Trac’s Pep Talk & Belief in Dees Resurgence

[Willmoy1947 4,205]

After what's been  happening around Australian AFL Clubs everywhere, this year and last, I would not blame any players from any Clubs about how much they talk to supporters. The media Mags would conjure up anything that G and K hear and tell us, and misconstrue it on purpose and bang, there we go again.

 

[Deestar9 1,774]

On 12/02/2025 at 08:50, Demons1858 said:

Happy to withdraw the word random. My point however is that players are guarded and usually give a rose coloured view of things. When l have asked players how they are going at training, not once has a player said they are upset with the diection of the club or have issues with the coach staff or fitness staff. l also dont recall reports on this forum from others that have spoken to players saying similar things. Hence, l would love to here from Tracc on the record. He doesnt have to particularly if he doesn't want to stay, but it would be great to hear. My 12 year old son is still annoyed with him and Clayton wanting to leave and others haven't forgotten either

Maybe you are just a random supporter and don’t have the relationships with the players that GW & Katrina does. I love the  hiatus period where most supporters are looking forward to the season & excited to read anything about the team but the closer we get to the season ..threads start to take on the snide derisive comments which reminds me that my time of enjoying DL is rapidly coming to a close & then it’s never reading before a game ..or during the game & then maybe after a win. My main thing then is I  always listen to the DLand podcast. 

[Fork 'em 7,048]

 Let's face it.
Club media during this time time of year is all kum ba yah propaganda regardless of what's going on inside the club.

[GS_1905 145]

I’ll never forgive Trac. Ever. I’ve learn to live with it but for a die hard like me, his actions were the ultimate betrayal. Maybe I’m old school but when you pot the club in the manner that he did it us unforgivable. 

[Sydee 4,638]

36 minutes ago, GS_1905 said:

I’ll never forgive Trac. Ever. I’ve learn to live with it but for a die hard like me, his actions were the ultimate betrayal. Maybe I’m old school but when you pot the club in the manner that he did it us unforgivable. 

Given recent departures at senior level within the club maybe some potting was warranted and deserved ? 
 

We may never know but it sure seems odd that his concerns about the direction of the club coincided with others leaving 

[bush demon 2,175]

On 12/02/2025 at 22:24, Fork 'em said:

 

When my son was a young fella Tom Scully was his favourite player cause they shared the same 1st name.
Scully left so he took a shine to Jessie Hogan.
Hogan left the Demons and my young fella was lost to footy.

When I was young I was horrified when Steven Smith changed his number from 35 to 1.
Made my duffel coat that I'd just forked out my hard earned pocket money numbering up during the off season outdated.

I just want to say that l went to the footy for years with Paul Callery's 35 on my back, and have never regretted it...

[58er 6,824]

On 12/02/2025 at 22:09, dazzledavey36 said:

I still haven't gotten over Jeff Farmer leaving for Freo. Shattered, distraught as a 11 year old, you name it.

I sincerely reckon we could have Western Bulldogs 2016 a flag in the mid 2000's had Farmer stayed....

And yes, I stand by that.

Really DD and you stated you can’t understand my posts!!! 
Have a relook at yours about a flag in 2016? One of the most bizarre claims from left field I have ever read. 

we were better than in 2013/4 but a flag!!!! We had just started our rise back gathering some new players but nowhere near ready for that.

One for the “I really don’t know what I was thinking file “. A post of staggering reflection and fantasy. 

Perhaps our win over the Hawks gave you this misconception!!! 

[Ethan Tremblay 31,243]

45 minutes ago, 58er said:

Really DD and you stated you can’t understand my posts!!! 
Have a relook at yours about a flag in 2016? One of the most bizarre claims from left field I have ever read. 

we were better than in 2013/4 but a flag!!!! We had just started our rise back gathering some new players but nowhere near ready for that.

One for the “I really don’t know what I was thinking file “. A post of staggering reflection and fantasy. 

Perhaps our win over the Hawks gave you this misconception!!! 

Re-read what Dazzle wrote. He didn’t say if we kept Farmer we would’ve won the 2016 flag. He said that if we kept Farmer, we would have “Western Bulldogs’d” a flag in the mid-2000’s. Suggest a little less time mashing the keyboard and being so quick to pot posters, and spending a little more time reading posts. 

[dazzledavey36 55,912]

5 hours ago, 58er said:

Really DD and you stated you can’t understand my posts!!! 
Have a relook at yours about a flag in 2016? One of the most bizarre claims from left field I have ever read. 

we were better than in 2013/4 but a flag!!!! We had just started our rise back gathering some new players but nowhere near ready for that.

One for the “I really don’t know what I was thinking file “. A post of staggering reflection and fantasy. 

Perhaps our win over the Hawks gave you this misconception!!! 

What on earth are you on about? Before you start screaming at the clouds, take a breather and have another attempt at reading what I actually wrote.

You're all over the shop.

Edited February 13 by dazzledavey36

[forever demons 2,322]

On 12/02/2025 at 08:02, Ghostwriter said:

Katrina’s not just a random supporter. I’m seriously over people calling the likes of Kat and me random supporters. We deserve more credit than that. Why? Because we devote so much time and effort to the club, ridiculous amounts of both, way too many things to list here, some we can’t list here for various reasons. We do it for one reason that being we love our teams.

Folks like Katrina and I DON’T want or expect thanks, truly we don’t. But not calling us random supporters would be very welcome.

go getum girl

[ManDee 7,323]

6 hours ago, 58er said:

 

Good morning all.

Edited February 13 by ManDee
Unkind

[Dee Viney Intervention 1,972]

On 12/02/2025 at 22:24, Fork 'em said:

 

When I was young I was horrified when Steven Smith changed his number from 35 to 1.
Made my duffel coat that I'd just forked out my hard earned pocket money numbering up during the off season outdated.

Hope you kept the Duffel Coat. You will need it next year. 

[Roost it far 9,666]

9 hours ago, GS_1905 said:

I’ll never forgive Trac. Ever. I’ve learn to live with it but for a die hard like me, his actions were the ultimate betrayal. Maybe I’m old school but when you pot the club in the manner that he did it us unforgivable. 

I understand your sentiment. However we don’t actually know the half of what transpired between The Brand and the Club. What we do know is we’ve replaced our President and we all seem happy with that. We’re replacing Pert which is a relief for most of us. We’ve changed the Assistant coaching panel. We’ve also heard and some believe they’ve seen an overall improvement in the mojo of the team and The Brand is in ripping shape. Now do any of these things occur without some disturbance? Maybe The Brand’s response was exactly what the club needed when it needed it. It’s pretty well known that our coach’s passion for the job had waned significantly since 21. He seems pretty well invested right now. As always there are different routes to foster change but most are bumpy and uncomfortable. I’m not one for holding grudges, kinda a waste of energy especially when the person you’re carrying for is the one man you really need on your side to win the Flag.

[GS_1905 145]

9 hours ago, Sydee said:

Given recent departures at senior level within the club maybe some potting was warranted and deserved ? 
 

We may never know but it sure seems odd that his concerns about the direction of the club coincided with others leaving 

59 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

I understand your sentiment. However we don’t actually know the half of what transpired between The Brand and the Club. What we do know is we’ve replaced our President and we all seem happy with that. We’re replacing Pert which is a relief for most of us. We’ve changed the Assistant coaching panel. We’ve also heard and some believe they’ve seen an overall improvement in the mojo of the team and The Brand is in ripping shape. Now do any of these things occur without some disturbance? Maybe The Brand’s response was exactly what the club needed when it needed it. It’s pretty well known that our coach’s passion for the job had waned significantly since 21. He seems pretty well invested right now. As always there are different routes to foster change but most are bumpy and uncomfortable. I’m not one for holding grudges, kinda a waste of energy especially when the person you’re carrying for is the one man you really need on your side to win the Flag.

We don't know the specifics, sure. But the optics stink. Trac wanted to leave the club and went full throttle to make sure no stone was unturned. What happened to him was awful and i felt terrible at the time about what he and the family went through, especially as the Brayshaw retirement was still so raw. But choosing to unleash on the club in such a public way was unprecedented in the footy industry. But agree @Roost it far, it is a waste of energy for grudges. I just don't hold a very high opinion of him and don't trust that he has changed his ways. I'd still wager that he will try and jump ship at end of year if we don't play finals. 

[Ghostwriter 4,172]

11 hours ago, GS_1905 said:

I’ll never forgive Trac. Ever. I’ve learn to live with it but for a die hard like me, his actions were the ultimate betrayal. Maybe I’m old school but when you pot the club in the manner that he did it us unforgivable. 

Hey GS, I well and truly hear you. I too was filthy on him and swore I’d never forgive him. But then on his first day back at training, after the session, he spoke with me and a friend (H) for 20-25 mins during which time Tracc vented and H and I just listened. It was raw and honest and heartfelt and most of all… unexpected. The chat only ended when I said we had to go. H and I walked towards Richmond station in stunned silence, the silence eventually broke with H saying, “what just happened? What the actual [censored] just happened???” He was saying what we were both thinking  

We were both rapt that each other was there at the time since it was so much to process and we ended up debriefing at the station for a good half hour. I was so rattled I left my phone on a bench, then ended up on the wrong train.

Please believe me when I say Tracc has learned from the experience, he sees things differently now, he’s been humbled and he is 100% committed to our Club. And mind you, this is coming from someone who never liked him in the first place. (Ugh having ‘Nam flashbacks to long before this incident when I shared on here that I didn’t like Tracc and was tarred & feathered for it.)

Anyways, if it doesn’t happen beforehand, you’ll forgive him when you see him out on park. 

Edited February 13 by Ghostwriter

[BDA 23,020]

I was very unhappy with Trac over his trade solo run particularly the talk joining clubs like Carlton or Collingwood would be better for his brand. Really derisory towards our club. 

but I say let bygones be bygones. If he applies himself and gives his all to the cause then I’ll have no further issue with him. 
 

go dees

[Ghostwriter 4,172]

10 minutes ago, GS_1905 said:

We don't know the specifics, sure. But the optics stink. Trac wanted to leave the club and went full throttle to make sure no stone was unturned. What happened to him was awful and i felt terrible at the time about what he and the family went through, especially as the Brayshaw retirement was still so raw. But choosing to unleash on the club in such a public way was unprecedented in the footy industry. But agree @Roost it far, it is a waste of energy for grudges. I just don't hold a very high opinion of him and don't trust that he has changed his ways. I'd still wager that he will try and jump ship at end of year if we don't play finals. 

If he does try to jump ship at the end of the season, so be it. No one is irreplaceable. But I guarantee you this: while he’s in red and blue he will give us his all, and some. He’s nothing if not professional. He has the hunger just as much as every other player. 

[Bay Riffin 1,493]

10 hours ago, GS_1905 said:

I’ll never forgive Trac. Ever. I’ve learn to live with it but for a die hard like me, his actions were the ultimate betrayal. Maybe I’m old school but when you pot the club in the manner that he did it us unforgivable. 

i agree. great player and everyone has the right to feel negative towards the club but you keep it internal. He stuffed up the brand Goodwin had built over the previous 5 or so seasons. When a top player like Houston did an about face watching it, that was it for me. As a teammate how could you listen to him after that. 

[Ghostwriter 4,172]

2 minutes ago, BDA said:

I was very unhappy with Trac over his trade solo run particularly the talk joining clubs like Carlton or Collingwood would be better for his brand. Really derisory towards our club. 

but I say let bygones be bygones. If he applies himself and gives his all to the cause then I’ll have no further issue with him. 
 

go dees

File this under “don’t believe everything you read in the media” 

[BDA 23,020]

52 minutes ago, Ghostwriter said:

File this under “don’t believe everything you read in the media” 

i don't believe anything i read in the newspapers. in fact, i rarely read them or watch MSM.

but i don't think the club would leak that sort of info because it makes the club look bad. i could be wrong of course

[Bring-Back-Powell 15,289]

When's he due back to full contact training?

Is the plan to take him over to Mandurah for the final praccy match?

Assume he's on track for round 1 V GWS??

 

[Ghostwriter 4,172]

1 hour ago, BDA said:

i don't believe anything i read in the newspapers. in fact, i rarely read them or watch MSM.

but i don't think the club would leak that sort of info because it makes the club look bad. i could be wrong of course

I can’t say where it came from but one place I believe it didn’t come from is Tracc. If someone spills their guts like this, passionate and nonstop, why would they insert a lie amongst all the brutally honest talk? It’s not like we asked him about it, like I said, he spoke the entire time, me and H just stood there in shocked silence waiting for The Twilight Zone music to play. 😳

[Sydee 4,638]

2 hours ago, GS_1905 said:

We don't know the specifics, sure. But the optics stink. Trac wanted to leave the club and went full throttle to make sure no stone was unturned. What happened to him was awful and i felt terrible at the time about what he and the family went through, especially as the Brayshaw retirement was still so raw. But choosing to unleash on the club in such a public way was unprecedented in the footy industry. But agree @Roost it far, it is a waste of energy for grudges. I just don't hold a very high opinion of him and don't trust that he has changed his ways. I'd still wager that he will try and jump ship at end of year if we don't play finals. 

Apologies in advance if I'm incorrect but was he ever interviewed and made public statements trashing the club and demanding a trade to enhance his brand? If so, I haven't seen those maybe you could copy them here for all to see

Seems to me there was a lot of media commentary asserting things but no firm evidence of much at all

Was he annoyed about something? probably

Did he have cause/justification to be annoyed? probably

Would certain high-ranking officials have left if his concerns whatever they were be completely without substance? probably not

I really see no point in saying anything negative about a guy that seems to have refocused and appears fully on board with the mission to get us back where we belong - competing at the pointy end of the season

If he is not our best footballer on the field he is damn close to it. I prefer to believe he did what he did to shake up the place which seemed to be becoming more than a bit comfortable with mediocrity  

[DistrACTION Jackson 10,258]

1 hour ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

When's he due back to full contact training?

Is the plan to take him over to Mandurah for the final praccy match?

Assume he's on track for round 1 V GWS??

 

Will be interesting to see if he's back in full contact training today...

I think the club has been just playing it ultra cautious the last few weeks. If it was in season there is no doubt he would've already been playing, potentially even the week after it happened going by reports it was on the minor end.

[layzie 34,350]

On 13/02/2025 at 06:36, DistrACTION Jackson said:

Yep…. Literally as the siren sounded the umpire blew his whistle. What a disaster that was. I was right behind the kick, it started right and looked like a behind and then somehow swung back the other way, a bit like Jordan Dawson’s from Crows when he did it v Port. Except Farmer was closer to goal.

The similar aged me went through the final moments of that game in their mind afterwards possibly more than any other in memory. What could we have done? Why did we let Leigh Brown free in the 50 to kick the goal that got them within a point? With 10 seconds left in our backline maybe we should have just kicked a rainmaker up to the wing so even if Freo got possesion back the hangtime might have taken more time off the clock. Every single scenario that we could have done better. 

It may not have been billed as a big game to the public but as game time came round it ramped up. Freo were undefeated at Subi and it was being nicknamed the house of pain taking victim after victim. They asked Neale about this on the pre game coverage and Danners just replied "Well, we haven't been here yet this year". It was such a tough game, goals at a premium and it felt like the only ones being scored were really good ones. Losing Jeff hurt so damn much in the first place, this was just cruel.