No, it's not another thread about Christian Petracca - it's Demonland Fact-Check with a 'c', the home of unbiased, objective reporting.

There have been any number of rumours, conjecture and innuendo which have somehow evolved over the years and eventually entered into Demonland lore. But where did these ideas originate, and is there any evidence to support them?  For those subscribed to such 'facts', this is the place to substantiate them,  and for those who question false news and believe in at least some degree of truthiness, ask your questions here:

With our poor start to 2019, we already have some flimsy ideas being taken as gospel, so I'll get the ball rolling on a couple emerging subjects - but please add any widely reported Demonland beliefs about the history of the MFC you wish to have clarified. In this instance, Google is your friend.

Contention: Simon Goodwin didn't review the 2018 Preliminary Final face-plant against the Eagles.

Is this true? Or did Simon just not bother reviewing it with the squad, which some might argue is a worthwhile approach for a young team?

Contention: Our mismanagement of Joel Smith has blown a minor injury into a major one.

Sure, it doesn't look good - but is there any evidence this is genuinely the case? Or can someone provide expert opinion that it's likely to be so?

Contention: Steven May arrived at pre-season training unfit and out of shape.

He seemed to lag the pack according to reports, but was this due an attitudinal problem? Is GFC's fitness regime below standard? Was there enough time to bridge the gap?

Oh, and;

Contention: Petracca is fat.

Is he fat? I have no idea, but think it may be man-puberty. It would seem odd that he may have strayed do far from MFC dietary advice and still be getting a game - but I do recall some sort of joking reference to Maltesers or the like in a pre-season Gold Coast trip video and one of our support staff pricking his ears up. Anyone have access to MFC skin-fold data?

I wish was as fat as him!

3 hours ago, Skuit said:

Contention: Simon Goodwin didn't review the 2018 Preliminary Final face-plant against the Eagles.

Is this true? Or did Simon just not bother reviewing it with the squad, which some might argue is a worthwhile approach for a young team?

Personally, I find it hard to believe Goody at the very least hasn’t reviewed the tape of the Prelim.

2 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Personally, I find it hard to believe Goody at the very least hasn’t reviewed the tape of the Prelim.

Goody and strategist staff/team.

Edited April 2, 20196 yr by Wrecker45
Spelling

15 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Personally, I find it hard to believe Goody at the very least hasn’t reviewed the tape of the Prelim.

Is there a public record of him having said he/the coaching staff hasn't  - even if that isn't irrefutable evidence in the first place. This is what this thread is about - getting to the source.

From Michael Gleeson in the Age: "The Demons coach did not spend long dwelling on the preliminary final blowout, because his side was so poor they didn’t resemble Melbourne at all."

"The Demons did not do a regular play-by-play review of the game with their players because it was futile when they had played so far outside the way they know they should play, and outside the way they had been playing."

Goodwin (as quoted): I certainly didn’t dwell too much on the way we played because it was nothing like the way the Melbourne team plays. But you do reflect on the things in our program (sic?) we keep addressing and learning from."

Dated March 7 2019: https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/grand-final-was-the-real-lesson-for-the-demons-goodwin-20190307-p512hl.html

There's also another google reference to Goody not reviewing the game but it's behind a Hun paywall, and I recall he may have said something in a post-match interview or elsewhere about not reviewing. If it was future tense in the preliminary final post-match, I think that can be rejected as a pretty unreliable source.

Anyone else have anything?

 

14 minutes ago, Wrecker45 said:

Goody and strategist staff/team.

 

Sku....the voice of reason. How dare you! (I hope Amsterdam is warming up!)

Did they go over the Prelim? It was the last game of the season, so they would start their break pretty much then wouldnt they? A young team that played above themselves in 2 finals, were outmanned and ran out of petrol. There were not 80,000 Melbourne members supporting them. The team they beat there 3 weeks earlier had time to work them out and add missing personal. What is there to review really? Even if they did go over it, its some time before they got back to training and their strategic planning. Im sure the football dept noticed all the errors and hence one thing they did immediately was to try and recruit their way out of the problem, hence Steven May. Im sure everything that went wrong in that final, is now in the notebooks of the football dept.

Also saying 4 games in a row is also a pretty long bow. Its 2. JLT games are just practice and the prelim was 6m ago. They dont count. Maybe some people just wont let that loss go. I personally still cant believe we got to a Prelim after losing to StKilda. Dont give up peoples, your all tougher than this.

Contention: The Ollie Wines debacle. I have heard from DL that there was a heated discussion between T Viney and Neeld on the decision to recruit Jimmy T,  but I've heard conflicting info on who was on what side.

I've always assumed Viney was in the Wines camp due to the the close relationship between the 2 families.

Can anyone enlighten? 

Contention: The MRO/AFL Appeals process is corrupt and favours the big teams such as Collingwood.

If you're wondering why I've added this, have a look at the Michael Christian thread, particularly today (after Mason Cox was successful on appeal). As I keep saying, if you ever have a choice between conspiracy or incompetence, go with incompetence every time.

 

4 hours ago, Skuit said:

Contention: Our mismanagement of Joel Smith has blown a minor injury into a major one.

Sure, it doesn't look good - but is there any evidence this is genuinely the case? Or can someone provide expert opinion that it's likely to be so?

I'm not an expert whatsoever but if any punter out at Casey Fields who saw Joel Smith being put through a fitness test on the boundary line, and barely being able to jog, would contend that there is no way he should've returned to the field in a practice match.

There's a chance the injury may not have been further aggravated by Smith returning to the field, but there's no way known it would've helped either.

Now 'Smiley' Misson has no idea when he'll play footy again.

3 hours ago, Skuit said:

Contention: Petracca is fat.

 

 

 

What a fat [censored].

45 minutes ago, Moonshadow said:

 

 

44 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

 

What a fat [censored].

Clearly. The woman behind him can't even bear to look

3 hours ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Personally, I find it hard to believe Goody at the very least hasn’t reviewed the tape of the Prelim.

I agree. I reckon he viewed it a 100 times and thats why we can't recognise the game plan in its current state. he does like to experiment in the first part of the season

5 minutes ago, number 27 said:

I agree. I reckon he viewed it a 100 times and thats why we can't recognise the game plan in its current state. he does like to experiment in the first part of the season

Can you tell me what those experiments are ? 

I would be reassured if I saw some evidence of his experiments but I cannot see them.  

7 hours ago, Skuit said:

Oh, and;

Contention: Petracca is fat.

Is he fat? I have no idea, but think it may be man-puberty. It would seem odd that he may have strayed do far from MFC dietary advice and still be getting a game - but I do recall some sort of joking reference to Maltesers or the like in a pre-season Gold Coast trip video and one of our support staff pricking his ears up. Anyone have access to MFC skin-fold data?

Fact Check.. Is fat the right word to use...  Or perhaps  'Too Heavy'  might be a better question, in the first place ?

Contention:

until the team can deliver ‘plan A’, There is no use even having a plan B.

Evidence.

Plan A has not been sighted.  Plan B not sighted either.  Whenplan A works, we don’t need plan B.  When plan A doesn’t work, it’s because we are not delivering plan A.  Simples.  Plan B is a conspiracy theory.

Contention:  We Suck

Evidence:  Rounds 1 and 2

10 hours ago, Skuit said:

Oh, and;

Contention: Petracca is fat.

Is he fat? I have no idea, but think it may be man-puberty. It would seem odd that he may have strayed do far from MFC dietary advice and still be getting a game - but I do recall some sort of joking reference to Maltesers or the like in a pre-season Gold Coast trip video and one of our support staff pricking his ears up. Anyone have access to MFC skin-fold data?

Contention :  Petracca is too heavy

7 hours ago, Hell Bent said:

Contention: The Ollie Wines debacle. I have heard from DL that there was a heated discussion between T Viney and Neeld on the decision to recruit Jimmy T,  but I've heard conflicting info on who was on what side.

I've always assumed Viney was in the Wines camp due to the the close relationship between the 2 families.

Can anyone enlighten? 

Good one Hell Bent - this is on my list also. It's also a good one to demonstrate my own confirmation bias. I strongly disliked Neeld, love Viney, and wish we had selected Ollie for some midfield explosions. Hence, I've accepted it as true that Neeld overruled Todd - but think I've never read about it or heard any real evidence. 

Interesting that you've added another element - if there was a heated discussion, who's camp was Viney in?

6 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

 

What a fat [censored].

Hehe. Could be straight out of a gym session or flexing for the camera though? I was convinced by this photo that he was in good shape. Some reasonable posters who have attended training sessions have suggested he's not. I'm not sure how this one can be resolved?

Gary Lyon had a shot about May fitness. May himself confirmed he was not at the standard required by the club and has since suffered two soft tissue injuries. We lost Hogan for this guy did we do any due diligence on his work ethic. I have posted before that living on the Gold Coast have seen a lot of May. Has alway had soft tissue issues and appeared lazy. Lyon article seem to shine a light on this.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/garry-lyon-takes-second-stab-at-melbourne-recruit-steven-may/news-story/1f1237011f0c654c6f4bb1f1441d64f9

By the way Petracca by any definition is not fat.

 

43 minutes ago, Skuit said:

Hehe. Could be straight out of a gym session or flexing for the camera though? I was convinced by this photo that he was in good shape. Some reasonable posters who have attended training sessions have suggested he's not. I'm not sure how this one can be resolved?

 

This is a good basketball'rs build,  or amateur footballers.  Or toned street build.  So he shows a 6 pack , so what..  that isn't the sign of elite aerobic fitness

And where are the sinews, to be seen.    That suggest super low body fat.

.

Fact Check

Is Melbourne the Team in the AFL that people most like to kick while they are down and yet are most jealous of, if not name another one?