Maldonboy38

Great write up Maldonboy38; this is the kind of stuff that keeps me coming back to Demonland.

Were Jurrah and Bail training with the main group? Neither had been completing full sessions from what I saw last year, just wondering if they were there others.

Cheers!

Both Jurrah and Bail trained with the main group for much of the session, but Jurrah also spent a good 1/2 hour running. I didn't get a good look at Bail - I always seemed to be on the wrong side of the oval. When I was leaving I watched him for about a minute, and then the teams changed and he was across the ground again. I am a huge fan of Rohan Bail(check my favourite players on my profile). His run and carry could give the Dees a player like Paul Williams, especially when he went to Sydney. His skills are not in the Davey/Watts/Green class, but then few are. What I do think is important is he can kick at full pace and the delivery is the same as if he had settled. Put Grimes, Scully and Bail together and few teams could counter the run produced from these three.

Many thanks. Don't know how I would survive the off season without the efforts of loyal fans getting down to training and reporting on demonland

My pleasure. I am also a test cricket tragic but this year I have experienced no cricket love at all. I was dying for the Dees training session today just for some news.

Just got back from watching the boys train at Casey Fields. Really windy and starting to get warm by the time I left at 10:15am.

Warm-up was again interesting to watch. A lot of banter but when it came to the 5 metre sprint it ended up being competitive, and just like last time it was Nathan Jones who initiated the competitiveness. I like watching him train. Enthusiastic, showing genuine leadership ability but fiercly competitive in every drill. Most of us remember him as of a couple of years ago - lots of grunt and able to get a lot of the footy but probably the worst decision maker we had a MFC for a long time. That Nathan Jones is fast disappearing and being replaced by the new Nathan Jones and I like what I see. At one point he referred to Stef Martin as "the Hoff" - a new nickname I think.

Jordan Gysberts spent a lot of time with the running coach, probably half an hour or more. The poor bloke must have been exhausted but he joined the main group for positioning drills later in the session. His balance and poise are of a high quality and his decision-making when options are presented is first class. I hope he can get into the 22 and stay there - a real talent. When the competitive drills started up, he went back to running 100 and 200 metres at about 3/4 pace. He'll sleep well tonight.

Robbie Campbell did some solo work with one of the trainers but limped off just before 10am. Didn't look good at all. I saw him later in the change rooms on his own doing some work on what looked like a rowing machine.

Standouts today: 

The new fella Tom Macdonald looked great. A naturally big frame but light on with muscle. He runs well, leads well and presents as a footballer as much as an athlete. Super impressive and I can't wait to see what he becomes.

Watts is laconic when he is resting but his skill level, pace and decision making put him in the elite group of players at our club. He is still light in weight but this is his natural build. It looks like he and Lucas Cook get on real well - often choosing each other when pairing up for drills as required.

During the competitive match-play drill using handball nets as goals, Col Sylvia was the standout. Very competitive and imposing himself physically. He monstered a couple of the other players and got up smiling. He has developed a level of excellence a bit later than most, but I reckon he might be able to blow the game apart in a similar fashion to Brendon Goddard but in a more explosive manner. He looks ready to kill.

The big fellas:

Jake Spencer is quickly becoming HUGE. He is faster than I thought and trains with a genuine intensity but his kicking is going to limit his long-term usefulness. That atrocious ball drop of his gives opposition players extra time to spoil and make him clumsy.

Jack Fitzpatrick. I think he might even be the quickest at the club over 100 metres - he really is quick. He marks well and his positioning is good but for me, his skills are average at best and from here I can't see him making it. Too many other big fellas more advanced in their development.

Stef Martin. Could be a movie star and is very athletic for a bloke his size. I thought today, considering it was really windy, that his skiils showed geniuine improvement. When the boys separated into forwards, mids and defenders, he went with the forwards which I thought was a bit surprising. It was here his skills showed improvement. Let's wait and see.

Robbie Cambell- see above.

Max Gawn. I reckon we have a beauty here. He has a good set of standard skills from which he can build, without any major technical flaws. My 15 yo daughter came with me today and she was surprised that he was as designated ruckman because his skills were so clean. She quickly picked up the average skills of the other big boys.

Cale Morton had a shocker. His kicking was way off, at one point did four clangers in a row and was really down on himself. When he runs he is super-quick and at times looks like a footballer but I have some serious question marks over him being a start-up in our best 22.

The midfield training group were interesting. The pattern seemed to be that the ruckman brought it down to a midfielder who gave it to a runner, who kicks/handballs to the ruckman who had sprinted forward. This is where Spencer's pace but average skills stood out. I wonder if this means the game plan includes the ruckman pushing forward more often? If it does, we have to improve the skills of our big boys. IMO, the improvement in our midfield comes down to 2 things. Quality drafting and Scott West. The way we set up and operate at stoppages was the best it has been in years in 2010 and West seems to go by unnoticed. I hope we can keep him all the way through to a flag. 

Wonna was not at practice today and may still be in Darwin. I hope he is not away too much longer, he is a vital part of our front half.

Dunny's legs are the size of my midriff and I am suffering from middle-age-spread! He looks strong, aggressive and set to really get at opposition players. 

Matty Bate's kicking was a highlight. Very sure, very accurate, penetrating and wasn't troubled too much with the wind. However, like Cale Morton I am struggling to see him in our best 22. His footskills might be the difference that keeps him in the team.

Last time I went to training at Casey, I posted about Tom Scully's excellent training habits. Well, I have to rave again. He is lightening fast, sure with his hands, intense, and a model of a professional when training. He is also the only player without red hair who can't get a suntan. His is simply a gun and I can't wait to see him sprinting out of the middle on the MCG in 2011.

Come on NAB Cup, hurry up and start!

Setting up a forward line, midfield or backline has totally changed. I reckon Col Garland is a KPP and a natural defender but I think you have to place him within the best back 6 we have and THEN determine his role. Most great modern backlines have two KP defenders, one great reader of the play who is the 'third-man-up', 2 runners and one annoyingly good small stopper. I was a great Matthew Whelan fan as an expert small defender (quite apart from flattening Hird in that Eliminiation final at the 'G - greqat moment and I was there to witness it).

Col Garland fits in as a cross between a KP backman and a runner. His creativity when he gets the ball and looks up gives a similar sense of confidence as when Grimes gets the ball.In the same way I cringe when Bartram gets in the clear and tries to c reate something! As a stopper he is great. As a running and creative backman he is a real worry.

The surprising thing about Col Garland is he rarely gets beaten by monster forwards. Has he ever played on Jonathan Brown?

Thanks for the update. Welcome and I really hope you can get out there more!

Any update on McKenzie or Garland would be appreciate. 2 best 22 guys who seem to go under the radar with training reports. Hopefully that means they are just going about there business well and are readying themselves for strong seasons.

I'd love a report on the new rookies as well but understand if its hard to spot them because I wouldn't be able to.

I should have put in some info about Col Garland. In one of the drills they were kicking to a marking contest with the forward trying to mark and the defender trying not only to spoil, but to tap to it a ground player. Col's position was 10/10 each time I was watching. He sometimes makes me feel a bit like Watts does. It doesn't feel like he is really attacking the contest but he rarely gets beaten and his skills under pressure are effective. As much as I hate Carltank, Peter Dean comes to mind as someone similar.

Maldon: they play in Essendon jumpers don't they, Maldonboy?

Maldon played in Essendung colours yes, but not the same jumper. Please!!! We never called ourselves the Bombers, we were always the Dons. Later in life I had the opportunity to play in the Bendigo Football League and would you believe I could not play for Castlemaine because they had Colliwobbler colours so I went to Kyneton and put up with a Richmond strip. Old habits die hard.

The new mascot doesn't really do it for me. I understand the thinking behind it, appealing to different generations etc... but where will we see these mascots used? My understanding of a mascot is an image or a symbol out front to give a tangible rpesence to the values and heart of an club, group, entity. If these 3 figures will appear on matchday at the 'G my kids will love it and it will draw, and hold, their attention. Posters for the kids, stickers in junior membership packs and maybe even some junior clothing would work treat.

If they intend to splash it across internet media, newspapers and promos then it is a big mistake. Those of us who are really into engaging with the Dees through these means are much more likely to be stimulated by the new logo.

BTW, the older demon Checker really DOES remind me of Brian Dixon.

My 17 year old daughter is a HUGE Liam Jurrah fan as is my eldest son. About 2 years ago he was getting very interested in Gary Ablett and Geelong and I was struggling to maintain his interest in the Dees. we were never on TV and we lost almost every week. Oh no - I was losing him to the meows meows! Then, everything changed when one Liam Jurrah came on the scene. When all 6 of us - me, the other half, and four kids - went to see us thrash Essendung in 2010, LJ turned it on and that was it. Right now that same 17 year old daughter is standing behind me making me vote for LJ on the poll. Personally, I reckon Rohan Bail has a huge future and I love his run, or the man-crush on Frawley would make me choose 44 or 8.

Gysberts wasn't limping or anything, but he did spend some time doing a series of runs where on the return he had to do excercises that reminded me of Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks. Lifting his leg up and out in his stride. Jake Spencer did these movement excercises with him. Not once did he sprint or stride out in full which is a good sign of a hamstring, quad or major muscle injury.

As soon as I posted about Lucas Cook I was sure I made a mistake about his status. Yes, he was pick 12 - my mistake. I suppose his sticky hands stood out because it has been a while since I have seen this attribute in a Melbourne player. Neita was a super star but could have hands made of wood sometimes. I suppose Ox was the last genuine one touch mark we have had. I did hope Newton would do this also but this forum is awash with comments on that so I will let that well alone.

G'day everyone - I have just joined Demonland after being a constant reader for the past 12 months. I thought I would add some information about this morning's training at Casey Fields as I went down to have a look. I could only stay an hour but saw enough to leave a few impressions.

Sam Blease. His running and energy are really good, and he always gets himself into a good position but his kicking was poor. I am unsure why but am assuming that his recovery from a broken leg is taking longer than first thought.

Wonna, Gysberts, Campbell all spent a long time running, or doing close-in hanball drills with Brad Gotch. Matty Bate walked around at the beginning and then disappeared indoors.

Jake Spencer did heaps of running. He looks really big now and his kicking looks poor, but is getting much mre effective. Really impressd with his aerobic fitness level.

Scully is amazing and trains as if he is in a match. Sharp, very focussed and his kicking was on song which is good news after a high number of foot-blunders in matches last year. He comes across like the sort of bloke who is addicted to footy - you know, when he isn't training or playing, he is reading about it, learning in some way, or just tossing a footy around in his hands. REALLY impressive and stands out on the training track.

Col Sylvia was another one who made few (if any) mistakes and made all the short sharp sprints into a bit of a competition. His aggression and skill level made others sharpen up.

Aaron Davey's leadership was great to see. After each drill, whoever was in his group got a pat on the back or bum and a word of encouragement. It was intentional, deliberate and effective. I haven't seen him in this light before and he comes across as a strong and effective leader.

The young Lucas Cook looks to be an excellent rookie choice. He has VERY strong hands. I watched his group for about 15 minutes straight and it is simple: if the ball hits his hands, it sticks. He is still very thin and his basic build reminds me of a tallish Robbie Flower so he might not get too big but I imagine he will be buring it up in about 2013.

Like many others I am developing a serious man-crush on Frawley. He jokes a bit at training and adds definite personality, but as soon as it is his turn in a drill he is prepared to monster his own team mates and impose himself. And boy, is he BIG!!

Grimes was in the same groove as Scully. Very clean, very quick and few if any errors. A real encourager and should be captain one day.

Last but not least - no Watts. I am a fan of this young bloke nad reckon he could be anything. His laid-back appearance belies a footy brain and elite skills but I hope the pre-season is not slipping by again.

Anyway, that's it for my first post and I look forward to hearing from you.