Went today. Realised my last visit to Colonial/Etihad/docklands/Marvel was when Juice Newton took his MOTH in 2007, also against North, also a loss. Now I remember why I haven’t been back. Hate the place. Oh and not knowing how we would go this year was a bit  perplexing after last years downer and all the hype in the pre-season  Now at least I know. 🫤

Can you imagine all these rumours now that are going to go around about max? Plus now it gives trolls & horrible morons chance to post [censored] on social media. 

2 hours ago, Devil In Disguise said:

Trac didn’t look like an elite player all game. Got worse as the game went on. Thank God Clarry didn’t leave.

Didn't see a huge amount of leadership from Trac today. Just a head shake. The problem with holding players against their will...

1 minute ago, dees189227 said:

Can you imagine all these rumours now that are going to go around about max? Plus now it gives trolls & horrible morons chance to post [censored] on social media. 

Oh don't worry, it's already started on X..

15 minutes ago, At the break of Gawn said:

They wanted Trac forward, Oliver on the bench may have just been a rotation thing. Honestly if we always need Oliver and Trac in the center then we'll go no where this year.

I agree with your premise but 3 goals was a serious enough deficit, especially as weren’t playing that well and to start the last with our second string mids was way too risky, we were immediately punished for it.

The only winner today was Essendon who have our 1st round pick

Calling the flag a fluke is stupid. We were untouchable. What it was, however, was lightning in a bottle. We have never managed to string performances like that in a high pressure environment since. 2022 we drank our own bathwater, 2023 we couldn't deal with Collingwood and Carlton crowds in the finals and kicked like we were blindfolded. 5 weeks, out of Victoria, all together. It will never happen again. It has hobbled us in a way too, because we're so terrified of repeating the sacking of Smith that we've put all our eggs into Goodwin's basket and he is quite clearly unable to adapt to the next generation underneath him.

Edited March 23Mar 23 by Pirlo

11 minutes ago, dees-picable said:

Went today. Realised my last visit to Colonial/Etihad/docklands/Marvel was when Juice Newton took his MOTH in 2007, also against North, also a loss. Now I remember why I haven’t been back. Hate the place. Oh and not knowing how we would go this year was a bit  perplexing after last years downer and all the hype in the pre-season  Now at least I know. 🫤

If the AFL needed an enema, the tube would be placed there.

As bad a performance live that I can remember, and a pretty monumental drop off from the week before. Scoreboard flattered us all day. Made to look slow and largely disinterested. Lots of broken tackles, lots of turnovers, lots of bombing to no-one, lots of frustration.

Once again - we're the laughing stock of the competition. Barely won a game for 10 years - then won a flag that no one saw - then knocked out twice in straight sets - now we're in that unfortunate limbo where our formerly elite players are too old to exert game-changing influence, and the younger players either aren't good enough or aren't ready.

We have been blessed to have had this era from 2021 - 2023 where most things went right most weeks - unfortunately it all went wrong in 2022 and 2023 at the wrong time.

I'd expect a pretty strong response against Gold Coast next week.

9 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Oh don't worry, it's already started on X..

The nightmare continues, thanks Simon.

After all the hard work during the off season to steady the ship and shut all the vitriol and rumours around the club, now Simon comes out and in 20 seconds reignites the pille on from the media.

Bravo 👏🏻!!

2 hours ago, SPC said:

Goodwin fluked a flag

Yeah, sure he did. 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

12 minutes ago, Pirlo said:

Didn't see a huge amount of leadership from Trac today. Just a head shake. The problem with holding players against their will...

We saw three fifth’s of f**k all in terms of on field leadership from everybody, Gawn, Tracc, Oliver, Viney, Langdon, Lever……

7 minutes ago, Pirlo said:

Calling the flag a fluke is stupid. We were untouchable. What it was, however, was lightning in a bottle. We have never managed to string performances like that in a high pressure environment since. 2022 we drank our own bathwater, 2023 we couldn't deal with Collingwood and Carlton crowds in the finals and kicked like we were blindfolded. 5 weeks, out of Victoria, all together. It will never happen again. It has hobbled us in a way too, because we're so terrified of repeating the sacking of Smith that we've put all our eggs into Goodwin's basket and he is quite clearly unable to adapt to the next generation underneath him.

There is a point here that often gets lost. 

To the person asking what the problem is with our two late 20s superstars taking the huge $$s...the problem is them. 

I loved the flag and it wasn't a fluke.

But do I think we would have won if we weren't forced to live in a bubble for half the year? No, I don't. I think our best players are easily distracted, often focused on the wrong things, naturally selfish and in their own heads. In a world where everything else stopped - this was ideal, as all those distractions fell away and the wandering focus was directed into one thing - the '21 outcome. 

Since they both reached their peak, our successes have always rested on trac and Clarry's shoulders. 

Gawn has been incredible, Viney a warrior and some good players have passed through around them. But it's always been down to Trac and Clarry. 

If they aren't right, we aren't right. 

By the way - I am rapidly losing all faith in Lever. 

He is a poor 1v1 defender, a poor kick, average decision maker and often found out at ground level. 

You can't play an intercepter these days that offers nothing going forward. He's a big part of our problems in d50 - we are beyond pathetic when the ball hits the deck. He can't move, Tom Mac can't move, Petty is too big, Salem is old and today Rivers was a total headless chook. Bowey is the only small ground level running player down there and he has clear deficiencies defensively. 

Mcvee covers a lot of errors. As Hibberd did before him, and Jetta before him. We clearly lack that player when he isn't there (Alarming)

There was a point in the last when Lever was caught upfield and was genuinely more interested in telling off Howes' positioning than be was getting back and defending his man. He was literally gesticulating towards Howes whilst the north guy was kicking the ball over his head. He ended up giving the free kick away as he couldn't turn to look at the ball, as he totally lacks athleticism. Just the wrong type of leadership. And a pretty average player to boot. 

Edited March 23Mar 23 by fr_ap

If this guys on Demonland do yourself a favour and take up lawn bowls. Max Gawn has been a champion and will be forever grateful for the flag he landed.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHiK2EBvHf2/?igsh=Y2s0NzJ4MWFkbHo0

Our flag wasn’t a fluke. I’m not sure how much attributed Goody, to me most was to Burgo, Yze, Choco and the players. I’m sorry if I upset people, but Goody has never struck me as a motivational coach, nor an analytical one. I think he arrived with the right supporting coaches and the list. I think he is not taking us to the next finals, so good time to move on

Edited March 23Mar 23 by SPC

I was skeptical even after last week. Majority of our goals were scrappy rather than system.

If our 1 wood of contest is smashed like today then we are nowhere.

I just can’t see how we can play the game the way the good teams play it. We can’t score from the defensive half of the ground, we’ve improved a little on turnover but still don’t look confident. 
 

I’ve always backed Goody but I just don’t think he knows how to attack, and/or doesn’t have the players to do it.

Do we start over? 

1 minute ago, SPC said:

Our flag wasn’t a fluke. I’m not sure how much attributed Goody, to me most was to Burgo, Yze, Choco and the players. I’m sorry if I upset people, but Goody has never struck me as a motivational coach, not an analytical one. I think he arrived with the right support coached and the list. I think he is not taking us to the next finals, so good time to move on

He inherited a functioning list full of young stars. Got very lucky.

1 minute ago, ElDiablo14 said:

He inherited a functioning list full of young stars. Got very lucky.

As did Lamb. 

The flag was Peter Jackson, Mahoney, Todd Viney, Taylor and Roos (for inspiring Gawn). And Burgess.

As is often the way, most of them weren't there to enjoy it and others have been taking credit ever since. 

Edited March 23Mar 23 by fr_ap

33 minutes ago, CHF said:

Hard to come up with any positives from this hot mess of a game.

A few of my observations:

- Our much vaunted midfield, Max included got handed a beating.

- Our defence got handed a beating.

- Our forwards, except for Chandler, are still trying to find the ground let alone the ball.

- No teamwork or connection.

- Little evidence of any on-ground leadership.

Where to from here? the coaches do not sound like they have any answers. Giving the team a collective cuddle and making them feel loved does not look like an effective gameplan.

We could try goal kicking practice and a bit of endurance training. we missed a lot of kickable goals today and looked to run out of (interest and) puff in the last quarter.

Looking forward to less of a mess next week.

I can live in hope.

 

That's the thing right.

Casey blew the game against North in the VFL through really bad conversion.

It is and has been so bloody obvious for so many years.

Ultimately Goody is responsible for the coaching team he puts around him, the training and skills development and the game plan.

The players look completely lost and 5 wins from the last 17 spells a complete crisis.

It's all very sad

6 minutes ago, Deesprate said:

If this guys on Demonland do yourself a favour and take up lawn bowls. Max Gawn has been a champion and will be forever grateful for the flag he landed.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHiK2EBvHf2/?igsh=Y2s0NzJ4MWFkbHo0

Did you see Trac's face... this is the worst thing that happened today imo

3 hours ago, Go Ds said:

I'm hoping North are lot better than everyone realises. But right now we need an impressive win against Suns to restore any morale.

I’d even settle for an unimpressive win

it’s early but I’d be planning … 
 

Go and Get Longmire …. Not an accumulator (now there’s a throwback!)

be prepared to trade #5 and Pickett and be ready to be ruthless 

Seeing Carlton fans leaning over the fence and spraying their own players had always been funny to me because they are Carlton and always fun to see them in pain, but man, not so funny when it happens to us..

Seeing that video of fans giving it to the players as they were coming off and Petracca and Gawn being the only players to acknowledge the noise and looking/staring as they were going off was a painful sight.

Petracca had a sorrowful look in his eyes which made it more sad considering the off season fiasco on top of the apparent off field issues the captain had been dealing with. 

Edited March 23Mar 23 by VNightCityLegend

Bottom line is Goodwin cannot get the Forward line functioning. 
If the players cannot put a plan into action, then that still comes back to the Coach 

9 Goals in a Covered Roof Stadium is [censored]

Meanwhile North went Rampant 

Goodwin has to be put under serious pressure. I don’t care if it’s Round 2, that looked like a player revolt. Nobody was interested…

3 years our Forward line has not functioned properly