DV8

the yarra ranger we need a mover with a slown hand, we want a rover with an easy touch. I want somebody who can runaround, not com'on & blowup in a reddish blush, I want somebody who understands, when it comes a winnin', wanna slown hand.

By some players revolt. Not all players, according to reports. So, that infamous tail is still wagging. We need to get that sorted out, by end of season.

the camp is past, but the attitude has not.

I don't think I'm missing the boat at all. The thing is we as a club are still trying to breakaway from the old soft ways that have haunted us from within our culture, for decades. Your the one who is only looking from the players perspective, and some worrier supporters are more worried about the players not wanting to work. And apparently it is the young players who didn't want to go. and they didn't want to speak up as well. What sort of players & future leaders are were growing, that do not feel strong enough to speak up about strongly held views, so they go outside the club to the players union to act for them in secrecy? That's a bit weak-kneed, don't you think. It seems these players are just the ones who do need this type training. See, my perspective is not for players softness, but for them to develop into strong competitors who can speak UP for themselves, without fear. This action by the players is very much like Gysberts refusing to take part in a time trial. Ah, really rusty? So, I think you have missed the boat from the clubs development perspective on these camps taking out the lack of medics Re any serious injuries.

So out of all the players, one player did something silly putting on his back-pack, and so you want to demonise all camps? Do you want to stop all contact in preseason, for fear of concussions. I think one of our players was concussed at training just a few weeks back? Why haven't you said anything about that issue? Organising a medic to be at hand, is not hard to do?

I don't mind that, if we go small up front. If Petracca was in a Giles mold, then we could fit ANB on the f/flank. Hogan rotating, R/R & CHF with Petracca.

Righto boss, I'll send a memo to Melbourne Storm and the Craig Bellamy, letting them know of your 1st hand impressions, & that they could well save their money for a cinema outing instead, for player welfare. I'm sure they'll be grateful for the heads up. These camps are not cheap you know. By the way. How is your favorite small from the 2012 National Draft going?

Also troublesome in packs, around wandering boots. But is it the toe, or an ankle? These days with so much mis-information, its really hard to know what the truth is. But the reality is, its really tough to ruck with buggered feet. And to play CHF. Imperative we don't take risks before the season even starts. You can play with a cracked rib. You can play with a crack in the jaw. But try to run and jump in a game, with only one good foot, let alone having to kick on the run.

sorry, no i didn't get it.

Only a toe, kept Frost out for around 6 months. It troubled him for more than 12 months. Conservative with injuries especially early season is crucial. We can take risks if need be later in the season IF we are desperate. I would rather have Tmc cheery ripe, before he comes into the side. I don't want him tormented by this injury, all through the season. Viney came back too soon last year, didn't end well. Gawn came back too soon last year, didn't end well. Watts came back under rehabbed last year, stuffed our season. Didn't end well. Its no surprise that our momentum went into a downward spiral, when these players started to return to the team, all too soon. 2017 didn't end well for the Mfc.

Not really. They (tigers) are more mentally tough on the the physical stuff, dishing it out, & receiving it as well (physically & mentally). We probably are stronger on the 'focus side' traditionally, compared to the Tiges. Both clubs were weak mentally, but for differing reasons. Richmond the club has never been hesitant to break our the physicality, traditionally, and their club, players & supporters, all relish that. This area is our biggest hurdle to get over. Bringing the physicality, the physical intensity is our biggest hurdle, and we are easily satisfied with our efforts. Too easily satisfied. Insatiable is NOT a word I would use about the Mfc. The camps allow the club to develop leaders in all areas & to lead in tall the ways our clubs has been lacking in. This is what the camps are all about leadership/responsibility, under the worst pressure.

I would definately leave TMc out for this one. One more week to get right. Please Mfc. Don't risk him in Rnd-1. We have plenty who can fulfill the role for one game.

I imagine its only a bit of bone bruising. They're protecting him from further knocks to that area, until game day. IMO, consider him a Lock!

Well if that is the case, the point remains. We still need to be doing these type training camps more than most, needing this sort of training regime. We would be dragging the bottom of the AFL ladder in terms of being one of the AFL's harder clubs. So this sort of camp is just what the Doctor ordered, for our Mfc ailments. We should be doing this camp, every end of Pre-Season. .

So why then do the Special forces put their men through these trials, & the SOGies as well. They are the elite of their Skills, they have to be, the standouts. So we here are worried about a couple of little injuries, and some sleepless nights during the course? really? Or are we worried that some players may decide to leave the club, because its all too tough? Do we want to be the Big Winners, or do we want to be the best AFL host team, as we've been for so many decades? A lot of players got rich from us,. that would not have cut the September mustard, in most Grand Finals. . Our problem hasn't been to top up a talented list; its been to get them playing to win flags. To remain disciplined to that cause. To not party during the week. To be single minded with the ultimate prize in focus. And because of this, lacking the desire needed to develop our recruits into men, real stars, instead of spectacular players fond of the camera. This is where our players have developed into, doing the spectacular, instead of doing the winning. Our young recruits all want to do that spectacular thing, instead of busting their arzes all game, every game. This is our collective failure. And this is the bathwater experience, & this is what we continue to achieve. 'The spectacles' of the competition. .

This is exactly what we (Mfc) need, to sort out who will stand up under adversity; you know one who left last year would not cope with that scenario, and these camps sort out the tough players we can rely on most. And they aid in teaching some young ones where they need to get to. Its an exploration deep into athletes psyches to see how deep their commitment level is, and where it falls away. It is this sort of venture that will help us find the leaders we need to look to, Who Will in time, help us change our cosy culture into one more like the Hawks battle hardened culture, & the Swans, new Cats modern day culture.

Richmond in season 2017, lost a total of 7 games from 26 games played. Melbourne lost 10 games, from 23 played. Richmond finished with a healthy percentage of 118.29% Melbourne fished with a percentage of 105.22% One camp does not change mental strength much, just as one Pre-Season does not build an AFL player into elite AFL level aerobic fitness. Its one step towards that end. Doing nothing results in nothing. Doing as you've always done when not achieving, is most likely going to result in the same. This club has to learn to change its mindset. If it ever wants to achieve the biggest prize, its says it wants to fight for. Playing safe is not going to cut it. Blaming the umps, blaming the weather, blaming some curse, is not going to help achieve anything, apart from more disappointments .

Not every Club/team has a need to improve their hardness. All clubs will have their better points and all will have their sore points. Ours traditionally have been being too nice, too generous with the opposition, & being reluctant to trade with heavy hits & meanness on-field. We like it when the game is played around the wings as a traditional strength, with outside runners. It looks great around the Mcg wings, when we've carried the footy, in bygone era's. But the name of the game is winning Premierships. Something that is a decided weakness in our past half century.

It won't. A cracked collar bone doesn't leave a player unable to maintain leg fitness & condition, nor aerobically. After a few days the player can continue to run. If we're concerned about injuries at the expence of being hardened tough competitive hombre's, then we shouldn't tackle at training, we shouldn't go for high marks at training, we shouldn't push one another over. etc. The special training camps are setup to find an advantage over the comp. It works for the Melbourne Storm and they are now one of the power clubs of the NRL, with Premiership Cups to browse. Our Mfc methods of 50 odd years, are not something to others to follow. So we need to change, & to harden up.

Yes. But that camp isn't about fitness. Its all about mental toughness, to show the club which players have more mental toughness to withstand anything thrown at them. This is how Bellamy works out which of his players he can rely on to get the job done, whilst the rest, he then knows more about, and how to get the right training for them to improve. Its also about building 'a comraderie' of not letting one another down under intense pressure. Its these things that Melbourne traditionally are poorest at. And so its no wonder that some of the players turned up their noses. That's its too hard. They don't like it. Its not about the paycheck, its not about the players, its about this club, its about winning, its about Premierships. The players are only the servants. They should get perspective that they are not the game itself. Guess what, they don't hand over Premiership Cups on a silver platter, to my knowledge. .

We're not mentally strong collectively, in any comparison with the mean AFL average. We lost games by points, we lost games & momentum when we played injured players who should have been rested longer, & some went on holidays mid season up north to overcome an injury. came back no better. softness pervades the club. If we were mentally strong we would have won more of the close games & we would have allowed players enough time before coming back in, thus trusting our list players to do the job, whilst injured players recovered. Becoming mentally tougher is an ongoing process, that needs refreshing often. year by year. You don't acquire that by refusing to go on a time trial, or refusing to do some iron man type camp. We've got a long way to go before we can goo ALL the way. .

In any AFL campaign, Expect injuries; all clubs will get them in Pre and Main seasons. If your not copping injuries, your not playing hard enough. Its part and parcel of what you get in physical contact sport. Trying to avoid injuries is an easy way to exit the competition early. Injuries aren't our downfall, lack of courage is one of the main issues. 'Playing Safe', instead of taking the game on and backing ourselves against the best of them, is the only way forward. Don't worry about umpires, of knocks, bruises, or even broken bones. They will occur, sometimes, or even often. But its all part of an AFL season and we cannot waste our focus on these negatives. We cannot take our eyes off the ball and our goals..

I hope 'that old tail' is not still furiously wagging. If it is, it needs to be docked off.

Hey Cassiew. If THEY want to make a retro jumper for fans to buy and wear. Why not something along these lines. Maybe some 'slight' adjustment, to the colours, but only slight. So a lace up Jumper to wear to warm games,,, and also in a Vest form to wear over other clothing and under that plaid jacket. Reversible clothing, dress down on one side, & dress up a little on the other side with pull up collar.

Anything! that fires up our supporters, is great for us... as it also raises the hackles of our senior players. How much more motivation do we need to get angry 'for' the footy. So we are "soft", great; now lets open the show, and see our royal softness go royally hard.