Whispering_Jack

The team: B: M.Downie, M.Clifford, K.Smith HB: D.Pearce, L.Duryea, S.Scott C: H.Cordner HF: K.Paxman, D.Berry, L.Mithen F: S.Lampard, J.Anderson, C.Phillips Foll: L.Pearce, M.Hickey, E.O’Dea I/C: E.Humphries, A.Newman, S.Jolly, J.Grierson, M.Boyd, A.Mifsud Emerg: A.Kemp, B.Patterson IN: S.Jolly OUT: R.Cranston (suspended)

We missed out but it was 25 years ago ... HOW PAGAN SLIPPED THROUGH DEES' FINGERS Pagan went on to coach North Melbourne to two flags 1996 and 1999 but of course, he had Carey.

The Age might well describe it as a sporting fairly tale but if we win the flag it will all be hard work.

Proof http://www.demonland.com/images/fiji.jpg

Preview

In Fiji. Bananas everywhere.

No direct flights from Port Vila to Maroochydore today.

There must be some Demon fans up there on the Sunshine Coast ready to report on the Demons' training camp at Maroochydore? Surely?

I'm out of town at the moment so I'm hoping to hear from those Demonlanders who can make it to training, if indeed there is a training session today. Posters - please be aware of our policy against derailing of threads and note that we include criticism of moderation in posts as a deliberate form of derailment which will involve sanctions on posters and no correspondence will be entered into on that score. Looking forward to the usual high standard of posting from those lucky enough to have the time to make it to wherever training is taking place.

Those who want to watch today's MFC training session will not only have to brave the city's wet and erratic weather but also the tennis crowds around Swan Street. Location change for Friday training session My question without notice is who are we most likely to spot first at Gosch's Paddock:- (a) Heritier Lumumba; (b) Dean Kent; (c) Nick Kyrgios; or (d) none of the above

Speaking on SEN Cameron Mooney has revealed that he believes new Demon midfielder Jordan Lewis will have the most significant impact of the new recruits on their new clubs this year. Mooney says that "while the former Hawk is not at his peak anymore, his effect on the Demons midfield will be huge." MOONS TALKS THE NEW RECRUITS WHO WILL HAVE THE MOST IMPACT IN 2017 On what I've seen from him at pre season training (admittedly limited) and heard about him from others, I'm inclined to concur.

I don't think it comes as a surprise to anyone given her leadership role in the exhibition series from 2013-16 but congratulations anyway to Daisy Pearce on her appointment as inaugural captain of the MFC women's team. Also to vice-captains Mel Hickey and Elise O’Dea who, along with Daisy, make up Melbourne’s leadership group. Leaders named for women’s team

Been there, done that. Juddy was also a big Demon fan who wore his jumper with #3 on the back to his junior club games every Sunday. Didn't help.

Viv has joined VAFA A Section club Collegians - Michie joins Lions as latest in series of strong recruits

Did the umpire throw away his whistle?

I'm assuming the reference to ajax is a typo or a Freudian slip and that you really meant to refer to the apex gang and not the team from the ammos that has occupied a middle of the road place in B Section for the past 5 or 6 seasons. I just can't see those lads attacking an AFL team myself. They're all nice boys who come from good homes and with few exceptions, wouldn't hurt a fly.

SEN is previewing each AFL club's best 22. This is their opinion on the MFC:- 2017 AFL PREVIEW: MELBOURNE’S BEST 22 B: Michael Hibberd, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta HB: Bernie Vince, Oscar McDonald, Jayden Hunt C: Dom Tyson, Jordan Lewis, Clayton Oliver HF: Christian Petracca, Sam Weideman, Dean Kent F: Jack Watts, Jesse Hogan, Jeff Garlett Foll: Max Gawn, Jack Viney, Nathan Jones INT: Jake Melksham, Christian Salem, Angus Brayshaw, Aaron vandenBerg

It's possible to look at this situation in different ways. James Hird is a human being, a husband and a father who has attempted to take his life. In that respect, I think most other reasonable human beings should be looking at how he can be best helped to overcome whatever it is that brought him to that place. If he had a broken leg, it wouldn't be hard for us to understand that he needs proper medical attention, possibly an operation, followed by rest and recuperation. Mental illness is somewhat more complex but I see no reason why people need to go into whether or not he "brought all of this on himself" - we simply don't know and it's irrelevant at this point in time. In my view, the general community, the football fraternity and in particular the Essendon Football Club and its supporters should all be working together to help him in any possible way they can which at this stage is not to do or say too much, to leave it to the health professionals and let him know they have everyone's full support in his quest to get better. That's what I would expect we should be doing in the case of a broken leg and this is no different. I've always maintained that Essendon played this saga out very poorly. Hird was part of that but we can't even say definitively whether it was the factor that brought him to the place he currently occupies. However, I don't think the recriminations and finger pointing in the media from his father, lawyer and some Essendon supporters and others playing the blame game is going to help anyone - neither Hird, the Essendon Football Club or the sport itself.

Thanks all for your reports and the pictures. I can't begin to imagine how many more pages this thread would have covered had it been an "open" session. In fact, I was shocked to discover that there were no security people around this morning confiscating pens, iPhones and cameras in order to preserve the secrecy involved in closed sessions. Something must be done about this!!!

The thread was reopened on the basis of the reported improvement in Hird's condition. That does not mean that it is open for people to be insensitive to his mental condition or that of others who suffer similarly. Please don't offend here. Discussion on other aspects including Hird Senior's comments is topical and permitted as long as it doesn't stray over the red lines alluded to in the opening paragraph.

I agree it would be sad for the players involved, particularly O'Meara because he was so talented before the injury and I believe he could have become one of the game's greats. I think Hawthorn still has a year or two left as a power - you can't underestimate a team coached by Clarkson. I have a solution to your problem with Geelong and Foxtel. Watch every other second game and you"ll never see them?.

On the subject of saviours (or perhaps would be saviours), I spoke to the person who was previously connected with the Suns who had some knowledge about the knee injuries suffered by Jaeger O'Meara and Dion Prestia. His view remains that their knees are in a bad way and that he doesn't believe either will have a long term future at their respective clubs.

Monday's open training session is advertised to start at 11.00am. Players can't take their places in the best 22 for granted. There's going to be strong competition among them for a number of spots so the intensity of pre season training will increase. I'm looking forward to reports from those who are lucky enough to have the time to make it there.

It's most likely pretty well irrelevant at this stage. He's suffering from something where there's a lot to be done before he can deal with what happened at Essendon. This is personal, we should wish him well in his recovery and leave him alone for now ...

This sounds very sensitive ... please be careful about what you write.