DeeSpencer

Don't get caught up on specifics with the first idea. I've just spitballed a few ideas. The part I truly believe in is that footballers and particularly kids would eat AFL branded meals before games and the reason I believe it is because I sure know I'd do it myself, or at least try it and I don't even play any more. Also after witnessing the creation of two women's football teams at a local level this year I've seen the girls dive in with the "all the gear and no idea" attitude (which is fantastic) and I think they'd be all over it. I'm not one for late sign up member promotions or raffles either. The beauty of this idea is it's a lottery and the base price could be $10 and get a member 150 chances, I'm sympathetic to the less fortunate but the majority of us can afford $10 if we want. Yes the wealthier might buy 2000 tickets for $200 but the odds will be overwhelmingly in favour of a joe average person winning given 90%+ of demon supporters I'd describe as pretty average folk and they'd probably buy 80%+ of tickets. Sponsors are afforded special privileges but in terms of a 1 off special for 1 game with all the perks I'm sure there's a way to free up that time.

I disagree. The reason is because we have a football cap now and the MFC are consistently making 6 figure profits. Maybe those profits are only enough to service the footy department and pay down debt but right now it seems the ship is sailing along. This is where Hawthorn was when they embarked on Waverley training and the Tasmania swindle for cash flow. It's where Geelong was when they first started talking Cardinia redevelopment. Right now is the time to be ambitious and try to secure more revenue for a time when you need to spend it. Otherwise we're just chasing our tail aren't we?

I know this is self serving as a fan of the MFC but I hate that it leaks because I can't see it doing the girl any favours at all. Vic Police can't do anything to investigate. Indonesian police are the correct channel but who knows what they'll do. The AFL might investigate if a complain is made to them but surely shouldn't get involved until legal avenues are pursued. Not sure how any of it going public helps.

To ever get ahead in the AFL clubs need to diversify revenue streams to make more money. Especially small clubs wanting to grow. Pokies have been the backbone of this off field earnings but there isn't the same opportunity to expand there and (hopefully) over time that business model becomes less rewarding. So I've thought up a couple of ways for the club to branch out and make some money. 1. Demon Dinners - and other meals With more and more time pressure people are buying take away - especially now every restaurant delivers through delivery companies, prepared meals and even ingredient boxes to make gourmet meals. At the same time there's a lot of health conscious people as well and footy participation numbers have grown on the back of the increase in girls and women's football. Most games are Saturday and Sunday. Most people love take away or conveniently prepared meals on Friday or Saturday night. Put all those things together and there's surely a market for either Demons branded or AFL branded food. Imagine knowing your 15 year old son or daughter has a footy game on Sunday but it's Saturday night and you're going out for with adult friends. You could leave them money for pizza or you get them a dietitian approved and chef made meal (either prepared or delivered) with Nathan Jones or Daisy Pearce on the packaging. Apparently it was Goody who suggested Luke Hodge got on the lite n easy and Hodgey turned that in to an ad campaign, but people don't really want to buy diet food and advertise that to the world. Instead they get Demon Dinners that are formulated throughout the week to be nutritious enough to make you fit and healthy with some exercise (like a couple of footy trainings) and then you can market pre game and even post game meals. Presumably there's a way for the club to access the kitchens at the Leighoak and Bentleigh clubs if they want to start with local deliveries to the heartland suburbs maybe on Thurs-Sat. Or maybe approach a prepared meals company like Healthy Choice and say we want to make branded meals. The actual specifics of which way you want to do it are pretty endless but I'm certain there's a big gap in the market in selling meals to footballers, especially kids. Parents are spending big money on boots, gear, travel, extra coaching and academies. They already have to feed their kids and are spending big money doing that how it is. There should be an opening to get in on that. 2. A one of a kind experience viral marketing raffle. Everyone buys club raffle tickets from time to time right? I know the club volunteers get on the phones or on match days and do their best to sell them. I also know the club are generous to big donors or sponsors with behind the scenes and match day experiences. But why not combine all of that in one go? I first learnt about how a company in America combines viral marketing and experiences for charitable causes here: https://www.theringer.com/tech/2017/10/25/16528024/omaze-online-charity-rick-and-morty And an example of an experience here: https://www.omaze.com/experiences/south-park-matt-trey-notms Pretty much, the club create the biggest and best match day experience and make the biggest and best viral marketing video they can make. They already have the ability to do that. Get Hamish Blake, Robbo and Clayton Oliver to sit down and make a funny video, can't be that hard right? And prepare the ultimate fan experience - training with the boys, coffee with Goody, lunch with the team, match committee, game day room pass, kids run out with the team, even sing the song if they win, flights and hotels paid for, just get it all in there. Make it too good for fans to refuse. Then sell tickets 100 for $10, 250 for $25 and escalating like that, with members getting a bonus 10-50% of tickets, however you want to do it, add merchandise with a number of tickets bought. Is anyone not buying $10 worth for the chance of a lifetime?

Get a name at some stage If you can. The kid did a few things that I really liked

2 academy kids were training. King was in the 1. A solid built lad in 26. A third smaller guy in the 37. I didn’t go asking questions and thought someone might’ve had the scoop on here? Was it the junior Wiz?

Got there at 10:40 for a look. Good crowd. Salem and Viney came out late for a walk around. Only saw the 3 younger draftees leaving. Absent: Tracc?, Vanders, Weeds, Hogan, McKenna, Smith x 2, Kent. DJ? Usual ball movement stuff in bigger drills. Small drills with kicking, hand balling and marking. Jeffy and T Mc did small stuff instead of main later drills Pros: Fritsch leads to space well, nice low kick. Balic can find the ball, kicking up and down but he can get in to space Clarence Wagner - I’m still a believer Flippers is a mobile big man. The academy King lad is a star in the making, won’t be for us, easy athleticism and skills. Tyson moving well Nibbler. Pedersen. Cons: Brayshaw needs a constant coaching rocket IMO. Makes silly errors, needs focus. Hannan dropping marks, has a high stepping run that should be fixed Lewis: pedestrian in one on one marking, won’t win many contests down back

The thing about being negative is we've been on an 11 year stretch of being right. I'm trying to look at the glass half full result here which is the players are standing up for themselves (via their unions the little weak....) and if that means they stand up for themselves on field it might be a good thing.

Story clearly leaked to Jay Z before the other journos could write it in a harsher light. Will be all over by tomorrow. Once the AFLPA were on to it too many people know and it gets out.

I'd make it that simple. I'd run the camp for those who want to do it and let Misson do what he wants with the others. If that puts a rift between players and coaches I'm fine with that. Too much focus on unity. I like conflict and I like coaches and players putting their reputation on the line. Surely the camp would be modified this year to prevent injuries. Salem's was a freak injury and Tyson's angst I believe was that it aggravated an existing injury. But the other aspects - sleep deprivation, team work, whatever the other challenges involved - if the coach wants the players exposed to that he should have it.

Sack them all. Whinging off the Union, what a bunch of sooks. Are Jones and Viney really not going to support the coach? Clarry would turn up. Gus Brayshaw's brother is in the Army, is he going to sook off. The mature age players desperate for a game aren't going to go? If Salem doesn't want to go because he can't pack a backpack or if Tyson is worried about his precious knee then he and any of the others can stay home.

Goes in the footy department cap doesn't it so they'll be prioritising other spending to do it. I'd like to see the system provide for successful and unsuccessful appeals. Maybe just give the Tribunal Chairman power to slap a monetary value on the strength of appeal. If they didn't even provide a good case then slug them 50k.

I think a lot of these changes have come about because the Cats have done poorly at the MRP and really they only have themselves to blame but owning ones mistakes doesn't seem to be in the Scott brothers coaching book.

Spargo and Fritsch if healthy should be in the selection debate from the start of the year. McKenna, DJ and Baker aren't as easy to predict. All should play well at Casey. Unfortunately McKenna isn't back in the main group yet which is a shame because he has a lovely kick on him and could offer some depth in a variety of spots and a bit of class at Casey would be nice. Keilty and King are maturing talls who should play well at Casey and be handy as depth. Whether they play or the talls like Tom McDonald and Pedersen are shuffled around is hard to say at this stage. Flippers and Petty are development prospects.

He could easily play half back for the next decade and when he's fully fit - which should be easier as preseasons build up - he'll play very well, and if he isn't he might play poorly. I'd say the same about Brayshaw. Both of those guys are getting the challenge to get as fit as they can and to make themselves key parts of the midfield rotation - be it on ball, the wing and then time forward or back. It might be simpler for us as fans to just lock someone like Salem in on a flank but the greater challenge for him and his development is to see if he can make it as a midfielder and get that fitness in his legs and versatility.

Was it left (I think) knee for Hogan? Grabbed at it a few times and stayed down on it when they did that stupid marking drill last week. Led me to the post saying it was ridiculous drill for November.

A couple of observations: 1. I think he's a bit out of the best 22 and I'd like to see him train with the forwards or backs in the future to open up other roles (it doesn't much matter especially at this time of the year) but it really seems like Corey Maynard is a classic glue guy. He's someone both the older and younger players seemed to have warmed to and the coaches rave about how he goes about it. 2. You have to run and kick footies in preseason but I like variety in training and off field bonding as well. Some of it is junk but it's a long preseason and this kind of stuff matters. Jones and Viney in the midfield with a bunch of talent is nice to see, but it's also good to know Lever and Lewis give the backline group some fresh perspective both on and off the field and Tommy Mc is something new for the forwards. Tennis sounds a little bland for the forwards and a little soft for the defenders so hopefully those guys make a weekend get away for us to all obsess over as well!

Balic trained at the club as part of the AFL Academy and is now with us. Bit early to know if anything comes of that but it can be of a small use down the track. Treloar knew Buckley from his time coaching Vic Country under 16's and then signed with the Pies. Any chance to impress on the future generations is important. Richmond last year had a 3 prong trade week class and Port and Essendon copied that approach this year. At some stage we might see a club attempt a Miami Heat style free agency mega haul where they convince a group of players to sign together. If that's the case you need to impress players in every way possible. Lever is probably an example where cash and the hope for success were big drawing cards but the previous relationships with Melbourne recruiters who allegedly were keen on him in his draft year was probably a handy little extra. The best way to describe the AFL Academy is like an advance class for a group of gifted school kids. They take the best 30 or so kids and give them extra development to try and produce some high end draft picks. Not every one of them ends up drafted but most of them do and a lot of them are in the top 30. All the clubs really have to do is host them to train for a couple of weeks. I think it's a different question to that of the Northern State academies and Indigenous/multi cultural academies which should operate to fix holes in the current junior pathway outside of the TAC, WAFL and SANFL systems. To continue the school metaphor in those cases the idea is that clubs are going out and finding kids who weren't even getting to the 'schools', which is a lot harder than the AFL Academy where it's a special class for the top kids already succeeding in the junior programs.

2nd last in the group who did the time trial but not miles behind guys like Jetta and Lewis. Not saying Balic will do the same but it was around this time last year that Clarry was battling and he worked his backside off and won the B+F. I'd say Balic is at a stage where if he works really hard and stays fit that he'll have caught up to a decent level by the time the games come.

I think these ratings say more about when the AFL gets the Swans (or Giants) on the main channel 7 in Sydney and then the ratings get a huge boost because 1/4 of people turn the TV on and it's on 7 and a lot of them stay with it. I'm pretty sure all Swans and Giants games are on free to air in Sydney but most are on 7 mate or 7 two or whatever it is (as well as simulcast on foxtel) and don't get nearly the big numbers as the prime time games.

Haven't seen much long running but he's keeping pace in the sprints in the main group. The gap between them in the repeat sprints is probably as narrow as I've seen it. Neal-Bullen's often towards the front but Hunt, Harmes, Salem, Brayshaw, Tracc etc aren't dropping off.

Got there about 11:20. Stayed for half an hour or so. Absent: Viney, Vanders, Weid, McKenna Seemed to be a group doing about a 2km time trial. Tommy McDonald took the win, Jones not far behind, Bugg behind him, then a gap to Hogan from Lever, followed by a gap to Kent who did well fighting to stay ahead of Lewis, then Jetta and Fritsch (who went out with the front 4 and fell back) with a gap to Balic and then to Flipper. Gawn and King were running together as they have been lately. Lots of short sprints and changes of direction as well as longer stuff. The main group were doing repeat 200's. A rehab group of Garlett and J Smith in a pair and T Smith and Petty were doing longer interval runs. Hibberd, Melksham, Hannan were doing leading and kicking, as were Spargo and Baker with Crossy. Spargo looks like a very technically correct kick of the footy and can snap it accurately as well. Baker isn't as smooth, his drop punts can be a touch more up and under but not terrible. These 2 plus the 3 I named above did a kick to a lead, get a handball and kick a goal drill and Baker's easy change of pace was obvious and he nailed a very smooth running goal. Baker joined the midfield group, Hannan the forwards after they finished running. They split in to line groups. Chaplin again taking the defenders. Hard to tell if it's Rooke or who is in charge of the forwards. The forwards again had the soccer balls out to warm up with. All 3 line groups did drills with the focus on kicking and moving. They then divided in to 3 seemingly random groups to rotate through 3 drills. 1. Receiving the ball, turning off the mark and kicking to a short sideways lead right in close next to the boundary. 2. Picking up a ground ball under token pressure, straightening up and hitting a 45 degree lead (I like this drill because it replicates a more aggressive stoppage plan) 3. A 3 point kicking drill where you could either bomb to a target down the boundary or hit up a short inside 45 kick to a stationary team mate who would then wheel and go and kick long to the down the line man who has simultaneously turned and is racing towards goal. They split in 3 lane groups about 50m apart for simple lane work in a race to be first to 10 completed kicks. Very fast and surprisingly accurate. Lots of laughing and arguing over who won. Then the last thing I saw was the players pairing up and repeatedly leap frogging then crawling between a team mates legs. Another drill that seemed in high spirits but also probably had a decent point to it. Those explosive movements to jump up then get down and crawl repeated multiple times would be tiring stuff.

Often due to terrible kicking that wasn't to advantage at all, lack of 2nd/3rd taller options and poor off the ball blocking (and the umpiring associated with it). There's lots to train there, but I wouldn't sit talls 10m away from each other, have one run 5m forward, one 5m back and have them move diagonally to collide under a high ball in November.

Strength work won't hurt but what Hogan really needs is some good old fashioned coaching. Seems right now they are still in pump up mode which is fine early in the year. But if he's struggling in games he needs to be encouraged to use his tank and repeat lead and get his opponents moving and he also needs some good coaching when it comes to spoiling from behind, following it up at ground level and tackling. The drill when he and the other talls were practising contested marking in November had me confused. Looked like all it was going to achieve was an injury.

Great runner and uses it in games to rack up the ball by getting to the right spots and does his bit defensively. Not super quick to really break lines on the outside and not a powerful dynamic inside player so I think the half forward role is the right one for him, although more rotation minutes is a good idea. I'm not sure what others are seeing in terms of his decision making and skills. Most of the time when he gets the ball I close my eyes because I don't see a lot of confidence in his decision making. He certainly improved last year but still there were lots of games where I regretted that he was getting it 20 times. There was a strong correlation between when he was using it well and how the team was playing. Consistent good decisions and nailing his kicks will determine if he's better than a role player.