Ghostwriter

A couple of hours before the match (in Subiaco)… You wouldn’t even suspect they’d ever been on the banner at all…

I’ve said this before (probs many times) but it really bears repeating: Our club has the amazing ability to keep LTI players’ spirits up, not just some of the time, but the entire time they’re off. I’ve seen it time and time again, and without exception. It can’t be a coincidence. In AMW’s case, it helped that Shane was also out for the year. Both he and Shane have said as much. And yeah, I’m gonna extol Wheels again for he’s largely responsible for how confident and happy and full of hope these two boys are. But even without another LTI player to rehab alongside, the players who do suffer an LTI are consistently positive and there’s never a dip in this. And the physical side of recovery isn’t diminished one iota at the expense of the psychological side, in fact, it’s enhanced. It’s psychosomatic. I have no idea how other clubs manage their LTI players but ours couldn’t possibly do a better job of it.

The person who handles player sponsorship has just gone on maternity leave. Her replacement will be contactable after the holiday break. The MFC website used to publish sponsors’ names under the player’s bio. The new-look website doesn’t do this. From memory I know AMW already has Platinum and Gold level sponsors. Silver and Bronze levels may be still available, but I’m not sure.

I guess there’s no hurry in making the decision. We’ve nine months ‘til season 11 begins

Surely they have selected someone already but have managed to keep it under wraps. Would they have made the list decisions without any input from the next coach? Never mind me, I’m still gutted at losing Riggers 😢 … and to Collingwood of all teams 😢😢😢

Definitely the hardest session I’ve seen so far. I was knackered just watching it 😅 CJ is confident he’ll be in full training in the new year. He said he feels great and already feels like he’s ready. He’s raring to go. PS don’t be a stranger next time : )

Pretty much. Except you misspelled Porz.

Sometimes I chat with Kingy after training. It’s no biggie. I certainly don’t chase anyone around. I wouldn’t last five minutes if I did that, it wouldn’t be tolerated. I wouldn’t do it anyways.

Sorry PF but I never ask Kingy about any player. He and I were talking and Luker just happened to walk in our line of sight and I told him about when I first met Luker after he’d come to the club under unusual circumstances. Kingy was interested to hear about it, then he gave me his thoughts.

Kingy loves what he’s seeing. He said as much last week. He said he loves what Luker brings. I said that folks like that Luker has ‘mongrel’ but that off-field he’s the complete opposite. Kingy said Luker has mongrel where and when it matters. Luker himself said he never thinks about it and that’s just how he plays. At the time Leb and Chin were there and they were both quick to agree that yes, Luker most definitely has an element of ‘aggro.’

On occasion some strange emails come in as it is. Some folks (overseas mainly) like to tell us devil-worshipping is a sin. Then there are some who wanna join us in devil-worshipping. 🤣

Nothing to do with State of Origin but the stylised images in general are not great. Even the “real” photos are dodgy. Take my boy Luker for example: I told him he looks like a Colombian drug cartel boss. He took it as a compliment 😅 But he said that photo was never taken. It’s been heavily photoshopped. That’s not his hair, for starters. The ‘tache has been made thicker, his ears aren’t as pointy, the list goes on.

I find the best injury prevention is to not get out of bed.

I mentioned this earlier in the thread: the sustained and unrelenting high level of intensity of every training session since day one means that some players, in particular the older players, will pull up sore. It’s to be expected. Checkers is one such player. The trainers and our head physio explained it that way. Yesterday Vines confirmed it. He was also on that bikes/circuit training program. He said whereas his reason for being on this program is injury management, the others are doing it for injury prevention.

Never 🤗

Poor Maysie. He was really feeling it today. He struggled at times and now and again he looked like he was about to throw in the towel. Had it been cooler he might’ve been able to cope better, that sun was biting.

That’s right. Just today the trainers said the sessions have been of an extremely high level of intensity since day one of the preseason, relentlessly so, and it’s to be expected that some of the players, particularly the older guys, will pull up a bit sore. This was in reply to the question of why Checkers was with the group of players who can’t yet participate in full training, the group on the bikes, the skiErg machine, the kettlebell and dumbbells and planking. According to our head physio there are only two players with significant injuries: Bowser and to a much lesser degree Vines. This preseason the word rehab is used loosely.

Maybe he meant he was going home for the Xmas to new year’s period. He definitely said he’s going home.

Some of the players are heading home for the break. One such player is Trelly. He’s going back to Port Lincoln and he can’t wait to spend time with his family. AMW is also heading home and is also rapt to be doing so. Other players are heading off on a holiday interstate/overseas. But not before they have their own Xmas get-together, just the players. They organised it themselves which is something they haven’t done previously (maybe they have, Richo wasn’t sure about that). The day after our Xmas meet & greet the club put on a Xmas party for players and their families. Who dressed up as Santa? Richo did and he loved it. It makes sense that they asked him to do it, the players’ kids adore him.

That was a very long session. They were out on the park at 9:30am and returned from the run/walk around the Tan at 12:50pm. No breaks in between. But they were greeted back at the marquee by a big bucket of Zooper Doopers (icy poles). What a joyous sight it always is… a group of big blokes going nuts on the Zooper Doopers like they’re little kids.

Officially, no. But Paul said they will have things that need to be done, but things which can be done from home.

Had it been Max Heath I would’ve said Moooooose.

They’re in their Amazing Race teams so I expect we’ll be seeing part two once it’s filmed. Part one is on the website and it’s a great watch. Actually there’s been a little change to the teams. The rehabbers with foot or leg issues have formed a separate group and they’re walking around the Tan instead of running. Once they’re all back at the marquee they’ll grab their stuff and begin their three weeks off. Three well-deserved weeks off. Richo and Paul G on the other hand. They get Xmas day and New Year’s Day off. And that’s it.

Lamond, Jarrod Gatt and Toby Sinnema are the Casey boys here today.

Out on the other oval are Max, Langers, Disco, Melky and the Bison are with Keith the trainer doing a wrestling drill. One player lies on his back with another player lying on top of him. Keith yells out Go! and the player underneath has to throw the other guy off. Melky pinned Max down successfully and kept him down. Max was not happy Jan. 😁 Now these same players are practicing grappling one-on-one in a marking contest. Very serious stuff. It’s like they’re being instructed to grapple hard but without running a risk of giving away a free.