Demon Jack

Righto, I'll bite. I dropped into training for an hour or so this morning. I didn't take any notes so I'm just going by memory. - The rehab group consisted of Oliver, McDonald Snr, Trengove, Kent, JKH, King and some bloke name Jordan Lewis. - Garlett was present and ran laps with Hibberd, the latter looking extremely knackered after he finished his set. Meanwhile, Daniel Cross still looks in ripping shape. He ran the same amount of laps and barely looked fazed afterwards. - The main group warmed up with some general stretches and running exercises. Nothing too special. - Too my surprise, the soccer balls came out and the boys divided up into groups of five or six where they would try keep the ball in the air for as long as they could without using their hands. The group closest to me which consisted of the Skipper, Gus, ANB, Petracca and Hogan completed a nice set of 30 or so passes using only their heads. - Next, the boys split into groups of two and the staff brought out a set of harnesses which would be put on a player who would walk forward while the other team member attempted to pull him back. Interesting little exercise that I haven't seen before yet at a Melbourne training session. - A few kicking drills followed where coaches would attempt to put pressure on the player kicking. - Noticed a lot of match simulation drills involving the boys splitting up into two seperate groups. Bit like a game of keepings off. Had too leave around this time so I didnt see too much. A few other bits and pieces - Oscar McDonald looks more filled out, but he had a couple of shockers in regards to disposal. - It's a cliche, but plenty of players look in ripping shape at the moment. Stretch, Smith, Salem (looks incredible given the last six months), Hunt and ANB are all players who looked to have bulked up a bit. - Petracca is so clean. He just doesn't make mistakes. - Lewis is a beautiful kick. He had a kick to kick with TMac, JKH and Pedders and he didn't miss one target. Apologies for not taking any notes. Expect a more detailed training report next time I attend a session.

Why is he considering to sue us when he's still apparently experiencing concussion symptoms? Surely in hindsight, he can see that the club was doing the right thing in not playing him.

Another shameful performance. Surely that has to be Voges' last test match. Funnily enough, if he happens to never play another test, he will finish with the second highest batting average of all time. Staggering. Aside from Warner, Smith and maybe Khawaja, our batting depth is ludicrously thin. Ferguson had a shocking debut, but I'd still give him another go considering there isn't much else in the shed. The bowling isn't terrible, but it seems that there are so many bowlers that are constantly rotated in and out of the team, which makes it nearly impossible for them to develop bowling partnerships and strategies. It'll never happen, but I hope Cricket Australia invest in some youth and give some promising kids some games. They may get smashed around for a little while but they can't be much worse than what we currently have on the field.

Although his contested work is his bread and butter, from watching this highlights package, I've just been reminded about the knack young Jack has around goals. It's an underrated quality of his that has certainly improved over the years.

Good thread! I've been out of the loop for sometime when it comes to video games. I grew up on PlayStation 1 & 2 era platformers and RPGs and didn't mind the odd Nintendo game either. Today, the medium still holds a special and nostalgic place in my heart. I fell out of gaming around 2012 due to PS2 games becoming near impossible to find and the PS3 simply not appealing to me at the time as I thought it lacked the charm of its predecessors. Saying all that, I'm 20 now and I just finished a long semester of Uni. I just bought myself a cheap PS3 to fill some spare time over the Summer break and to see what I've missed over the years. The Batman Arkham games are certainly high on my list. Any other recommendations?

Since when do we play Geelong at Etihad?

Friday night game at the G against the Swans in Round 15.

Money does not equal happiness. He's played some terrific football at Gold Coast but it's clear his heart isn't in the team anymore.

It'd be an absolute disgrace If the Monday night against Richmond is the only real free to air prime time game we get. We haven't had a Friday night game since 2012. Surely we're deserving of one now considering we're one of the many teams expected to push for finals next year.

Predictions for 2017 Ladder Position: 9th - Make no mistake, we're certainly on the rise. But even with the additions of Lewis, Hibberd and Melksham still think our team is about 30-40 games experience off reaching the top 8. Wouldn't complain if we do though! Best & Fairest: Jack Viney - It's clear that the coaches absolutely love him. I still think that there's quite a bit he can improve on in his game but I'm predicting that it'll be back-to-back for Viney in 2017. Runner Up: Dom Tyson - Dom played some fantastic footy during the second half of the year and was probably our most consistent performer for a large part of this section of the season, resulting in placing fourth in 2016. He has this uncanny knack of kicking crucial goals as well. I'm thinking it could be a close one between Dom and Jack in the race for the Bluey next year. Leading Goalkicker: Jesse Hogan (58) - No real surprises here, and 58 seems a suitable number for a kid about to enter his third real season of AFL with the . I think we'll see a more consistent Hogan next year as well considering he's now signed on and doesn't have to deal with the constant associated speculation. Who Goes To The Next Level?: Angus Brayshaw - I couldn't help but feel sorry for Angus this year. Around midway through the season, nothing seemed to go his way. Despite that, he still showed glimpses that every bit as good as what we saw back in 2015. With another pre-season under his belt, I'm tipping that Angus will have a breakout 2017. All-Australians: Jack Viney - Viney looked nearly a lock for the squad around a third through 2016. It was around when he broke his knuckle during the Port game that he fell a bit out of form that probably cost him his spot in the initial 40. I'm not going to lie, I think Viney is going to have an absolute belter of a season in 2017. Max Gawn - Back to back for Max? Why not? He seems positively unrivalled when he's at his peak. However, I think opposition teams are now aware of him and are more likely to put more work into stopping him and the god like influence he has around the ground. Best Rising Star Chance/Best Young Player: Sam Weideman - I'd hardly expect him to win, but if he plays 10-12+ games next year, there's a very high likelihood he'll pick up a nomination. At this stage, I'd tip that he's going to be our only nomination. Suprise Round 1 Selection: Joel Smith - Having seen this kid play once or twice in the VFL, it's clear he has something special about him. He has pace, good skills and can take a great mark like his old man. I remember someone on the forum likening him to an Easton Wood type player. It's a long shot, but he is certainly capable.

Although I don't like the idea behind it (Essendon welcoming back their banned players like they're long lost heroes), I'd be more than happy to see the club play on a Friday night in Round 1. It's a fantastic opportunity to not only smash Essendon and officially start the Goodwin era, but to let a packed MCG crowd and millions of TV viewers know that we've arrived, and we're here to stay.

Hogan signing on was incredibly important to the club. It's probably had an influence on all of the other options in the poll.

Agreed. Last year it was Hunt. Smith would be a good contender if he has a great pre-season.

What in the...

That's only half the battle for Hawthorn. Their next and possibly more difficult job is to get him on the park on a consistent basis.

O'Meara is now a Hawk...Damn, I was hoping it would fall apart .

13 minutes left...O'Meara or bust for Hawthorn.

For what it's worth, Terry Wallace gave us a B in his review on our trade period.

Gee, Port the have done absolutely nothing this trade period.

Crunch time for Hawthorn. This is really going to come down to the wire. But it sure does make fantastic entertainment! Would love nothing more than the O'Meara deal to crumble.

Some nice highlights here. http://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/2016-10-20/pat-mckenna-a-demon Looks to have really good vision and disposal skills.

In all seriousness, welcome to the MFC Patty!

Deledio has just requested a trade to GWS. Tomorrow's going to be hectic me thinks