Its Time for Another

I compiled the table of historical membership numbers on the membership thread and I follow it each year for trends. To me the membership numbers are the best gauge of the Club's health. On the current membership growth rate compared to other years on the table we are heading towards just under or just over 50,000. We had a pre Christmas jump of about 4000 compared to last year but since then it is increasing at about the same rate. For some reason most of the membership growth year on year seems to happen pre Christmas not around round 1 which is what I would have expected. The Club will have to do something very different to previous years to make a 15,000 to 20,000 jump on last year which would represent a 24% at 60,000 to 35% increase at 70,000. So far the numbers show about an 8% growth which is well ahead of the past few years which is around 5-6% increase.

I guess I will be entitled to a ticket as an interstate member. If anyone wants it, (subject to me confirming I can get one) PM me and I'm happy to pass it on. I have a reserved seat there.

Correct

Good question. If I knew the answer I'd probably have been saying let alone for the past five decades. Never too old. But as you've only posed a question not provided the answer, I'll now have to use both.

I think you'll find that's the point if you go back and have a look at Trac's diary and videos from when he was there. Build the psychological confidence and also fast twitch muscle reactions. Have a look at the videos of what he had Trac doing. I wouldn't do that on 2 good knees little own a reconstructed one. But that's the idea apparently.

He's still up in Sydney. From memory he moved to Sydney because he had a work opportunity in IT. Last I heard he was involved in a software company providing logistics functions. He was involved in the local Junior footy club I coached at. His son was a few years below mine. He was incredibly commited to the junior program not just coaching but organising footy trips interstate every year and other great initiatives. The kids in that age group loved it. I've also seen him at a couple of the Demons functions up here in Sydney. He's a Dees man. A great guy. Very friendly and still very passionate about footy.

Hope these were supplied by the MFC as official AFL sanctioned gear. Didn't realise KK was still so hampered by his injury. Looks unlikely for round 1. Saty or Moony can you try and whisper in his ear or whatever and find out when he thinks he'll be playing. Thanks for the reports. Getting down to the pointy end now.

Superb picks again @Six6Six thanks again. Much appreciated.

Nearly everyone in rehab has been able to do full running training which is the key to conditioning. What they haven't been able to do is match sim and body contact drills because so many of them had shoulder surgery. Crossy explained that they stay in rehab until they are as fit as the main group and can slot straight in at the same level. He does a lot of skills work with them so that is also ready. A year ago missing match sim would have been a major issue but most key players have got 4-5 years under their belts now so according to what I heard McCartney say the sort of game plan teaching that was going on last year is already learnt and now it is adding in fine tuning. I'm sure that's easier to pick up than the volume of learning in past years. The most compromised player is Lever because his running has been compromised.

Drone. That wave's over 80feet high. Imagine jumping off an 80' building which I think is about 9 or 10 storeys and then have it drop on top of youI'd be absolutely crapping my dacks just watching it from the land.

Hmm ,so this is the Visser MFC version of this. Not for the faint hearted. Gives me the heebies just looking at it. Would have thought Visser could at least chucked them off a building or something (with a rope tied on) to give them a chance to overcome fear. Or better still chuck them off one of these monsters. Ollie Wines injury would be a scratch.

Ha! Nice! Love your work. Maybe change to Dr Time when It's Time has finally been made redundant.

Thanks DV8. I’m at that age where the generation ahead of us are hitting their late 80’s early 90’s. No one tells you what life’s going to be like when you get there. It’s not pretty. I had to shoot down to be with one in hospital and look after their partner out of hospital. In the meantime another relative of similar age got rushed to the same hospital very ill. So then I had 2. The next day his wife got rushed to Emergency so I had 3 in the one hospital. The nurses were asking me how my rounds were going Dr. I had to come home to take my son into hospital for day surgery yesterday. Bizarre week.

Ha! Thanks for the vote of confidence Ethan. But I'm back in Sydneytown. That was an unexpected trip due to an illness in the family. But I can say with a great deal of confidence about today's training the following :- They are training the house down. It's more organised than I've ever seen it. Everyone has gone to another level. etc etc Hope that helps.

Just had a long chat to Crossy. Said place is unrecognisable from when he arrived. The definitive news from him on Lever’s return is around round 9 to 10. In relation to that debate about Trac’s condition and weight. I just mentioned he has a solid build. He responded that’s his build. Said he just ran his PB in the 2km time trial. His skin folds are excellent. He said they are being very careful with Viney. They don’t want to rush him back and have him back in rehab. The ankle surgery is just taking the normal amount of time to recover and they are also managing the foot etc. Hes expecting most rehabers to be back in main group by end of next weeks camp. He said coming back from a shortened pre season if anything is a bit of a bonus. He said it’s a really long pre season when you come back October or early November. You can feel cooked by the beginning of the season. They all have their off season programs and come back ready to go. Tom Sparrow is the stand out of the young players for him. Said he reminds him of Viney when he first came in. Training done. Thats it for me. Got to head off. Will try to answer any questions later.

They’ve just broken into groups and doing right passing drills. About every 90 seconds to 3 minutes the whistle blows and they swap bins from defending to attacking. Now back into full field ball movement. I’m guessing transferring what they did in the smaller groups. Preuss has a huge kick. Hate to say it but there’s a hell of a lot of kicks not hitting targets. Sparrow has the gate of a natural athlete. Body language is very confident. Leads really well to good places. Marty Hore solid unit. There’s going to be some solid contested marking capacity in this squad. Bedford’s doing some nice work. Getting to the right places to receive and making good decisions and delivering accurately. Petty still looks pretty light for a potential KP player. They’re doing a contested ground ball exercise where a ball is rolled to 2 players who have to fight for it. McCartney told someone to tackle harder. They want it to be full match day intensity. Garlett’s skills still stand out and he seems pretty engaged. He’d be a real bonus if he comes good this year. The competition for his spot is building. Jordan is also a good ready to go size. Another group doing a drill where they are tackled under pressure and have to get an accurate ball off to an outside player who has to snap across the body at goal. All the handballs go off and all the snaps I saw went through. Another group doing a drill where you stand with your back to a group are handballed a ball and have to turn and pick out from a series of players leading and get a low pass to them. Wagner started. Didn’t miss a pass. Seems to be doing some training with the forwards. The backs are in a group at the moment doing a clearing exercise. They were all brought in and there’s extensive coaching going on by Troy Chaplin. Then back into a drill in groups leading and passing. The philosopher is training with the backs. Hore’s Skills are good

Good New is Trac Gus and Vanders are all in main group. Update on this from Crossy is they are in but still slightly modified but will be back in full during or immediately after next weeks camp.

Having a look at main group now. A lot of cheering and clapping going on as they are all bunched in the middle. I’d be guessing some comp on winners for last weeks training. Pretty sure it’s not team selection. Now doing full oval game simulation. It’s full gas. Clearly working on game plan ball movement. What I’m noticing is the players down field leading to space and players with the ball being patient and looking for the lead before kicking. Plenty of missed targets at this stage. There’s no wind which suggests to me they are really working on low kicks to targets under pressure. Thats definitely looking like a focus From what I’m seeing Preuss is no lumbering slow big man. He’s surprisingly agile and fast. He’s also doing as much running as the midfielders. On what I’m seeing I reckon he’s going to surprise us. KK just took a brilliant contested mark and summed up options and did a great kick to a leading player.

As others have said Viney looks in amazing form. Unfortunately Melk still seems on a pretty compromised progam mainly just running.

McCartney has just gone over from main group to discuss the rehab training with the 2 guys with the computers just for them. That’s the attention to detail nowadays. I’ve counted 25 support staff out there coaches trainers etc. How far have we come ina few years. Apparently this footy program is now cutting edge versus the rest of the Comp

I’m here. Let me know if there’s anything you want to look out for. Just standing next to the rehab group. Lever has clearly taken a strong leadership role. Just said to the group “Very good. Keep training game day habits. A lot of skills work going on. Passing to players on a lead and passing on to the next player. Said something like just run 100%” just spoke to Mitch Hannan. He said the knees feeling good. He’s getting a lot of running in now and hopes to be in full training in a few weeks. Asked him how does he feel walking into the AFL from the VFL the way he has and being on the website with the goal of the year and in a final. He said it’s surreal. He never imagined it. I said players come into the AFL and never play in a final and he’ll have that forever. He was beaming. I said he’s in for a great run. Others have been here 10 years and left with nothing. He said Thanks mate really appreciate it and ran off with a grin on his face. Go Dees Clarry just said back into full training in a couple of weeks. Standing next to the rehabers drink bottles by accident. It’s where they all come so perfect place to sneak in questions. Jonesy came over and went straight into boxing. I pity the poor bloke holding the pads. He’s pounding them. They have 2 computers set up just for rehab. One seems to have GOS data the other live footage just of their training.

I can help you with this. I know a bit about body language. Did he shake his head up and down or side to side. The answer will offer a clue to his state of mind and body.

Bet you didn't say that when Jacko did it and that was incestuous.

Pies are a bit light on everywhere. Had no right to be in a GF with the positional deficiencies they have everywhere except the midfield. Forward line is a lumbering 211 American who is so so as a forward and less than so so as a ruckman given he is the equal tallest player to ever play the game. Other than him they only have two 191cm key forwards. Not really the height of a key forward anymore. We all no the deficiencies they have in the backline. Amazing what they achieved. Mihocek isn't even on their main list he's still on the rookie list for 2019 according to their website

That's what my body looks like. It's just buried very deep somewhere. Probably the same place as my footy skills.