dworship

It's interesting when I'm trying to put a first round team together it's hard to fit them all in coz there are so many available and that includes up forward and down back. I've read a lot of peoples team lists and saw one earlier on the BF Board and it's amazing how many people don't have Grimes in the side at all. I think anyone who has been to training would see him in the 22. Question is in what position/ who is the competition for that spot? Another is Terlich I can easily see him coming in and Frost going out based on team balance/ match ups. Nice position to be in.

Very droll, I know I'm putting you on the spot and that might set you up for the usual attack but I'm interested in your opinion on the order of the Mids. Please message me if your uncomfortable putting it out there. 1. Jones (Capt) 2. Tyson 3. Cross? 4. Vince 5. ? 6. ? etc 6.

Glad to see you back TDI, last Friday when I was at training I meant to ask your opinion on Newton, in relation to some of the more established demon players. In Fridays report and now today you don't mention him but there has been a lot of talk that he will play round one, do you see this as likely and if so who does he replace?

Somehow some on this site have forgotten that you comment on the post/story/report not on the person behind it. Debating an alternative view by attacking/ deriding the poster just makes the attackers point look weak. I've been busy posting a lot more than usual and that's been in response to a lot of great reports and thoughts produced by some on here in recent times. It's sad the small minority who have derailed so much by saying so little. I'm pretty thick skinned and love to engage in a debate, it helps with consolidating my thoughts, but in a battle of wits, as they say, some here are unarmed & rely on abuse to make themselves feel affective.

Thanks Jack, I was a bit upset about the Friday thread being locked, I wanted to say I had a conversation with TDI while I was there and we spoke about his 6 or 7 wins comment. If you look at the ready made/ experienced players we know come into the 22 (Lamumba and Garlett) replacing Frawley (a small win) and I'm not quite sure who Garlett is an upgrade on but for the sake of the argument we will say Blease (big upgrade). TDI's prediction of 2 or 3 more wins for the year makes perfect sense. We hear all teams players improve a bit every year, the trick is to get more improvement than our opponents. TDI is someone who attends lots of training sessions and can see we have improved but he doesn't have other teams to measure the improvement against. We can all see that we will be a better team with H and Garlett in the 22. What I put to TDI was we don't know what effect the Paleo diet will have on our ability to run out games and we don't know what will happen if we actually got on a bit of a roll at the start of the season, belief is a wonderful thing. To me, when I Iook at us having more Improvement than our opposition, it is the space between the ears of the players that I'm most hopeful about. I don't care if the Paleo has a placebo effect and the insight that TDI gets by talking to the players has me very optimistic. I was also upset I didn't get the opportunity to refer FITB to my new footer.

Thanks for that, I wondered how much they would have spent on the drugs. From what I've read ASADA have evidence that TB4 was delivered to Essendon in quantities that would be required to carry out the program admitted to. Essendon's defense is that some other substance was delivered and used but they don't have any evidence to corroborate that.So the question they get asked is "What did you do with the TB4 drugs delivered?" What ever the answer, how do they expect it to be believed that they flushed or otherwise disposed of $500k. If I was an Essendon support I'd have difficulty with that cavalier approach to 500k and demanded they were used for the designed purpose. Seriously, if I were a juror I think I wouldn't have a problem with "beyond a reasonable doubt" who do they think they're fooling except the delusional and the media. In the words of a great Demonlander "Fork 'em"

And we have more players in full training

Yes, I agree but my point was more around the progress of Gawn and Petracca and this is really were I think we see better/tailored development going on. The other thing I saw in one sim was lots of mismatches so a smaller defender practicing how to deal with a much taller opponent or vice versa and I remember JKH talking about a team rule last year when players get out of position everyone has to pick up the opposition nearest and are expected to compete no matter what.

Sorry, all I read was Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah

Plenty of people comment about individuals and drills and there is not much I would disagree with from today's reports that I saw . Disclaimer; I'm a glass half full person, so look away now if that's not your go. Yes, we're a work in progress, there were the missed kicks, the dropped marks and very occasionally the absolute clanger that I remember so well from training and games a few years ago. So why did I feel so positive at the end? It's the system, the way it's coached, reinforced and adjusted. The missed kicks, the dropped marks and the clanger were generally mopped up with a minimum of fuss and it was the support, running and positioning that I liked. What I saw was muscle memory being developed, there has been much comment on "poor decision making" in the past and the counter point "not enough options" what I saw was training to overcome that, especially when fatigued. Other people have commented on how well training is timed and conducted and nothing I saw today was by chance. I think the analysis, planning and implementation has finally become professional. The match sim stuff is a case in point and I found myself asking the question; why is Dunn matched up on Gawn most of the time when Gawn is in the forward line? Likewise Garland on Petracca? I can surmise an answer, but the coaches know 100%. I've been to training in the past where I would have asked why is player x matched up with player y, what is x going to get out of this? The naysayers will talk about it only being training and the proof will be in match day and that's true enough. But we no longer are training against weak opposition. I've often thought that part of our training woes was that we just weren't good enough and when we trained against each other it just wasn't a good enough contest. Other things to be + about; we finally have some real pace and it's not just one or two players, this should lead to less predictability and from what I saw today certainly much quicker ball movement which in turn will create more options. We actually look like a mature bodied football team, up close or far away it's the most definition I've seen in players bodies, ever. And then there's a bit of extra bulk on some as well. Talk about tailored programs, the Watts I saw today doesn't compare with the one I stood next to last year, definitely thicker in the shoulders and biceps and I could say that about several others, yet Jamar looks lighter but more defined and just as strong. I could make some comments on individuals and there were some that stood out more than others but I just liked the way they played/trained as a team. Why so positive, it's the vibe! Naysayers can F owf

Thanks to all, I got a great spot in the shade the whole time I was there for $2 and just 20m from Morrel bridge, yes I will put something up regarding training, it might take awhile only just got home

Your a funny man Mooney but just a little repetitious. Anyhow, I finally figured out what I was doing wrong with my searches, looks like the consensus (strange word to use on Dland) is Alex Ave and walk over the bridge.

I have to travel down from Ballarat tomorrow for a 1200 meeting in Fitzroy. So for the first time ever, I have chance to see the boys train at Gosch's paddock and maybe even speak to TDI. I believe he's not hard to miss. I know some good soul gave advice on where best to park but I haven't been able to find the post. Any advice would be appreciated (on the parking I mean)

I don't know Jack, the strategy has seen the number of players available to play (if there are suspensions) rise significantly. How many does Essendon have unavailable if they are suspended? 18? That's more manageable than 34. What will be an interesting issue is the length of player suspension (if any) and the ramifications on delistings if it's more than a year. So, how many of the 18 left have contracts up at the end of the year? What are the obligations of the Club seeing they got the players into this position?

Love what you've done with Robbie & Jimmy. There is a very strong "player driven" message at the moment and I would go with Captain & VC as the outstanding examples of this currently. Others demonstrating this in games during the season to be added as they go.

Which part? Machsy trying to pose as an intellectual by using big words or the fact that his dislike of TDI's reports has him wishing players of the Team he follows are failures (almost), but only at this time of year.

Whenever I hear statements about Journalist sources it makes me think, why is X passing this info on? In Caro's case I am even more perplexed!

Years ago I went to see the Rocky Horror Show, Stuart Wagstaff was the narrator. All through the opening scenes when Wagstaff spoke this heckler kept having something to say, finally Wagstaff invited the fella to stand up and face him and take a bow and show everyone else there how big an ahole he really was. Keep mooning we're all starting to get a picture.

G'day DV, I better go around again and try not to get relegated playing with the Big boys. Team name Roos Boys.

Appreciated all your past work and thanks for organising this again. I hope to move up a League this time.

Haters gotta hate

My real point is, I think Roos values things more than possessions.

How many pressure acts, shepherds and tackles?

Actually, I've often referred to Barrett as an oxygen thief !

Dunn - 147 Supercoach points, when does any defender get that many points?