kev martin

I think Sparrow is the most likely. There will be a lot of pressure for the positions given our recruitment of ready to go players.

The squad was already out on the paddock when I arrived. There were 24 players, 5 coaches and numerous support staff. No Steven May, Nathan Jones, Jake Lever, Angus Brayshaw, Kade Kolodjasni, Jake Melksham, Aaron Vandengerg, Jayden Hunt, Alex Neal-Bullen, Harrison Petty, Ed Langdon, Adam Tomlinson or Harley Bennell. There was a also good number of administration people there. Noticed that Joel Smith and Tom McDonald are on a different program to the rest of the squad by doing some work in rehab. The simulations were going strongly and there were obvious changes in their methods. They were run by Troy Chaplin. The types I saw were, a group of midfielders moving the ball quickly by hand and then clearing to leading players on a call from the coaches. Then, two separated teams, one in the centre and the other in the forward area. The ball is given to the forward team. A fast spread and finding players to pick up entailed. They had to run very hard with plenty of communication to get to position, force a contest, fill space, create a turnover, hit players on leads and make overlaps. All ball movement was by foot. Joel Smith and Tom McDonald both participated in the contact simulations and played well. Thought Kade Chandler, Christian Pettraca and Oscar Mcdonald stood out with skills. Toby Bedford laid good tackles. Michael Hibberd reading the play and getting to many intercepts. Max Gawn leading well always giving an option. Jack Viney playing smart football. If second week in is much to go by, we are looking good. The training is well organised and they are pushing them. They then we're put through the running programs. Half doing fartlek and the others 80 meter sprints. Two coaches Troy Chaplin and Mick Stinnear were also running laps. I don't think Bernie Vince is with us this year. Perhaps Jordan Lewis has taken over his role. At the end, the squad had a moment of silence in a circle and in the middle for remembrance. After, Braydon Preuss did some leading and goal kicking practice. James Harmes and Jack Viney goal kicking at the other end of the field. Christian Salem, Marty Hore and James Jordan finished with some tackling practice.

I arrived late at the session and only saw the running. Clayton Oliver was looking very good, had rhythm, balance and power as he glided across the field. He maintained his competitive instinct with is running mate James Jordan. Tom and Oscar Mcdonald both moving strongly. Tom looking unimpeded and often leading Oscar. Bailey Fritsch and Charlie Spargo running easily and seemed to be enjoying the return to the club. Max Gawn running with Braydon Preuss. After the younger ones left, Max continued doing his own runs and was pushing himself pretty hard. Braydon doing some extra kicking, leading and marking with Gregg Stafford. Marty Hore running hard, together with Troy Chaplin who was regularly a few meters behind him. Tom Sparrow was in the lead most of the time when running with a small group of four players (Toby Bedford, Oscar Baker and I think Kade Chandler or Jay Lockart). Not a big squad a few must have finished early and some still away, I didn't see Harrison Petty. I thought there were about 8 coaches out in middle but no Simon Goodwin or Alan Richardson. Not very vocal but it felt like they were all itching to get on with it and appeared to be happy being back in the fold.

Some of our problems are easy to see. Opposition scoring from turnovers, missing for certain times in games and conversion from the entries into the 50. If we have a good pre-season we should be able to improve in these areas. We were close in a lot of our games making us more than a competitive team. Next season opposition teams won't be setting themselves to beat us as we arn't a big scalp. Our midfield is still strong. Plenty of players with something to prove. Players shouldn't have such an interrupted season again. Younger group got plenty of games at the highest level into them. Easier draw next year. More determined because of this years pain. Hopefully we will have many alternative game plans and are able implement them when required. This year we were too one dimensional as we were trying to just get the basics right.

My two cents worth. Could be the problem of the modern organisation? Working hard, ambition, entitlement, desire, aspiration are not the same as skill. For me the naturally skilled will always come through as superior. Being lazy does not mean you get the lower hanging fruit, though the ambitious expect it to be so. As soon as motivation falls off so does the outcome. Skills create the magic. Alex Neal-Bullen is a prime example, always working hard at it. Compared to Clayton Oliver who is quite often lazy and going through the motions. Clayton will take a game apart whereas Alex can become a liability when his energy is depleted. Organisations are always failing us unless the insider have a vested interest in serving. I don't trust the ambitious, I trust those with heart and altruism. Those that care about the other more than themselves. I believe it is more about group cohesion and sharing than the avarice getting to the apple tree first, controlling the distribution and then saying how they are unsatisfied. A whip merely causes separation. George Orwells book animal farm, “we are equal, but some are more equal than others”. I don't trust our education system (hierarchical utilitarianism) and class system in creating a functioning society. I see hard-working students unable to live up to their resume. So the majority barely get any fruit as the power waste what is there and the society fails through a dysfunctional dystopia. Two billion hungry, 70 million displaced, 40 million enslaved, the majority have no access to medical help, 5% own more than 60% of the assets, etcetera, etcetera. Base the collective around the skilled and those with high emotional intelligence and not the ambitious. That way we get caring, sharing and commitment. The hard workers will always overestimate their abilities. I find them the unhappiest people and that effects the group. Players need connection and the support of each other and only then will we get close to the holy grail.

Is Austin Bradke a chance, 204 cm? Training with a group of 8 forwards this morning. Declan Keilty was with the backs.

Goody and Plapp talking and waiting in the middle for the players to turn up. A bit windy, otherwise good conditions. Rehab out first, Aaron Nietschke doing a bit of ball work, Tom Sparrow getting time tested, Jeff Garlett running laps, Tim Smith walking laps. The light duties had Max Gawn and Nathan Jones in the rehab for a while, both joining the main squad after warm-ups. Also on light duties was Christian Salem and Michael Hibberd who both stayed in the rehab group, but we're running laps strongly together. Out with the rehab was Jordan Lewis, when the squad came out he joined them. He was thanking everyone and being congratulated. After warm-ups, they were straight into drills; blocking, handballs and hit ups by foot. They had two groups drilling a game of keepings off with handball and tackling. Very slick with good skills on show. The simulations were done with some solid tackling and pressure, they were hard at it. Bayley Fritsch cleaning up James Jordan leaving him with a corked hip. Plenty of spoils, one on one contest, blocking, with forwards switching on the opponent and midfield structuring to create overlap. Jack Viney and Nathan Jones leading by example. Goody was looking for the players to create isolation. After the hard hit out they went into their line groups. Backline had Sam Frost, James Harmes and Charlie Spargo in it. Forwards included Austin Bradke, Billy Stretch and Corey Wagner. Max did minimal ruck work but did some leading in the forward area. Most of the ruck craft drills were done by Braydon Preuss with Clayton Oliver the recipient Jay Kennedy-Harris and Oskar Baker with the mids, as well as Clayton Oliver, Christian Pettraca and Angus Brayshaw who were training well. One of the drills was slotting passes at a target. Training ended with the entire squad goal kicking and then they broke off into small group and individual practice. Last on the track Alex Neal-Bullen and Billy Stretch kicking running goals, Braydon marking and a few taking high marks off the bag (including Clayton Oliver and James Harmes ) Tom Mcdonald out on the field wearing a coaches vest and later walking laps with Steven May. No Petty Harrison, Oscar Mcdonald or Kade Chandler. Also, haven't seen Satyricon for some time. The team was boisterous, supportive and generally up and about.

The young players have not taken any game apart in three years! Are they playing roles and not their natural game, are the older listed ones not supporting them? Maybe there is a pecking order problem, MFC a land of hierarchy and knowing your place. The recruitment team can't be that bad, not one of the new selections in three years has had a champion of a game. Let's hope the coaching and support staff can get the best out of some of our young group. Is mediocrity what MFC settle for? Hope we get rid of list fillers and get more stars in the mix.

Looking back on our rising star nominations. Could only find four from 2016, Clayton Oliver, Christian Pettraca, James Harmes and Oscar Mcdonald. None in 2017, 2018 or this year. Is this an indication of our problems? Is it selection and/or development problems our of young players?

Buying players hasn't worked in the past. Tilbrook, Carmen, Ditterich and many more, none took us to finals. My guess is, May and Lever's big salaries have fractured the group. Not much joy out there for each other. Where is our camaraderie and gel? Seems it is manufactured by coaches saying great mates win games. I think respect needs to be genuine, that has disappeared. There seems to be groups within groups as they aren't doing the 1% nor helping each other to be better footballers. Delivery of the football needs to be to the team-mates advantage. So many times we put the receiver under pressure or it is a clanger. No trust in each other. Where are the natural footballers, who is taking the game on, where is our creativity and magic. Perhaps scrutiny of the mistakes at the review has shot their confidence. Too much finger pointing and complicated solutions. Coaches are not getting the best out of the players. We looked scared to get the ball or take the game on. Confidence is shot. Sometimes outward display of anger and frustration, is better than an intellectual response that gets in the head. They are full of anxiety. Better to be the passenger. Players who don't have an impact are getting games, must be doing a role set by the coach. Let's hope this brand of football changes to a culture of winning.

I was there about the same time (9.30). They must have been out from 9 o'clock. Just as dissatisfied, the captains runs and the cancelling of the two Wednesday trainings. They must have there reasons.

I don't subscribe to the idea that these elite sports people are tanking. They have a mind set of wanting to win otherwise they wouldn't be in the top tiers of AFL. The club would have plans much more complicated than my interpretations. Giving players a go at this time of the year and given our predicament on the ladder, I can see the benefits of the shuffles. Especially on a Friday night. It is good for them and I hope they play well. They want to feel good with a win and I think they hurt more than us spectators when they lose. (Basic psychology). Ps. I enjoy the humour.

It's what I interpreted from training this morning, (I added the run part). Drills of the backline palming low balls down. Slow simulations (to set up structures) then getting them to transition quickly from one wing to the other.

Protect the front and centre of packs and bring the ball to the ground. Plenty of switching of play and run, run, run!

Only watched the last ten minutes of training. They must have started early. Noticed they empathised communication and structure. Billy Stretch, Charlie Spargo, Alex Neal-Bullen, Marty Hore and Kade Chandler with the squad. No Harrison Petty, and I can't remember seeing Oskar Baker, Jayden Hunt or Oscar Mcdonald (could be wrong). It was good to see Jeff Garlett running laps.

Last year our midfield would swarm at the ball or the opponent with the ball. They caused fear, panic, intensiy and were able to put two or more goals on in a row. I've barely seen back-to-back goals this year (except at the start of a game, when we are 'fired up'). We just don't seem to scare teams this year. We lost our fight. The pressure we used to apply kept the ball locked down or created goals. Without the goal scoring this year, we aren't in the heads of the opponent. Our basic problems were there last year (turnovers, going missing for quarters and the other team scoring back-to-back, to-back goals without a reply) it is just amplified because of our lack of scoreboard pressure this year, and we seem to be always chasing. We used to score well in the time-on period, but can barely score heavily at anytime this year. We lack confidence. Even when we get out in front, usually with our good starts we let them back in. Teams used to get us on the spread. Now they just punch it into the spaces we create within our zones. Need to play accountable football with shoulder to shoulder defense, contesting/controlling the ball with a pack mentality and trusting each other. Without our pack mentality and trust we can't get the ball back, lock it down or score. Some outside run would also help. Stop the turnovers by improving our angles with better kicks/ handball to advantage. Looks like we are too straight with our delivery and leads. Works at training but in hard situations it is a method for turnovers. Need ruthlessness (to hammer teams when we are in front), stronger will power (to stop the oppositions back-to-back goals) and some improvement in footy IQ (to maintain possession, get it back, score goals and control the tempo).

Wandered over to Gosh's this morning. Appears training was cancelled. The rehab squad was out there. Joel Smith running straight lines with a tracker. Looks strong and has bulked up around the hip area. Aaron Nietschke and Tom Sparrow walking and running laps. Jake Lever was doing lots of ball work with two trainers. Appeared to be moving without restrictions.

I can't remember seeing him on the paddock this morning.

It was a short run for the squad, 30 to 40 minutes. No emergencies out there. Rehab had Steven May doing laps with some ball work, Joel Smith walking with a tracker on and Aaron Nietschke laps. The drills begun with paired kicking at which we looked a bit off. Next was short runs with sharp direction changes. A full squad ball movement of run, kicking and loud calls. Looked very good, barely a clanger. Then two groups of mids moving the ball around two defenders and delivering into a leading forward. Lastly, they used Jordan Lewis and a coach delivering into two crowded areas, defenders intercepting well and an occasional success. They split into line squads. Christian Pettraca, Corey and Josh Wagner in with the mids, as was Oscar Baker but with less participation. They spent time talking about the set-ups at the ruck. Jordan Lewis and Bayley Fritsch with the forwards. They did some high marking off a bag and developing quick reactions by using blind turns and starts with lying face down on the ground. The backs had 7 players in it including Nathan Jones. Emphasis was closing space and using angles to open up and maintain possession. They finished with goal kicking, generally positive except for Harrison Petty who was struggling to kick straight. Ball fading either left or right. Brendan McCartney working with him and Jayden Hunt (mainly snaps).

The mood was light-hearted. Plenty of laughter, even the first few drills were about games and fun. The rehab included Sam Weideman, Marty Hore and Billy Stretch. Jake Melksham in the main group though not doing the contact work and still doing some fitness training. James Harmes on light duties. Charlie Spargo also in the main squad with full participation as was Tim Smith. Oscar Baker appeared to be on the outside of full program, as was Oscar Mcdonald, Toby Bedford and James Jordon. The squad quickly begun simulations. Emphasis was plenty of switches with entry into an open forward area after creating overlaps. They went back to drills of clearing the contested area. Then returned to more simulations. Only at the end did they do work in the line squads. Nathan Jones with the backs, he was vocal and setting up the release with good angles to open up the space. The backs working on blocking, rolling and staying with their opponents. Harrison Petty in the forwards, holding most of his marks and finishing well. Christian Pettraca and Corey Maynard with the mids. I think Jay Kennedy-Harris and Corey Wagner could be a chance for selection. Not much goal kicking practice. The intensity was there at appropriate times.

The rehab group (Jake Melksham, Billy Stretch, Tim Smith and Tom Sparrow) included some getting fitness test or light duties. Max Gawn, Steven May, Braydon Preuss, Christian Salem, Harrison Petty, Clayton Oliver and I think Neville Jetta, all joining the main squad at various times. After warm-ups the main squad separated to line coaches for some ball movement drills. Then they formed into balanced groups and continued the ball movement. The last drill, a 3/4 field positioning with a variety of finishes. I did not see a clanger. Simulations showed the same professional style. The coaches included competitions between groups. They also brought some lightness when the squad gathered in the centre, Still our mood appeared subdued though I sense some resolve. Finished with goal kicking then individual and small group development. Jake Lever looks certain into the backline. Nathan Jones with the backs. Harrison Petty did not participate in collision drills but did everything else. I expect he will play. James Jordan and Corey Maynard working with the mids pushing for selection, as was Oscar Mcdonald in the backs but I don't think they are in. The forwards had many crumbers in it including, Jay Kennedy-Harris and Oscar Baker, tough competition for places. The practice emphasised delivery from just outside the 50. Austin Bradke, dancing around with Max Gawn and Braydon Preuss in rucking drills.

TRAINING Tuesday 9 July Mood was subdued. Out in three squads, VFL , AFL and the rehab. Braydon Preuss unseen, Jake Melksham running laps, Max Gawn getting time tested (running freely), Jack Viney on light duties, Tim Smith and Billy Stretch running laps. The younger players in the VFL squad are all matched with experienced players, Brendan McCartney directing traffic. Toby Bedford and James Jordan looking good as was Corey Wagner. Jake Lever vocal, Oscar Baker moving well as was Oscar Mcdonald. The AFL squad drill with a soccer game, then move to some serious goal kicking of 35 meters out then some bananas. Kyle Dunkley looks ready to go again. Kade Kolodjashnij working with the AFL squad or it could have been Michael Hibberd wearing his number. The run lasted less than an hour, on a beautiful Melbourne morning.

The squad out together on Gosh's for a clean, precise captains run. Started with warm up drills followed by short passing. After some run throughs, they went down for some serious goal kicking. Some coaches on the mark, including Simon Goodwin guiding the accuracy. They split into the line teams. Forwards practising rolling from a defender to create spread and overlap. Sam Wiedeman and Jayden Hunt working leads at different angles at the end of training. Braydon Preuss working off Stafford with taps to the mids, Jordan Lewis with Kyle Dunkley and the others working inside. Angus Brayshaw a little proppy, Clayton Oliver a touch off (hope it is just at training). Back line looks compact and there was connection between Sam Frost and Steven May. Appeared to be working on timing the release and hitting a player down the corridor. Christian Pettraca and Jack Viney had light duties. The rehab had Jake Melksham running with timed laps, Billy stretch, Tim Smith and I think James Jordan and Kade Chandler. Mood was subdued, could be just going through the paces, though Jordan Lewis up about his selection. Max Gawn was not in the squad.

The private conversation went like this. Me "We need to win 4 in a row". Brendan,"We will win the next 6". Me, "Get the best out of them"