Melbourne 2016 pre-season

[Barra13]

I was there on Saturday as well, making the trek up from Brisbane. Pretty much everything has been covered by others and managing young kids made it hard to watch everything. But a couple of things that stood out for me were:

Bugg looks the goods and saw plenty of it in the match sim drills. Going to be a shrewd pickup I reckon.

Watts very vocal with encouragement and instruction. Some great foot skills on display as well but then a dropped mark at a crucial time. Was pretty wet though.

Brayshaw and VDB running themselves into the ground to get to every contest and cover blokes defensively.

Viney having quite a strut and smashing into guys wherever he could. Tipping him for a breakout year for my supercoach side.

Gawn taking some good grabs in the wet conditions and showing precise skills for a big man. A clear standout.

Wiedemann is skinny and got pushed around a bit by TMcDonald/Dunn but never stopped moving and doesn't mind flying for a mark.

Jones giving Frost an absolute earfull for having a snap at goal rather than dishing off a handball to Kennedy in the clear. Frost looks huge though and has good pace.

TMcDonald giving OMcDonald an absolute earfull for not filling the space that Garlett ended up leading into for an easy mark. My young boy learnt some new words.

Goodwin and Rawlings very impressive with their instruction while Roosy sat high up in a crane taking it all in.

Kent working hard to create an option for team mates and looked dangerous around goal. Really hope he stays fit this year.

Overall, the standard was good given the weather but the odd mistake under pressure still there. Then again, I think that was the point of some of the drills they were doing. It was also very willing and physical (tackles/bumps/shepherds) and there would have been a few sore boys afterwards.

[Purple 77]

Hearing a lot of good things about Hulett. Maybe he won't be another Leigh Williams?

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It's been a while since I've done a training report so I'm trying to make up for it with this fairly lengthy piece. I hope you enjoy.

I managed to get down to training with a mate of mine who’s an Essendon supporter, but I’m trying to convince him to join the Mighty Dees. Funnily enough he did work experience with Melbourne back in 2005.

Anyway onto training, It’s a muggy 27 degrees up here in Maroochydore (weather has been very average since arriving on Saturday).

We got to training around 10.30am and walked to the back oval to find a few of the rehabbers in Trenners, Vince, Weideman and Mitch King having a kick around with Crossy. Trenners is moving really well and can see him joining the main group soon.

On the main oval we had some more rehab guys in Dawes, Oliver, Frost, Jetta, and Smith doing some contested marking drills on the boundary. Dawes still can’t clunk a mark, but I was impressed with the way he was teaching Oliver how to use the body when contesting from front and back positions and creating space to allow the ball to drop at his feet.   

On the main oval now it’s a half ground simulation (blue vs green) and the guys in green are working really hard to get the ball out of defence using the boundary while the boys in blue are using short and sharp kicks, giving the defending team no time to close down on their opponents.

The boys were being vocal but the coaches still wanted to see more aggression. Something that really impressed me was Hunt’s pace. He burst away from a stoppage play with Chunk nipping at his heels until space opened up and he eventually gained 10 metres on him and kicked long down the line. All the boys and even the coaches had a chuckle, looking around at each other as if to say (did you just see that?)

After that the boys split up into groups, mids on mids and forwards on defenders. We watched the mids go at it for a while with Ben Mathews running the stoppage drills and McCartney keeping a watchful eye on the group in the distance, while Roos was standing on and electric platform lift getting a birds eye view with the filming crew.

We overheard McCartney at one stage telling Whitey that he “wants to see good habits, and to keep a tighter check on his opponent”. Apart from that the midfield group were going reasonably well, but the coaches still wanted to see the players be more vocal and aggressive. At the clearance the guys were also getting way to close to the ruckman during the tap outs and weren't watching where the ball dropped causing fumbles or multiple turnovers. Mathews quickly clamped down on that and told them to “follow the flight of the ball instead of the position of the ruckmen and to give more space at the clearance”.

Around 11.30am the boys all participated in the same drill (except for the rehab group) splitting into 4 groups using the whole ground. During this exercise the players would contest each other 1 on 1 trying to stop each other winning the ball and using their body to block their opponent from marking the ball coming towards them. They would continue this at full intensity and then break out into a full on wrestle and just when you thought they were spent, they had to sprint half the field to the next location. It looked exhausting just watching them.

I don’t know how much of the session we missed but overall I’d give it a solid 7/10 in intensity.

Players missing were Hogan, Melksham, Petracca, Newton and Max King. I think Hulett was having an off legs day (swim) like Hogan because we didn’t see him train at all. ANB spent most of his time between the exercise bike and the ice bins. Stretch had taping on his calf, Nev had his shoulder heavily strapped, Tyson had no tape on his knee which was good to see. I believe Watts was having trouble with his groin and was stretching out a lot, while Vanders hurt his foot and required icing.

Players we were impressed with today were Kent, Frost, T-Mac, Bugg, Brayshaw, Tyson, Michie and Hunt.

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Day 5: Tuesday, January 19

8am

After a big few days, the crew is given a bit of a sleep in this morning.

On the back of being blown away by Chris Gayle’s phenomenal 12-ball 50 in last night’s Big Bash, we wake to the sad news that the super group forming up above has taken in another member: Glenn Frey from the Eagles. He was 67.

I get a text from elite performance manager Dave Misson, who is a massive music buff. Bruce Springsteen is up there among his favourites. Misson informs me about Frey, roughly a minute after I find out via Twitter. He can’t believe it either.

So what’s going on?

Since Christmas, and even the first day of this camp, there’s been a significant amount of musicians, entertainers and sporting figures pass away. 

And if you just focus on music for a moment, in the final days of 2015, we said goodbye to Stevie Wright (The Easybeats and of Evie fame), John Bradbury (drummer from The Specials â€" think songs like Ghost Town and Too Much Too Young), Lemmy (lead singer of Motörhead whose growling voice is epic in the Ace of Spades), Guru Josh (who, if you’re going to have pretty much a one-hit wonder, it might as well be Infinity) and Natalie Cole (the daughter of the great Nat King Cole and singer of Unforgettable).

Already in 2016, Otis Clay (an R&B singer who did the original version of The Only Way Is Up, which was later a hit for Yazz and The Plastic Population) and Dale ‘Buffin’ Griffin (a member of Mott the Hoople, which had a hit with the David Bowie written All the Young Dudes) have passed away.

And of course, there was Bowie.

And now Frey.

It’s not quite a year ago that I watched the Eagles for the third time in concert. And although they’re not my absolute favourite band, I reckon they’re equal with any band/artist I’ve seen live.

RIP Glenn. It’s another timely reminder to make the most of it.

10am

After a morning Leading Teams session, the players get ready for a session at the Kawana Sports Precinct for flexibility, education and leg weights.

But there is controversy just before we take off on one of the buses: where is Paul Roos’ chocolate?

The coach isn’t happy.

“I wake up each day just so I can have chocolate at the end of it,” he says, drawing laughs from the crew on the mini-bus.

His chocolate mysteriously ‘disappeared’ last night and it ain’t coming back!

Aside from yours truly, and my two mates, communications coordinator Matty Goodrope and video producer Sam Laidlaw, who have done a power of work on this trip it must be said, the bus is filled with coaches.

Game analysis and education coordinator Craig Jennings is driving again, with Roos riding shotgun. Manager of development Brendan McCartney and head of development Brett ‘Fruity’ Allison are among the passengers. 

I have a good chat to ‘Fruity’ on the way to the ground.

He’s a ripper and a natural footy clubman.

I’m not quite sure how we get onto it, but we end up chatting about the fact that he represented five different teams in State of Origin football: Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, a combined NSW/ACT team and The Allies.

He talks about New South Wales’ remarkable win over Victoria in 1990. The one where the four Daniher brothers played together for the first time and John Longmire kicked eight goals.

Allison recalls how they were massive underdogs, yet coach Col Kinnear used just the right psychology to give them a famous win in slushy SCG conditions.

It’s one of the fun things about the job â€" hearing footy stories from guys like ‘Fruity’.

10:30am

The players split into their groups, with senior assistant coach Simon Goodwin taking the education meetings.

They’re fairly short, sharp meetings. But again, Goodwin speaks calmly and clearly about what he wants to teach and get out of the session.

Decisiveness is a focal point.

“It was a big step-up for us at our last training session,” he says.

“But there is still room for improvement.”

Roos reinforces the messages at the end of Goodwin’s presentations.

At the end of each meeting, the future Melbourne coach chats casually with the group.

In one particular meeting, the topic turns to rooming with players and how the meals are going.

The subject of what ingredients are required to make Spaghetti Bolognese is discussed.

The big one is: should carrots and zucchinis be included â€" yes or no?

Goodwin doesn’t seem to mind there being carrots and zucchini.

Roos is not in the carrot camp. Let alone the zucchini.

Some of the coaches and players soon get quite passionate about their choice of ingredients. Their competitive nature is evident in just about any situation. 

In the weights room, big man Sam Frost is dominating (check out the @melbournefc Instagram for further proof) as the players urge him to keep going by chanting “Frost, Frost, Frost …”

Defender Neville Jetta says “the boys love getting into the gym” and acknowledges that Frost is a standout.

“He always likes to think that he’s got the best body in the team, so he goes all right,” he says with a laugh.

1:30pm

With three full days and a morning session still to come, there is a slight change of the schedule and the players are given the afternoon off.

But if you’re thinking the players retreat to banana lounges with pina coladas, think again.

Several do extra sessions, including Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince and Jack Trengove, who undertake boxing outside. 

A host of players also head to the beach for a swim and some competitive beach cricket.

6:45pm

It’s a night off from cooking, as we head to Alexandra Headlands Surf Club for dinner.

On the way in the mini-bus, Goodwin plays DJ via his iPhone.

He offers a Bowie tribute early on, featuring Under Pressure (with Queen), Life on Mars and Heroes. Oh, and while I’m on Bowie, a big kudos to one of the local Sunshine Coast radios the other day for playing a couple of his songs in a row: Scary Monsters [And Super Creeps] and Fame.

Goodwin is a fan of Bowie.

But he’s right up with his latest tunes.

He plays Fast Car (a remix of the Tracy Chapman classic) by Jonas Blue featuring Dakota, The Weeknd’s Can’t Feel my Face (the one Tom Cruise sang in the Lip Synch Battle on Jimmy Fallon) and Middle by DJ Snake featuring Bipolar Sunshine.

You read right of that artist! DJ Snake featuring Bipolar Sunshine!

It’s a beautiful evening in Alexandra Headlands, as a buffet meal is enjoyed by the crew.

On our table, featuring mainly coaches, there are plenty of laughs.

Roos is in great form, recounting some of the tales â€" and characters â€" he played with at Fitzroy and the Sydney Swans.

During the evening, Col Garland pops past our table for a chat.

With the Australian Open on TV in the background, Garland says to Roos ‘Hey, did you know Goody (as in the Matt Goodrope variety) was a ball boy?’

He doesn’t.

“Have a look at this,” Garland says.

The defender soon pulls out his phone and shows the vision of Goodrope having a hit with another ball boy during the epic Andy Roddick and Younes El Aynaoui quarter-final at the 2003 Australian Open.

It draws in a crowd, with the likes of Christian Petracca, Goodwin and Tom McDonald all intrigued by Goodrope’s previous life!

[Barra13]

Day 6: Wednesday, January 20

8am

Game analysis and education coordinator Craig Jennings is again in the Driver’s Seat (to quote a brilliant one-hit wonder by Sniff’n the Tears from 1978), as the two running machines â€" senior assistant coach Simon Goodwin and manager of welfare/operations Andrew Nichol â€" jog the eight kilometres out to Maroochydore Multi-Sports Complex.

Coach Paul Roos again rides in the front passenger seat.

Conversation in the mini-bus turns to a local coffee shop.

Roos gives the big thumbs up after having his early morning brew.

“I couldn’t put my finger on it, but it could be the different chocolate in the mocha,” he says, praising it.

8:15am

Preparation starts for this morning’s session, which includes education, craft and physio/massage.

Upon arrival, there is a pungent aroma wafting through the rooms. It’s kind of like the smell in one of the rooms at MONA in Tassie. If you’ve been there, you’ll know what I mean!

“Curdled milk. You’ll be right in five minutes,” says manager of development Brendan McCartney to the group.

Skipper Nathan Jones receives several handshakes and pats on the back, as the triple best and fairest winner celebrates his 28th birthday today.

Angus Brayshaw soon walks past squinting.

I ask him if he’s OK.

“Going well, except the sunscreen I’ve had in the eyes for about the past 10 minutes … oh and JKH (Jay Kennedy-Harris) snoring last night,” he says.

Ruck coach Greg Stafford is at training after arriving on the Sunshine Coast last night. The former Swan and Tiger works part-time for the club, while running a building business full-time.

He and stoppage coach Ben Mathews â€" former teammates at the Swans â€" run through vision on the laptop before training.

Training services coordinator Peter W.Roberts works on several players pre-training, including Dean Kent. He’s a magician at his craft.

The bikes get their usual workout before the session, with Max Gawn, James Harmes and Liam Hulett among the players to use them.

McCartney is jotting the morning’s schedule on the whiteboard, before he heads outside to have a quick kick with Lynden Dunn.

Jack Viney, Ben Kennedy and Billy Stretch pop outside for some quick fire handballs to each other, before the main session starts.

9am

Mathews takes the education session inside the change rooms.

The 2005 Sydney Swans premiership player is an impressive coach.

He keeps it simple, practical, but throws up scenarios to the players and make them consider options.

When taking the players through one situation, he doesn’t overcomplicate matters.

“I personally don’t think we need to reinvent the wheel. A simple plan executed well is effective,” he says.

N.Jones, Viney, Gawn and Dom Tyson ask several questions and offer ideas.

Jack Trengove says the 40-minute session includes looking at various stoppages, vision from Monday’s training and breaking down situations, so “everyone knows they are on the same page in the midfield”.

“That’s one of the big things we want to get out of this camp â€" to make sure everyone’s got it nutted out and we’re absolutely on the same page â€" so that when it comes to games, we’re fit and firing to go,” he says.

As Mathews finishes with the first group, he leaves them with this: “Don’t get down on yourself if it doesn’t work the first time, just keep at it.”

It’s sage advice.

Some of this morning’s drills include hitting targets inside 50 from midfield stoppages, contested marking and set-shot goalkicking.

Viv Michie, who was redrafted by the club as a rookie last November, impresses in the stoppages.

Talls Jack Watts and Cam Pedersen take some strong contested marks in their activity.

In the goalkicking, the likes of Chris Dawes, Watts, Pedersen, Sam Weideman and Hulett all compete strongly. 

Dawes ends up the eventual winner, yet there is plenty to like in young Weideman’s kicking action.

Near the rooms, several players complete boxing drills, as strength and conditioning team member Rob Jackson takes the group through their paces.

Some of the pairs boxing include Aaron vandenBerg/Tom McDonald, Kennedy/Stretch, Viney/Christian Petracca, Kennedy-Harris/Trengove and Watts/Dawes.

It caps off a sharp session.

By the end of training, five of the club’s ‘First XVIII’ members says farewell as they get set to return to Melbourne after four days on the camp. Peter Lawrence, Torsten Kasper, Chris Sleigh, Anthony Micallef and David Rennick all bleed red and blue and they have relished the opportunity to gain an inner sanctum experience. Manager of experiences Leon McConville and general manager of football operations Josh Mahoney are instrumental in looking after the group on the camp.

The trip back to Twin Waters brings a few more classic one liners from Roos. Shall we call them ‘Roosyisms’? He’s a very fun man and provides some entertaining observations and commentary.

The local radio station is on.

“The Knack. My Sharona,” Roos says with authority.

“You’d be all over that Jenno,” he adds, turning to driver Jennings.

Again, there are several chuckles.

1:30pm

After lunch, the squad splits into two sessions at the Maroochydore Beach Gymnastics.

Jayden Hunt and Harmes are two to catch the eye. Hunt’s flip into the foam pit was super impressive and Harmes attacks the gymnastics with plenty of enthusiasm.

Christian Salem agrees.

“Jayden Hunt’s doing well and James Harmes â€" they’re the two standouts,” he says.

“But definitely not Gawny (Max Gawn) â€" I don’t think it’s one for the big boys.”

Watts shows some strength by reaching the top of the roof â€" it’d have to be at least 10 metres â€" after a rope climbing exercise.

Christian Salem says gymnastics has been fun to do on the camp.

“It’s a bit different to what we normally do, and the boys are having a lot of fun, so it’s been good,” he says.

For Trengove, who’s been sidelined with a foot injury for almost two years, it’s a lighter day.

He says his lighter day is “still enough”, as it includes 40 minutes of boxing, an education session, plus some weights in the afternoon â€" instead of gymnastics â€" plus recovery in the pool.

“It’s probably been the hottest day we’ve had up here. I went to the gym, with a few of the boys in the rehab group. It was a bit of a sweat box, but another good session. They (the fitness staff) didn’t want us jumping around in gymnastics,” he says.

“Monday was a big day for me and I ended up doing about 10km. A lot of that was one on one skills and agility, which is the stuff I’ve got to tick off before I get back into the main group. 

“It’s just a matter of getting comfortable kicking the footy, running around the ground, pushing off the foot and getting tackled. I’ve got to tick them off over the next couple of weeks, but it’s all going to plan at this stage.”

4:30pm

With the sessions completed for the day, it seems that Mexican is the dinner of choice â€" at least for a couple of apartments.

“They’ll be a few burritos or tacos, but nothing too snazzy,” Trengove says about his apartment’s dinner. 

Still, it sounds pretty good to me! 

Salem, who is looking to get one back on a certain housemate, after it’s alleged that he’s not pulling his weight in the cooking duties, says Harmes is preparing his strongest dish for the evening. 

“I heard Neville [Jetta] stitched me up the other day, so I’ll just tell the honest side of it,” he says with a smile.

“Me and Jeffy [Garlett] are doing most of the cooking and Harmesy is on tonight with his tacos, which he does at home and is a specialty.

“We’re looking forward to the tacos tonight.”

[Barra13]

Day 7: Thursday, January 21

8:15am

It’s a lighter day for the crew, in preparation for Friday’s main training session, which promises to be the most testing of the camp.

A morning beach session has been locked in, but other than that, the players have the afternoon off, with trips to Noosa the big draw card.

The mini buses head out to Alexandra Headland Surf Life Saving Club â€" where it’s glorious conditions â€" for a session with head coach Jeff ‘Lemo’ Lemarseny, who has been involved in the sport since he was a kid.

He is assisted by Janelle Pallister (Elford) â€" who represented Australia at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, in the 400m and 800m women’s freestyle event â€" along with a few other members from the Alexandra Headland SLSC.

Lemarseny says it’s common for other sports to now train with the surf life saving club to get an edge in their field.

And he stresses solidarity throughout the session.   

“What I try and emphasise is teamwork, like the footy club always does,” Lemarseny says.

The players run along the sand to warm-up, before competing in ironman racing, surfing and traditional surf life saving activities with the board rescue.

Lemarseny is quickly impressed by the players.

“They’re really good. You can always tell the ones who have lived near the coast, by the way they are in the ocean. The ocean is totally different to the bay and that’s why you’ve really got to respect the ocean, because it will nail you,” he says.

“We’ve had several AFL teams come up in the last few years and I really like the teamwork that they initiate â€" it’s really good.

“The guys are supportive of each other and that’s the basis that we have in surf life saving as well.”

In terms of the surf life saving club, which was established in 1924, Lemarseny says it’s in good shape.

“Over the last couple of years, we’ve built the club up to a pretty high standard. For what we do, the conditions up here are outstanding,” he says.

“There are a lot of good young iron men and women coming through â€" that’s from under 15s to 17s â€" and the open group is pretty strong too.

“The top level guys we have and even the medium level guys, some of them are swimming six to seven kilometres each morning. Then they’ll go and do an afternoon set, which can be for an hour-and-a-half to two hours of paddling for 10 to 12 kilometres. Then they’ll do some running sets, so it’s pretty full on.”

Naturally, the boys are competitive.

This is highlighted by Jay Kennedy-Harris, who says: “Angus Brayshaw doesn’t take anything easy. He was running out of the water as if it was the Olympics.”

Several are pretty good on the long boards too.

I notice Jack Grimes looking the part, catching a wave in. Aaron vandenBerg is another. Even some of the big guys go all right. Sam Frost is pretty good for a tall fella.

According to skipper Nathan Jones, ‘local boy’ Josh Wagner, James Harmes, Jayden Hunt and Jesse Hogan are among the standouts.

“But I’m pretty impressed by Vines (Jack Viney) and Gussy Brayshaw as well,” he adds.

“There is a little bit of talent there.”

Jones, an avid surfer, relishes the opportunity to get in the water with his teammates. 

“It’s just good to get all the boys out there on the foamies and have a paddle around,” he says.

“There was a bit of carnage, with boards flying everywhere, but it’s good to be at the Alexandra Headland Surf [Life Saving] Club â€" they’ve been really good to us.

“We had dinner here the other night and we’ve been out on the surf life saving boards today, so it’s a bit of fun.”

Key defender Tom McDonald says it was impossible to complain about the morning, such was the weather and surroundings, but he isn’t entirely happy with his surfing partner.

“We had a surf life saving drill, where your partner had to go out in the water and then you had to go out on your board and bring them back in. I had [Christian] Salem, who was terrible, and we had a few wipeouts,” he says with a laugh.

“Still, it was great fun and a bit more low key than the session last year. Last year we had a bit more full on training, but this year was a bit more fun and the boys had a great time.

“The water was warm and it was perfect weather.”

As for McDonald’s standouts? He nominates Jones and Harmes, while offering an interesting take on key forward Hogan.

“Jesse rates his surfing ability, but I didn’t see him get up,” he says with a grin. 

“But hey, I’m not a surfer, so I’m happy to admit that.”

As for his younger sibling Oscar, the older brother says he gave it a genuine crack.

“Oscar was not good â€" let’s put it that way,” he says with a laugh, as Oscar overhears.

“He’s not real fond of the water. He swims with his head above it in the pool, but he did all right and gave it a go.”

Oscar agrees with his older brother’s sentiments.

“I had a few face plants, but it’s the efforts that count,” the younger McDonald says.

Stoppage coach Ben Mathews, who is somewhat of a local on the Sunshine Coast â€" given he played football at Maroochydore for two years and lived in the area in between playing and coaching in the AFL â€" says the session is the perfect way to break up the week.   

“It’s day seven now and the guys have really dug in for the first six days, but it’s been a little bit of a lighter day today â€" they’ve been swimming, having a surf and recovering, before resetting tomorrow,” he says.

“It was more light-hearted with a few relays and a few rescues. I’m not sure how many rescues Christian Salem has done in his time, but it was good to see all of the boys out there and enjoying it.

“I was lucky enough to live up here for five years after I retired from Sydney and it’s a beautiful part of the world and it’s just so relaxing. There’s no better setting than Alex Beach.”

12pm

With the beach session completed â€" and a fun morning had by all â€" the group has the afternoon off. 

Jones says it’s important to unwind before what promises to be a big final full day.

“When you’re on the camp â€" and away from your family and the normality of being at home â€" it’s good to have the boys together for some team bonding and have a few laughs,” he says.

“The sessions we’ve done have been tough and it’s pretty difficult when it’s warm up here.

“We’re putting in some pretty big miles, so it’s just good to have a down day because we’ve got a huge day tomorrow with our final main training session. The boys now get to freshen up and relax a bit.”

Even for Jack Trengove, who is on the comeback trail from a foot injury, Friday promises to be a big day.

“Friday is the last one we’ve got up here, so the coaches and fitness staff will be trying to get as much as possible out of it. The boys have got this afternoon off, but they’ll have one eye on the fact that there is a big session on Friday morning,” he says.

It promises to be a fascinating final full day.

[Barra13]

Not sure how true it is, but there are rumors going around that TMac is injured. Will follow with more as it comes.

[Barra13]

Tmac has injured his shoulder, Terlich has injured a groin and Dawes injured his calf all from today's training session. Severity at this stage is unknown.

[Barra13]

Day 8: Friday, January 22

7:15am

On the short morning stroll up to ‘House 3’ â€" where communications coordinator Matty Goodrope, video producer Sam Laidlaw and yours truly get a lift each morning on the mini-bus â€" I bump into senior development coach Dan McPherson.

I ask ‘Frosty’, as he is affectionately known, if he was part of the crew that headed to Noosa yesterday afternoon.

“Should have,” he says.

“Had an absolutely horrible round yesterday.”

It turns out he was part of a game of golf between some of the coaches and players, which was far more in favour of the latter group.

McPherson played with senior assistant coach Simon Goodwin, defensive coach Jade Rawlings and head of development Brett Allison.

The victorious team featured Dom Tyson, Tom McDonald, Oscar McDonald and Jayden Hunt.

Paul Roos and game analysis and education coordinator Craig Jennings soon pull up in the mini-bus â€" the coach is driving today â€" after ducking up to ‘The Island’ café for their morning coffee.

We’re then on our way out to the Maroochydore Multi-Sports Complex for what promises to be the hardest session of the camp. But more on that shortly.

7:45am

Preparation begins.

Lynden Dunn is first on the bike, as Alex Neal-Bullen stretches on the floor.

Defensive coach Jade Rawlings is quickly on his laptop. He sits with a few players yet again before training, outlining vision and instructions. Dean Terlich, Cam Pedersen and Dean Kent each spend time with him. 

The tunes are then flicked on.

Dreams Come True by Su Bailey Feat. Louis Read is the first for the day. 

Training services coordinator Peter W.Roberts works on Chris Dawes before the session.

Outside, Liam Hulett tosses the ball against the rebounding net, sharpening his reflexes.

For tough-nut Jack Viney, he and the rest of the squad know it’s going to be a tough one.

“The rumours are that it’s going to be another 15 per cent increase in the workload from the last session. And the last session was a pretty big one for the boys,” he says.

“There is a bit of excitement and angst among the group. We’re ready to get stuck into a really tough session. It’s also really hot conditions here, so it’ll combine for a hard session.”

8:30am

Goodwin again presents the pre-training meeting.

He runs through some drills, which were also a strong focus earlier in the week.

“We want you to treat today’s training like a game,” Goodwin says.

Roos concludes with one final message.

“Everyone needs to go up a level again,” he says.

“No excuses.”

8:45am

Training is under way.

For the next three hours and six minutes, it’s relentless.

So much so that some of the players rate it the hardest training session they’ve done at the club â€" or at the very least, this pre-season.

Seven activities make up the morning.

Early on, manager of development Brendan McCartney gets his message across on the track.

He encourages, but it’s clear.

“Make it easy on your buddies â€" play like mangy dogs,” he says.

Roos later tells the players to give their teammate “a tickle” after some strong work on the track.

“Go give Gus a tickle,” he says to the players after Brayshaw works hard to get into position.

As training progresses, so too does the work of ruckman Max Gawn.

He impresses the coaching staff significantly, especially Roos.

By the end of it, Gawn is the big winner of the session â€" literally.

“I don’t know what he ate for dinner last week but he got the ‘Paul Roos Man of the Week Award’ for his efforts and picked up $100, so he was very lucky, Max,” Roos says afterwards.

“I just want to know if he’ll share it with his teammates or keep it for himself.

“I’ll leave it up to them and see what happens, but he’s been really good and the guys were saying that it was a really hard session. They performed well, given it was hot and there was a lot of pressure around the contest.”

Roos is also pleased with the training sessions of former Magpie Ben Kennedy and ex-Giant Tomas Bugg, who joined the club last October via the trade period.

“Benny Kennedy and Buggy are coming from other clubs and they’re learning, so it was good to see the way they went about it today. They took some great strides ahead and we really saw the way they’re going to impact the team,” he says.

“Kennedy showed some forward pressure and Buggy around the ball with his pressure and hardness, so it was good to see that.”

Captain Nathan Jones also earns praise from Roos.

“Even the skipper â€" who has been working really hard on his fitness â€" the way he has been covering the ground now at this time of the year has been good,” he says.

“He’s really trying to work on his open field running â€" he’s always been good around the stoppages â€" but to see him really work hard in the open field is good.

“So there have been really good signs.”

There are other encouraging indicators, such as big man Sam Frost’s performance, after only recently returning to the main group. For the versatile tall, he’s just happy to be back out amongst it, after missing most of last season â€" aside from the first three rounds â€" due to a toe injury. 

“It was [a] very tough [session]. It was around the three hour mark, so it was a pretty solid session for the boys to finish up on,” Frost says. 

“I did 80 to 90 per cent of the session, so I’m almost back to full training.

“I’ve just been introduced [last] Saturday, Monday and Wednesday, which was a bit lighter and this has been my biggest session since pre-Christmas. I’m almost back into full training so far.”

It’s been a most positive morning for the group and there is plenty to like from it.

Second-year player Billy Stretch, former captain Jack Grimes and midfielder Matt Jones finish first, second and third respectively for the most kilometres covered â€" highlighting the trio’s work rate.

Overall, Roos is rapt with his players’ efforts.

“We’ve been building the whole week and we wanted to do a real game-like session today and they responded really well,” he says.

“It was probably one of the best sessions we’ve had since I’ve been here, which was good.”

It must be noted that during training, a club favourite appears â€" 2011 best and fairest winner Brent Moloney, who now resides on the Sunshine Coast and plays for Noosa Tigers. He brings about 20 youngsters to the session as part of the Brent Moloney Academy, which he now runs in Queensland.

He’s still looking fit and ready to go and is in good spirits.

12pm

The group heads straight to Kawana Sports Precinct for lunch, before leg weights and education sessions.

A meat and salad buffet lunch is served and the players flock to it quicker than a seagull to a hot chip.

Some of the serving sizes dished up by the players would easily out do any hardcore all-you-can-eat veteran who has honed their craft at Pizza Hut, Smorgy’s or The Swagman. Oh, and if you don’t remember the latter two, do yourself a favour and have a look on YouTube!

Viney is “bloody excited” to tuck into the food.

“It’s been a big session and I haven’t eaten for bloody five hours, so I’m ready to get stuck into it,” he says.

“We had a big session with about 15-plus kilometres ticked off, so the boys are ready for some lunch now. They’re ready to refuel and rehydrate before we do the weights.

“I think it was the biggest session we’ve done this pre-season so far. We were well aware of what we were getting ourselves into and the coaches made it pretty clear it was going to be a pretty solid day of the camp â€" and they delivered.”

2pm

Goodrope, Laidlaw and yours truly hop back on the Jennings driven mini-bus, along with Roos, McPherson and Allison.

We head back towards our accommodation at Twin Waters, before Roos suggests â€" and shouts us all â€" a coffee and some “little treats” from The Island cafe, which serves his much-loved mocca. And a great latte, from what I discovered!

It goes down an absolute treat.

7pm

With the rest of the afternoon off, several of the crew goes for a dip in the beach or pool before a team barbeque is held at House 3.

The players make up the salads â€" one bowl per apartment â€" as the coaches cook the meat. Three barbeques are going, with Roos/McCartney, Mathews and McPherson manning them. Roos gets right into it and seems to thrive cooking the snags, hamburgers, chops and honey soy chicken.

There are some impressive salads made by the players, with spinach a strong theme across the board.

It’s a relaxing evening and a good way to cap off a successful day â€" and camp.

And with one day remaining â€" although it’s really a morning recovery session and a travel day â€" it’s safe to say that it’s been a genuinely successful camp.

[Barra13]

BRENDAN McCartney says Melbourne’s nine-day pre-season camp on the Sunshine Coast was the best one he’s been involved with during his time in football.

Speaking on the final day to Dee TV, the highly experienced coach and Melbourne’s manager of development said he couldn’t speak highly enough of the camp.

“It’s been brilliant. I’ve been on these [pre-season camps] a lot of times over a long journey and this is the best one I’ve been part of. It’s just a great balance of really planned and structured training and it’s pushed them (the players) to their limits,” he said.

“At the same time, it’s a phenomenal area and the down time has been really enjoyable and it’s allowed the players and staff to enjoy each other’s company, away from a footy environment.

“It’s just been tremendous.”

Although McCartney said bonding with the group was one of the most important aspects of the camp, he said there were so many things gained from the time away.

“[When] you go interstate into a holiday-type climate â€" and that’s what it is, it’s very relaxing â€" [you’ve got to make sure] you still transfer your footy program, so your education sessions, learning sessions and review sessions are still planned â€" and they have been,” he said.

“Training has still [been] of a high standard and we’ve still ticked the conditioning box, so that’s the important thing â€" through the combined efforts of all of the staff, leaders, senior players and the boys. They’ve got that done.”

McCartney said pre-season camps had come a long way since he first became a coach in the AFL in 1998, having previously been with Richmond, Geelong, Essendon and the Western Bulldogs.

“They’re less a bash, crash, smash arrangement â€" they’re much more structured,” he said.

“In the old days, it was almost do as much work until you drop. The game’s changed so much that it doesn’t allow you to do that anymore. There is an element to it â€" we certainly tested them physically and mentally [on Friday] with the main session in the heat.

“If anything, it’s the structured, planned nature of footballers that’s been built into these camps as well. You can’t invest that much energy just into one week and let it compromise 10 weeks after. To transfer our program into a nice climate â€" we got that done.”

McCartney said Melbourne’s final training session at Maroochydore Multi-Sports Complex on Friday was indicative of the club’s pre-season so far.

“They trained well. They’re probably getting to the stage â€" these boys â€" where they can break down their little drills and transfer their learning experiences into the bigger drills,” he said.

“Depending on the phase of the game or what part of the ground they’re at â€" their habits and behaviours are starting to become a little bit more habitual and easy to recognise.

“They handled the big drills well [on Friday] and they also handled the real football specific conditioning at the end, which I’ve seen clubs do for a long time now and it’s brutal. They handled it very well with a positive outlook.

“To be honest, it’s pretty much what we’ve had all summer from them. From day one of the pre-season, they’ve just consistently displayed a can do, will do approach to things and they’re building some really nice habits into the season.”

[Barra13]

Day 9: Saturday, January 23

8am

The final day of Melbourne’s nine-day pre-season camp on the Sunshine Coast has arrived.

In reality, aside from an 8am recovery session comprising of stretching/mobility on the grassed area at the Twin Waters complex and a dip in the ocean, it’s predominantly a travel day.

Elite performance manager Dave Misson takes the players for their final session, which lasts for roughly 45 minutes before the crew prepares for their flight back to Melbourne.

Misson says the boys have pulled up well from Friday’s training.

“We had a pretty big session yesterday, so we’re just doing a recovery session this morning,” he says.

“We’ll do a bit of flexibility on the grass and then head down to the beach and jump in the water and then get ready to come home.”

For Misson, the standout player of the session and the camp is ruckman Max Gawn, who was also lauded by Paul Roos and received $100 from the coach after tearing it up on the track on Friday.

But Misson adds that there are several others who leave the Sunshine Coast having had a strong camp.

“I think Max Gawn has been fantastic,” he says.

“Dean Kent’s had a great camp, but for me, it’s some of the guys who have cycled out of rehab and into the main group â€" guys like Bernie [Vince], Sam Frost, Angus Brayshaw and Dom Tyson. They almost did a full session yesterday and trained really well.

“For us, that’s a bit of a tick for our rehab program, with [development and rehab coach] Daniel Cross and [strength and conditioning team member] Alex Sakadjian. They’ve done a great job there and we’re looking for those players to get more and more footy into them over the next few weeks.”

Manager of development Brendan McCartney says it is “splitting hairs” to nominate the top few performers from the camp, as “right across the board” there have been players to impress.

But he adds that he has “really enjoyed seeing second, third and fourth year players show more of what they’ve got” on the camp.

“In their first year, you see little snippets and we saw that with some of them last year. As they get into their second, third and fourth year, they start to do it more regularly. That’s more painting a picture of the player they’ll become,” he says.

“There is some phenomenal young talent in this club and I said that at the end of last year â€" they’ve gone to another level of physical preparation and the physical capacity to do more work. They know more about the game and they’re starting to feel a lot more comfortable that they belong and that they can have an impact.

“It’s important us as a footy club continues to give them the opportunity to flourish and coach them in a way that’s got a consistency to it and a level of firmness. We’ve still got to remember that they’re still young guys learning about life and the game.

“Dom Tyson, Christian Salem and Angus Brayshaw â€" they’re showing more and more attributes that is going to see them as great long term players. All [of the players] have contributed in their own way â€" either vocally out on the field or in meetings. They’ll all put their hand up and done their bit, which has been pleasing.”

10:15am

The final mini-bus trip, with game analysis and education Craig Jennings at the wheel, consists of front seat passenger coach Paul Roos, senior assistant coach Simon Goodwin, players Mitch White, Matt Jones and Dean Terlich, plus media crew Matty Goodrope, Sam Laidlaw and yours truly.

We stop at a local petrol station to fill up the mini-bus, before dropping it back at the airport. A few of the other mini-buses in our crew also pull up. 

Poor ‘Jenno’ is soon caught in a tricky situation, having encountered a ‘sorry, I’m empty’ sign when he pulls up to a pump. With every other pump occupied, except one, he has to undertake a James Bond-like driving manoeuvre, combined with a dash of Austin Powers reversing and Mr Bean parking to claim it. Although Jenno was â€" pardon the pun â€" under the pump, he managed to remain cool, calm and collected under pressure. A big tick for the newest member of the coaching staff!

It’s just that when Roos goes to top up, the hose won’t quite reach. It’s agonisingly close. Another quick adjustment by Jenno with the mini-bus and we’re filling up with gas!

Perhaps, it was a ‘you had to be there moment’, but the sight of seeing this all play out and one of the game’s greatest names attempt to fill up â€" when the pump didn’t quite reach â€" was quite hilarious. Naturally, there were plenty of suggestions, encouragement and laughs from the mini-bus!

10:45am

With the group now at the Sunshine Coast Airport, the midday flight is now the last part of the trip.

Overall, the club is rapt with how the camp turns out.

The facilities for the players, coaches and staff have been excellent â€" from the accommodation at the Grand Mercure Twin Waters to the Maroochydore Multi-Sports Complex, where the squad had its main training sessions.

Melbourne Storm’s facility at Kawana Sports Precinct, the Maroochy Beach Gymnastics and the Alexandra Headland Surf Life Saving Club also provided first class venues.

AFL Sunshine Coast regional manager Paul Tresise was again a great help, while property manager Anthony Brown praised the help of volunteers Lawson Whitworth, Loki Haines, Jack Tomkinson, and Tarj Townsend and trainers Kandi and Tori at training sessions.

Roos says he’s delighted with the outcome of the camp and he’s eager to build on it when the club returns to Melbourne.

“It was a little bit different last year. Last year, we smashed them physically and this year we did that at Sorrento, so we purposely changed it up,” he says.

“We really wanted to build up this week and finish off with a good session and we’ve had three really good, hard footy sessions â€" not as hard as last year, although today’s (Friday) was.

“We’ll have a little break and then get stuck into the footy conditioning phase over the next month. It’s still early days, but it’s really good to finish on a high and now they’ve got three or four days off, so it’s good to have a break after a good last session.”

So what’s next for Melbourne before its NAB Challenge campaign starts against Port Adelaide in Elizabeth on February 27?

“We’ll just keep building our footy program. We’ve got a couple of sessions down at Casey in the next couple of Fridays. We enjoy going down there, as it’s a big ground,” Misson says.

“It gives us an opportunity to really hone in on the game plan and really embed that, so we’re really looking to get some decent sessions in before we start playing some games.”

“We made a decision after last year that it was probably a couple of days too long, so I think nine days has been perfect. We got four good sessions in, in that time. Overall, it’s been a great camp and I think everyone’s ready to go home today.”

It has been a fantastic camp and anyone who bleeds red and blue can be assured that the players, coaches and staff have done their absolute utmost to ensure Melbourne continues its journey towards success.

It’s very exciting to ponder where this group will be in the next few years. And if you think about the names that the club has secured in recent times, it only reinforces it.

Bring on 2016 and beyond!

GO MELBOURNE!

#myheartbeatstrue

[Purple 77]

Ah god, please don't be too bad TMac  :(

[Barra13]

It was just a knock from what I hear, he was running laps later.

[kilbluff1985]

thanks for the posts Barra

do you think Bennedy is best 22?

[Barra13]

I actually replied to someones team earlier regarding him. For me it is hard to say. At this stage the best spot I can see him in the team would be on the bench and rotating through HF/Mid. In saying that, he is not in my team.

From what I can gather the locks in the team are;

B: Neville Jetta | Lynden Dunn (vc) | Colin Garland
HB: Christian Salem | Tom McDonald | xxxxxxxxxx
C: Dom Tyson | Bernie Vince | Angus Brayshaw
HF: Dean Kent | xxxxxxxxxx | xxxxxxxxxx
F: Jeff Garlett | Jesse Hogan | xxxxxxxxxx
R: Max Gawn | Nathan Jones (c) | Jack Viney
I/C: Aaron vandenBerg | xxxxxxxxxx | xxxxxxxxxx | xxxxxxxxxx

E: xxxxxxxxxx | xxxxxxxxxx | xxxxxxxxxx

I see it starting like this;

B: Neville Jetta | Lynden Dunn (vc) | Colin Garland
HB: Christian Salem | Tom McDonald | Heretier Lumumba
C: Dom Tyson | Bernie Vince | Angus Brayshaw
HF: Dean Kent | Chris Dawes | Jack Watts
F: Jeff Garlett | Jesse Hogan | Sam Frost
R: Max Gawn | Nathan Jones (c) | Jack Viney
I/C: Aaron vandenBerg | Tomas Bugg | Ben Kennedy | Jack Grimes

E: Billy Stretch | Cameron Pedersen | Alex Neal-Bullen