Decoy

You can blindly trust whoever you like. I prefer to walk around with my eyes open and be capable of my own opinions.

Carn the Dees You practice winning by practicing what you believe will be your most successful style of play, Yeah sure Carn the Dees. I'm just trusting the Football department on this one. Last year we were thumped when we sent over a pretty good team for the semi final NAB but were quite OK 3 weeks into the season proper when we nearly beat the Crows in Qld.

Are you guys for real? How do you practice winning? Yeah, I'm going out to practice winning today. yeah right. The only way you practice winning is in your dreams; and yes there's a place for that. But there's actually a lot to practice before that. I think they know what they're doing. But we can roll over and have another dream.

LOL

Goal to Mattner - the 7th unanswered goal. Down by 36 now, correction 35 - Brad Miller just missed from dead in front. did you have to? I don't want another Brad Miller thread. There are people who won't leave him alone.

Reminds me of the first time I found this site in March(or Feb) 2002 when we eventually had a great year. We had been beaten by St Kilda in a pre season game and the site was on fire. Some people never learn. Something is in the air. We are gettng great practice at hand ball. We don't know what's going on. And why should we? We know nothing anyway. Who cares? If they had kicked today rather than practice their handball it would lead to a Premiership? Demand feeding definitely has a down side.

Woops, sorry DD36

Relax DD36, it's a hot night for all of us so keep your shirt on. Beautiful goal he kicked to get us into the finals 2005 Our forward line improved 200 % when Holland arrived and Neitz stopped getting team tagged. I don't get it; everyone wants pretty boys now. Relax, he'll never be a TJ. BTW you made me laugh when you said Godfrey needs to step up

Did notice Wheatley and he was moving well; I thought the backs were really turned on but not the sort of drills where anyone stands out. A good report on Demonolgy and pictures from George on the Outer.

I didn't see much of Hayes as he was with the forwards. Bode was with the mids, doing what was required but not standing out. Only when that 400 metres drill came for him, he was miles behind his 'partner'. That really surprised me as he was a top schoolboy 200 metres runner. Maybe he had a stitch. He's very crab like in his action; a bit like that recently retired WCE on baller, though my feeling is he won't be as good. Neville was with the backs if it was him I saw. In the drills they were doing he'd have to be exceptional to stand out; though looks to be over his OP; still very young looking. And BTW that should have been Weetra above, not Weetrie.

Sure RM Whelan was with the backs though not exactly running flat out. Pickett was with the forwards. Bell was with the backs too and when hasn't he looked and trained great? Holland with the backs too; I didn't recognize him at first, he's looking very trim. We tend to think of him as slow but even though he may not be mobile he was keeping up with Pettard on one occasion racing for the ball. People used to say Fergs needed to bulk up but not so much in the last 12 months. He's looking strong, not skinny any more, without having lost his mobility. And yes, Jaded, fourth interrupted pre season in a row for Colin; I remember the first time I saw him walking the boundary at Princes park this time of year three years ago. Hopefully Feb and March can get him up to speed.

No mention of training yet and that probably indicates a pretty low-key pre season so here are a few words:- Not the long list of players nursing thigh and OP problems as this time last year. I couldn't see Jones or Bartram, and Colin was the only one not participating in the drills. I didn't watch the forwards but the backs included Weetrie, Pettard and Frawley. All three looked very comfortable in the traffic as they ran the ball forward from the spillage drill. Having not seen any training, Weetra was my pick of the players today; he surprised me how comfortable he was in the traffic and how he moved. Quick off the mark, low centre of gravity and elusive. He moved like a lot smaller player, eg Leon Davis or even Rodan of Richmond though that's where that comparison would end. Buckley was with the backs, Hayes with the forwards, and Nathan Brown with the mids again. Williams was giving the mids a real work out today including a 60 second drill of two players tackle as many bags and receive a handball in a circle of about 25 metres. This really stuffed them, then the two players would have to set off on a 400 metre run. Brock really set the pace here. Bate looks to have lost a bit of weight too and has a more mature physique and looked very strong in all the drills. The trainer from Hawthorn seemed a really nice guy, and is still focusing on their running styles. Let's hope it's contributing to the low incidence of OP; Moloney didn't look hampered at all in the drills though a little stuffed at times.