Jump to content

Featured Replies

  • Author
3 hours ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

Do we know what was said?,  There was an article on the AFL site that referred to this but when you read the article there was no mention of it.

It's in one of the post game interviews after the Grand Final. I can't remember if it was on Channel 7 or Fox Footy, sorry.

 

Tracc said on foxtel tonight that Chocco reminded him of all the mindfulness work he had done this year and told him to reset.   

7 hours ago, wizardinoz said:

Bugger signing him on for a few more years, let's make it for life! 😂

I know this is tongue in cheek but makes you wonder why Choco seems to have an expiry date at many clubs? As he said in the ABC article no one has wanted him. for a senior role and we picked him up from Werribee. 

His knowledge of football is amazing and he obviously knows how to motivate and develop players. I wonder if some clubs have seen him as too big a personality? I have heard second hand that our media dept. are keen to shield him away from as many interviews as possible.

Anyway, I'm glad we have him. Sometimes being a maverick goes a long way. What he has done with the young guys as well as the senior blokes has been amazing.

Edited by dee-tox

 
3 hours ago, dee-tox said:

I know this is tongue in cheek but makes you wonder why Choco seems to have an expiry date at many clubs? As he said in the ABC article no one has wanted him. for a senior role and we picked him up from Werribee. 

His knowledge of football is amazing and he obviously knows how to motivate and develop players. I wonder if some clubs have seen him as too big a personality? I have heard second hand that our media dept. are keen to shield him away from as many interviews as possible.

Anyway, I'm glad we have him. Sometimes being a maverick goes a long way. What he has done with the young guys as well as the senior blokes has been amazing.

It's because he is mad as a cut snake and no club will entrust their expensive playing list (costly in time and money) to his charge.

On the other hand, our now-excellent football department has found a way to use his best attributes to the advantage of our team, and to the gratification of "Mad Mark". Win-win. Win-win-win. Win win win win win win win win win win win .... (sorry, got carried away. GO DEMONS!!!)


These are posts from the Post Match thread but thought they are relevant here also.

23 hours ago, Premiers said:

Choco was rather coy about what he whispered to Petracca; it sounded a bit like he was appealing to Petracca's ego.  It worked!!

As you say he got the first clearance.  Then he looked unstoppable.  The next time we saw a close up of him (for a fraction of a second somewhere in the 2 Fritsch, Brown and Brayshaw goals sequence) he wore a fierce expression.  He didn't look satisfied with that handful of goals.  Then he went on a rampage.

Just shows what having coaches on the bench can do.  It is unlikely Choco's message coming thru headphones would have had the same affect.

Then I found more info:

8 minutes ago, Premiers said:

Apologies for quoting myself.  I just wanted to elaborate on the above. 

The Choco interview I was referring to is in this.  what-chocco-said-to-trac?  Choco's reflection on his 'whispering' to Petracca is in this article and starts @ 3.20.  Love Choco's cheeky expression when asked the question.

This is the fierce expression I'm referring to in the above post.  We then kicked 3 goals in less than a minute.  it was not long after Choco's 'whispering'.

2033941628_ScreenRecording2021-09-26at22_42_43.mov-00_38_366.thumb.png.1fbf384e1a51c08a67517c905d967e2f.png

 

Thanks to @Chookfor posting it in the favourite GF thread. 

 

Edited by Premiers

Apparently he gave the players a huge spray about being timmid and not taking the game on, and that change defintiely turned the game, the dogs couldn't go with us. 

 

5 minutes ago, Dwight Schrute said:

Apparently he gave the players a huge spray about being timmid and not taking the game on, and that change defintiely turned the game, the dogs couldn't go with us. 

I think it was more than the spray.

There was a good interview last night with Goodwin on OTC.  He made a lot of tactical changes after half time to get the contest back on our terms and take the heat out of Daniel and Bontempelli games.  The changes took 15 minutes to kick in but once they did there was no stopping us.

 

Thanks for doing this, everyone, including for the nods to the other coaches (I'm also appreciating the on-reporting from various media that I'm unable to get, by the way!)

I wonder if those to whom our thanks are directed get to see them? I hope so!

p.s. Also wondering of 2021's realised good-teammate-not-self culture has made players and coaching staff more open to each other's messages, making good coaches (and players) even better?

Edited by Timothy Reddan-A'Blew
p.s.

17 minutes ago, Premiers said:

I think it was more than the spray.

There was a good interview last night with Goodwin on OTC.  He made a lot of tactical changes after half time to get the contest back on our terms and take the heat out of Daniel and Bontempelli games.  The changes took 15 minutes to kick in but once they did there was no stopping us.

I feel as though Goody's cool, calm, collected approach and Choco's 'pizzazz' compliment each other so, so well.


Thanks Uncle Choco! We should have had you at this football club years ago! 

7 hours ago, dee-tox said:

I know this is tongue in cheek but makes you wonder why Choco seems to have an expiry date at many clubs? As he said in the ABC article no one has wanted him. for a senior role and we picked him up from Werribee. 

His knowledge of football is amazing and he obviously knows how to motivate and develop players. I wonder if some clubs have seen him as too big a personality? I have heard second hand that our media dept. are keen to shield him away from as many interviews as possible.

Anyway, I'm glad we have him. Sometimes being a maverick goes a long way. What he has done with the young guys as well as the senior blokes has been amazing.

I too wondered  what is this guy doing coaching a VFL side. He still has the hunger to be head coach and I think will challenge himself at times to remember his place amongst his colleagues - more so now that he is receiving public acknowledgement that he has contributed to another flag. 

We can all laud his efforts thus far, but equally when things are not going well, his temperament and style with the playing group can also contribute to his downfall. Personally I think as a development coach, he knows how to extract every last drop of talent from every player - which is great for the club - but may bruise a few egos along the way. His longevity will rest upon how well he can get this balanced. 

  • Author

I would love for @Demonland
to eventually arrange an interview with Mark "Choco" Williams on the Demonland podcast maybe, please?

Just so we can call in and give our heartfelt thanks to Mark "Choco" Williams for all the amazing work he has done as Head of Development. May his involvement at the Melbourne Football Club continue for many years to come!

Martin Flanagan summed things up well when he noted that it's been very 'un-Melbourne-like' people who have impacted our club the most throughout our history.

Norm Smith was a Northcote boy. Checker Hughes came from the blood lust culture of Richmond (and gave us our nickname). Jimmy was both an Irish and a Catholic, which seems incongruous for a club associated the Protestant establishment of Melbourne. Maxy might very well have been thrown out of the MCC members were he not our drought breaking captain.

Choco, while not having the same impact on the surface, can be considered among the people who have made a difference due to breaking the mold. He is passionate, mercurial and outspoken. While our culture can be poo-pooed unfairly, these qualities were excellent counterbalances to Goody's calmer approach. 

A brilliant pickup who I hope hangs around for at least 5 more years!

Dees had many jigsaw pieces to find to complete our premiership picture. 
 

The addition of Mark “choco” Williams was one critical piece. He and Yze brought winning culture and the mindset to compliment Goodwin. 
 

Thanks Choco. 


On 9/27/2021 at 11:27 AM, Supreme_Demon said:

I wanted to say a massive thank you to Mark "Choco" Williams for coming to the Melbourne Football Club.

Apparently he said something pretty inspiring to Christian Petracca while he was on the bench when the Grand Final was in the balance. This assisted with turning things around very quickly in the Demons favour.

Mark "Choco" Williams has probably been the recruit of the year for the Melbourne Football Club. I cannot sing his praises any higher.

I hope that the Melbourne Football Club sign him on for a few more years. He has made a massive impact on our playing group.

To think a few years ago no AFL club wanted Mark "Choco" Williams around. He has definitely proved them all wrong! What a legend!

ABSOLUTE LEVIATHAN!!

Williams and Yze have been the cream on the pie.

Mad as a cut snake and I love him. His appointment is right up there with the Jackson, Bartlett, Roos, and Goodwin appointments. 

And I reckon he is in the perfect role. No way could he be a senior coach again. The narrower the frame he works in the better he is. With all the coaches, development coaches, line coaches etc... in modern footy, he would go round the twist taking half the team with him. 

Please, please, please MFC pay him enough and keep him stimulated enough so he stays for a 5 year stint. Please! I reckon our premiership window could be 5 years long and I want this bloke involved. 

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

Featured Content

  • GAMEDAY: West Coast

    It's Game Day and the Demons have a chance to notch up their third consecutive win — something they haven’t done since Round 5, 2024. But to do it, they’ll need to exorcise the Demons of last year’s disastrous trip out West. Can the Dees continue their momentum, right the wrongs of that fateful clash, and take another step up the ladder on the road to redemption?

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 669 replies
    Demonland
  • FEATURE: 1925

    A hundred years ago today, on 2 May 1925, Melbourne kicked off the new season with a 47 point victory over St Kilda to take top place on the VFL ladder after the opening round of the new season.  Top place was a relatively unknown position for the team then known as the “Fuchsias.” They had finished last in 1923 and rose by only one place in the following year although the final home and away round heralded a promise of things to come when they surprised the eventual premiers Essendon. That victory set the stage for more improvement and it came rapidly. In this series, I will tell the story of how the 1925 season unfolded for the Melbourne Football Club and how it made the VFL finals for the first time in a decade on the way to the ultimate triumph a year later.

      • Love
      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 0 replies
    Demonland
  • PREVIEW: West Coast

    Saturday’s election night game in Perth between the West Coast Eagles and Melbourne represents 18th vs 15th which makes it a tough decision as to which party to favour. The Eagles have yet to break the ice under their new coach in Andrew McQualter who is the second understudy in a row to confront Demon Coach Simon Goodwin who was also winless until a fortnight ago. On that basis, many punters might be considering to go with the donkey vote but I’ve been assigned with the task of helping readers to come to a considered opinion on this matter of vital importance across the nation. It was almost a year ago that I wrote a preview here of the Demons’ away game against the Eagles (under the name William from Waalitj because it was Indigenous Round).  I issued a warning that it was a danger game, based on my local knowledge that the home team were no longer easybeats and that they possessed a wunderkind generational player in Harley Reid who was capable of producing stellar performances playing among men a decade and more older than he.  At the time, the Eagles already had two wins off the back of a couple of the young man’s masterclasses and they had recently given the Bombers a scare straight after their Anzac Day blockbuster draw against the then reigning premiers.

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 1 reply
    Demonland
  • NON-MFC: Round 08

    Round 08 of the 2025 AFL Season kicks off on Thursday with a must-win game for the Bombers to stay in touch with the top eight, while the struggling Roos seek a morale-boosting upset. Friday sees the Saints desperate for a win as well if they are to stay in finals contention and their opponents the Dockers will be eager to crack in to the Top 8 with a win on the road. Saturday kicks off with a pivotal clash for both sides asthe Bulldogs look to solidify their top-eight spot, while Port seeks to shake their pretender tag. Then the Crows will be looking to steady their topsy turvy season against a resurgent Blues looking to make it 4 wins on the trot. On Election Night a Blockbuster will see the ladder-leading Pies take on the Cats, who are keen to bounce back after a narrow loss. On Sunday the Sydney Derby promises fireworks as the Giants aim to cement their top-eight status, while the Swans fight to keep their season alive. The Hawks, celebrating their centenary, will be looking to easily account for the Tigers who are desperate to halt their slide. The Round concludes on Sunday Night with a top end of the table QClash with significant ladder implications; both Queensland teams are in scintillating form. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons?

      • Thanks
    • 183 replies
    Demonland
  • PREGAME: West Coast

    The Demons hit the road in Round 8, heading to Perth to face the West Coast Eagles at Optus Stadium. With momentum building, the Dees will be aiming for a third straight victory to keep their season revival on course. Who comes in and who goes out?

      • Thanks
    • 563 replies
    Demonland
  • REPORT: Richmond

    The fans who turned up to the MCG for Melbourne’s Anzac Day Eve clash against Richmond would have been disappointed if they turned up to see a great spectacle. As much as this was a night for the 71,635 in attendance to commemorate heroes of the nation’s past wars, it was also a time for the Melbourne Football Club to consolidate upon its first win after a horrific start to the 2025 season. On this basis, despite the fact that it was an uninspiring and dour struggle for most of its 100 minutes, the night will be one for the fans to remember. They certainly got value out of the pre match activity honouring those who fought for their country. The MCG and the lights of the city as backdrop was made for nights such as these and, in my view, we received a more inspirational ceremony of Anzac culture than others both here and elsewhere around the country. 

      • Love
      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 0 replies
    Demonland