Jump to content

Featured Replies

Posted

I’ve been doing some reflection on how our premiership success was achieved. The Who and the How our club has been rescued from the dark days, brought back into the light and finally delivered Premiership success. Ultimately the feeling of exhilaration for us Dees fanatics. 


1. Jack Viney - father son selection - heart and soul

2. Peter Jackson   Paul Roos   Jason Taylor  critical appointments 

3. Salem Petracca  Brayshaw Oliver  - getting it right in the top 10 draft picks 

4. Max Gawn - 2015 starting to show his coming of age to show he is ready to be the number 1 ruckman 

5. Appointment of Simon Goodwin 

6. (Josh Mahoney)  the trades to get - Hibberd Lever May Langdon Brown 

7. the successful 2nd round picks  ANB Petty Spargo Fritsch Sparrow Jordon Rivers, Bowey (on top of trading out 2nd rounders to get Melksham, Hibberd, Langdon, Brown). 

8. Progressive breaking of hoodoos and victories against Tigers, Hawks and Saints and Cats. Turning around to creating the winning culture. 

9. the appointment of Darren Burgess  

10. the drafting of young guns Jackson, Pickett,  Rivers, Bowey 

11. the appointment of Yze and Choco 

12. The team culture. Selflessness.  Doing the right thing for the Team. The culture of all being part of the success. 
 

It’s strange how the “curse of Norm Smith” actually contained the secret to unlock the curse.  Smith based his coaching on “ the team “ .  He had the team all aligned on key principles.  Whilst there are individuals with talent and brilliance, ultimately team success is achieved together and helping each other as part of your role.  Smith (also like Goodwin) had to instill the sense of belief into the players. Believing you can win it, is an equal part to having the players capable of winning it. 
 

Smith also knew that to achieve ongoing success, he had to keep refreshing the team, finding improvement from the existing team and also continuing to look to add new talent.  Let’s find the improvement, stay focussed and continue to achieve that premiership glory.    

 

Norm Smith had Jim Cardwell as a recruiter and Checker Hughes as his mentor and Chairman of Selectors unfortunatley I cannot remember who were the coaches of the Reserves or U19 at the time but I remember watching the Reserves play before the main game.

Great coaches surround themselves with good assistants and good recruiters like great CEO's in industry because at the end of the day the head coach in the modern game needs more good/great assistants when the team is in trouble. 

A big thing for mine is that we didn't seem to fight too hard to convince guys who mighted have wanted to leave the club to stay. Players who are considering jumping ship for 'success' are exactly the kind of people you don't want at your club...especially our club which had a recent history of the tail wagging the dog.

We seem to have managed to find a group of players of good character who seem to be invested in the idea that the MFC is not simply a vehicle for their own fame, but rather an important organisation that means a lot to a lot of people, and that representing this club is a privilege moreso than a right.

 
32 minutes ago, Wrecker46 said:

Norm Smith coaching Barassi, who coached Blight who coached Goodwin.

I’ve been thinking about this. Not just coached, but each coached the next to a premiership. You could add Checker Hughes coached Norm Smith, who coached…

 

Also suggests there’s a future premiership coach currently in our playing group. Any suggestions?

Edited by Allus Monk


Jimmy Stynes for restoring the relationship with the MCC

The AFL for realising that the MFC was a basket case, bad for the competition, and thus giving support

Previous board members for realising they could be the problem and stepping away

Ensuring Jonesy got the the 300 club (I knew we were something special then)

  • Author
1 hour ago, Allus Monk said:

I’ve been thinking about this. Not just coached, but each coached the next to a premiership. You could add Checker Hughes coached Norm Smith, who coached…

 

Also suggests there’s a future premiership coach currently in our playing group. Any suggestions?

I reckon Jake Lever has coaching capabilities post his playing days.   Leadership.  Intense type person but also connects well with others.  

1 hour ago, Wrecker46 said:

Norm Smith coaching Barassi, who coached Blight who coached Goodwin.

 

1 hour ago, Allus Monk said:

Also suggests there’s a future premiership coach currently in our playing group. Any suggestions?

Steven May is already coaching!

We are blessed to have both May and Lever -- two outstanding football brains and on-field coaches -- in the one team. Massive advantage and no co-incidence that we are the league's best defensive unit.

 
4 hours ago, Allus Monk said:

I’ve been thinking about this. Not just coached, but each coached the next to a premiership. You could add Checker Hughes coached Norm Smith, who coached…

 

Also suggests there’s a future premiership coach currently in our playing group. Any suggestions?

Jake Bowie. The kid never loses.


28 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

* Bowey  :D

I can't spell Smyth or Lion correctly, so give me some lenience on Bowey.

Thank goodness Leocelli doesn't play for us anymore, I would have no hope.

I still can't get Trengrove right either.

Edited by Wrecker46
For fun

Shout out to Gary Pert for maintaining the finances and staying the course during the COVID era in particular. 

You make enough good decisions in anything you'll eventually come out on top. Melbourne have made excellent decisions in three areas that has set them apart from the competition.

1. Fitness and conditioning. Superior fitness under Burgess is there for everyone to see.

2. Drafting and recruitment. Jason Taylor is batting at close to 100 percent which is unheard of.

3. Development. Our kids have developed better and quicker than any other club. Choco and the David Neitz Academy seems to be a great match.


  • Author
34 minutes ago, dee-tox said:

You make enough good decisions in anything you'll eventually come out on top. Melbourne have made excellent decisions in three areas that has set them apart from the competition.

1. Fitness and conditioning. Superior fitness under Burgess is there for everyone to see.

2. Drafting and recruitment. Jason Taylor is batting at close to 100 percent which is unheard of.

3. Development. Our kids have developed better and quicker than any other club. Choco and the David Neitz Academy seems to be a great match.

Agreed. Good points.  It takes a lot to get right to get to the top.  

The Blokes have all chipped in as well:

May be an image of 5 people and text

4 hours ago, Wrecker46 said:

I can't spell Smyth or Lion correctly, so give me some lenience on Bowey.

Thank goodness Leocelli doesn't play for us anymore, I would have no hope.

I still can't get Trengrove right either.

Ha ha.  I still remember some “sports journalist” in the Herald Sun writing about what a good game Leon Chelly played. 

  • Author
12 hours ago, Jibroni said:

The Blokes have all chipped in as well:

May be an image of 5 people and text

Agree. Point 6 from my starting post. Mahoney trades were pivotal to our success. Melksham probably unlucky not to be added as well but Spargo’s good form kept him out all year.  

I'd like to acknowledge BMAC. 

As a rule of thumb in the industry - it's known that it takes 7 years or so to build a team for a premiership.

Significant influence on the training standards and support for Brayshaw, Petracca, Viney and Harmes - lauded as one of the top midfield groups - who just happened to come up against another one of the top midfield groups in Bontempelli, Liberatore, MacCrae who he had a significant influence on.... and he also had significant influence on Ablett, Ling and Chapman.

 

Edited by Engorged Onion


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

  • PREVIEW: Gold Coast

    The Gold Coast Suns find themselves outside of the top eight for the first time since Round 1 with pressure is mounting on the entire organisation. Their coach Damien Hardwick expressed his frustration at his team’s condition last week by making a middle-finger gesture on television that earned him a fine for his troubles. He showed his desperation by claiming that Fox should pick up the tab.  There’s little doubt the Suns have shown improvement in 2025, and their position on the ladder is influenced to some extent by having played fewer games than their rivals for a playoff role at the end of the season, courtesy of the disruption caused by Cyclone Alfred in March.  However, they are following the same trajectory that hindered the club in past years whenever they appeared to be nearing their potential. As a consequence, that Hardwick gesture should be considered as more than a mere behavioral lapse. It’s a distress signal that does not bode well for the Queenslanders. While the Suns are eager to remain in contention with the top eight, Melbourne faces its own crisis, which is similarly deep-seated but in a much different way. After recovering from a disappointing start to the season and nearing a return to respectability among its peer clubs, the Demons have experienced a decline in status, driven by the fact that while their form has been reasonable (see their performance against the ladder leader in the Kings Birthday match), their conversion in front of goal is poor enough to rank last in the competition. Furthermore, their opponents find them exceptionally easy to score against. As a result, they have effectively eliminated themselves from the finals race and are again positioned to finish in the bottom half of the ladder.

    • 3 replies
  • NON-MFC: Round 15

    As the Demons head into their Bye Round, it's time to turn our attention to the other matches being played. Which teams are you tipping this week? And which results would be most favourable for the Demons if we can manage to turn our season around? Follow all the non-Melbourne games here and join the conversation as the ladder continues to take shape.

      • Haha
      • Like
    • 276 replies
  • REPORT: Port Adelaide

    Of course, it’s not the backline, you might argue and you would probably be right. It’s the boot studder (do they still have them?), the midfield, the recruiting staff, the forward line, the kicking coach, the Board, the interchange bench, the supporters, the folk at Casey, the head coach and the club psychologist  It’s all of them and all of us for having expectations that were sufficiently high to have believed three weeks ago that a restoration of the Melbourne team to a position where we might still be in contention for a finals berth when the time for the midseason bye arrived. Now let’s look at what happened over the period of time since Melbourne overwhelmed the Sydney Swans at the MCG in late May when it kicked 8.2 to 5.3 in the final quarter (and that was after scoring 3.8 to two straight goals in the second term). 

    • 3 replies
  • CASEY: Essendon

    Casey’s unbeaten run was extended for at least another fortnight after the Demons overran a persistent Essendon line up by 29 points at ETU Stadium in Port Melbourne last night. After conceding the first goal of the evening, Casey went on a scoring spree from about ten minutes in, with five unanswered majors with its fleet of midsized runners headed by the much improved Paddy Cross who kicked two in quick succession and livewire Ricky Mentha who also kicked an early goal. Leading the charge was recruit of the year, Riley Bonner while Bailey Laurie continued his impressive vein of form. With Tom Campbell missing from the lineup, Will Verrall stepped up to the plate demonstrating his improvement under the veteran ruckman’s tutelage. The Demons were looking comfortable for much of the second quarter and held a 25-point lead until the Bombers struck back with two goals in the shadows of half time. On the other side of the main break their revival continued with first three goals of the half. Harry Sharp, who had been quiet scrambled in the Demons’ first score of the third term to bring the margin back to a single point at the 17 minute mark and the game became an arm-wrestle for the remainder of the quarter and into the final moments of the last.

    • 0 replies
  • PREGAME: Gold Coast

    The Demons have the Bye next week but then are on the road once again when they come up against the Gold Coast Suns on the Gold Coast in what could be a last ditch effort to salvage their season. Who comes in and who comes out?

      • Haha
      • Like
    • 150 replies
  • PODCAST: Port Adelaide

    The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 16th June @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we dissect the Dees disappointing loss to the Power.
    Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show.
    Listen LIVE: https://demonland.com/

      • Thanks
    • 33 replies