DV8

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DZgPZ3kV4AEYpNb.jpg

Thaaat's what I want to hear.

He had a calf strain pre-season, he had to prove his fitness off that. It was mentioned that he wasn't ready. one extra week for the calf, to be sure, to be sure.. Calf injury can take time to heal. If he redid it, he could be out for a while. We don't want that with Viney out for another 6+ weeks. I'm wondering IF with the issues Brayshaw had, they may want to have him in tip-top match form, before he gets another senior game. Also he has to prove he's ready,,, again. Teeth or no teeth, he has to keep the head out of the way, and stay on his feet as it were. If not its bit of a worry.

I'm glad to hear that, I think he will become a very slippery player around that part of the ground for us. I didn't get to see the game, listening on radio on the drive home. Which was interrupted with a bad Arial, and having to constantly search for new channels, to tune in. I can't really fault the selection, as we have limited avenues at the moment.

I think one of the biggest weaknesses of our list is not enough games across most individuals. And the mature age recruits with barely any games experience; well they are up against it. We have to give them games experience, any realistic chance we get. With in-under Viney out injured, they gave another powerfully built in-under a chance to gain experience. For a 2 gamer I think Maynard will go far. As long as he gets plenty of opportunities. Similarly Hannan. And to a lesser extent Fritsch. All these players will be key for us in future years. It wasn't Maynard that caused the loss. Nor Fritsch. Nor Hannan. Collectively we didn't click in the first half. But by 3 Pts. One game doesn't make a season, Nor an Autumn.

Upset over one Qtr. Not.

Do you think some of our players after becoming 2017 regulars, are having a 'success-hangover' from last year? bathwater an' all LT ? Well if this is the case, and maybe there is some hangover Re Hannan,,, and with (el Gato) Fritsch a newbie in the team, the extra game would do Fritsch the world of good. If the coaches think Hannan is hungover; then maybe he'll cop an early wake-up call.? Can't see Garlett being left out, at this stage.

He won't be able to prove that point, down in the VFL. Not bad numbers from a half-forward. If he rotated thru the mids and half forward, he would get more opportunity to gather stats. No that half-forward has left this building.

Not true DJ. There are plenty of games to catch and overtake others even if we go zippo & 3. Its not until 1/3 way into the season, that things really start to take shape. The starts to seasons, always throw up inconsistencies in teams. =============================================== It depends on who is asking the question. - who thought the question up ? And their seasons motivation/goals. As against the footy dept's thoughts on capability & the goals set for this season. The two questions and answers maybe at odds with one another. Some may believe we can go all the way and others may think that is pure fantasy. 1/ So some want to win every possible game as the only 2018 goal. 2/ Whilst others may think finishing 5th would not be achievable this year. The 2nd scenario is more probably realistic. So the development of the team will be for the long term, rather than for 'a one season stand'. So IF we are on more of a slow burn in development, designed to be able to last years into our futures. Remember, if this rebuild falters, it could be the clubs last. More important than a flag at this stage,,, is getting this rebuild right, and sustainable for reinstating this club back up amongst the power clubs competing on equal footing for the longer term. Then we will have many chances to jag a flag.

Simply, They're not.

Support staff should be at radio hand... ready to come in, if required. Just no pooch pampering. that's all. Don't throw out the Bubs in the Bathwater. else it gets lapped up, in the rush. Now, how many people have been seriously maimed needing hospitalisation, from those elite courses ? No, I don't think there is anything wrong with doing these tough-man courses. Nor doing the Kokoda trail. or others like these. They have been done for generations, and have aided people competing against the odds to complete them. The Armed forces use tools like these to harden the soldiers mental edge, in preparation for the hostilities of battle. That's what its about. The mental edge. I put it to you that Jones & Viney would love doing these tests of mental & physical exertion. You mention the tigers winning last year having not done the course. But was it the Tigers who won the game, or was it the Crows who capitulated,,, under inside bad attitudes. What was the biggest influence last year? Very difficult to lose against poor opponents.

Injuries; a part of a physical game. Misson's December 2017 Pre Xmas Injury Update. December pre-season injury update Matt Burgan December 1, 2017 5:40 PM We’ll just have a standard run into Christmas. The boys have got two and a half weeks over the break, so they get a pretty structured program Dave Misson. ELITE performance manager Dave Misson says the players are “well and truly” into their pre-season program. Misson said the squad, including the four recruits from last Friday night’s NAB AFL Draft, had an important period leading up to the Christmas/New Year break. “It’s the end of week two since the five [year] plus guys have come back and [we’ve] got three weeks to go [until the break],” he told melbournefc.com.au. “We’ll just have a standard run into Christmas. The boys have got two and a half weeks off over the break, so they get a pretty structured program. “We come back after Christmas and we’ve got two or three weeks, and then we’re up to Maroochydore [for our pre-season camp], so it won’t be long until we’re talking about JLT [Community Series].” Misson said draftees Charlie Spargo (shoulder) and Harrison Petty (elbow) were being monitored after arriving at the club with injuries. Dave Misson’s December pre-season update Nathan Jones: Nathan is back in the main group, after he just had a minor calf. It wasn’t quite a strain, but we’re pretty precautionary in pre-season, but he joined in [with the main group] on Friday. Dean Kent: Kenty had that shoulder [injury] after the Darwin game [against the Adelaide Crows in round 17, this year]. He’s pretty close to starting some contact. He’s done a lot of running and is pretty fit. Tom McDonald: He had surgery on each ankle and is going very well. He’s done a lot of running and is starting to get into some pretty intense agility work, and football work. He’ll probably jump into the main group after Christmas, but he’s going well. Harrison Petty: Ten days ago, Harrison fractured his elbow, tripping over a wire fence, so both of those guys have got a little bit of time in rehab. Bayley and Oskar are going pretty well and they’ve come in and they’re pretty sharp. Joel Smith: Joel’s towards the end of his rehab, with that fracture he had with his knee. He’s looking like the Joel Smith of old – really athletic and dynamic, so [we’re] pretty pleased with how he’s going. Tim Smith: Tim had that navicular stress fracture. He’s done a couple of weeks of running outside and is going really well. He’s started to do run throughs and a little bit of agility. Charlie Spargo: Charlie had a shoulder reconstruction during the year and he’s not far away from getting into some contact. Aaron vandenBerg: Vanders has been a little bit slow, just with that foot [injury], but he’s probably had his best week in rehab this week. We’re really hopeful that he can start to progress a little bit quicker. Jack Viney: Jack’s going pretty well, as expected with the [foot] injury that he had. He’s starting to do more, and more on his legs, and being Jack, he’s working really, really hard off legs and in the gym. Sam Weideman: Weids had ankle surgery in the off-season, so he’s progressing really well. He’s doing some good running on the AlterG [Anti-Gravity] Treadmill and he’ll start running outside next week. http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-12-01/december-preseason-injury-update So Harrison Petty had a fractured elbow whilst not training, and got a concussion in general practice match simulation. I think this guffaw about the elite training camp is a bit soft. We have to up the anti a bit, to make gains on the competition. Do the elite forces complain about this course when trying to become SAS troops, or SOGy's.

What, one player concusses himself, throwing on his backpack in a rush without thought ? hits his head with hard object. ruthless training regime. 2016/2017 preseason elite training camp. ========================= Throw to 2017/2018 Maroochydore training camp. FIRST-YEAR Melbourne defender Harrison Petty has suffered a concussion during match simulation at the Demons' training camp in Maroochydore. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-02-02/demon-petty-concussed-during-maroochydore-camp I don't see a hell of a lot of difference, maybe except for the toughness of the Elite camp. Maybe the players don't like to have their Ego's stripped back to bare honesty ? just a query.

Funny thing is we may be all the better for the wake-up call. it may help to setup our season from here on? Alternatively if we had won, we may have expected things to roll out in front of us. The safest bet is to make judgements in hindsight, one match at a time. this might help us maintain some sence of reality.

Clubs are still picking up high end draft picks, and draftees via trade. They are very desirable. for good reason. so lets not muddle the concept with the misleading facts. We botched the pickings, and the club wasn't a place to develop kids into men. We were a 'shambles'. And had been so off-field, for so long. It's represented itself into our genes & DNA strands. It takes some time, to change our own 'genes', to model,,, the new 'self'. They will copy the new 'self', but they play catch-up;,,, just as weathers temperature momentum does the same, changing sometime after the longest or shortest days.

1 season in AFL, he is, in AFL terms, a beginner. Just as a young guns are. They will develop. Given the chance and the direction.

I wonder if the AFL is chatting to clubs to try to get more open attacking game-styles into the competition. I wonder if clubs are trying to adhere? I wish the AFL would simply reduce rotations further, & then leave it alone to open up in its own way. Creating space via tired legs will add to the suspense of the games outcomes, and will bring back more spontaneity into this over-structured game we watch these days.

I agree, but all our team (on & off field) at least seemed to be, off their games ? Or were we experimenting? trying something out, testing?

Not concerned they'll fall off, But I'm concerned that they aren't in alignment. nor balanced. Time and weeks will show better. but sometimes things are just band-aided over. It takes discipline and dedication to the cause that makes great teams. Dedication to the team/club cause. Its not about 'We're all mates at Melbourne. That social-shyte can apply after retirement. not during playing careers.

hmmn, interesting. Maybe those old 'spots' are still there, but 'Grecian 2000'd' over.

I don't mind that, if they are all 35 to 45 out when the ball whistles over- top, and we have the speedy players to sprint at the footy for a foot race. I like the idea that we play lead-up high, with space in behind us for our quicker forwards to work-over. Pushing all our forwards up high, congesting the mid zone and half-backlines, I think might be a good thing ? I think it does, or they wouldn't have continued with it. Its not so much about Harry's personal stats, Re bags of goals, but rather how the team functions overall, within that structure. They had the players to balance their defence, and Harry was the best option forward to help out. I was always impressed with his efforts up forward. But I'm really not a Live stats man, preferring to check in hindsight, checking my own impressions of the play. I thought he was as good as I've seen, playing his role for them, away from his customary backline duties. But then I was also a fan of Brad Ottens following work, and Clark Keatings ruck work in the big games. I don't care for flashy sleek players, much preferring the crash bang pragmatic players who just get it done. Keating, Brown, Voss, Archer, Grinter, Lockett, Williams, Brereton, Ayers, O'Dwyer, et al.

you devil

I'm concerned to hear this year how the players back-door'd the club, Re the camp. And heard something on here about maybe some discontent of players? Also around the watts removal. Re the early sluggishness in Qtr1 , then the lapse in 2nd Qtr, with the other things in mind (I was listening while driving back up country), and losing the radio transmission a few times (frustrating), I must admit to feeling a bit concerned about whats in the players heads right then. The 2nd half fight back reassured some. But the doubt still lingers about 'the old tail wagging the dog' scenario, that has cursed this club over a long period of time. This is my biggest worry for us... much more than injuries, or players comings or goings.

Tight structures break, they're rigid and when under too much pressure they fracture. Whether in footy terms or skyscrapers. Better to be flexible, and have many players capable of playing a lot of differing roles. This also helps when playing top teams, because if plan 'A' isn't working well for us, we have a multi to choose between, to try to topple the leaders. It also helps us to keep structured defences off balance, because we can rotate too quickly for them to adjust. Creating a mismatch if at all possible. Harry Taylor has been a success at both ends for the Catters.