8 hours ago, poita said:

I take it by "around the mark" you mean finishing 14th again?

Assuming we'll see improvement from May, Lever, Tholstrup, Sparrow, Kentfield, Moniz-Wakefield and Howes is delusional in the extreme.

If we could learn to win a few close games and adjust our game style, we could be back in the finals and who knows what happens from there. The expectation that seasoned players, who took us to finals and a premiership, rediscover some good form coupled with growth in our young talent is hardly delusional.

There's enough evidence of that happening throughout the league that makes it a reasonable proposition. But you do you.

8 hours ago, poita said:

I take it by "around the mark" you mean finishing 14th again?

Assuming we'll see improvement from May, Lever, Tholstrup, Sparrow, Kentfield, Moniz-Wakefield and Howes is delusional in the extreme.

Besides I think you have selected reading. My full comment was the following:

I think it's much more likely there is a middle ground where May, Lever, Trac, Clarry still play good footy in 2026 and beyond. The continued development of Windsor, Langford, Lindsay, McVee (hopefully), Bowey, Tholstrup, Turner, Rivers, Sparrow and possibly Kentfield, Culley, Moniz-Wakefield and Howes should keep us around the mark. Unfortunately, we still need improvement forward of centre and line-breaking/good ball users - which I struggle to see us doing in this trade/draft period.

15 hours ago, GS_1905 said:

Yes, you are right but it doesn’t mean you can’t have one without the other. It says a lot about the club if that is the view you take.

It's footy. Only winning matters.

If at the start of 2025 you were told that Trac would finish second in the B&F and Oliver would have his most stable year since 2022, you would have had high hopes of a return to the top 8, or at least a winning record of 12 to 13 wins.

3 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

If at the start of 2025 you were told that Trac would finish second in the B&F and Oliver would have his most stable year since 2022, you would have had high hopes of a return to the top 8, or at least a winning record of 12 to 13 wins.

What it suggests to me that whilst players may enjoy status within club standings that of itself need not necessarily mirror itself to outside assessment.

That we finished 14th on 7 wins underpins reality. ( as you allude )

The Demon $ doesn’t go far on the AFL exchange

I imagine King would have been involved in the chase for Oliver at Geelong - purely as all senior assistance coaches would have been consulted, so I think that makes it more likey he stays. Not sure where it leaves Trac - with Buckley I feel he would have wanted to prove he was a good coach from the get go, so keeping and trying to get hi back to his best would be the easiest way to do this. I'd still love both to stay, but King doesn't have the win now baggage Buckley would have, so maybe that alters the view on these 2?

23 minutes ago, Red and Blue realist said:

I imagine King would have been involved in the chase for Oliver at Geelong - purely as all senior assistance coaches would have been consulted, so I think that makes it more likey he stays. Not sure where it leaves Trac - with Buckley I feel he would have wanted to prove he was a good coach from the get go, so keeping and trying to get hi back to his best would be the easiest way to do this. I'd still love both to stay, but King doesn't have the win now baggage Buckley would have, so maybe that alters the view on these 2?

don't think so. They both stay imo.

Just saw a new ad on the Hawks Crows game

Tracc and Bonnie Toogood cooking some sausage rolls for Coles. Was thinking OK but something was off - Bonnie in Essendon paraphernalia with Coles branded apron. Tracc also wore the coles apron...... but white shirt no demon polo unlike Bonnie.

Not sure if coles have a sponsor arrangement with essendon and we don't but if that was the case surely you'd get a bomber on instead of Tracc.

Something is off with Traccs cooking - must be an omen that hes off to Carlton given we all smell what theyre cooking....

Edited yesterday at 11:231 day by Sideshow Bob
.

Yet again

10 pages of comments on nothing to do with thread.

This is not Facebook

Everyone entitled to opinions, replys and regurgitating is waiste if everyone's time.

This should be demonlands heading in my opinion

Crows did well to finish minor premier but were miles off in the finals

midfield a big issue for them. They may be tempted to chase Clarry again and pay a price we may be willing to accept

12 hours ago, Sideshow Bob said:

Just saw a new ad on the Hawks Crows game

Tracc and Bonnie Toogood cooking some sausage rolls for Coles. Was thinking OK but something was off - Bonnie in Essendon paraphernalia with Coles branded apron. Tracc also wore the coles apron...... but white shirt no demon polo unlike Bonnie.

Not sure if coles have a sponsor arrangement with essendon and we don't but if that was the case surely you'd get a bomber on instead of Tracc.

Something is off with Traccs cooking - must be an omen that hes off to Carlton given we all smell what theyre cooking....

trac's sponsorship agreement is with coles

bonnie toogood - or patrick dangerfield - have additional service agreements (asa's) with their club where they 'represent' their club for, well, additional services

i spoke to trac yesterday at an event, fwiw - this was prior to the appointment of king, but trac seems in a great headspace and ready to get cracking for 2026 already

6 minutes ago, BDA said:

Crows did well to finish minor premier but were miles off in the finals

midfield a big issue for them. They may be tempted to chase Clarry again and pay a price we may be willing to accept

Just the small issue of Clarry not agreeing to go to SA

King has been the midfield coach at Geelong, while Geelong chased and hosted Clarry in trade talks two years running. I think it tells you plenty about how King values Clarry.

3 hours ago, whatwhat say what said:

trac's sponsorship agreement is with coles

bonnie toogood - or patrick dangerfield - have additional service agreements (asa's) with their club where they 'represent' their club for, well, additional services

i spoke to trac yesterday at an event, fwiw - this was prior to the appointment of king, but trac seems in a great headspace and ready to get cracking for 2026 already

Thank you for taking the time to explain this. I was wondering about it—not with any opinion—but strictly curiosity. I was going to look it up, but got busy and completely forgot.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/new-melbourne-coach-steven-king-has-christian-petracca-and-clayton-oliver-in-his-ideal-side-for-2026/news-story/a0ce25cd7ecef0cf8e8c8a4169c4c25e?giftid=ScFmKPHEi1

11 minutes ago, Demonland said:

new-melbourne-coach-steven-king-has-christian-petracca-and-clayton-oliver-in-his-ideal-side-for-2026

I can't get behind the paywall but that title is enough for me!

While trade period is still a way away and anything can happen, King wouldn't be so direct if he had ideas to send either packing.

Very happy both will stay demons! 🥳👏🏻🎉

2 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

I can't get behind the paywall but that title is enough for me!

While trade period is still a way away and anything can happen, King wouldn't be so direct if he had ideas to send either packing.

Very happy both will stay demons! 🥳👏🏻🎉

Part of the interview process involved coaches listing their ‘best 25’ Demons players and King firmly put Petracca and Oliver in there.

On 09/09/2025 at 22:25, Great Northern Summer said:

Petracca's speech at the B&F just then accepting his 2nd place (still perplexed by that) doesn't feel me with any confidence that he wants to stay...

Good as gone!

Would love Trac to stay so long as he is 100% on board and his passion for the club is still inside him somewhere. Only he knows this for sure. Just the body language on occasions last year did raise doubts with me if he is all in.

Fine line between showing disappointment and sulking.

1 hour ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

Part of the interview process involved coaches listing their ‘best 25’ Demons players and King firmly put Petracca and Oliver in there.

Did any interviewees not have either in their best 25?

45 minutes ago, gs77 said:

Did any interviewees not have either in their best 25?

No idea I just read King’s thoughts via the link. I guess we’ll never know though it would be interesting to hear other potential coaches scenarios in terms of what a trade may look like.

I think for a new coach - the thought of getting Oliver and Petracca back to where they were is so tantalising and worth the effort before abandoning next year if you see it not working for the vision they have.

Getting rid of Trac and Clarry is easy. Finding the next Trac and Clarry is not.

King’s best bet to a quick return to finals, is to try and get these two back to their best.

Going scorched earth and getting rid of both is a risky strategy, especially if both are committed to the club.

As of right now neither player has requested a trade and the new coach wants them to stay so I’d be pretty shocked if they aren’t sees round 1 next year