The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 14th April @ the all new time of 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we dissect another Demons loss at Kardinia Park to the Cats in the Round 04.

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I asked this question last week and I am going to ask it again. I understand why it probably didn't fit in with the show at the time, but it would be great to hear some discussion on it.

At 0-5, how do you sell hope to a supporter base:

- Some who have paid more than they ever have for their membership
- After going bottom of the ladder outright
-After the double whammy of losing to the team who has our first pick this year
-After seemingly turning up each week this year giving up a load of uncontested marks and barely laying a tackle in the first 5 minutes

...that it is worth turning up to the football each week for the next 5 months? What is the selling point? We are grateful Melbourne fans for what we've achieved in recent years but we've also spent a lot of our lives as the butt of people's jokes, there is a hell of a long season to go and it could be quite a slog. The new week and fresh hope thing is wearing off, every game might as well be an extended video tape of the last.

Many of us are going to go regardless because we are rusted on but we are notorious for bad crowds when the hope dies and I think we can expect a few of those to come.

So guys, I know all three of you will keep going but to the people who are losing faith, what would make you want to go to MFC games week after week in 2025 from here on out?

19 minutes ago, layzie said:

I asked this question last week and I am going to ask it again. I understand why it probably didn't fit in with the show at the time, but it would be great to hear some discussion on it.

At 0-5, how do you sell hope to a supporter base:

- Some who have paid more than they ever have for their membership
- After going bottom of the ladder outright
-After the double whammy of losing to the team who has our first pick this year
-After seemingly turning up each week this year giving up a load of uncontested marks and barely laying a tackle in the first 5 minutes

...that it is worth turning up to the football each week for the next 5 months? What is the selling point? We are grateful Melbourne fans for what we've achieved in recent years but we've also spent a lot of our lives as the butt of people's jokes, there is a hell of a long season to go and it could be quite a slog. The new week and fresh hope thing is wearing off, every game might as well be an extended video tape of the last.

Many of us are going to go regardless because we are rusted on but we are notorious for bad crowds when the hope dies and I think we can expect a few of those to come.

So guys, I know all three of you will keep going but to the people who are losing faith, what would make you want to go to MFC games week after week in 2025 from here on out?

My advice, if you want the club to survive keep turning up.

Do the hard yards in order to enjoy the good times.

That's the angle I am taking this from.

3 minutes ago, ElDiablo14 said:

My advice, if you want the club to survive keep turning up.

Do the hard yards in order to enjoy the good times.

That's the angle I am taking this from.

People have short attention spans these days El Diablo. Never underestimate how long an AFL season is. You've said you want Goodwin gone but whether he stays or goes it's a long, long slog to endure for any footy fan especially when you don't even have a first round pick to look forward to.

People like us will be there regardless but we are the exception, the bulk of members are are like swinging voters with competing priorities. There's a heap of people I know on this forum with other responsibilities and I admire them for choosing footy over them but let's face it, there can be more to life than footy. Cost of living is through the roof, come seasons end there could be a lot of non renewals. You have to sell hope as a footy club somehow

1 minute ago, layzie said:

People have short attention spans these days El Diablo. Never underestimate how long an AFL season is. You've said you want Goodwin gone but whether he stays or goes it's a long, long slog to endure for any footy fan especially when you don't even have a first round pick to look forward to.

People like us will be there regardless but we are the exception, the bulk of members are are like swinging voters with competing priorities. There's a heap of people I know on this forum with other responsibilities and I admire them for choosing footy over them but let's face it, there can be more to life than footy. Cost of living is through the roof, come seasons end there could be a lot of non renewals. You have to sell hope as a footy club somehow

Hope will start, at least for me, when Goodwin is gone.

I have zero confidence in the current FD and coach, so if that changes in the coming weeks at the very least I can get excited about some form of future for the club.

It was hard to see young talents like Winsor, XL and Langford not enjoying their footy tonight. Their faces looked like they were lost out there.

How to Beat Melbourne ???

Give them the ball !!!!

What is going wrong with this Club?

Do the Melbourne players have any respect or loyalty for the Demons jumper?!

I think Simon Goodwin's position as coach has now sadly become untenable. We need to thank Simon for the 2021 Premiership and move on. Harsh, but we gotta fix the rot that is happening. Time for a change of coach. It is just a matter of when.

My most pertinent question is this, what the hell is going on with our fitness levels? Selwyn Griffith our head of fitness must come under scrutiny shouldn't he? We are either running out of steam or giving up in the 4th quarter. It is humiliating!

In less than 4 years we have gone from a 57 year drought breaking Premiership team to a laughing stock! This cannot be tolerated!

What ever happens this year, massive changes and, yet another, football department review is required at the end of this season. Nobody is safe. Heads must roll!

Edited yesterday at 14:511 day by Supreme_Demon

We are getting better ar least I effort. Dees1911 is right though, wegive the ball away too easily because of poor skills. Our powerhouse midfield can't hit the side of a barn. Even CP5 stank it up tonight , lthough the effort was there. But, but, but. Bowey is up and firing, Salo has taken a step Chandler has been good ( less so tonight) , Langdon was super, Fritter was better, Melky also. However our fourth quarters are garbage. Question: is it Selwyn Griffiths' fault, or too many spiritless players?

Goodwin, Harrington & Griffiths all need to go be gone before the start of October.

Game-plan stinks, Player Recruitment stinks and the fitness is non existent.

I think it’s time to look at Max’s captaincy and the support underneath him. He must be tired after the last 3-4 years. Max’s cryptic dialogue on triple m last week almost sounded like a cry for help.

Talking about learning something from each year? Where’s the fight? Where’s the inspiration? He sounded like he’s already conceded this years over.

2 hours ago, Supreme_Demon said:

In less than 4 years we have gone from a 57 year drought breaking Premiership team to a laughing stock

In the modern game you get a 2-3 window to win a flag. The best teams can stay there about before and after. But given we are a club with no home base, what did we expect? Winning it during covid left the club with a cruel hole it couldn’t fill as well.

Do you think Lamb needs to go? He wasn't able to bring any quality recruits after 2021. Truly a waste of our premiership window.

9 hours ago, ElDiablo14 said:

Do you think Lamb needs to go? He wasn't able to bring any quality recruits after 2021. Truly a waste of our premiership window.

Excellent point

People complain a lot about the forward line and coach when the midfield and back line are just as bad, why is this?

For my own mental health, I haven't read one Demonland post since pre game. So please forgive me if this has been raised elsewhere.

Total 2025 last quarter scores are;

For: 5.11. 41

Against 26.10. 166

The last quarter pressure rating against Geelong was a disgusting 139. I'll be interested in knowing our ratings for Saturdays match.

The reverence I felt for the 2021 Premiership team is being diluted as I see so many of them running around, a shadow of their former selves.

Andy, George, Blinman. please explain.Ease my pain.

Love your work fellas. I don't know how you can keep doing ar this time of deep despair.

We need to talk about Viney. I'm only going by what I watch but he just murders the ball everytime he gets his hands on it. I love his heart, his strength, his guts but he is becoming a liability. Should he sit in the forward line to help lock the ball in and increase forward line pressure - something we are embarrassingly bereft of right now.

Why do our forwards lead to the square rather than at the ball carrier?

Why are we expecting JVR to be the sole key forward and back up ruck in a game we really had to win?

Why can't we fire a shot in the last quarter?

Why when the clock is ticking in the last do we guard grass and let Essendon play keepings off?

May is fast becoming a liability.

Gawn is fading before our eyes yet we have zero backup.

Windsor is a wingman.

How many more losses until we rip the bandaid off?

This one really felt like it was lost on Thursday. The selection integrity just doesn’t seem to be there.

We’ve lost disposal and tackles 2 weeks in a row. Last week’s individual tackle counts: May Rivers Spargo 0 Petracca Langford Fritsch Windsor Henderson Petty 1 Melksham Chandler Sharp 2

That’s almost half the team with 2 or fewer tackles. None of those players were dropped. Tackling doesn’t require skill, just effort. Yet the selection committee selected all of those players again. The only one dropped was Turner with 3 tackles and a goal.

This week’s tackle counts: Petty Sharp Lindsay Henderson 0 Langdon Pickett Spargo May 1 Gawn Salem Bowey Melksham Sparrow van Rooyen McDonald Windsor 2. That’s two-thirds of the team with 2 or fewer tackles.

Will the selection committee make a statement this week and actually drop some players that aren’t putting the effort in?

—-—————

Curiously, over the last 10 games, we are third in total pressure acts (289.6) but seventeeth in tackles (53.1). What does the panel think is causing that? Can we assume that our opponents know this so they are happy to invite pressure because the isn’t significant downside?

Not a question but more of a comment.

I was hopeful, but after witnessing that live, I see why people say we are cooked.

No leg speed, fitness not up to standard, no cohesion.

Simon could be the best coach in the land. It doesn’t matter, we need something drastic, We need a reset button.

The obvious choice is a fresh voice as coach. The other is a raft of changes, dropping a number of senior players.

I’ve played under a number of different coaches in my own local football ‘career’.

One year we had a coach that came in off the back of a finals campaign the year before. We finished second or third last under the new coach with the same list and the entire place was deflated like I’ve never seen before - until now.

That particular coach sucked the life out of the group in the space of 7-8 months and that club has not recovered since, some 20 years later.

Do you guys believe the players are still playing like they trust Goodwin and want him around?

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by BW511

The most frustrating thing for me is the lack of pressure,and dog hungry effort you would expect from a team at 0 and 4. Surely that comes down to the fact the players are no longer truly believing in the coach and his game plan.

As a side note why on earth have we not got a part time coach in the mould of a Johno Brown or even Jack Riewalt to work with JVR on his forward craft, if he is to be our big power forward invest in him so he has every chance to become the plsyer we need.

I would like a discussion about list management. I look at the Casey/MFC listed players and I’m placing my hopes on players like Fullarton. Btw, I believe he should be given a chance given our forward issues, but I don’t believe we have the players underneath to make a real impact.

Has the club faltered with its draft strategy of giving away mid draft picks focussing on high end picks only? I believe the high end picks will be good players, but our depth is poor and who do we bring in as a glimmer of hope?

People talk about our gameplan mainly from a ball movement view but things are seriously falling down from a defensive point of view as well.

The moment the game starts, the uncontested possession differential grows and grows in favour of the opposition. You can put it down to fitness late in the game but in the first 5 minutes?

We tighten this up in the third quarter and surprised surprise get back in the match. We start the last quarter with Essendon on top again in uncontested possessions and the match is gone. This statistic is 100% synonymous with opposition scores at the moment and is our kryptonite so if it isn't by design what can we do to stop it?

Sadly, very sadly (and probably belatedly), I’ve reached the conclusion that some drastic changes need to be made at our Club. This is not a question, it just a comment ….. but something is rotten at our Club. Any insights you fellas can give into this situation would be valued. Right now I think I would respect your views more than anything coming from inside the Club.

I'm not quite sure what to make of this but at the start of one of the quarters in the Essendon game JVR was giving a last-minute rev-up to the forward group. I think Melky had a few words after JVR but, fair dinkum, shouldn't it be players who are senior and have earned some respect be giving the rev-up messages, not a bloke who has had a total of 16 kicks in 5 full games? It looks like he is only in the side to give Max a 5-minute break each quarter. Grundy was doing that AND Grundy could at least take a mark.

George, in the situation the club is in, strong governance becomes critical to ensure the organisation acts methodically, professionally, timely and considers all stakeholders. Specifically, what's your take on:

• MFC's governance structures given

  • Our CEO situation

  • New Director Steven Smith is highly influential and will be overseas for 3 months

  • (Having said that, President Brad Green has been impressive since Kate Roffey left)

• In a worse case scenario, your guess on the Goody payout, noting:

  • The poor guy can't resign as it will be financially disastrous for him

  • If terminated, the financial impact on the club could determine the club's timing of actions

  • Offset by the financial impact of club sponsors, membership and game attendances