This looked like a mid 2000 Melbourne game - in the dark dark times. Beaten on the inside, killed for pace on the outside, other team looks even faster because of their delivery skills. Missed tackles. We're desperately short of AFL grade personel, not hard enough, not skilled enough. 

I don't want to go back to the days of 3:20 Sunday games agains the Suns at the G with 9000 in attendance. But that's where we're heading unless we have a rejuvenation. Peter Jackson, where are you?

I’m sure Goody will be pleased by the way our forward line clicked tonight & has been so impressive all year🤮🤮🤮 The Petty forward experiment has been a disaster & must be killed off for the 2025 season. Either swap TMac back to CHF or blood Jeffo , FFS.

3 minutes ago, Demon Dynasty said:

Many times Jaded.  The black dog's paid me many a visit over the years and suffering one of the worst episodes of late.

I'm well versed unfortunately.

In today's world though you just have to soldier on one day at a time and try to dig your way out.

You have no choice, especially when you know your kids / family's welfare depends on you getting up each day, facing the music and bringing in the $$ to feed, keep roof over head etc.

At least from a $$ perspective, most footballers don't have that awful worry hanging over them.  They at least have that to be thankful for in that most will be set for life if they last about 8 to 10 years in the circus and use their coin wisely.

Tracc's appearance was built up all day.  It was even on 7 news pre-match, it was one of the upcoming highlights.  "We'll be speaking with Petracca pre-match blah blah blah".

So he must have agreed to do so i assume yes?

If you're that far out of it, surely better not to commit at all?  Pulling out just means even more speculation and more pressure on himself surely?

I'm not questioning that he hasn't experienced massive physical or mental trauma and a huge cathartic type experience.  I get where he's coming from.

I'm just saying, from where i sat, the body language and no show on 7 might not auger well in terms of where his future lies as a footballer be it with us or wherever.  Time will tell of course and hope i'm wrong.

I’m sorry to hear that. Please take care of yourself!

I think that we have a lot of good tall marking players in the team now.

Injuries have decimated our midfield and we clearly need to bring more players through there.

I have been hearing that we need more players in the 25-28yr bracket, but as our players get a year or two older this will

be bridged. There is no one player that we can get to answer all of our needs.

The group playing and learning together with a clean bill of health is our best chance.

What concerns me is the gameplan. What are we trying to do?

Can we give up manning grass? We need to have a whole squad approach to selection and management

It should be about the team winning not the individual.

1 hour ago, Demon Dynasty said:

Absolutely this.  2025 is most likey more of the same trash if we think we "just need a big pre-season and get the boys fit & healthy".

Without significant change to systems, game style, skills, pressure (4 quarter effort) and a big win at the draft / trade table... bottom 6 looms large.

Too many very ordinary or worse footballers on this list right now.

All line coaches and their systems need reviewing regardless of Stafford moving on

FCS pls get a great forward coach in.  We completely suck inside 50 bar Kozzy and an upcoming Turner who shows a bit.  Same with method skills in transition and bringing ball into the 50.  The mids & HBs have NFI.

Putrid and just embarrassingly amature stuff across the board for three seasons now.  Are we seriously gonna make it a fourth [censored] failure in a row here!!!!???????????

I really think we are not fit enough to compete in finals either.  We seem incredibly slow.

The Pies ran right over us with their fitness as well as our poor skills etc etc.

There's no easy fix.

Big changes are needed.

Sad way to end a terrible year. I was really hoping to finish on the up with a win over the Pies (especially after we looked good last week) but not to be. It's unbearable losing to them, especially in such pathetic fashion.

39 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

It's all about him really.

Jon Ralph was right on first crack tonight. When we're attempting to recruit players to the club they're legitimately turning away due to the Trac issue and obviously his silence. 

It's no wonder some of the players wouldn't have issue if he did in fact leave because they know its always been about him and his brand.

The Melbourne Football Club isn't high on Petracca priority list.

I understand if he's disillusioned with the game in general after what he went through Daz.

But if he needs more time away from it then just take it until 110% ready to jump back in mentally & physically yes?

Wouldn't the club be allover this and vetted him big time to ensure he hasn't returned too early?  For his sake and his teams mates etc?

No point coming back half baked with the wrong mind set or being too restricted physically?

Maybe he'll never be the same and we'll get an NQR Tracc 2.0 from here?

Agreed though, the longer any speculation continues, without being refuted by him directly, the more likely it is to hurt our chances as a destination club for those who might be weighing their options as this season ends.

WTF were people expecting?? It was the most average team we’d played all year. So many missing parts..why the doom and gloom. Had some moments..completely outclassed. No midfield..no backline and the forwardline probably was our best line…get realistic… we were not good enough because we had too many NQR parts

1 hour ago, BoBo said:

He may not be psychologically ready/able/willing enough to do a live interview?

He went through a life threatening situation about 3 months ago. That can really affect a person. It has nothing to do with being a maturing man or a leader. Mental health issues can be crippling and can happen to anyone. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is immune from mental health issues.

I agree BoBo but our PR team could / should / would have vetted the interview and ran it by Tracc beforehand surely?

He wouldn't have agreed to go ahead otherwise yes?

1 hour ago, Dingo said:

Who has to come back fitter - besides Clarrie and the injured players?

The whole team.

1 minute ago, Demon Dynasty said:

I agree BoBo but our PR team could / should / would have vetted the interview and ran it by Tracc beforehand surely?

He wouldn't have agreed to go ahead otherwise yes?

I 100% get what you are saying, but all the vetting in the world can fall short when it comes to someone’s mental state, which put under pressure like an on air interview, can change very quickly in it’s stability. Especially if mood swings are at play which can happen in a matter of seconds. The fact he said yes and withdrew is not a good sign. 
 

I’ve made the point Traccs silence means he wants to leave and I now recognise that (even if it’s true) is a massive secondary issue compared to his mental health. So personally I don’t feel comfortable in speculating about anything that’s going on.
 

I’m sincerely not casting aspersions on you or other posters, but I’ve been getting weird vibes for a number of days about questioning why he is or isn’t doing things but that’s just me.

I legitimately just want him to be ok as this has all the makings of being way more serious than footy. 
 

 

15 minutes ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

WTF were people expecting?? It was the most average team we’d played all year. So many missing parts..why the doom and gloom. Had some moments..completely outclassed. No midfield..no backline and the forwardline probably was our best line…get realistic… we were not good enough because we had too many NQR parts

 

indeed.

With no may, losing Lever late was the icing on the cake. 

If the icing was unappetising and the cake worse. 

1 hour ago, Demon Dynasty said:

Many times Jaded.  The black dog's paid me many a visit over the years and suffering one of the worst episodes of late.

I'm well versed unfortunately.

In today's world though you just have to soldier on one day at a time and try to dig your way out.

 

Sorry to hear mate. I hear you though, going through another tough one of my own lately and it's affecting some things usually taken for granted.

Tale it easy.

2 hours ago, DubDee said:

Definitely looking at pick 6 with a chance of pick 5

And ... gives us an easier fixture next year. 2 x North, 2 x Richmond, 2 x West Coast, here we come.

1 hour ago, frankie_d said:

This looked like a mid 2000 Melbourne game - in the dark dark times. Beaten on the inside, killed for pace on the outside, other team looks even faster because of their delivery skills. Missed tackles. We're desperately short of AFL grade personel, not hard enough, not skilled enough. 

I don't want to go back to the days of 3:20 Sunday games against the Suns at the G with 9000 in attendance. But that's where we're heading unless we have a rejuvenation. Peter Jackson, where are you?

Look, I understand your point but we had Tracca, Oliver, May, Lever, Sparrow out.. Poor Viney tagged and hugged so it was hard to feel a win when you have so many out.  Plenty of players well below AFL standard. Frankly I would never had played Tomlinson. Hope he finds another VFL club to play for. (sooner rather than later) 

29 minutes ago, bing181 said:

And ... gives us an easier fixture next year. 2 x North, 2 x Richmond, 2 x West Coast, here we come.

And .... Sunday arvos.

One things for certain is that we can’t match Collingwood’s high octane, helter skelter offence. Time and time again they’re just to slick for us. And what was the deal with their desperation in a dead rubber of a game versus our mid February AAMI community series like defensive pressure on display last night?

I’m flabbergasted we actually won a game against them last year. Hopefully it’s just once we meet next year.

3 hours ago, layzie said:

Sorry to hear mate. I hear you though, going through another tough one of my own lately and it's affecting some things usually taken for granted.

Tale it easy.

Thanks L.  I try to remind myself of all the lucky things i have and that so many have a much tougher time of it.

We are living in a land of plenty as they say but in the end you have to still deal with whatever stress is thrown your way.

All the best with your issues also. 

Life amd circumstances can be pretty cruel at times or it can also turn on a dime the other way of course and end up turning around.  Surround yourself with good ppl, family and friends where possible and keep moving towards the light etc.

My mantra when following the Demons often keeps me sane in a daily sense as well... "hope for the best, prepare for the worst!" 😊

6 hours ago, Dee Zephyr said:

The happy clappers can get what sorry?

The Eeyores are having their time in the sun. Must be such fulfilling lives.

6 hours ago, The heart beats true said:

Shout out to the MCG staff for making no effort to protect the value of our memberships, by letting anyone sit anywhere they wanted.

It's Collingwood's ground these days. 

See you troopers again next season. Live and love large. It's been a pleasure. Onwards and upwards in 2025! 

@Demon Dynasty @layzie 

Take care the both of you. Times are certainly tough and I deal with these issue on a day to day basis as part of my line of work.

My DM is always open if in need of a chat.

7 hours ago, Dee-tonator said:

Two minutes to go and Billings finds the perfect way to sum up the season, running unchallenged into an open goal ---- and missing.

Poor Billings I felt genuinely sad for him in that moment. 

4 hours ago, bing181 said:

And ... gives us an easier fixture next year. 2 x North, 2 x Richmond, 2 x West Coast, here we come.

Is that a certainty? or just something the AFL takes into consideration when doing the fixture

I don’t think we tried particularly hard, nor did we need to for any reason at all. Who cares about pride, absolute dead rubber for us apart from a better draft pick by losing which is actually a good thing. 
 

Good result I say, no need to put people on the line and risk injury. This was part of 2025 preparation and the boys did well. Bravo, now am excited about 2025 nothing about this game mattered apart from losing gracefully and injury free for us. 
 

Crappy attitude? Or just the pragmatic truth?