CBDees

I cannot open the link but I agree with Moonshadow!

Nice forward line. I cannot wait to see who St Kilda would match-up on that for Round 1.

Thanks guys for all your reports (and through the year). I was worried initially when the first post appeared at 3.30pm (or 4.30pm on the Demonlander time scale) as i feared the last training session for 2013 might go unreported. i am also quite excited by the consistent positive reports about JKH. Let us hope that he becomes Wizard Mark II.

I too like this team, however at this stage of the year, most Demonlanders have posted credible teams. The big mystery is how many will remotely resemble their December choices after we have played three NAB Cup/practices matches and have a better idea of injuries and improvements?

Surprised that you guys are talking about whiskey when Roos has just presented his (Part 2) pre-season update. Surely there must be some comment?

I thought that I might resurrect this thread which had slipped back to page 5. Here goes: B Dunn Frawley Garland HB Grimes McDonald Terlich C Vince Cross Watts HF Howe Fitzpatrick Trengove F Hogan Clark Kennedy-Harris R Gawn N.Jones Viney IC Toumpas Tyson Michie S Clisby E Strauss Dawes/Pedersen Evans

LIKE

They would like James in prison!

Welcome to Demonland! Keep posting!

I the absence of "Roger" here is a paste form saj_21 on the Big Footy Forum: > Arrived around 9:40 seeing players warm up with kick to kick Clark not sighted Hogan taking some snaps from the boundry then goes across to AAMI park Salem and King walking laps Dawes i saw him speaking to one of the fitness guys and then disappears across the road There was a small rehab group infront of me which consisted of; Grimes (had his nose taped up) guessing they are keeping away from contact he ran sprints and laps fine Bail and clisby ran sprints and laps for most of the morning Riley running fine but only at 60% but seems unimpeded and the club easy him into full training Kent similar to Riley but seemed a bit troubled by his knee Westrup not injured i assume just giving him an easy session Viney i saw do one half run through and shook his head to the fitness guys , a bit of a chat then disappeared Blease joins rehab group after warm for a serious of small sprints, twists and turns Jamar running sprints and laps Dom tyson, JKH Vince Tapscott warm up together and then join main training group Main group; split into two groups half do a rolling "scrum" picking the ball of the ground and quick hands up, roll the ball out and repeat, group is all backline players including jetta. They then practice moving the ball out of the backline with small kicks wide to the pockets and then to HBF Other half - warm up kicking drill mostly mids/fwds Two groups join together for small warm up drills ball rolled out, pick up quick hands. Roos vocal players become more vocal as the drill progresses. Left around 10:40 Then into another 3 man weave handball drill, after a few minutes roos adapts the drill upon blowing his whistle players are told to kick the ball to a leading forward in either direction. Players seem to focus on the old one-two to get a player into space facing the leading forward even if it means one or two extra handballs. Some drill extended with bigger kicks and more space between players, more gut running. JKH really pushes hard after he handballs and getting to the forward targets feet. Hunt likewise, he is super quick he seems to leap and bound over the turf. Voice picks up as the drill goes on. Full ground drill players in groups of 4-6 one in each goal square and one on each wing. Basically circle work to start with, players share a couple of handballs kick to the next group and encouraged by roos to push hard to where the ball was kicked. Then as the drill progresses players take marks, push back chip kicks simulating coming out of the backline. All players moved well, skills where good i really only saw 3-4 missed kicks in the time i was there. The toump was very good in the last drill, but i may have watched him more closely because of the hype around him at the moment. No one really stood above the rest, nor did anyone stand out for not keeping up.

LIKE!

You are wishful thinking but it is not unusual for teams in the NAB Cup to not be full strength as they tinker with their list during the pre-season. You never know, we could beat Geelong and Hawthorn whilst they are tinkering?

It may be OK if they resist the temption to play their top 22 and experiment like many Clubs do. Am I correct in thinking that Geelong, for one, doesn't take it as seriously as others? Would be great for us if we won all three before the proper season, but then, maybe more than ever, we should also be trying out our new recruits and developing players.

Q.1 > It showed that we didn't have any! Far from being a luxury item this year, Fitzy filled a gaping whole and filled it well He also showed that he was capable of massive improvement over a twelve month period, with the potential for more. An athletic 200cm utility is a good asset to any Club and it would be foolhardy to seek to trade him just because there is a deficiency in another area (which is currently being addressed albeit not fast enough for some Demonlanders)!

We have just recruited a swag of midfileders, most of them experienced and ready to play. Surely it is a good idea to wait until we play a few games before we continually lament about our midfield being 'bereft of talent'. Let us review things after we play a few games with Vince, Cross, Mitchie and Tyson injected into the guts along with an improving Jones, Viney, Toumpas and Trengove (and maybe Salem) and then assess whether we are still weak in this area. Depth players is not a luxury as we found out last year with a decimated forward structure through injuries (and also periods when our backline was under pressure).

Good selection and i would throw Watts in there as well!

I find it amazing how the big winner in all this is James Hird! Essendon: lost 2013 Premiership points (taking them out of the final eight); lost first & second round draft picks in 2013 & 2014; paid a $2Million fine to the AFL; paid out another $1M upfront to James Hird; and incurred $180K in legal costs. James Hird (on the other hand): receives $1M upfront for taking a holiday in 2014; has received a coaching contract extension from 2015 at the same rate; and has been rewarded handsomely for being the key player in the supplement scandal. Because of all the controversy also the Demons were denied a Priority Pick in 2013 despite only winning two matches because Paul Little and the other Club Presidents like Eddie McGuire objected. What a mess the AFL has dug for itself under its overpaid CEO!

Not only that Clint but during the main season when we drew and also lost by a point.

It seems that the last page of this thread has degenerated into getting rid of Fitzy. As one of the big improvers this year, I would hope that posters could be discussing how to retain him, either as back-up (and eventual replacement of Jamar?) or in a different position as W_J suggests above. Why get rid of depth players with upside so that they can star at an opposition Club? Does not make sense unless somebody is deluded enough to think we won't get our normal run of (unpredictable) injuries.

We are just on line full of optimism and making heroic predictions like we do every year. I am not a cricket fan so I prefer to either talk AFL or head for the water during summer. I hope that we whip Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon next year!

When do we play Richond and Geelong, the link only talks about Melbourne v Hawthorn. on March 8? Personally, I would rather play Richmond at Punt Road Oval on the Friday 7. That would suit a lot of people.

Nice to see we are up against the Premiers. Won't that be a big boost if we actually win!

I quite agree. From the video clips he will be a delight to watch and the deal picking up Salem as well will serve us better than (for example) keeping pick two and only getting Kelly. Despite rejuggling other picks as part of the deal, overall we seem to have done very well in the trade/draft period.

LIKE

Frankly I think that the father-son rule should be relaxed from 100 games to 77 games. In that we we can FS, Peter Moore's son in front of Collingwood!