binman

Exactly my view. Back on deck for the start (or close to), fit and healthy and raring to go, for the next pre season. How many times does a club pick up a player and then lose them for a big chunk or all of a season? I'm fine wit the decision to draft the Melk.

Website holding up well!

I wonder what Warner has as his cricket score now!

Just getting home

From the age: Jake Niall reports current and former Essendon players have been found guilty of doping offences and will miss the entire 2016 season They did not receive the major discount for ''no significant fault, no significant negligence'' which can cut a sentence drastically.

Spot on

My predictions

Well so would i but none the less its great to hear Wattsy is training so well.

Loved this bit: Based on what he’s observed on the training track this pre-season, Trengove expects the Demons to continue their improvement on the field with the often-maligned Jack Watts to be leading the charge. “This pre-season’s been tremendous. I’ve seen a lot of improvement, a lot of the guys that have been around for a bit have really taken that next step,” he said. “A prime example is Jack Watts. He’s copped a lot of stick over the time but if you ask any of the boys at the moment who the best trainer is, Wattsy would be right up there. Of course the haters will find a way to make that comment into a negative (eg 'well he's coming from so far back....', 'should have been happening years ago', 'says more about his previous standards...'etc etc) but the haters gonna hate. The quote from Trenners aligns with the obsevations some DL track watchers have made about Watss' voice and leadership in training. Good onya both Jacks

I know we have to be patient but i hope we see a flag before then

And the fact that roos noted players who did come back underdone and praised that came back in good shape suggests he agrees. Also instructive is the words and phrases he used when praising those who had done the necessary work - professional, be the best they can be, afl standard, elite habits etc etc

I can confirm he most definetly said Smedts. To be fair immediately prior they had talked about tracs injury. By the by i quite like healy on the radio.

Love Col in the background of that shot. Definitely a stoner.

His career was cut short, at least in part because he was woeful at rehabbing

I reckon they would just allow us to elevate a rookie. Which would mean michie. Not a bad replacement

I must be an injury savant. I'd prefer to be a punting savant but there you go. Well if that's the case i have no issue with the Track. Surely some low key bball by himself is ok.

Seriously?

In terms of whether the Track did the wrong thing playing basketball for me it depends a bit on what form of playing it took and how the injury occurred. Was he shooting some low key ball by himself (or perhaps with a mate) and rolled and ankle somehow, for example on a layup? Or was he having a scrimmage and playing with some intensity? I have a problem with the latter. The other issue is how long did it take to report the injury. I'm not clear when it happened, the XMAS break is what the report said, which means it could have been before XMAS or the day before training i guess. But if it was last year then i wonder about the delay in letting the club know there might be a problem. I guess the injury might have so innocuous that he didn't realize till Monday there was an issue, But to break a toe he must have realised something had occurred i would have thought. Alerting the club as soon as it happened might have meant getting treatment and into a moon boot earlier, which may be the difference between say playing NAB cup or not. All supposition i guess, but i'd love to know when it actually occurred.

Just a hiccup

I misread the thread title at first. I thought it read: Melbourne's new selfies culture. Which i thought strange as we had a selfies culture for some time so it would hardly be new.

He's a big lad isn't he. With that sort of frame i could see him and the Track both playing as marking targets in the forward 50. I liked his interview with Burgo on his firts training day: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/2015-12-03/meet-liam-hulett

This is too much. My football acumen matches my vapid commentary. Seriously? Gold, pure gold. And to be honest i love it. Keep up the top work PD #rawnerve

Love it. I assumed you didn't 'read me' but none the less had to laugh that, of all people, it was you who pointed out how short the package of his career highlights was. Made more funny by you bothering to calculate the number of minutes he has played. Gold, pure gold. Excited would be over egging the pudding but it did make me laugh.

Gold, pure gold. I was confident that someone would bite and make a comment about the number of career highlights in the package, even after i had made the comment quoted above, but to be honest didn't expect it to be you PD. A little too obvious don't you think? I guess not.

A couple of nice grabs in there too! had to laugh though when the accurate one Leigh Matthews said how good his hands are. The anti watts faction - woops i know people don't being labelled Watts bashers for pointing out his flaws - will point out his career highlights seem pretty short