DeeSpencer

According to ASADA certain 'specified substances' don't require provisional suspensions and in fact you can keep playing until the tribunal hearing. It sounds like Crowley was in that situation hence the voluntary provisional suspension he's taken after the end of the season. To be honest, let's wait and see exactly what he's taken and the performance enhancing side effects. If it's something minor like a Warnie situation then give him a few weeks off and get on with things. A minor breach of the doping laws due to stupidity deserves a minor punishment. Completely different to systematic doping.

I'd play him. I can't see whatever combination of Gawn/Pedersen/Frost/Fitzy/Watts doing well enough to keep Dawes out of round 2

Train for the next 2 weeks and hopefully play a VFL practice match before round 1 would be the timetable I think. Can't see them playing against Essendon. It's definitely an uphill battle but both are good enough to come in on limited preparations as long as it's not a risk to them. I'd be telling them they aren't guaranteed but I'd be telling the rest of the list due to line up against Essendon that they better play well otherwise those two can take their spots! I wonder what the game plan for the Essendon game will be? Is it still 24 plus 2 subs or do we trim it down to just a 22. Or maybe a bit of both and go 22 and 2 subs.

White's coming back from his toe injury still. Not injured, but not ready to play a practice match when the combo of rest and rehab is better for him. Same goes for Terlich and Riley, both were running extra after training the other day. I'm not sure on Hunt and King but they both missed a lot of time last year as well and King's missed training time this year. Building their bodies maybe more important than early season games, or maybe they just weren't picked to give more Casey guys a run. Either way it's 3 weeks until round 1 and these guys don't seem to be in contention, it's also a month or so until the VFL serious matches start. For their own sake I hope Terlich and Riley are declared fully fit and can start playing practice matches, but I don't think it's a conspiracy.

After the Freo game I thought Grimes would be lucky to last until round 1, but considering Howe is still 2 weeks away at best which is touch and go for round 1, Lumumba is spending a lot of time in the midfield, Frost is being played forward, Terlich isn't even in the VFL team year and no other half back options besides McKenzie have been trialled there really isn't a lot of competition for Grimes' spot. Watts has played a half so far and has been preparing to play as a medium forward. There's really only 3 spots plus maybe the sub for small and medium forwards. He's still every chance to play round 1 but there's no way he should be an automatic inclusion and so he'll have to get through a full game first to state his case.

FB: Jetta Dunn Garland HB: Grimes McDonald Salem C: Lumumba Tyson Vince HF: JKH Hogan Kent FF: Garlett Gawn Frost Foll: Jamar Jones Viney Int: Newton Cross Howe S: Toumpas In contention: Watts, vandenBerg, Pedersen, Brayshaw, Michie, Matt Jones, Bail - Howe and Vince? If they aren't ready who gets the spots? - 2nd tall forward and 2nd ruck: Does Frost get the job for his defensive forward work and swingman ability? Or do we add another tall as well? Pedersen as a tall forward and/or as the second ruck ahead of Gawn? - Garland and Grimes - both are contentious and need to lift but were very good in the first half against the dogs at least. Without obvious replacements I think they'll form part of the round 1 back 6 (or back 7 including Howe) - The last few midfield and half forward spots - advantage JKH, Toumpas and Newton I'd say after yesterday. Got to have Kent in as well if he's fit for next Friday. Watts has to back up his half with a full game. VandenBerg was injured early so didn't get much of a chance to press his claims

The Melbourne site has it available quarter by quarter in the video section. I watched the first half, think that will do me!

I saw Goodwin, notebook in hand on the train to a random MFC game in the middle of winter either last year or the year before I'm not sure exactly. But I thought that was great commitment. I've also been impressed by how he works at training. Has a good balance between demanding and stern but seems to have trust in the players. Working hands on coaching with them will help establish relationships so when he's in charge he's not seen as a dictator (hello Mark Neeld). But we have no way of knowing how he'll turn out. Right now I'm just excited to see what Roos can achieve in the next 44 games.

So often our games follow a script. The other team pressures all over us. We let through a bunch of goals. We then claw our way in to the game and the game levels up for a period. Then we lose focus allowing a run of goals. Then we play out the rest of the game. Our disposal hasn't been good enough. But neither has our two way running work and certainly neither has our attack in taken on the game. I'm happy to have all the defensive structures and game plans that Roos wants, but we have to attack the game way more this year which means running, handball receives, breaking lines, getting the ball forward quickly.

A tweet from Rory Taggert that was retweeted by James Harmes. Fair to say I no longer rate Harmes.

I don't get why we would rule ourselves out so early in the process. I get we don't want to be left at the altar but why not stay in contention a little longer?

I'm tempted. Never been sold on Brayshaw. Leadership, work ethic etc, any player can have that. Elite skills and pace though, that's rare. Geelong took a risk and it looks like coming off. Really not sure how GWS missed him with 3 picks later than us though.

Because we don't know everything about footy injuries - see Mitch Clark and Jack Trengove. Daniel Wells had a foot injury after being stepped on last year. North kept trying to get him right all season and never thought it was much of an initial injury. All of a sudden he missed the whole year. If it was just a bit of bruising and he has no issues after training today then I'd play him. But if there's still soreness we should be cautious. 1 nab challenge game really wont change much in the scheme of things.

Same. I could only think he was deliberately being patient and hoping it was a case of the players figuring it out for themselves would have more benefit than him blowing his stack.

He's more potential that what he has actually put out there so far but if you don't rate Kent then I worry about who you do rate. He attacks the ball and the man, has speed and whilst he needs to tidy it up a bit he can kick.

I still get the feeling they'll rest Hogan. Again from how he trained I think they'll look at Frost forward for probably at least another half as well. Trying to get a plan for round 1 and if forwards miss at other times as well. I'd love to see Stretch play but if you pick him you cost yourself a chance to sort through just who you think will get the nod for the last couple of spots on the bench in round 1 and really there's a lot of questions and not many answers with that right now. FB: Jetta Dunn Garland HB: Grimes McDonald Salem C: Toumpas Jones Newton HF: JKH Dawes van den Berg FF: Garlett Pedersen Frost Foll: Jamar Tyson Lumumba Int: Viney Gawn Cross Michie Fitzy Watts S: M Jones Bail E: Stretch, McKenzie, Hogan (rested)

Then he'd be training wouldn't he? Misses training and not named in the squad. Off field stuff is a chance, but not worth guessing about. Injury, illness or soreness are the likely things and if he's still missing next week I guess we'll find out then.

Got there at 10:30 watched most of the next 90 minutes with a trip to the cafe and lap of the Olympic park precinct in between. Non football related notes: - It looks like someone had an abortion in one of the public toilets near AAMI Park, horrendous mess - AAMI park plays this music softly through speakers around the stadium, has an Indigenous theme. A waste of money and noise pollution - Above the ticket sales windows at AAMI is a sign telling patrons to buy tickets online and instructions to use the wifi provided - take note Etihad - 10mil of Collingwood's 25 mil development is from the Government, for benefits such as 'safe facilities for women', a community gym and a new cafe complete with bicycle rack - Melbourne don't get their logo on the AAMI park sign board, I get we don't play at the ground but would it kill them? - You can peer in to the Demons offices if you're tall enough and the same for the Pies along batman avenue. I stared at some of their employees, hoping to annoy them - My coffee at Edwins this morning was terrible Football related: What I saw today was incredibly poor. No way to sugar coat it sorry. In a handball drill going up and down the wing with at least 1 if not 2 extra attackers than defenders the ball hit the deck all the time. 5 times in one up and down. Simon Goodwin wasn't afraid to call them on it thankfully. Then in a similar kicking drill with approx 8 v 7 (could've been 10v9 or 9v8) starting from 30m out for goal and aiming to get a shot on goal with token defensive pressure the turnovers were horrendous. JKH had 3 by himself when sprinting off from half back, burning free players and trying to hit leading forwards in amognst a sagging defence. The quote from Roos 'I'll keep dropping 3 back if you keep kicking it to them' to the group. As well as the bemused look on his face when asking Ben Matthews whether they were aware they had the numerical advantage. Jones and Grimes eventually called all the players in a had a chat. Then they asked for 5 more minutes to get it right and it improved. Simply they had to use the width of the field and spread the ball to the free man around the midfield arc once they had worked the ball up. After they did that enough times a defender would get out of place and a good kick in to the forward line was marked. Anyone who knows anything about soccer with 11 v 10 would recognise the tactic. Unfortunately for whatever reason our players seem incredibly dull. Sam Frost did ruck drills (Fitzy as well but Pedersen didn't). Plenty of goal kicking at the end as well. I really get the feeling he's under consideration for a forward +/- ruck role, even if only as a swingman or after a sub. No Dean Kent. Hogan as others have mentioned, did most of the session. Bernie Vince can't be far off. Back training with the jumper on not the training top. Plenty of kicking as well as running. Practising getting up off the ground and in to a tackle as well. At the end of the session Roos, Goodwin and a strange mix of players had a long chat on the oval in a circle as others wandered off or had shots on goal - Gawn, Watts, Vince, Tyson, Tom McDonald, Newton, Jetta, Viney, van den Berg. Couldn't work it out. Looked pretty serious (or at least not just chat for the sake of it) but at the same time Jones and Brayshaw continued their shoot out and Salem was messing around with shots on goal as well. Interesting.

I really want to see Stretch and Brayshaw have a run in this game, but at the end of the day if they aren't in the frame for round 1 we may as well have a look at the the 26 most likely to actually play round 1. If that's the clubs game plan then may as well go with it. So: Out: Hogan, McKenzie In: Watts, Viney FB: Jetta Frost Dunn HB: Salem McDonald Garland C: Toumpas Jones Newton HF: Kent Dawes vandenBerg FF: Garlett Gawn JKH Foll: Jamar Tyson Lumumba Int: Grimes Pedersen Viney Cross Watts Michie S: M Jones Bail If it were up to me I'd rest a few of the better players as well just to give more game time to some youngsters and responsibility to those on the fringes pushing for spots. But I can understand the theory of playing the best available together and hopefully being well prepared for the start of the season.

I just saw this today, I've already apologised in a previous post for getting a bit personal. The point of highlighting the names in the team where to show it's a 10 strong line up in the department and if the manager couldn't get training at the right time then how do they manage a staff of 10? Whilst also being disappointed that none of the rest had provided anything towards the day in terms of meaning consumer engagement. The club apology has addressed my main concerns. They didn't double check with the footy department and got caught out probably by the unusual training time. Could happen to anyone and they've been frank in saying that. It also seems that it wasn't a huge priority for the club in terms of beefing up club presence and instead was just a casual session. With the membership drive, family day etc I can understand that. Without being an expert in communications and sales I can't really speak to whether it was a lost opportunity that should've been capitalised on or not. I certainly didn't mean to say these guys were lazy or unprofessional or that they don't do good work. I like what Burgo does with probably limited scope to work with. The twitter feeds beefed up it's presence I think since Anna Harrington came on board. The media manager gets Stevo down to training and gets us in the papers. Debbie Lee does great work in the schools. Just one pretty decent error yesterday had me a bit hot under the collar, particularly on the back of the Casey intraclub being substandard and the recent push to get members signed up before round 1.

Not really. The consumer relations staff shouldn't really know the details of the training program. And a member of the footy department eventually pointed them to the error. What should happen is that as head of football admin Josh Mahoney is cc'd in to any communications and reviews them and as part of double checking a phone call from someone in consumer relations goes to him prior to any events like this (of which there wouldn't be many). He's the gate keeper between the FD and the admin. Someone from the communications staff had a bright idea to check the training calendar and broadcast it as an event. That's good initiative. Unfortunately that person either didn't do the rest of the checking or wasn't supported by others to make sure it was all organised.

Must be a sore boy to need a scan after being stood on. I'm willing to bet he doesn't play this weekend. Get him in for the 3rd game or even just straight for round 1. I knew it was too much to ask to play an entire game without at least 1 injury concern!

Eddie's on the Olympic Park trust, PJ isn't. I think that's the significant difference in this case. Considering Olympic Park has been dismantled and turned in to Collingwood's own training oval and AAMI Park has been built there's only Gosch's left as public space. Therefore I can understand the reasoning behind it being protected as public space (when not in use by the sports teams). If you start putting permanent signs all over it then it doesn't appear as public space.

I got a little personal yesterday, I was very upset. I'm sure as individuals they are fine people and I have no idea who does what and what hours, responsibilities etc. But on paper anyway that's a large team of people, more than enough to make sure a training happens on time and is well supported so fans have a great day.

It's not a small minority. Those complaining aren't a fringe group, they are a substantial number on here which likely means plenty more of those who went. You aren't the clubs spokesman and there's good reason for that. The club has rightfully and unconditionally apologised. They didn't need to add qualifying statements like you did about people 'getting the [censored] and leaving'.