Whispering_Jack

Hired hands. He did it all himself. Laid bricks, did the carpentry, some concreting, glazing and plumbing. I suppose he used a sparky but it was mostly his own hands. I couldn't have done it, I assure you.

It's also a long way from Maldon to Casey Fields. Maldon's a beautiful part of the world. Many years ago, a friend built a mud brick house with his own hands including a great outdoor sauna. Quite a contrast to the outer suburban environment of Cranbourne East (no offense to KC from Casey).

When he was coaching, Ron Barassi often made the point that in dealing with emerging teams, ladder position and games won or lost weren't necessarily the most appropriate measures by which one should gauge a team's improvement from one year to the next. He often cited the fact that other teams could show more improvement and a number of factors such as luck, injury, a favorable draw etc that determined where you finished on the ladder. This approach is consistent with the view that the appropriate measure for improvement and success is, as rpfc, the Bobs and others have indicated already; something other than improvement in ladder position. Real improvement entails some evidence that we have a game plan that works and works well and also some signs that the playing list is developing to the point that we can see sufficient numbers emerging as elite players. We saw glimpses of the former in the wins against Essendon and Sydney at the MCG and we need to produce this more consistently over a season and without let up during a game. James Frawley was an example of a player emerging into the latter category. Mark Jamar came from nowhere to become an AA ruckman. We need to see more of this in 2011. I agree that these things must happen for us to win a flag which is, after all is said and done, the single most important (but not the only) determinant of success in competition sport. However, I don't think that's what Redleg was alluding to when he asked us to articulate our "expectations of what would constitute a successful 2011". I think he was seeking out our own aspirations for the season to come. What are our hopes and dreams as individuals for 2011? Obviously, we want improvement on several levels and, as I've stated, team improvement doesn't necessarily bring ladder success but that's what I'm hoping for in 2011 anyway. Despite losing the experience of Junior and of Cam Bruce, I fully expect Melbourne to make the finals and that an A on Maurie's scale above would do me nicely as a benchmark to constitute a successful season. I would accept a 13th place finish if the Bobs et al could convince me that in doing so we had really improved but it would nevertheless be a result well below my pass mark in terms of my current expectations. I'm expecting us to bury the interstate hoodoo, beat Geelong (wherever we play them), Carlton and Collingwood. I want to see us field a dominant ruck and on ball combination and yes, I'd like to see Jack Grimes move up to elite status in the midfield. If the football department moves him there then I know that it's likely the move's been made because we have the player to fill the role down back that he filled so well early last year before his injury. I'm not just going on a hunch about Grimes in the midfield. I've seen him kill it in the middle against Essendon in a practice game early this year and I think that's where he ultimately belongs. We have what appears to be a relatively easy draw and, apart from Collingwood, I see little potential for improvement in the rest of last year's top eight so the opportunity is going to be there for emerging teams to grasp. On that basis therefore, my 2011 pass mark as we end the 2010 calendar year is a place in the eight. I'm expecting better than a pass mark, say 5th or 6th (and I don't think that's being unrealistic as long as our stars align properly) but my hopes are that we make the grand final, that we play Collingwood and that sometimes even dreams come true.

Well, in the absence of any "eyewitness" reports from Demonlanders, here's a list of Twitters sent out by the great onballer of cyberspace, Mr. Nathan Jones. Sounds like it might have been somewhat of a laid back session:-

Co-incidentally I've also written about Thomas Wentworth Wills for the third part of the Indigene series which looks at the co-founder and the role of Aboriginals in his life and in the formation of the game. However, my story of Tom Wills is of a tragic figure and there's not much bright side in his life apart from the fact that he was a champion sportsman. His grandfather Edward Wills was convicted at Kingston-on-Thames Surrey of highway robbery and arrived here on the notorious convict death ship Hillsborough. The family reputation suffered further humiliation when Edward's son was later elected to Victoria's parliament (er, just kidding). Things get worse but you'll have to read my article. Also, while it's true that Wills was secretary of the MCC but he played most of his football with Geelong in the early days of football so the connection with our club is not that great. Moreover, whilst it might be a romantic notion that young Tom developed the rules of football from the games he played with indigenous youngsters around the Moyston/Ararat area, most historians consider the roots of the game came from Wills' experiences at Rugby school in England. That said, I agree with Cameron Schwab's sentiments in the bulk of his article. Our club is rejuvenated and I'd like to think of it as a stayer in the vein of Wills' cousin and co-founder of the game HCA Harrison who lived twice as long as Tom and was around in 1926 to see the club win its second premiership flag.

Melbourne Leongatha Feb 14-15

I used to make the same mistake myself. The dictionary definition is "using or marked by the use of few words; terse or concise," but some of us mistakenly used the word as a synonym for "lazy" or "laid back". Others have used it to suggest a player might be frightened to get too involved in the action. I think that stems from some of the old time footy commentators using the word in the context of someone being silent or a quiet player. Jack Dyer was one of those commentators and I for one miss blokes of his ilk even if they butchered the language at times. As far as Jack Watts is concerned, if he appears lazy or, if you like "laconic", I don't believe that adequately reflects him as a footballer. I would agree if someone said that he might lack confidence in his ability but that and laziness or fear for that matter, are entirely different things. I recently watched a replay on iQ of the North game in round 22 and some of things he did were quite effortless and amazing for someone 196 cm tall. At other times however, he looked unsure of himself. I think we have little worry about in this regard. He'll get all the confidence he needs as his body grows and he matures with experience. The same can be said of Liam Jurrah (and in time also the newly recruited tall forwards). I think they will also get a boost with the presence of an extra seasoned big man in the line up.

I think it will boil down to a tough call between Aaron Davey and Brad Green with the former just scraping in. Let's face it, both have been shining lights through difficult times in recent years and whoever gets the gig will deserve it. I would also like to see some of the younger brigade push into that leadership group so that there a succession plan can be implemented and we can overcome the loss of three leaders in McDonald, Bruce and Miller with a minimum of effort and fuss.

MFCSS can be fatal?

Some very glowing reports from people in amateur circles. Of course, it's a long time since a player like John Hendrie took the step up from the VAFA and seamlessly fitted into the Hawthorn team and times have changed immensely since then. However, my contacts know their footy and reckon that if he accepts the higher pressure training regimen and the workload associated with it then he might surprise everyone and step up very quickly. At the other end of the scale I'm interested in Campbell's rehabilitation from a player whose knees were shot to overcoming the injury and the infection incurred as a result. I'm interested in how he has basically reinvented himself and what role he might possibly play in the club's ruck set up.

Four in running for Demons captaincy The four - • Brad Green • Brent Moloney • Aaron Davey and • Jack Grimes (the outsider)

Thanks to the Casey/Berwick brigade for the reports. It's all encouraging and most appreciated. Reading all the feelgood stuff about the team's direction was reminiscent however, of the some of the times I attended pre season training in the good old days at the end of the Daniher era. I specifically remember one session at Trinity College on Australia Day 2007. The boys looked so good that day and I left in an upbeat mood thinking we were on the brink of success. After all, we had just finished above every other Victorian team in the competition, we had a good mix of mature players and young talent and they all looked so enthusiastic. We all know what followed. I'm not denigrating the group or their efforts or the observations of those who have posted about the mood of the players but rather, I think we should keep things in perspective. There are 16 other clubs training the house down ATM and it's some months away before we will really be able to tell whether the development work being put into the players now is going to bear fruit in the coming season. I suspect that in a number of instances, it might take a little longer. That said, I'm really interested in observations on two of our newly rookied players - Robert Campbell and Dan Nicholson because my information suggests that they (along with Howe) are the recruits most likely to be on show in the NAB Cup in February.

Ah ... The first of the WikiLeak disclosures concerning the Melbourne Football Club and if one day an historian were to write a biography about Cam Bruce (I think an unlikely event), then this information might be very pertinent when considering his motives in leaving. I don't really believe it had anything to do with going elsewhere to win a flag but rather that his altruistic stance was related to how he as an individual accepted life after the big contract. In his case I think it was mainly to escape elsewhere. I wouldn't have done things that way in his position (and I believe many others wouldn't either - note Dean Bailey's incredulous reaction) but he was quite entitled and I'm not going to criticise either him or the club for the decision. The long and the short of it is that it's over. To me it's a sad end to the career of a player who, despite some failings in the latter part of his career served us well. Time for us to concentrate on the 46 young men who now make up our playing lists.

Actually, North Ballarat is there as well making it 3 Victorian teams. The draft fixture is: March 26 Morningside (Qld) v NT Thunder, Gabba (curtain raiser to Brisbane Lions v Fremantle) April 2 Swan Districts (WA) v Northern Bullants (VFL), Patersons Stadium (Fremantle v Geelong) April 9 East Perth (WA) v North Ballarat (VFL), Patersons Stadium (West Coast v Sydney) April 16 Central Districts (SA) v Ainslie (ACT), AAMI Stadium (Port Adelaide v Adelaide) April 23 Clarence (Tas) v Claremont (WA), Bellerive Oval April 30 Williamstown (VFL) v GWS, MCG (Richmond v Brisbane Lions) May 14 East Coast Eagles (NSW) v Woodville-West Torrens (SA), SCG (Sydney v Port Adelaide) May 21 Labrador (Qld) v Norwood (SA), Gabba (Brisbane Lions v North Melbourne)

An interesting article from Campbell's home territory: SALES PITCH MAKES CAMPBELL A DEMON

So three years ago the Hawks defied conventional wisdom and drafted Stuart Dew who vindicated them by playing an absolute blinder on grand final day the following year. Ever since, I think they've been itching to repeat the dose in the hope that lightning strikes twice. Well, it could happen again but the players and the circumstances are very different now. Dew had been out for a season and worked his butt off for a second chance. He was 28 and it worked. Perhaps they might have been better served by taking Robert Campbell rather than Bruce?

Steve Turner?

That's what I thought too but when I attended the club function earlier this year honouring our indigenous players I was told the scholarship hadn't yet been awarded. There could have been some technical reasons but nobody knew exactly why and I haven't heard anything about it since then.

Very true Redleg but let's not also forget that over the next couple of seasons he is going to find himself playing against much tougher opponents in much tougher competitions and this will only add to the pressure he's going to be under. It's going to be very much up to him and to our football department to work on his all round development including his disposal technique. I think we've seen the value of a good development programme at Collingwood which would not have tasted its premiership success without being able to develop the skills of a number of their younger players who stepped up in 2010. Sharrod Wellingham comes immediately to mind.

A couple of years ago there was some discussion about the creation of an Aaron Davey scholarship for a young Indigenous Australian. I don't know if any criteria were established for this or even if it went further than just talk but it seems to me that if we've drafted a young player and given him Whelan's jumper then why not Flash's scholarship? Rookies don't come under the salary cap so that wouldn't be a problem.

Anyone willing to raise some funds to relocate Bhima to Cranbourne East for the next few months?

Great report Bhima - not only from the perspective of those Demonlanders who are in the country or interstate but those of us who are officebound and snowed under (sorry for the pun) with work at this time of year. You said that this was half-way through the session. Did he come back onto the field, did he receive attention from the trainers or did he go into the rooms after that? Cheers

I think it's accepted by most now that both club and player made decisions (a combination of football and business) based on their own interests. If Bruce is comfortable with his decision then so be it. He obviously didn't trust either the football department or his own body to produce an outcome to see him through any more than next season so in the end it was appropriate for him to go. I see it as a pity that an important player's career had to end this way but that's football these days.

My two sons played footy for amateur teams, the elder one in B Section and I still follow the ammos a fair bit and really enjoy watching. The difference between the highest level of amateurs and the AFL in intensity and skills is enormous but Nicholson is one who could make it coming up to the highest level. His testing results have been very impressive and a pre season at the club will make a big difference. The good judges believe he can do it and, at his age, might be more ready to move up to AFL football than some of the blokes we picked up in the main draft last month.

Campbell becomes the second oldest player on the list and thanks to Cameron Bruce's defection, he or one of our other rookie list players could go straight onto the senior list if their form warrants it over the remainder of the pre season. This is a story about the early days of his return to football:- AFL comeback on Robert Campbell's radar