Whispering_Jack

And it's a very good thing indeed that we hide our Dark Side B) !

It used to be on the front of the club's membership ticket for years until they started producing the plastic ones. You'd probably find the emblem in one of the Melbourne Football Club history books in a library.

He didn't come on well enough for mine last year. He seemed to lose his way in mid season but it will be interesting to see how he goes with his stronger body in 2007.

Correct on both counts. IMO Ablett could have been a greater individual at Hawthorn than he was at Geelong and the Hawthorn team of the middle 80's would probably have been a worse team with Ablett playing. A champion team is made up not only of the 22 individuals out on the ground but of the players and numerous others in the background. They all have to gel together and work as a team. I'll lend you the book one day to help you understand what Ablett Snr. got up to at both Hawthorn and at Geelong and then you might understand why the Hawks let him go and why the decision to do so set up the Hawks for a lengthy period of success. He was still probably the greatest individual I've seen but he was nothing compared to Ron Barassi as a complete team footballer. Barass played in 6 premiership teams, Ablett in zero.

It's interesting that you mention G Ablett Jr. because I'd like to draw your attention to a fantastic book I read on G Ablett Snr. - "Playing God, The Rise and Fall of Gary Ablett" by Garry Linnell. It's probably the best book on football around. Ablett Snr. started at Hwthorn which put up with his individuality and his errant ways for a couple of years before sending him packing. The Hawks recognised his potential, albeit not fully but were prepared to let him go circa 1981. A couple of years later he bobbed up at Geelong and became a footballing great although he caused no end of problems to his coaches, the committee, sponsors and some supporters (not to mention his wife, family and the unfortunate young girl he took up with after he retired and her family). His bad behaviour at Geelong was tolerated there because he was so good. Geelong made four grand finals while Ablett was there but never won a flag. I don't blame Ablett for that but look at what Ablettless Hawthorn did during the same period.

You can call me a wowser but ... The problem is not just that Johnson drank alcohol but that he drank it to excess and to the point where he was arrested for drunkenness and further, that he's offended before. And because he happens to be a professional athlete, his behaviour has breached the rules of the club that employs him. Even if it happens at Xmas time when he's off duty, that's bad news for the club and Johnson who hasn't been the same since injuring an ankle (and he's never fully recovered from that!) while making a late night exit from (of all places) a pub. I'll be interested to see how Geelong treates his case in comparison to Carlton with Fevola which apparently didn't do too much if at all.

Based on what I've seen of Juice to date it's impossible to answer that question because he hasn't been on the ground in most games long enough to even have to rely on such capacity. Further, does one need a huge aerobic capacity if one plays at full forward for Sandringham? I'll ask Nick Sautner next time I see him.

Good points but I'd prefer it if the team did all of its talking for 2007 on the field.

And hopefully he'll kick a few which would cause a bit of a dilemma with the selectors over at Sandringham (if Juice isn't then considered ready for the AFL).

I have to admit that I didn't notice them doing much at the two training sessions I've attended. They're young kids and I guess we'll know a bit more about them when the pre-season stuff starts.

One hour for AFL? Does that mean they only show the first quarter or the whole game in fast forward?

George has put his photos up on Demonology here. Also has a summary from training a bit more detailed than mine. I was too busy waving the flies away. Memo: Next time I go to training in summertime, take the Aeroguard. Anyhow, Travis is looking sensational and I'm going to have a bit of a wger on him for the 2007 Brownlow. His time (and the MFC's) has come.

Ditto from me. Let's hope that this year's Christmas time actually brings peace on earth.

News is that 426 has joined Box Hill. I think Read has retired. I think Newton will be good enough in 2007 to cement a place in the Sandy side in 2007 irrespective of the presence of Sautner, Smith or anyone else. It's been well documented that he looks like getting a chance in the nabcup or practice matches next year and he should do well enough to at least initially force his way into the Sandringham side. Hopefully, he will get a few games at AFL level as Lynden Dunn did this year.

Well, it's all over red and blue rover for the 2006 as the boys had a short sharp seassion at TBO this morning mainly for the benefit of the 2 million flies and a few diehard supporters in attendance. There's not much to report really although I guess the big news is that Neale Daniher is back in town after holidaying in Thailand. Training was taken by the assistant coaches and by the look of it a few players have started holidays early (a few of the interstaters). GOTO was there with his camera and the haze lifted just enough for him to take a few snaps which he will no doubt have up later on Demonology (I also took my wife's camera but alas, being the Luddite that I am I couldn't work out how take a snap until the ground had been vacated). Byron Pickett looks a bit lighter than he was a fortnight ago, Travis looked in sensational form and Lynden Dunn is (pardon the tired old cliche) training the house down. PJ and Beamer were training and Colin Sylvia was on the sidelines but minus the cast. All in all, a low key send off to another season where we did well but weren't close enough in the end to smell the cigar smoke. As I do every year at this time, I'm quietly and confidently looking forward to next year but I'm not overconfident. We need a few players to rise above their current levels and to announce their arrivals among the elite in 2007. We have the material, they just need to break through.

Perhaps the question really should be whether or not we're living in the past. The game's evolved and changed and the way it's now played requires 21st century style "athleticism". Some players who were champions in past days might struggle if they were transported into another era and the same might apply to today's champions in three or four decades' time. Clubs are recruiting players to suit the game as it is played today. As for the players who weren't drafted, they still have the opportunity to prove they're capable as Sam Mitchell did when he missed out on initial selection.

I usually go but couldn't tonight because of other commitments. I'd like to think that a good number would have attended the AGM but this is a bad week for such functions. It's a pity because there were some worthy life membership recipients honoured tonight. Hopefully, someone will provide a report.

Good get. Both the father and the grandfather (one game) played for South Melbourne. The grandson eventually left the MFC to play for the Swans as well.

OK Jumping Jack, can we have a clue? Is the former player on the MFC Board?

I was catching up on some stuff I taped during the footy season this morning and I came across an interview with Leigh Matthews on the last Grumpy Old Men. While I was watching the interview I couldn't help but think that Brock McLean has a lot of the attributes that a young Lethal had in his early days with Hawthorn. Matthews was recruited from Chelsea in the late 1960's when that area was part of Hawthorn's metropolitan zone. Others who came to Hawthorn from that area in that era were Martello, Moncrieff and Leigh's brother Kelvin. The zone was then reallocated to Melbourne and we did pick up the Healys from Edithvale-Aspendale. Greg Healy was our youngest captain ever. However, but for a little better timing with the change of zones we could have picked up a few champions including Lethal - voted the greatest footballer of the era and a fantastic leader and premiership winner for the Hawks. Then I read the above article and I thought to myself - we might just have the next one.

If the answer is David Corder then it really involves three clubs because Edward Cordner played for Melbourne and University and David played for Melbourne and Sydney.

(a) the late Neil "Froggy" Crompton's goal in the 1964 Grand Final put the nail in the Collingwood coffin and won us our last premiership. (B) a goal kicked by Robbie Flower some time in the 70's out at Windy Hill when he got the ball in the back pocket and ran and passed the ball all the way into the forward line and ended up kicking the goal himself. We were such a shyzen side in those days and Robbie was like an oasis in the desert.

Here's the full list at all AFL clubs for 2007 (clubs and players listed alphabetically): Adelaide: Andrew McLEOD Graham JOHNCOCK Brisbane Lions: Anthony CORRIE (rookie) Chris JOHNSON Rhan HOOPER Ashley McGRATH Albert PROUD Jason ROE Sam SHELDON Carlton: Joe ANDERSON Clint BENJAMIN Eddie BETTS Andrew WALKER Collingwood: Leon DAVIS Brad DICK Chris EGAN Liam BEDFORD (rookie) Shannon COX Sharrod WELLINGHAM (rookie) Essendon: Richard COLE Alwyn DAVEY Courtenay DEMPSEY Dean DICK (rookie) Leroy JETTA Andrew LOVETT Nathan LOVETT-MURRAY Paddy RYDER Fremantle: Clayton COLLARD Troy COOK Jeff FARMER Antoni GROVER Roger HAYDEN Des HEADLAND Michael JOHNSON Calib MOURISH Geelong: Nathan DJERRKURA Matthew STOKES Travis VARCOE Hawthorn: Chance BATEMAN Lance FRANKLIN Mark WILLIAMS Kangaroos: Matt CAMPBELL (rookie) Lindsay THOMAS Eddie SANSBURY Daniel WELLS Djaran WHYMAN Melbourne: Aaron DAVEY Byron PICKETT Daniel HAYES (rookie) Isaac WEETRA Matthew WHELAN Port Adelaide: Peter BURGOYNE Shaun BURGOYNE Nathan KRAKOUER Daniel MOTLOP Danyle PEARCE Richmond: Andrew KRAKOUER Jarrod OAKLEY-NICHOLS Carl PETERSON Richard TAMBLING St Kilda: Raphael CLARKE Xavier CLARKE Sydney: Adam GOODES Michael O'LOUGHLIN West Coast: Ashley SAMPI David WIRRPANDA Western Bulldogs: Cameron FAULKNER Jarrod HARBROW (rookie) Josh HILL Malcolm LYNCH Brennan STACK

We should note that the Bingle lady is denying everything.

Funny, when I read the article again I thought I was being reasonably positive. In any event I think you're reading what I said from the wrong perspective. Firstly, it's unheard of at any AFL club that you have 100% attendance from the entire list during the pre season. You're always going to have some players going through rehab. It's a fact of life. Some of those guys doing laps etc. are no doubt on special programmes to meet their own physical needs and it's not a total loss if some start their pre seasons proper in January. Secondly, you can't expect to find a 22 game first year player every year if your first pick is # 12. My expectation is that none of our draft picks "are likely to make an impact in 2007" but that is not saying that one or two of them will not make their AFL debuts next year. And it's not saying that one of them might not surprise us as did Bartram this year. Remember, twelve months ago very few expected Bartram to play even one AFL game in 2006. Thirdly, what does it mean when you expect a layer to "bulk up"? In the case of Michael Newton for example, that might mean putting on 4 to 5 kgs over a period of six months. We're halfway through that period and I wouldn't be able to tell whether or not he'd put on half that weight. I have no idea whether or when a weights prograamme would be involved or when we're likely to see the results. Fourthly, we haven't picked one of the four potential rookies training with us and you should remember that whoever is selected is certainly not eligible to play AFL unless we have a long term injury and the particular rookie is selected to take his place. There's no Bryce Gibbs out there that I can see ATM anyway. The other thing about pre season training is that it's not like an actual game where you can measure a team's performance so it's not really possible for anyone to state positively a lot of things you might expect to read. It's only a series of observations from one session so I'm not getting carried away. But if you want to come away with positives then I must say that I forgot to mention that Travis Johnstone looked absolutely terrific.