Kev

It was a simpler time for us.

Many up market night places wouldn't let you in in a pair of jeans. Could have been because I didn't have much spending money, (frugal and going without). I really didn't care what you were wearing, more interested in who you are. I couldn't afford to be in competition in a material sense. Also happier to be sitting around at friends places talking and playing music, then joining the crowd of rejectors and wannabees. Really thought in the 70's we were pulling down the wall. I guess there will always be the three kind of classes, poor, middle and upper. Wish it wasn't so.

We all want to be loved and desired. They have to do it within the electronic revolution. Entitlement with aspiration, many are go getters. I question the small community romantic sense of belonging. You belong in those places if you have kids or take the alcohol at the public bar. I think most of us are still searching to belong. The angst of separation is universal.

I find most baby boomers are free spirits. Travelling, learning, partying, exploring boundaries, championing egalitarianism and challenging the norms of their parents. I also think, they are a generation that hasn't grown-up. The later generations are much more concerned with social appearance and reflect a life restrained by the peer group. They use labels to describe fellow human beings and are very socially hierarchical.

I also heard the players from MFC use that expression. 'Bring the boom' when geeing themselves up.

Skip the X gen, onto the millennials. I call you the Potters, from the Harry Potter books. I thought a boomer was a powerful kick, often from the square and flying through the goals. Bring the boom.

Any thoughts on Pettraca @Satyriconhome?

One last observation before I sign out and until I return from holidays. The support staff, mainly the rehabers and trainers, are carrying around notes that they have been referring to. I think Burgess has made sure that the exact plans are being followed and everyone is on the same page with guidelines to specific players.

Most really love the high intensity training. They are competitive and love niggling each other. When it's 100% you can see the joy they have. Straight line tackling, a smurk when they side step, a laugh when they embarrass another, the bung on when they pick themselves up and retaliate. Keep at it MFC. Good strategy, structure and the players appear to be 'buying in'.

I am all confused. Hoping it was all in our imaginations. Saty can you help us out? Not sure what injury Hannan or Vander's are carrying.

Apologies, on second thoughts I think it was his LEFT shoulder.

Pettraca was certainly hurt and hurting. The test I think showed that he had full shoulder movement, appeared to be able to perform all ranges. So my guess is there is no structural damage. Can see him being held off a bit with the contact and ball work for the next couple of weeks.

Training began just after 9 am. Jordan Lewis was with the coaches. Richardson was making connections with individual players. Different types of warm-ups and drill stations to keep them on their toes and interested. Rehab had the same three in it. Kade Kolodjasni, Jake Melksham nor Charlie Spargo were with the squad. In a competitive drill Christian Pettraca hurt his right shoulder. Four medical staff assessed it. They gave him the pills and got him running several 200 to 250 meter sprints. He continued to carry the arm and winced when he took his jumper off. Tom Mcdonald required some work on his lower back. The spray and strapping was applied and he continued training. Ed Langdon had a little work on his right calf. Adam Tomlinson running laps. Oskar Baker walking. Mitch Hannan mainly walking. Joel Smith doing his own program and participated in some minimal contact drills. Kade Chandler was back to normal training. Our ball handling in the drills looked good. The congested simulations are a great place for the coaches to explain the cause of turnovers. I think it was Chaplin who said, 'slow and loopy'. Neville Jetta, Sam Wiedeman, Jake Lever and Aaron Nietschke on for the 3/4 field simulations. I was impressed with: Angus Brayshaw acceleration, change of directions, creating separation through the centre of the field. He was in number 43 as his number 10 had been ripped in the last couple of outings. Nathan Jones decision-making, communication and delivery into the full forwards with flat punts. Tom Mcdonald leading and moving well. Bayley Fritsch rolling, changes in directions, making it hard for the back men and leads into unseen spaces. Neville for forcing multiple entries. James Harmes learning from Neville, Hibbs and coaches about space and release. Michael Hibberd doing some coaching in his group. Oscar Mcdonald getting to the contest. Jake Lever, Michael Hibberd and Marty Hore for their communication, reading the play, getting to the contest and picking up the loose player. A couple of times the mids got caught in the early stages of the 3/4 simulation Nathan wasn't happy, given the amount of work he did to make position. I have noticed he is a bit more grumpy this time round. They are building well. I left training just as they were going into their running programs.

My GUESS is 9 am. They have been doing 3 hr sessions. If 10.30 start then lunch is on late. I assume the club would want to make activities as routine as possible, unless they shake it up to reduce boredom. I don't think it is that time yet.

East Malvern FC, south east suburban football league, did some combined reprentative games for the league. Also played in the seniors matches after the morning game.a few times. I think the club disbanded in 1984. The coach was Blair Cambell. Played for MFC in 1969. Knee injuries cut his career short.

He said he was older than 70 years. I assumed that made his point old school. Also the way of his hardness. Had one of those home reset broken noses. Probably his attitude alone and 15 years in the game. I'm the same when thinking back. Junior training was much the same as you described. Congratulations on the memories of 3 flags. Got one flag myself 1974 (U17's) and a best and fairest to go with it.

I assume Richmond are not back yet. I see your point, better skills and game plans then we become untouchable. Precision, trust and connection.

Do you think Richmond had a no tackling program. They won't do the back off thing easily, sometimes players are coming in in numbers and they are competitive beast. Win at all cost and all believe they will win the ball. Contact can be done in a safe way I think. That is bracing for it and taking the hit. Halfway and you will be hurt. We also want a players to get front and center balls from the pack, if the defender pulls out, then how do they develop that part which is very instinctual and one of the higher skill sets. It is a tough game and durability is one of the criteria that sorts the good players from the others. What would they do if they couldn't practice getting tackled. Pettraca standing up in them, Viney getting taken out but always able to get his arm free, Harmes fending off, (did a beauty today), Oliver with the ball gone before they get him. The concussion stuff should be a duty of care across all contact codes. In a perfect world they shouldn't hurt the brain.Tackling and getting tackled with correct technique should reduce harm. I have seen many concussion from poor technique. Tackling needs to be practice in a game senario. With full tackling the ball can come free and this unpredictable ball movement needs to be practiced with. Loose ball gets are an asset and often instinctual. Oliver slightly rehurt his shoulder in a drill. Kade Kolodjasni collision today was in the body. Kade Chandler tweaked his knee innocously. They have to tackle to reduce the harm from it. I understand where you are coming from, reducing injuries and protecting those with niggles. They play AFL a very hard game. Technical development then repetitions in real situations.

Both are into full training. They are looking unhampered. Tom is looking a bt fitter than Jack. Great to see them going hard. Most of the time in boots. The running programs sometimes require sneakers.

I was talking to Brian an old footy type support staffer for MFC. He reckons they don't go hard enough at training. A real old schooler. I interpreted this to mean, without the high pressure that is reserved for games then how do you know how you will handle it. Those who perform under pressure are the gems. He also said that they don't play with enough instincts and instincts come from pressure situations. Can see both points of view, Brian's and DeeSpencer's (wrapping in cotton wool in early preseason). Last year we did a lot of turnovers when the pressure was on us. Plus we had lots of injuries. I think I am more old school. Let them go at it. Harden them up. From my experience injuries come from unexpected or unseen hits. If they expect the hits they will see them coming and protect themselves accordingly. High pressure training can only be a benefit for the real game. Like one drill today, without any pressure. It looked amazing, very clean ball movement and exact working to structure. Come the pressure and that completely changes. Running injuries, hammy's, calf, foot stuff is not usually from impacts but poor preparation. Concussion on the other hand? A big question mark in our game.

Jake Melksham is doing fine. Looks like hs is working a lot with Tom Mcdonald. They are often blocking and helping each other create separation and overlaps. In simulations they were often getting repeat entries, so they were kept busy.

It is the 9 to 12 schedule. A beautiful morning to train in. Marty, one of the support staff says they are different team this season. I agree with him, seems a change in the vibe out there. Hoping it can translate out on the field when it counts. In rehab was Aaron VandenBerg, Austin Bradtke and Harrison Petty. Their work load seems to have increased, harder running and ball work. Walking laps was Oskar Baker, Adam Tomlinson and Mitch Hannan. The main group had about 33 (?) players in it. Warm-ups were again inventive and different from the previous morning. They split into two groups and there were two stations. One being a congested game with no contact and fast ball movement. The other was using just over half the field with minimal pressure from four coaches and the players creating switches and corridors to move the ball into the forwards who would finish with set shots. They swapped stations. The players on light duties went over to the rehab area to finish off while the others competed in simulations. Light duties included Neville Jetta, Jake Lever, Kade Chandler, Sam Weideman and Joel Smith (seems to be on his own program). Bayley Fritsch, Tom McDonald, Ed Langdon, Steven May, Christian Salem, Corey Wagner, and Christian Petracca were the ones who stood out to me in simulations. Marty Hore and Kade Kolodjashnij had a collision when both defending a high ball. Looked more like both being winded, Kade left training. I hope as a precaution, he was wearing the 'red cap'. Charlie Spargo was the only one missing today. Steven May and Clayton Oliver trained well. Clayton with a bit of strapping on his left shoulder and at one time had the 'red cap' on. The training kind of petered out after they had a good chat in the middle. A group doing tackling, one on one, or two contests and a kind of leap frog activity. A group having their set shots at goal filmed in preparation for analysis. Some doing 150-meter sprints. A good first week.

It has been embarrassing and I think that is why I am not too invested in winning. Still holding hope that we can be a power team. I do enjoy watching us when we are having a good day. In some of our quarters in 2018 we were unstoppable as was some of our scoring in the time-on periods and times when we hit multiple goals without a reply. Unfortunately we can't seem to muster consistency. The excuses of being a young or building team is wearing thin. We have had decades of that. Hope we develop some pride and figure out how to win, nether alone crush some teams. We really do need to hurt some of the others and gain our place beyond being the laughing stock. The oppositions supporters get angry and abusive if we beat their team. Which does shock me given our past 50 years of struggle and that generally we have been a "nice and fair" team to play. I think that's why I don't want to be too Ra Ra about winning. As the one eyed ones seem mad and have ruined some of my friends, my family and my experiences at the footy. Though in reality I would love to be one of the big kids on the block.

Love the people who are overflowing glasses. Abundance, plenty to give and go around Then there are the bottomless ones. Never satisfied, always wanting more. I enjoy the stimulation by the ones that fill then drink. Keeping it fresh and always having that new approach.

@inanunda you started a thread but have not engaged with the discussion. Does that mean you are firm in your opinion and care not for mine or others? Come on have a dialogue. Support your opinion or show some flexibility.