casey today. From the gallery, no sign of JVR?

Great news for us if Lions/Cats is re-scheduled to Round 3 (which sounds likely). Given that Brisbane play on a Sunday in Round 2 the re-scheduled game will probably be on Saturday 29 March at the Gabba. That means we will get the Cats in Round 4 off a six-day break and travel. We also will be coming off six days, but after Gold Coast at the G. A great chance for us to knock the Cats off down there. I don't buy the line that the Cats are traditionally bad off a bye - a bye in Round 3 is different to one in the middle of the season when they exhibited those issues in the past.

With Andy MW and Shane McA now LTI's and having been replaced on our list (by Henderson and Culley) may I politely suggest they don't get listed here any longer? Tragic for both of them of course, but it (a) saddens me when I read their names and (b) exaggerates our injury situation given that we were able to replace them on our list, which is now complete at 43.

Loved the "chipping around discussion" on the pod. From a bit of track-watching, I throw out the following observations: If we intercept the ball on the half-back line (which happened quite a bit on the weekend via May and Lever), it seems the following options are explored: 1. If Windsor, or Bowey are available (or McVee when he is back) the quick overlap handball is given so that the next kick can penetrate the defensive layers set up by the oppo and we enter the forward line at pace, with reduced risk of turnover. It happened a couple of times on Sunday, but I am sure the coaches want more of that. 2. Absent (1) the inboard "45 kick", if safe, is taken to explore what is on in the corridor. 3. Absent (1) or (2), chip or switch the ball laterally or back, which by definition can only occur safely because the oppo forwards have pressed on to block the corridor. 4. From the switch or chip, repeat from the other side of the ground until options (1) or (2) become available. As BinMan said - Demons' supporters will groan when this happens at the G in Round 1. They will be the same supporters who groan when we "bang it long" into the forward line. Re long forward handballs they are always the best option at the centre bounces if we win possession because, with 6/6/6, there are fewer opponents around to intercept the act, unless the half-backs rush up - remember the 2021 GF? Finally, surely the coaches get a mulligan on the weekend - we have trained for three months with JVR as the key target in our forward plans, and he goes off before he can reach a contest.......

DJ's list is sound based on information from training last week. From the weekend, obviously we are still waiting to hear re JVR, and Petty did not play on Sunday for "personal reasons". Given the players have three days off, I suspect we will hear more only on Thursday when they train at Casey. Also looking forward to hearing how Charles Spargo pulled up after his half at Casey. Melksham must be getting close to having a run also....

Thanks GW - any word on training times/places next week?

From the HeraldSun: Few coaches have ridden the “rollercoaster” of emotions across the past five seasons as Goodwin, and AFL 360 viewers will have front row seats to what comes next. Goodwin has agreed to join the show every two weeks, a marked departure from recent years when he chose to do few media appearances other than his mandated ones. “This is important to him,” Lyon said. “He had been through a rollercoaster, professional and probably personal. “I think this is about the coach (as a person), as opposed to the Melbourne Football Club coach. Just to talk about coaching and the pressure and where it can take you in the highest of moments and where it can take you in the darkest of moments. “He knows it is not conditional on appearing on the show; it is unconditional. If you are 13-zip, you are going to be sprinting in here so fast that it is not going to matter, but if you are 4-9, you still have to come in. That is the commitment you have made.” Whateley was excited to see what would unfold for Goodwin and for Melbourne in 2025. “There is a degree of trust that he has shown in us and we value that to the extreme,” Whateley said. “I always think the show has been good about creating a safe environment to come in and tell your story and we will continue that.” Lyon added: “You are not going to come in here and get stitched up … but you are not coming in for an easy ride either.”

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has agreed to document a make-or-break season for the Demons with fortnightly appearances;

There will be plenty of opportunities to get his message across. Goody has committed to appear fortnightly on AFL 360, according to the HS.

And Spargs and Campbell...

Agree re the defence. We'll get a guide to that if AJ travels to Perth and Campbell plays at Casey tomorrow. Can we do that (i.e. sub out Johnson) all year? What if there is an injury early in the game?

Beautiful day - all from our new list present, i.e. including Henderson and Culley. Melky and McVee doing run-throughs, see above re Melky - getting close, Judd said "4 weeks" and that looks believable based on his running. Kolt doing his first running which he was happy about - perhaps optimistic, but perhaps a Round 3 return for him (guessing through Casey because of conditioning required. Windsor in full training, so expect him to play on Sunday. Hore says 3 weeks after the broken hand. Kentfield still very light work. Spargo did not join the main session will play tomorrow in the Casey practice match. Left early, but it was an all team skills session with the Captain's run tomorrow in the West. Campbell left the track early...maybe he also plays Casey tomorrow and not to Perth?

Fullarton and Sestan were both there Kev.

He trained freely with the "early (non-playing) group" today so he is much much closer to having a run. He was not in rehab with the others today. Tomorrow was probably just too early, particularly considering the outcome of his participation in Round Zero last year.

Team Selection: MELBOURNE 2. Jacob Van Rooyen 8. Jake Lever 10. Daniel Turner 13. Clayton Oliver 14. Jack Billings 16. Bailey Laurie 17. Jake Bowey 19. Harvey Langford 20. Xavier Lindsay 21. Matthew Jefferson 22. Blake Howes 24. Trent Rivers 25. Tom McDonald 26. Jed Adams 27. Marty Hore 28. Will Verrall 29. Tom Campbell 30. Harry Sharp 32. Tom Sparrow 33. Tom Fullarton 35. Harrison Petty 36. Kysaiah Pickett** 37. Kade Chandler 38. Oliver Sestan 39. Ricky Mentha Jnr 40. Taj Woewodin 41. Kynan Brown 42. Aidan Johnson 45. Andy Moniz-Wakefield Looks like we nailed the team except AMW is included in the list, but didn't run around today?

Also insert 10 Turner

Why not "Wallbanger"? Too long? - shorten it to "Banger"🙂

Don't think so - but he did not come out with the "early group" but I think that was mainly because that group was doing some serious running, given they are not playing tomorrow. Based on what we saw today I expect the Casey game will not have any AFL listed players, and as reported earlier it may be that Roy George has a run in the main game (even though not on the list?).

Given the nature of Kolt's injury he just turns up to training but he is not doing any running or drills. Today he spent quite a bit of time with his friend Kentfield - gentle stretches etc, hand-balling, etc. They will both be a couple of months away based on official and unofficial reports.

Did some running with the main group - a big step forward from last week. Don't expect him to play tomorrow though.

Absent: McAdam Rehabbing: Melksham and McVee lots of running. Moniz-Wahefield. Tholstrup and Kentfield not doing much. Not playing tomorrow: May, Salem, Petracca, Viney, Spargo, Gawn, Langdon, Fritsch, Henderson, Windsor Train-on: Roy George (Culley not present). Leaves the other 28 available to have a run tomorrow: 2 van Rooyen 8 Lever 13 Oliver 14 Billings 16 Laurie 17 Bowey 19 Langford 20 Lindsay 21 Jefferson 22 Howes 24 Rivers 25 TMac 26 Adams 27 Hore 28 Verrall 29 Campbell 30 Sharp 32 Sparrow 33 Fullarton 35 Petty 36 Pickett 37 Chandler 38 Sestan 39 Mentha 40 Woewodin 41 Brown 42 Johnson ? George

Chandler's fine. He'll play.

According to George's sheet on Page 1 of this thread, the first number noted last year, early in the year, was the second week of March at 48,880. 2nd week of Feb in 2023 was 44,552. Same time in 2022 was 41,562.

Neither club performing well at the coalface. With North, i was give an option to press 3 and go to Reception and that just rang and rang - I know their song now though- so I called again and pressed "1" for membership, got told I was No.3 in the queue, and waited over 20 minutes. Old piece of advice, the first thing a CEO should do every day is ring their customer/member hotline - tells you everything about your organisation.

Providing further unpaid service to Demonlanders, I wasted 30 minutes of my life and called Saturday's host - North Melbourne. A clearly "under the pump" membership officer said start time was 11 am - "they haven't been told anything different" - After a tiny bit of pressure she consulted the "higher-ups" and indeed confirmed that the start has been adjusted to 10.00 am, followed immediately by the VFL match (around 1 pm). I chanced my arm and, after being told folding chairs are not normally allowed for the women's games, she advised that they probably will be allowed because it is not a ticketed match... You're welcome.