Kev

Salem is out with 14 players not in the game squad, now. Full participation.

Salem is not in the captain's run. Yes, they are with the trainer, mainly lap and short runs. Verall seems to be building a stronger muscular body. Turner starting to do some skills work. Hunter was the most vocal I had heard him. Gus doing some spectaculars.

Squads warming up, on Gosch's. Spargo, Jordan, Bailey and TMac out there. Fritta still doing his own program. JvR looking happy, though keeping to himself a bit. A fair bit of voice in their first drill. Lever's seems to dominate. The banter between the players is also strong, as they niggle each other, and applaud those extra skilled acts. The backline has split from the main group (who are goal kicking), Rivers, May, Lever, Max, D Turner and Hibbo. The first are back into the sheds after 50 minutes. Now the seconds are making their way out onto the paddock.

Trying to put the can of worms back in the pantry.

A duty of care ruling is so complicated for these adjudicators of sport, what hope has the player in split second decisions got,

Exactly, the moon doesn't rotate unless the appeal board tells it too, as duty of care is an extrapolation of the rule, and not explicitly stated.

Trained as well from what I understand.

His only other choice was to not contest, the ball or the spoil.

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Unacceptable risk, the CTE is a horrible injury. Don't play! Wow, The rules can be tinkered with to create a safe game. My problem is how they are going about it. The players need clear, consistent instructions, not what is happening via the Tribunal. It is not Rollerball, a 1975 movie, a bloodsport. AFL has much more beauty, than it has what you advocate.

There wasn't even a blow. I see the force to Ballard's neck coming from JVR falling onto his head via that upper arm. A blow requires more leverage/centripetel force than what occurred.

The appeal must be based on the words, reasonable, foreseeable/potential, and blow. I can't see how JVR would have had going through his head, that his spoil was going to result in a blow to Ballard's head. If his fist was going at Ballard and not the ball the of course, but his leading arm was going at the ball. The thoughts of JVR would have been get to and impact the contest, prepare for a hit, I assume Ballard would be the same. He would be a genius if he could predict the outcome of two independent bodies in a complex collision, give him an honoury degree in physics. It is reasonable to allow a player to go at the ball. The "blow" is a bit wrong. I see a player falling from his flight and putting weight through his arm to the head of Ballard. More a neck bend than, whiplash from a strike.

How confusing for the players. Most marking situations leave the chance or "inevitability of a forceful blow to the head". A glance by the upper arm is a forceful blow, what a precedent, no concussion. Well will there be consistency, and if so, the pack mark is dead. No knees to the head when leaping, no follow through when spoiling. The game has now changed.

The two players involved in heavy collisions can now be cited. Most probably only if two MFC players

Collisions are all to be cited! Wow, MFC scapegoated again.

The hit to Bowey head was not cited. The heavy body check and some part of arm to head, caused the citing to JVR. The difference was the energy involved in the collision. The bump is nearly finished. Kossie's sanction occurred because of the force of collision. Didn't hit head, tried to turn his body lateral, nearly perpendicular to the ground as he hit opponent across chest area, no concussion. Seems to me it is the force of collision they are looking at.

If the CTE stuff gets serious attention, more civil cases, and evidence of cause from collision. I believe they will have to, as "duty of care", forces them to be less aggressive towards the other, as body contact occurs. The ball becomes the object, and players getting to it first have protection. If an equally contested ball, then they must change direction and that energy cannot be a direct whack. (Tough when the bodies are unequal weight). They need 100%, as anything less leaves you open to injury, but not 100% directly at each other. The bump is nearly finished, soon the contest will have to be shoulder to shoulder, not shoulder at shoulder. That is the way I see footy heading, and the citing of JVR, is an indication that is where they are pushing the players.

Yes, just guess work. They have been having their main run out at Casey, usually at 9.30 am, 3 days before the game day (Wednesday this week). The next one at Gosch's is the captain's run, the day before the game also at 9.30 am (Friday this week). They have a recovery run on Gosch's, usually Monday at 11.30 am.

Cannot remember seeing Harmes today at training.

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/players/8628/will-verrall

May, looked to be moving well at training.

K.Turner and Verrall, have been increasing their work load, Kyle more so than Verrall.

JVR looked fine, stayed in the middle of the pack, most of the time. My guess is they have gathered around him.

Yes, looked like a brainstorming session of more than 5 minutes, and Petty was into it. I'd say Petty is working out of the backline, or at least the swing man. Very welcome to use the reports. Credit is definitely not required, though thanks anyway.