On 29/03/2025 at 05:27, titan_uranus said:

To cop a flogging in the middle once is bad, but can be explained away and redeemed by what comes next.

To be - somehow - worse the following week tells us everything we need to know.

We are a mile off. A mile. Almost nothing that we do is acceptable, let alone good. Our skills are deplorable. Our tackling is genuinely weak. Our confidence is shot, our midfield is at sea, and our fitness is unbelievably poor.

I reckon Gold Coast are going to belt a few sides this year, but look at their list and midfield depth. It’s so much better than ours it’s not funny. And when we rob Peter to pay Paul by standing Trac in the goal square whilst our mids get creamed at stoppage, we shoot ourselves in the foot.

Langford has a bright future, Bowey was very good and I thought Langdon was good too. But we had at least 8 players you’d be comfortable dropping, and that level of uncompetitiveness will see us land in the bottom 4 if it doesn’t improve, and quickly.

I wish we could drop eight. So very very much.

  On 29/03/2025 at 05:21, DeeZee said:

If we finish near the bottom this year Goodwin is almost certainly gone

I'd question that, there are too many variables. Starting inside the club, and how much the FD and Board would hold Goodwin responsible. Also, there's the longer term to be considered: there's an argument that it's never good to bring in a new coach with a team that's bottoming out. Better the old coach stay on until things stabilise and then make the change, e.g. Clarkson/Mitchell at Hawthorn. What Yze is going through at Richmond isn't good for anyone, he came in at least one season too early.

But I don't think it'll come to that, in spite of plenty of evidence to the contrary. I think that once we get more players back and the team stabilised and used to a new way of playing, things will start to look up later in the season. I could be wrong ...

  On 29/03/2025 at 04:59, whatwhat say what said:

Worst we’ve looked in a long time

No positives out of that result

Fingers crossed Lindsay didn’t do his acl

This is going to be a long thread and sadly a much longer season.

Sorry to bring this up:

2011 Rd19 Geelong 233 vs Melbourne 47 Skilled Stadium (today's GMHBA Stadium)

2025 Rd4 Geelong ? vs Melbourne ? GMHBA Stadium 4th of April Fri. 7:40pm

Thank you Simon Goodman for bringing a Premiership cup to us, really appreciate...

  On 29/03/2025 at 05:33, bing181 said:

I'd question that, there are too many variables. Starting inside the club, and how much the FD and Board would hold Goodwin responsible. Also, there's the longer term to be considered: there's an argument that it's never good to bring in a new coach with a team that's bottoming out. Better the old coach stay on until things stabilise and then make the change, e.g. Clarkson/Mitchell at Hawthorn. What Yze is going through at Richmond isn't good for anyone, he came in at least one season too early.

But I don't think it'll come to that, in spite of plenty of evidence to the contrary. I think that once we get more players back and the team stabilised and used to a new way of playing, things will start to look up later in the season. I could be wrong ...

Very wishful thinking

Simply, the cliff has arrived for a few of our older players - unfortunately probably starting with Max, May and Viney.

  On 29/03/2025 at 05:33, bing181 said:

I'd question that, there are too many variables. Starting inside the club, and how much the FD and Board would hold Goodwin responsible. Also, there's the longer term to be considered: there's an argument that it's never good to bring in a new coach with a team that's bottoming out. Better the old coach stay on until things stabilise and then make the change, e.g. Clarkson/Mitchell at Hawthorn. What Yze is going through at Richmond isn't good for anyone, he came in at least one season too early.

But I don't think it'll come to that, in spite of plenty of evidence to the contrary. I think that once we get more players back and the team stabilised and used to a new way of playing, things will start to look up later in the season. I could be wrong ...

Goodwin won’t last this situation

He has hit the wall

We do have to acknowledge that Pickett, McVee, Windsor and Lindsay being out all at once is a disaster. We are so devoid of pace and skill and almost all of it on our list sits with these four.

But again, that says as much about our list management as anything. With them out, we’re running with Howes and Billings (neither are good enough), AJ and Sharp (really honest goers but not really at the level, at least not yet), and are carrying players horrendously out of form/confidence in Fritsch, JVR, Rivers and Viney. And calling on Spargo, Woewodin and Laurie isn’t going to help.

  On 29/03/2025 at 05:21, DeeZee said:

Totally bereft of confidence , fumbly and indecisive, no forward line and looking old and slow.

Sad how the downward spiral can happen so quickly.

If we finish near the bottom this year Goodwin is almost certainly gone , and there will be a few years of pain before we can hopefully get back up there again, led by the likes of Windsor, Langford, Lindsay , Mcvee.

When you’ve gotta bring in guys from the VFL and blokes like Billing’s , you know the end is near.

He should bow out now under the guise of personal reasons ( that he's personally forgotten how to win).

But in all seriousness he should leave before what you say comes to pass. As it sure will.

He's a premiership coach that needs to leave with as much dignity as possible. Rather than being sacked for a shocker of a year that will overshadow his incredible achievement..

Edited March 29Mar 29 by leave it to deever

  On 29/03/2025 at 05:21, P-man said:

If someone can provide an update on Goodwin’s post match that would be appreciated. I’d watch it but I’ve already had an afternoon nap.

My guess is it'll be something along the lines of "learnings, in that space, lost our shape, not where we want to be."

  On 29/03/2025 at 05:30, leave it to deever said:

Or once touted defence that stopped even the best , kicking over 12 goals a game has disappeared.

No, it hasn't disappeared, other teams have worked out how to get past it. Fast, run and gun footy doesn't allow the backline to set up, which is what used to be our strength.

  On 29/03/2025 at 04:54, Demonland said:

If the “era” wasn’t already over it is dead and buried now.

I called the Freo loss in Alice last year era defining.

We have completely unravelled as a club since then and there is very little to be enthused about right now. We don't look like a happy team. Gold Coast certainly did today.

  On 29/03/2025 at 05:37, bing181 said:

No, it hasn't disappeared, other teams have worked out how to get past it. Fast, run and gun footy doesn't allow the backline to set up, which is what used to be our strength.

It’s also stoppage dominance. -18 in CPs and -16 in clearances this week. Last week -19 in CPs and -12 in clearances. At our peak we rarely lost these stats, which prevented quick breaks against our defence. How often did North and Gold Coast run out the front of stoppages? No defence can compete against that.

Out with the old!! In the with the new!

We will not see any success until we leave the past behind once again

Get as many games into the kids as possible, ride the roller coaster and cop this year on the chin, because it's gonna succcck

The alarm bells have been ringing for a few seasons ! The utter failure to trade in fwds, & other experienced talent whilst in the top 4, the culture issues raising its ugly head & gifting games to Oliver is at the core! The flipping of game plan mid season & now what’s he’s text move after 2 x10 goal loses?? He’s time is up & thanks for the flag but you mange to push us over the Cliff!!!

Just got back - that was absolute garbage from start to finish. I would say only Bowey, Chin and maybe Henderson and Langford got pass marks.

Skills are atrocious, really really bad. We played like The Dog and Duck today and made a not very good Gold Coast look brilliant.

I have a hunch that something is not right within the four walls - I have nothing to base this on, other than watching a team that looks completely disconnected from each other. And this is supposed to be a group that has ‘healed’ and ‘full of love for one another’? Give me a spell.

Also - this new system we’re trying? I can’t even tell what it is, unless it’s to lull the opposition into a false sense of security about how bad we are, and hope to jag a few goals when their guard is down.

Can’t wait for the press conference: “there are certainly areas we need to get better at.”, “not up to the level”, “well done to Gold Coast”, “beaten in all phases”. Tick them off the list.

The buck has to stop with Goody now - granted, he’s not out on the field, but he is in charge of this rabble.

Should have held ANB to his contract.

Remember after we won the flag and the expert journalists/ commentators said this was the beginning of a “dynasty” ?

I scoffed.

Unfortunately l was right.

  On 29/03/2025 at 05:37, bing181 said:

No, it hasn't disappeared, other teams have worked out how to get past it. Fast, run and gun footy doesn't allow the backline to set up, which is what used to be our strength.

Yea your right to a degree. Our fwd line pressure or lack of thereof has seen several " coast to coast goals". ( Fritta a whacking two tackles off the back of none last week)

But they still need to be faster to recover and regroup. The fumbles have to stop. And they need to communicate much more. But I'm just so tired of seeing to defenders go for the same mark against one opponent who had the footy iq to stay down and watch them make a meal of it.

So I think on balance the backline has gone backwards.

22 is was our fwd line ( still realing)

23 despite the constant objections by several prominent and respected posters here....see our fwd line review in previous paragraph.

24 our backline .....see above again.

25. A new coach if not before. And a bus load of some tough trading and recruiting.

Thanks for the ride MFC it was incredible while it lasted.

  On 29/03/2025 at 05:31, Heart Beats True said:

Alright everybody grab your [censored]-word bingo cards for Simon's cliche riddled press conference.

"But our fwds connection was a bit off, we had a few sore players out there, our midfield struggled against a good side today, Max will improve on that, Clarry is working hard, Trac was shadowed by a good opponent, our defenders struggled a bit, we should have perhaps played a few quicker players, our delivery was a bit off, blah blah blah! .................................. This was totally unacceptable, period! We are the AFL's laughing stock.

  On 29/03/2025 at 05:49, Dingo said:

Remember after we won the flag and the expert journalists/ commentators said this was the beginning of a “dynasty” ?

I scoffed.

Unfortunately l was right.

2022 was retirement gift for Selwood and 2023 was $$$$$$$ for the AFL. We weren't winning either of them.

  On 29/03/2025 at 05:49, Dingo said:

Remember after we won the flag and the expert journalists/ commentators said this was the beginning of a “dynasty” ?

I scoffed.

Unfortunately l was right.

That was said by our peanut president in the rooms after the game. Cringeworthy at the time.

We look disinterested from the start. Maybe the coaches voice has gone stale. Goodwin has gotten the most out of the group and imo it’s time for a new voice to take us forward.

Bye bye Goodwin and thanks for everything u have done.

  On 29/03/2025 at 05:33, bing181 said:

I'd question that, there are too many variables. Starting inside the club, and how much the FD and Board would hold Goodwin responsible. Also, there's the longer term to be considered: there's an argument that it's never good to bring in a new coach with a team that's bottoming out. Better the old coach stay on until things stabilise and then make the change, e.g. Clarkson/Mitchell at Hawthorn. What Yze is going through at Richmond isn't good for anyone, he came in at least one season too early.

But I don't think it'll come to that, in spite of plenty of evidence to the contrary. I think that once we get more players back and the team stabilised and used to a new way of playing, things will start to look up later in the season. I could be wrong ...

Do you really want the great coach and man seen responsible for wooden spoon?

I don't.

And then what. How well will we do the the year after.

I personally respect the man. Yes I've called for his head today but genuinely because I don't want to see him removed because we missed two double chances, then finished 14 , then last and then another poor year.

Let him go now. Best for him and couldn't be worse for the club. That's where I think it's win win in a tight spot.

Edited March 29Mar 29 by leave it to deever

One of the worst, most infuriating losses i have seen live for a very long time.

10x worse than last week.

Made even more infuriating by what was the worst display of umpiring I have ever seen (though ro be clear it had no bearing on the result).

Edited March 29Mar 29 by binman

To have 2/10 level field skills one week is a one off. To have it two weeks in a row shows something is wrong. The confidence levels are down and need to be addressed pronto.

As for Fritsch, I watched him shoot twice from one of the 'Fritta pockets' one missed narrowly right and the other well left across the face. How does this happen? Well bad habits can sneak in to a technique but confidence can also stuff it up. It's no use telling him to do more goal kicking practice, he's probably doing plenty of that anyway.

And what about all the fumbling? There were moments we'd literally have the ball in our hands and it would miraculously slip out like there was some alien inside it about to hatch.

A win today with some kind of vision on what we're trying to achieve would have alleviated a lot of the stress. 0-3 and the narrative is already plastered up in all over the place. I trip down to hubcap town next week and a big defeat will make things very very uncomfortable for Simon.