Its Time for Another

Pies also had Sier in the forward line. He and Mihocek are the same height as Darling. Pies have just recruited Roughead. They look like they have the same view of the need for a genuine second ruckman and 3rd tall in the forward line. I could see Maxy causing a major headache in our forward line which may well justify him playing less time in the ruck. It will also likely preserve his career. We were getting plenty of i50's last season we couldn't convert them. This may be an answer. We'll know soon enough.

Has anyone noticed if Preuss's aerobic capacity has improved relative to Gawny since he's arrived. I'm sure this will be a focus and why he's doing so much running with Gawny. You might be right but I really hope you're wrong. Preuss's recruitment for me was one of the more interesting in quite a while for two reasons. Firstly I was sure it meant Hogan was out the door. Secondly I reckon it means we will follow the two Grand Finalists and have two key forwards and a resting ruckman as a forward. They proved it isn't too top heavy. It's amazing how things have changed so quickly from the Tigers 2017 Premiership which everyone thought showed that teams would only have one key forward. You couldn't say Preuss is less mobile than Cox and I would say Vardy as well. Logically his choice to come to the Dees makes no sense if he was told you're only going to get a game if Gawn gets injured. I think they are going to play him in that Cox/Vardy role and the ruck rule changes mean the days of players like Harmes and Grigg playing in the ruck are over. You are going to have to have a genuine second ruck.

I can tell you're a wannabe deipnosophist. But frankly I'm applying a bit of floccinaucinihilipilification

If you like that. Try this one. Theia shadow.

Different person. Much younger. He was a very short full forward for Hawks who had a couple of excellent years and was then traded to Essendon where through injuries and loss of form he never had much of an impact.

Reminds me of an American sex education video we were shown in a Religious Studies class in about Year 9 at school. This was mid '70's. A kid was standing outside his High School with a beaming face proudly saying "I got it!"

How so? Fill me in

Judging by your avatar you're a Usual Suspect. When Biffen was playing for us his father Leo, worked for my father and was a game day trainer for the team. I used to go down and annoy him with a thousand questions every time I went to my father's business. He used to give me used MFC training footys. I felt like a millionaire.

Salute to the greatest political slogan I can remember. I believe Singleton came up with it for Labor's 1972 campaign which broke their 23 year electoral drought. Drought breaking hit an obvious nerve for a lifelong Dees supporter. When I chose it in about 2007 I thought we were entering the new era that was going to break our drought and I didn't expect it to be relevant for more than a few years. Oh well. Will gladly replace it when it becomes redundant. Although by then it will be relevant to the 2 peat and then the 3 peat etc. The slogan and it's success had some significant impacts on my families lives. My brother had just been advised he was going in the next lottery for conscription to the Vietnam war. Whitlam won the election and immediately stopped conscription which probably saved my brother going there. He also brought in free tertiary education which I benefited directly from. That slogan heralded in one of the craziest political periods in our history. A breathtaking series of political reforms such as the Marriage Act and land rights and economic madness like the Khemlani affair and Junie Morosi. Who'll ever forget Al Grassby. Ahh they were the days. All leading to our greatest political crisis. What a slogan. My avatar succinctly sums me up. We were born on the same day. Not the same year though. I got the clown bit without the genius bit but hopefully a healthy sense of the absurd. Other less kind people might say I got the absurd without anything else. Anyhow..... It's Time.

......and Beyond

The other thing it does is make you appreciate the quantum leap in standard to the Firsts and just how good they are. A bit of perspective can be a good thing.

Better than the alternative.

Interesting binman. What a minefield that decision is going to be next season. Petty clearly is holding his arm. It's one thing to push someone but surely it's another to actually grab hold of their arm and hold onto it to twist their body away from the contest. I thought the only change to the rules was that you can put hands on the back now as long as it isn't a push. Good luck to the poor umpires deciding when hands in the back are or aren't a push. If I was a forward I'd just lung forward just a bit when I feel the hands on my back. How could an umpire tell if it is a push or a dive. I can hear the supporters howls from here. Including mine. And it's probably not the umpires fault. Talking about rule changes. I can't believe they didn't do away with the ruckman having to nominate and just give a free if two players from the same team go up in the ruck contest. That rule very nearly cost us a finals spot thanks to Dangerfield's antics. The other is the protected area. I guess that can be fixed by interpretation rather than changing the rule itself. But this season this rule was completely inconsistent and potentially disastrous in several games.

When I started going to thre footy you could watch the U19’s, Reserves then the Seniors. From memory Robbie Flower went through all 3 in the one season by May. and never left the Seniors.

I've got SpecSavers. I better swap.

When I was there last week I was standing next to someone and we identified the drone and couldn't believe how steady it was. Just didn't move. We looked again some time later and it was still rock solid in exactly the same position. I was fascinated then realised why it was so steady. It actually wasn't a drone it was a street lamp. I'd be taking my training reports with a grain of salt if I get back there again. I now fear I might have given a training report on the Melbourne Storm by accident.

As a Junior coach I always followed the AFL bred philosophy. Train like you play. In this case this would clearly be a free against Petty. Don't see the point of this other than a good philosophical exercise for Nietschke in practicing body contact.

Thanks again Six6Six. As usual an outstanding set of photos.

Now that you mention that I have seen him doing that. Would love to find out from him if that's actually what he's doing. Another question for Saty to ask.

I have some mates i ride with in Melbourne from time to time and also out of town. Maybe we could link up for a cruise to Mordialloc and a coffee with them at some stage. We went up to Bright in April and rode Hotham and Buffalo. Great experience. Maxy Gawn rode the 3 Peaks challenge last year which is Tawonga Gap, Hotham and the back of Falls Creek. It has a time limit. Amazing effort for anyone but especially someone who's 208cm. No doubt set up his pre season when could walk again.

Interesting info. I only ran a few 400's. Isn't it known as the toughest race because its the perfect distance for lactic acid overload. I remember completely seizing up after a couple. I wasn't much of a runner. Where do you ride? Is it Adelaide?

Nice. You have to be a certain age to get that. I did 1500's at school and 800's a bit after school. Broke an ankle playing footy in my late 20's that was the end of the very mediocre running and playing career. Been a cyclist every since. Alas only worked out how to stop throwing up a few years ago on the other side of middle age. There's a lot of people who would have preferred I'd worked that out many decades ago.

Thanks Dazzle. That’s high praise coming from you. Alas I’m lucky to get to training once every few years.

I would love to do that at some stage. This Saturday is crazy. Have 3 functions we’re meant to be going to. One of them in Melbourne which it looks like the better half is going to fly down to after we’ve spent all day at another one.

Were you a runner Ernest?