george_on_the_outer

There was something dodgy about St.Kilda's numbers last year. All season we had a tally 1 or 2 thousand more than them, and then suddenly in July ( yes July!), they found another 4 thousand members. They went from 42,605 in June to 46301 in 4 weeks.

For the nth time....cricket is played there for half the year i.e nowhere to train, nowhere for pre-season. The administration offices are tiny and spread apart. The football department HAS to operate out of AAMI because there is no room at the MCG. If you want to see how big a modern football facility has to be, look at Collingwood or Essendon.

Got there early so watched the re-hab group for a while.. I counted 13 including O'Mac, Petracca, Brayshaw, Melksham, Viney, Hannan, Lever, Stretch, Oiver, VandenBerg, Baker, Hunt and Jetta. Viney, Hannan and Melksham running laps and timed sections, with Viney running out in front by a mile and freely. I can't seen him not being back in the main group after Christmas. Melksham not as quick as Viney, but cannot see anything obviously wrong with him. Hannan looked like he was running on egg-shells. Nothing obvious but he pulled out of a couple of the runs to go to trainers, and then left the session early and before the main group arrived. Lever ran lap after lap, and was moving freely. Kicking with right foot with a trainer at times. Baker also running plenty of laps, and has put on serious muscle both in the legs and upper body after his early end to last season. Of the rest it would be hard to see anything obvious as to why they are not with the main group, perhaps with the exception of Oliver/Jetta after shoulder surgery, which requires a long period of no contact. Saw a little of Neitscke and Jordan in the drills. Pleasingly both kick well, sharp, low and accurate. Can they play football? Have to wait and see. Once again there was an academy kid on the track, who I can't find out who he is, but his kicking is elite and was training with the main group of players. There will probably be evidence later, but some bloke in a red suit and beard showed up. We all thought it was Saty in disguise!

So which fans would possibly turn up to watch this rubbish?. You can't even support your team any more. Country teams are screaming out for financial support, teams are folding and Gil spends money on this?

It's not surprising we have more in rehab given we went deep into September. We haven't seen this problem for years and we are not accustomed to it. Having said that, it is still not good to have so many players in that situation. But as Andy noted, the ones who were in the rehab group weren't losing fitness. Lever is probably the only one who has to come back from injury fitness wise. Every year I note this, ( and there is no scientific basis for it, just years of observation): For every week after the new Year that a player is not in full training, you can subtract a week from when they will be available in season proper. Or to put it another way, players need 3 months of full pre-season training.

Couple of observations: Melksham wearing tennis cap, so neither forward facing or not. Counted 32 training staff, 26 on the field, gone are the old days when the coach ran the session. Using a pace setter for the players who were just running. As Andy noted, how do you advertise for this job? Keilty and Smith training with forwards. Were used exclusively as lead up link players in one drill. Young 17 year old academy player (I’m told) will be one to watch. Built like the proverbial brick S...... worked with the mids and held his own. Good to see Maynard out there in full training.

How true that is, on both counts. Jeff's other major problem is that the game has changed. And that is why he needs to become the footballer he NEVER has been. Clubs changed their defensive structures last year, and the small "out the back" type players ( Garlett, Puopolo, Betts, Rohan etc) dropped off with their goal output. So unless these players bring a defensive side to the game, in the same manner as Rioli ( RIchmond) and Butler( Richmond) there is no role for them to play. Betts and Puopolo have a regular slot in their sides. No defensive side....Rohan traded, Menzel traded, Garlett VFL.

We would not be trying to move them out of the stadium, it is their occupation of the training areas in Gosch's paddock which restricts what is possible. They don't train inside. In the same way we don't train on the MCG. So like us, they have piecemeal training and administration facilities. IF...IF something better was offered to the other tenants, it would mean WE could develop ours in proximity. OR we have to move somewhere else which can accomodate an oval, which means we will not be in proximity to the MCG.

This is probably one of the answers that avoids all of the other problems of trying to put an admin/training/club building on postage sized pieces of ground in and around the MCG/Gosch's or over roads/rail/tram lines at extraordinary expense. IF Melbourne Victory, or Rebels/Storm were to vacate to bigger and new facilities themselves, then one of the two training fields that are currently permanently set up for Rugby or Soccer is free. Voila!..... room to build something right in Gosch's, alongside Olympic Boulevard without massive cost, tree removal or locals getting their knickers in a knot. So where could they be convinced to go? There is space down alongside Docklands-Marvel that we were rumoured to be interested in some time ago. Would be more enticing to certainly the Soccer crowd, especially with games played regularly at that location.

The Yarra Park proposal was always going to be problematic, and a compromise particularly for Office and Admin space. I don't understand why we have not been mentioned in association with the Caulfield racecourse development..... https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/guy-first-out-of-barriers-with-pledge-to-open-up-caulfield-racecourse-20181007-p5089l.html More space, no limitations on use, community involvement, part of the Demons heartland.... And it could make ProDee doubly happy if his mob get up.

...another good reason why this stupidity should not be given oxygen. Victorian side v WCE in the GF. First final in Perth. Victorian side send a 2nds team for the first game, knowing the next 2 are in Melbourne. Who will be the first to be accused of "gaming the system"?

What would the fans prefer: 2 extra weeks for 2 teams or 2 extra weeks for every team during the season? Heaven forbid....that could make the FIXture less of a fix and more of a draw....

....came from GWS? Then SoS will definitely pick him.

I hope someone goes to Italy to check out this, Calcio storico which roughly translates as" historical football":

How small was the crowd for an opening game of football? Shows the game of AFL has come a long way in terms of attendances since then.

I want to know how in the hell this was approved by the AFL. If the player is delisted, he should be in the draft. That hasn't happened yet. Every other club should have had a chance to draft him. Or has the trade period now been extended to 365 days a year!

At least the brains trust at AFL haven't slotted a team to play in Alice Springs in the middle of summer at 5pm, and off a 6 day break like they did to us last year. Probably cost us a spot on the ladder in the end, and probably a GF position. 9.35pm for Adelaide v Freo, in Darwin is half sensible, but why a game needs to be played there at all is beyond me.

NO more. Locked

Before someone changes it......

Darren or Craig?

...and they shut access to the place down for a couple of weeks at Grand Prix time. i.e just before the season starts.

Has Jeff Kennett joined us?

I didn't know Jake Melksham had changed his name......

Look at the time stamp....

After 200+ pages, ain't this the truth about what is holding this process up. As Ouch has pointed out the CEO....the CEO!!! is doing the negotiations in the public domain......imagine PJ coming out during trade period saying we will or will not accept XYZ for a particular player! Bell is Football manager and now he is doing the negotiations after being there for 5 minutes! It's all well and good for everyone to surmise what will/will not be a good/suitable trade, but if you don't know who you are really trading with, it makes the job almost impossible. To top it off Freo has pick 6 at the moment. Their next pick is 80! There is no way they can improve their position for next year, so asking for their next years first rounder may be a piece of true inspiration.