Whispering_Jack

Yes, they trained at Casey Fields today. Match Simulation Highlights

The rest of this article was informative and in many ways reflects what many of our trackwatchers here were thinking. A summary:- • Harrison Petty was in the backline in match simulation. Alan Richardson quoted: [Petty’s] “versatility can be a real weapon for us” and the plan was for him to spend time at both ends. • Players “ripping it up” included ~ * a leaner Clayton Oliver prominent in match simulation, showing clean hands and involved in many chains working up and down the field, * “smooth-moving runner Caleb Windsor in everything, finding the footy on the outside, • Blake Howes, Bailey Laurie caught the eye and Jake Melksham and Bayley Fritsch lively in attack and Shane McAdam taking some nice marks on the lead. • New faces Harvey Langford and Xavier Lindsay managed in a lighter session, taking part in warm-up drills before doing some work on their own, along with rookie Ricky Mentha Jr who also impressed. Ruckman Tom Campbell dominated as Max Gawn sat out and athletic mature-age forward Aidan Johnson impressed as a target in attack. • taking it easy. Captain Gawn (larynx) and star midfielder Christian Petracca (ribs) are in non-contact training and did some warm-up drills before joining the rehab group which includes Jake Lever, Tom Fullarton, Matthew Jefferson and Kynan Brown who later joined the main group. Koltyn Tholstrup completed his own light training, mostly running laps while defenders Tom McDonald and Judd McVee spent time on exercise bikes before leaving training. • wounded soldiers - Tom Sparrow was in civvies and sporting sandals a nasty bruise and cut on his cheek that needed stitches. Charlie Spargo (achilles tendon surgery last July) did some light running on one side of the ground and Kade Chandler ran laps for most of the session with strapping high on his right arm. Late in the match simulation session, Daniel Turner was winded in a marking contest.

The Herald Sun’s story on yesterday’s training session has already been posted and updated in a couple of incarnations. It started out as “Mega track watch: Daicos bros latest, Saint shines, where’s Kozzy?” with the writer intimating that his absence might somehow be connected to speculation in WA of an impending move to WA. Of course, Alan Richardson had dispelled that rumour already, most recently on a Tuesday radio program but it was deemed worthy to raise the issue again … until a later version published today (also confirmed in some of the above posts) stated as follows: “The Demons have confirmed that Pickett was back in Melbourne on Wednesday, after missing Monday’s session to head home to WA for personal reasons. However, he missed midweek training due to an infection in his leg.“ Mystery solved - speculation doused until next time. We know there’s always a race to get the news out these days but I wish that journalists would do their job and go to the clubs for comment before rehashing old news.

I reckon Clarry's career is going to blossom from here. We know that he was severely restricted by circumstance for the last season and a half and his body shape last year was never quite right after his interrupted preseason, but it's clear that he's worked hard to get back to his superstar self and that will pay handsome dividends in 2025.

This recruitment appears to be a continuation of Casey’s relationship with North Launceston which current coach Taylor Whitford took to back-to-back premierships in 2018-19. Casey recruited Jay Lockhart from them in 2017 and he was drafted to Melbourne after impressing at VFL level. Last year, it was announced that Casey had secured North Launceston and Tasmania Devils Under 18s player Oscar Van Dam who created some interest but didn’t play a game for the club and, in the end, chose to return to Tassie. Hopefully, young Max Roney can get some games and have an impact for Casey.

Well … I can say that fans flocked to Casey today and the club actually covered the event on its photo gallery. Training Gallery | Fans flock to Casey

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You mean this? Track watch | A mix of young and old impressing

There are more than 180 players at the various AFL clubs in the running for the 2025 AFL Rising Star Award. This year Melbourne has a relatively low number of players eligible for this year's award - 9 - compared to 13 last year. They are:- Jed Adams Kynan Brown Matthew Jefferson Luker Kentfield Harvey Langford Xavier Lindsay Ricky Mentha Oliver Sestan Will Verrall The 2 L’s - Langford and Lindsay - appear to be our best candidates. Your AFL team’s Rising Star eligible players and the top contenders for 2025

The Legacy Series | Episode 3 | Noel McMahen Premiership captain in 1955 and 1956 and MFC Team of the 20th Century member, Noel McMahen passed away in 2022 aged 95. This interview was recorded in 2020 before the club’s last premiership. Noel was born three weeks after the club won its second flag so his lifetime spanned 11 of the club’s 13 VFL/AFL premierships.

When did you get a dog?

Can’t spoil you with many photos from today’s session but here’s one -

Player info on Jenson Garnham Height: 187cm Weight: 86kg D.O.B: 19-08-2003

For those who like it colorful

Now official

Quite. But at the end of Round 6, every club will have played six games and it’s a good time to reflect on how the season’s going. I’m picking us to win our opening game at home vs GWS Giants. Geelong at the Cattery will be tough and if we beat the Dockers we should be well set towards a top four finish. I am however, still going to take things one week at a time.

Rookie Me Central write up on Melbourne’s train on player -

Article in today’s Herald Sun where a journo has a stab at the first six rounds.

The Herald Sun’s Josh Barnes has posted an article on Code Sports entitled “Track Watch: Christian Petracca trains days after cracking ribs at Melbourne training”. Summary - • Christian Petracca was on light duties but showed no signs of discomfort from his cracked ribs at Melbourne training. • there’s no plan in place to return the Norm Smith medallist to full training but he will be able to keep his fitness up as his ribs recover. • the club didn’t hesitate in getting into contact today, stepping into physical centre bounce and defensive set up drills involving heavy tackling. • other players in the non-contact group were skipper Max Gawn, defender Jake Lever and Taj Woewodin. • players who impressed were:- * Kysaiah Pickett – was impressive in bursting out of the middle of the ground in a centre bounce drill. * Tom Campbell – with Max on the sidelines, he showed his deft ruckwork in the centre. * Shane McAdam – was hampered physically to start this pre-season but he showed a flash of his goalkicking ability with a nice dribble goal from deep in a pocket. • Christian Salem limped off the track at one point, pointing to his lower right leg and seeking attention from the medical staff.

Better late than never … and quite frankly, there’s very little to report other than that training took place at Casey Fields this morning, that Tracc was there nursing his rib injury and that some photographs are on the club’s social media including this one of Clarrie in Raging Bull stance that gives rise for confidence ~ The other news is that the club has a new train on player in 185cm Dandenong Stingrays midfielder Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves (love the hyphenated name which is just so fitting for the MFC). The 2025 draft prospects training at your club this week H-H has been with the Stingrays program for a couple of seasons and was a regular them last year. He should feel at home training with former teammate Harvey Langford. As far as I know, he’s not tied to the club in any way and if that’s the case, he’s available to all clubs in this year’s national draft.

I would not be averse to him playing in that role anyway, notwithstanding the current rib issue. A great weapon to have there in the post ANB period and it would give our younger mids starting with Trent Rivers the opportunity to blossom in a new look midfield.

On cue - the second in the series The Legacy Series | Episode 2 | Hassa Mann

Welcome back to Demonland for those like me who have been on vacation. I’m posting this with some trepidation because of a certain amount of uncertainty surrounding the return of preseason training in 2025 after a flurry of weddings including those of our coach, one of our superstar players and a former premiership champion player and bloke, not to mention the recent mysterious incident that occurred on the Mornington Peninsula. I believe that the team reassembles this morning at Casey Fields (fitting because it’s the closest training facility to Sorrento). At least that’s what I was led to believe from despatches in late 2024, although the fog of the festive season and new year celebrations might be playing tricks on me. To add to my trepidation is this ominous piece of information gleaned from the MFC website:- “Some sessions in the new year are returning to Casey Fields and due to the nature of the facility those sessions will be closed to the public, unless otherwise advertised below.” Since I couldn’t locate any relevant information below, I can only assume that we won’t be receiving many reports from training if indeed, it proceeds today, especially given that this is the time of year when the snakes of Casey Fields come out of hibernation to congregate outside the fences of that facility. One of our regular correspondents has used the break to make a tree disguise but I believe it has yet to be tested as snake proof. So, in case there are no reports forthcoming on today’s activities, here is a picture taken in Bali to remind you all of what some of our players look like these days. Welcome to 2025!!!