Tarax Club

Terrific reports cheers Dazzle and Kev! To allay concerns about untidy skills and missing practice shots at goal post-Darwin, these were occurring during training last Friday 6th July. During the game a number of the goal kicks sailed through either side of goal posts at one metre or less from being 6 pointers. Whilst the game as a spectacle was a little underwhelming. On reflection the team performance in other phases of the game was cause for optimism. As the competition for finals places ’heats up’ in the later rounds of this season. Territory proud on both Demons’ performances here!?

All this appreciation and encouragement! We shall be soon drinking our own ? water! Ron of course is the “ghost writer” Gerry naturally is the ideas man. Happy Hammond is just happy where he is. The question is who really was Mr Football?

Cheers Kev, As the attendance at training was for the dedicated few and faithful, your top end correspond team did get the opportunity to interact with a few of the key personnel who will represent the MFC in tomorrow night's game. Some splendid fellows there, interestingly some guys are more relaxed, open and friendly in person but on field their demeanour is at poles opposite to that. Where others appear to be more introspective in person and perhaps more extroverted and expressive over the white line. Christian trained with forwards but don't read too much into that, the training session was all over in 45 minutes. Frosty may get his opportunity in defense, he appears to be mindful of last year's team performance. Wish him well he has some excellent attributes.

Good Evening fellow demonlanders, as posts from Darwin seem rather thin we shall attempt to fill the void. Team arrived at midnight last night, according to our source the flight was delayed. Consequently the training session was delayed somewhat, commencing just after 11:30 am this morning rather than the advertised 10:30 am start. Which was just fine, the Marrara ground is a picture, its surface is well grassed and some additional 'outdoor' new seating has been built on the outer side of the ground adjacent to the Michael Long Centre. The grandstand now honours the late Maurice Rioli no doubt Junior Boy will be in attendance come Saturday night. Being the nominated 'home' team Demons really get the pick of the facilities using the more modern change rooms and gym facilities of the Michael Long Centre. Fremantle get the more antiquated visitors dungeon deep in the bowels of the stadium we assume. Perhaps a swap of change rooms would be in order after Captain Viney's call for the team to get back to the 'basics'! Goal kicking practice for a few of the forwards was the first appearance of players on to the ground. Led by a Tom McDonald mini-clinic, he has a rock-solid goal kicking technique, head and ball position is maintained prior to a faultless ball drop and an efficient and linear kicking action, a bio-mechanics masterpiece. Even Bayley Fritsch struggled for accuracy deep in the forward pocket but Tom split the middle consistently. Goody appeared and purposely strode up to the coaches box to take in the view, which was decidedly smoky after recent scrub fires close to the oval. Sunset will indubitably be enhanced, hopefully it will not affect athletic performance game time. Meanwhile the small advance party were called back inside for what appears to be another meeting. The bane of the modern workplace it seems, although contemporary orthodoxy suggests footy as well as being a "game of inches" is won or lost between the players ears. Hope they were listening. Whilst this was going on one of the factotums was placing colourful plastic position discs around the forward fifty arcs both ends of the ground. The full team session was about to begin! Max Gawn demonstrated his ability to kick the high degree of difficulty checkside goal with ease from the tightest forward pocket position as the team positively bounded out of the team meeting on to the ground. The team approached training in a spirited and positive frame of mind. The mostly brief drills initially focused on sharp ball handling skills, hand-balling, short-passing by foot and some contested drills gaining possession in packs without much contact. After the the first series of ball-handling drills the team divided into forwards, mid-fielders and defenders. For what appeared to be succinct on field tutorials with the line coaches. Sam Frost joined the defenders, as did Bernie Vince who seemed to be the only emergency traveling up. But surprisingly, given Goody's mantra about total team defense, much of the later part of the training session was dedicated to ball movement into the forward fifty. The colourful plastic position discs came into play, with a complex drill which almost seemed to mimic marching girl precision with speed, with variations on a big "W" pattern. Anyway lowering the eyes, delivering a well weighted and directed pass either by foot or by hand was the theme. Post-training those fans in attendance including your top-end correspondents got to meet the players. After last year's disappointment here against a resurgent crows outfit, the guys seemed to be enjoying the territory warmth and hopefully can re-discover the spark to re-launch our assault for a finals berth. Go you Mighty Demons !

Another snippet which may be of interest. Players will be appearing at Intersport at Gateway shopping centre Palmerston on Friday evening apparently, best check with store for times.

Coach, Only pre-game event I'm aware of (from the club's website) is the team will be training at Marrara oval tomorrow morning at 10:30 am until 11:30 am followed by players signing autographs and doing photos with fans. Cheers TC

Somebody give Frosty Tony Campbell's super sticky footy mitts! He may be frosty but he is no lover of the pre-frost precursor dew.

Jeffy when on song is a terrific small forward. He has surely done his penance and is at his best on the big AFL stage not at some VFL sideshow.

Agree Ernest, among the best performed from last Saturday's Casey Demons televised game.

More power to positive innovative ideas! Yes school holidays commenced Monday 2nd of July through until Friday 19th of July. According to Goody's press conference team are scheduled to arrive today, Thursday and train at Marrara stadium 10:30 am tomorrow morning. Weather has been warm and windy daytime early Gurrulwa perhaps, today winds are more moderate though. Evenings swing back to more like Dinidjanggama with heavy dew forming. Awaiting selection news hopefully skilled footballers like Billy Stretch will get a call up and be on the flight up here. Your top-end correspondent team are both basking in the most pleasant dry season climes awaiting Saturday nights game with anticipation.

Cheers timbo! Seeing this is to be apparently to be your top-end correspondents' ultimate, penultimate, antepenultimate or preantepenultimate gig? We shall do our best. Can discount the theory about being more humid than the interior Boonie's box at New Delhi come Saturday eve. Although not a qualified meteorologist exists between us and more inclined to go with BOM direct rather than Weatherzone.

An almost absolute majority of posters on this thread appear to be against the ?️ Darwin fixture. A brief scan reveals some fair and rationale analysis and a couple of humorous 'gems' amongst the usual backwash. Win lose or draw since the the Demons first appearance at Marrara ?️ for a pre-season game V doggies in the wet ?️ season. Where the heat and humidity actually was a factor, way back in the dreamtime when Robbo was still taking speccies ? and a tropical ?️ cooled off proceedings. Jack Watts and Brad Miller forming a dynamic duo up forward to provide impetus for a convincing victory against port power, game one of the triplepeat. Jack Trengrove's footy smarts won the game V port for the game 2 return bout. Liam Jurrah's cameo magical Marrara goal of the decade. Neville Jetta gracing the grandstand wing pre-rookie revival, Nathan Jones's set shot goal outside fifty metre arc, leading the way pre-captaincy, followed by Jaydyn Hunt's spectacular spiraling torp over the ginger crow ? ruckman last year. Yeah survived the karma bus episodes wandering about in the footy universe outer limits. Reality is Northern Territory $$$ have helped keep the good ship ?? afloat. Your top-end correspondent has been seriously entertained, enjoyed and at times, if necessary endured all the Mighty Demons matches here in Darwin. If the game this Saturday is to be the last... well as George Harrison crooned "All things must past". Go !!!

Cheers ‘Big’ Kev top trackside coverage! Your top end correspondent intends to be in attendance at training in Darwin prior to the Dockers clash so will try reciprocate with some local colour next week. Are Harrison Petty’s ball handling skills up to par? Frostie had a shocker here last year couldn’t handle the dew.

Jones - flew the flag Viney - best game back T. McDonald - took a hit Hannah - needed more support Melksham - creative catalyst stymied Salem - contributed positively overall Harmes - blooper turnovers hurt O.McDonald - had a go Jetta - full of courage Hogan - mojo majorly missing Lewis - brave dynamo waning Fritsch - star is ascendant Petracca - start stop finish Oliver - combative inside contributor Tyson - better for run Vince - jury is out Smiths - not quite there Gawn - influential in play Brayshaw - radar off beam Neal-Bullen - lacked meaningful impact Hibberd - bring back 2017 Umpires - three blind mice

As an amphibian and prone to desiccation demonfrog you must have moisture to survive ideally water not swan lager! After the deluge spring showers seem best ‘September The Grand Finale’ is strongly suggested☔️

Uncle Bitters re: " Soi Cowboy" was that a casual bring your own six gun, put on your ten gallon hat, plus spurs and where are your 'chaps' night out or was more formal evening attire jodpurs and a malacca cane de-rigueur? pip pip!

Well when they do arrive wherever our erstwhile correspondents are geographically or temporally located please ensure there is no freckle on your banana.

May I humbly suggest gentlemen that the Channel 9 60 minutes team so recently prominent in Lebanon be engaged as backup. Just in case a geriatric recovery snatch is required.

After a five year hiatus in the wilderness I'm ready for the big league at demonland via the rookie draft!