Wunders

Watched the vfl game and afl game and I saw Bernie get a bit of it but really didn't feel that it was that good a game. I felt that no afl listed players for us stood out. Was expecting more (felt the vfl game was like our afl games from the last few years - expecting more and not getting it). But I think toumpas for someone (most likely Bernie) is a likely scenario. Also watching Fitzpatrick as a defender this week was a disapointment. He was out positioned about every 4/5 marking contests against his collingwood opponent. I saw him take one good strong mark for the day. Saw him give up several goals though (so again from reading these posts I thought he would be a great defende on today's form looked poor/sleep and Disinterested). Anyway really happy after today! Go dees

I personally thought it was more of a whole team shut down last year (multiple players bumping blocking gary all game and mckenzie illegally holding him at stoppages. Id much prefer him not in the team because i think people overate that game in particular.

A lot of posters point out the games we could've won last year, BUT that could be flipped around as we only won those 4 games by small margins.. What if we had of won none last year? We need to think about both sides of the equation. 6 wins seems realistic at this stage, hoping for more and being competitive whilst also scoring more (so at least we get some excitement out of our loses when they occur). Go dees!

Thanks for all the reports, not internet access all weekend & just read through the 7 pages of reports. I think one of JKH or Kent should come into our team (even if a straight swap for Dawes). We were too tall last week vs essendon and didn't use that to our advantage. If it works well, the week after Dawes then comes in for Gawn (or Frost - who i would prefer down back).

I understand what you are saying but i think you are looking at it wrong (they don't bring them on the second someone gets injured from what Ive seen). Normally with the sub they hold off for the end of a quarter. So say they plan to bring him on for the 4th quarter (they can warm him up prior etc). BUT if someone gets injured say in the first quarter, they will likely wait until the end of the quarter and activate him for the second quarter (so he will have easily enough time to get warmed up and be ready)! I'm happy with him being the sub (maybe prefer vandenburg as the other option).

Only listened to it but I was disappinted & I'm worried for our season. Handballing to stationary people about to get tackled or guys who can't handball 2m just shouldn't happen. Our team really needs guys who can kick. It was apparent tonight what we know, that being that Tyson, McDonald and viney will most likely never be elite kicks. But they will likely play for the next 10 years. So can we afford to carry m jones, grimes, Mckenzie, bail in the team as well? That's 7 regular 22 who can't kick. That's a real hurdle to overcome before we can compete in my mind. Yes they can occasionally hit a lace out target but.. Or in reverse watts, Salem, a jones, Jetta, hogan (loved hearing about his field kicking all night) - I love the ball in their hands. The balance needs to improve Ps apparently only 5 top ups in essendon a team tonight. Mostly their kids.

Kent hurt his foot is expected back next week was on David missions injury report I believe!

I could see him getting off this. He could easily argue elbow was tucked in, Buntine got up fairly quickly (maybe could get buntine to say he hit him mostly in the shoulder rather than head).. Be interesting test case for the new tribunal.

I had a similar experience. I was excited to renew so logged into my account didn't see any existing or rolling over memberships listed (wasn't expecting there to be either) & signed up again for this year. Then I noticed 2 months later that I was getting charged 2 membership fees a month so called up and they said that it had rolled over etc.But they were able to fix it straight away which was good Even worse than this, my doggies supporter mate bought a WB membership last season and the club (WB) decided to take $20 out of his account this year without his consent as a donation to the club... Apparently they sent an email the day before saying we are doing this to all Members and if you don't want it to happen let us know (or something like that - when you don't check your email often makes it hard to say no to).. I couldn't believe it.

Agreed saty, really hope he develops that inner monster within somehow or learns to use his height/weight better.

I didn't see this reported (although it most likely was) did he have a traditional reco? And was it a hamstring graft or did he go for a cadaver ACL etc? (In my mind i like the idea of not taking some of your own hamstring). Thanks in advance

DAWES - I think that he almost never losses the ball though. I would say 80% of the time he got the ball over the boundary, got rid of one opponent and made a contest with the other or brought the ball to ground and created a ball up. I hope his goal numbers increase this year. If Gawn plays every game, surely gawn would have to get the best defender (pritty much due to his height), if dawes and hogan then get the 2nd/third defender each that will help them so much (especially if they dont drag them to the same contests). P.s. funny how he never jumps.. but maybe loosing all that weight pre season means he will be able to get off the ground In regards to the other forwards i think they all have questionable hands except for hogan: FITZY - I think he has the second worst hands in the team, and brings about 40% of the pressure that dawes does and retains the ball about 10% as much (which is a pity because he seems to do a bit more in the VFL, but at AFL in the contest just seems to be lacking (a little like one effort watts). Pedo -I think he really improved with his spread (which was fantastic, getting open and creating an option we sorely needed), but i think a lot of people are forgetting that if he is put in our goals and has to lead hard at the ball carrier he is renowned for dropping the ball (he is great in defense as the lose man who can time his run nicely and take a lot of intercept marks or as mentioned on the spread where he runs clear, but 1v1 im very confident in him not marking the ball unfortunantly). E.g. that fantastic goal against Richmond i think where he led to the forward pocket ball slips through his hands, falls over and then kicks a miraculous goal (when he should have marked the ball to start with). GAWN - Seems to also drop it too much, has so much height, but never seems to jump in the forward line, is always wrestling with an opponent and when he wrestles he seems to bend/hunch over reducing his height and from what i see inhibiting his ability to mark (compare him vs sandilands when wrestling). But he still has so much potential and i think we all want to see him use his height more. Also when he crouches over to engage the wrestle its harder to pay a free agaisnt his opponent for holding on as they both are engaged.. would be interested to see him use his hips more like dawes to keep his opponent out if possible. HOGAN - he is like a shinning light compared to every other tall forward we have, he is a true key forward and is more of a complete package with the best attributes of the others combined into one player... well more like better attributes in almost every area (havent really seen his pressure work yet to judge). Hopefully this year some things just click with them and we see the potential come through

Just was reading the article on Port Adelaide and it mentioned: "it'll be Port supporters' only chance to see star recruit Patrick Ryder in action before the start of the season. Ryder and Angus Monfries are not playing in the NAB Challenge as they await the verdict of the Anti-Doping Tribunal, expected by late March" I keep going back to earlier individual cases: Ahmed Saad copped an 18 month suspension for actually returning a positive drug test. VFL player Wade Lees copped an 18-month ban after attempting to import a fat-burning product he ordered on the internet. Both had no idea what they ordered/took (in their respective cases) was illegal. The key point from this is that both were completely banned from the sport for the time period. How can it be possible to back date a ban for the essendon players if they are still attending the club, training and competing in match simulations like the rest of the clubs? Training is playing in my point of view and if they get banned back dating doesn't make sense. If this happens and i was Saad i''d want to counter-sue for lost earnings for example (wasn't allowed to Back date his ban or keep training). Obviously, i know little and this is all subjective, but it doesn't feel right to have vastly different possible punishments for similar acts (ordering or taking supplements with drugs in them that they didn't know = 18 month ban//once found guilty = start of punishment with complete ban from footy department).

I thought i read that it was restricted to 2 former players per AFL club. So with magner and clisby i would think no other dees player was available?

He had laser eye surgery one or two seasons before he left Collingwood (see link of an example article stating this). The funny thing is i remember watching him more around that time and i felt he was a lot more fumbly after the eye surgery (my subjective opinion based off nothing). http://drrickwolfe.com.au/collingwood-player-chris-dawes-has-laser-eye-surgery/

I just love that he has speed, that ability to catch up as a defender will really help in the future

This was a really pleasant and enjoyable training thread to read. Thank you everyone for keeping it that way and of course thanks to the 4 or 5 supporters who took the time to go to training and give us their thoughts Go Dees

Haha i saw that first one and thought exactly the same thing, its probably the most unflattering pic we will see of him, even on the better pics there is little muscle definition. Id really like to see him do a Dawes and get ripped.

I'll answer this in regards to the Sports Bra (if that's what you meant ). The Sports Bras hold the Catapult Sports GPS units (see link http://www.catapultsports.com/global/system/outdoor/) on the upper back of each player as they train (and they actually give pretty good support to the pecs surprisingly enough haha - done a bit of validity research with them at my work ). During matches the GPS units instead are placed in the little pouch sewn into each players Guernsey - so there is no need for the sports bra then. In regards to the video, i know my work has done some research with decision making from player worn video data, however its normally head mounted. This may be related or he may have gotten permission to wear it for himself (maybe hes staring in a new TV series: the demon within??? - i'll work on my jokes).

Here's the link guys who want to listen to that podcast: https://soundcloud.com/sen1116/cam-mooney-on-cats-hawks-and-dees

Hey jnrmac, i was basing it on training reports that consistently mentioned that he was coming last in the (all) running drills. Although i think Saty said that this was all to do with his specific conditioning program (so maybe its not an issue at all, similar to garlett). The more positive ones about him have started to occur recently when we have come more into match simulation. However, this is all based on circumstantial evidence from reading the training reports - no first hand knowledge.

Great summary! I wonder how much of the decision can be attributed squarely on the coach, and how much goes to the recruiting team?? Also, would it change (increase in favor of coaches input) if its not a kid but a payer from another team?

Thanks everyone for the reports, i guess what is pleasing is that the players who we/many predict will be on the outer are showing such good pre-season form. Hopefully culminating in more selection headaches and able replacements throughout the year compared to previous years. Impressions i get so far from these and other reports are that: Mckenzie and grimes are doing everything right to get a spot. Garland and newton both have fitness issues, but in game play simulation appear to be more than capable (who misses though if all three bar Mckenzie gets a game round one? Frost?). Reilly and terlich are not really mentioned much and i get the impression they are good 'soldiers' but nothing more (i feel that they may be closer to the delist line than many others and i would suggest won't play much). We have no idea about our forward set up. If Jamar plays more forward with Dawes and Hogan, then i cant see Fitz making the team at all, with the majority are leaning towards Gawn in tandem with Jamar. But it would be great for him to actually pull it all together, round one might be his only chance if hes in for dawes. I think Petracca is the only one of the 1st year draftees who will play in the first 6 rounds of the season (be funny if he kicks more goals than McCartin over his career). I can't believe we got garlett for so little - Shocks me.. He is going to be a beauty (thank you mick). Garlett and Petracca running around hogan, dawes and jamar in the forward line is what really makes me excited. I think frost and garland fight for the same spot. Can salem and Toumpas get/cement a spot and actually get the ball (20 possessions a game or more a game)? Can't wait for the season to start! Go Dees

Dawes still has so much tape on his right knee.. I would've hoped that by now he didn't need it (whether that's mentally or physically).

I really think we have no chance of getting him. you may be able to argue slightly that if we turn our fortunes around and finish top 6 there is a chance, but i still think its 0% personally. What do we know about last trade period (if we were interested): We had a [censored] load of money available. An awesome coach and coaching succession set up with Goodwin. Could have given a draft pick or two (say 3 and 23/ player) to Adelaide. But he never came. Why would he then leave this year and come to us: Gets paid the same Adelaide get a combpo pick worse than we would've given One year less under roosy. If he hates adelaide and doesn't want them compensated anywhere near as well, then this 2nd scenario works well. I think its hawthorn (has buddys money) or geelong (hometown advantage and if clark plays well..), cant really see a melbourne based club otherwise having a shot. But we will have to wait until the end of the year Go dees!