You questions please.

Who would you guys choose as our new coach?

The writing is on the wall.

Young or experienced?

How many weeks should Ben King get for his behind-the-play hit on Steven May? Note the question is how many he should get, not how many he will get...

Goodwin said Post match, they put a load into the boys early in the week. He then said we’ll have to look at our program.

Why are we “loading” when we have no realistic target come September? Sounds like they flogged them on the track post bye and that might be why we were flat.

Melksham said he normally lines up on the #1 defender and tries to negate them. But once we lost Petty, they reshuffled and went smaller and tried to hit up more leads.

2 questions.

1.Why don’t we back in our clubs own talents and strengths? This year we’re sacrificing our best winger (Langdon) as a tagger and every week our most creative forward has to play undersized? Why not attack the game and try win it than defend it from the outset?

2. Is Goodwin now deliberately coaching to save his job as compared to trying to develop our list?

I had to listen to it today on SEN, the 1st Qtr commentary sounded like an obituary’s piece. Once a coach starts coaching to save his job it never ends well, they normally back in the old faithful at the cost of exciting new talent.

This might be a tough 8 weeks.

The team just looks bang average. A shadow of the elite side that it once was, there was once a time when it was very hard to see holes in the list. Now, despite some good young talent, our list is quite unbalanced.

We end up relying on guys like Jake Melksham to kick a winning score, we play future key forwards like JVR in the ruck, we still have no competent back up for Max.

Can we fix these issues in one trade period/draft? Realistically how far away are we now from our next shot at success?

It’s time for Goodwin to go . He and a number of other Senior players seem satisfied with their 2021 Premiership win ( and Club “legend” status ) and quite frankly lack any real hunger for more premierships. He is too close to too many players and at the same time has lost the team. The two propositions may seem at first contradictory but they are not. We need someone fresh , with new ideas, hungry for a Premiership, and who can reset the relationship between players and Coach.

Edited Saturday at 09:112 days by FabDemon

51 minutes ago, FabDemon said:

He and a number of other Senior players seem satisfied with their 2021 Premiership win ( and Club “legend” status ) and quite frankly lack any real hunger for more premierships.

Never a truer word spoken.

Go back and listen to Max in 21. He was ticking off clubs 1 by 1 he had a bone to pick with. Now this year he comes out early and gives that limp speech about he’s excited to see how this team handles different adversity throughout year?

He sounds like he is just accumulating games to me and just playing to clock up another AA.

Edited Saturday at 10:112 days by Doug Reemer

4 minutes ago, Doug Reemer said:

Never a truer word spoken.

Go back and listen to Max in 21. He was ticking off clubs 1 by 1 he had a bone to pick with. Now this year he comes out early and gives that limp speech about he’s excited to see how this team handles different adversity throughout year?

He sounds like he is just accumulating games to me and just playing to clock uo another AA.

Interestingly my son and I in Adelaide had an opportunity to hear Gawn and Oliver speak at a social function. There was a lot about how great the 2021 Premiership was and how he didn’t expect to kick that kick at Geelong. However, when we left the night my son turned to me and said these guys aren’t really hungry for another Premiership. It’s as if they climbed their Mountain Everest winning the 2021 Premiership after 57 years and happy to bask in the adulation. He also formed the view Gawn was too close to his teammates, defending Petty -applauding his efforts at training and saying that it is difficult for him to play out of position!

Edited Saturday at 10:202 days by FabDemon

With Petty now out next week, I think it’s well and truly time to give Jeffo and JVR multiple matches together in the forward line to see if they can find some form, confidence and synergy. Must be so hard for them being constantly on rotation in and out of the team. When Petty returns, he can go back where I think he plays his best footy.

Where are you spending September??

PAH!

Is it time to start talking about the senior players… and possibly trading them out while they still have any value?

I enjoy going to watch the Demons play live, televised games don’t give me the same enjoyment. The AFL has created a fixture that leaves me wanting. Feels like I have missed the season. The Kings Birthday game seems ages ago.

Are the grassroot supporters from the mid-power teams being taken for granted?

Edited Sunday at 12:101 day by Kev

Well another week goes by and another tough watch.

Just an impotent first quarter which cost us, we can say we could have got closer if we took our chances, or even pinched it but that is not the Melbourne DNA this season.

We always seem to miss the set shot to gain the momentum and get back in the game and unfortunately it seems too easy for us to give our opposition the chance to take the momentum off us.

I just cant see how we change the script with the same ball butchers in the middle. Rivers is wasted if not in the guts, he did not attend 1 Centre Bounce this week. He has been attending 50-60% of Centre Bounces in the previous weeks. DO you know why they would do this? Did Rivers perform another role for the side? We seem more dynamic with him in the Centre Bounce and obviously have more polish.

Once again I really liked Tholstrups Energy, the essence of youth.

Although JVR hasn't shown much this season, he has shown us he is a much better backup Ruck than Jeffo.

What's the plan from here, everyone always says blood the kids, but we already have been. With Petty and Howes Out this week, here's what id like to see. Lever back in to take Howes spot and JVR back in for Pettys spot.

Would be good to see JVR and Jeffo together for a few weeks and see how that goes.

Look Forward to another Carthartic Poddy.

Thanks guys

It's hard to tell coz I'm so biased and invested in Melbourne but I thought they weren't playing honest football.

What's honest football? Well I spose it's when everyone is trying and invested and we all push together in the same direction.

I watched Freo, Saints on Sunday and really enjoyed the game, I think the Saints are coming on quite well.

I don't see any of those signs with Melbourne.

On 28/06/2025 at 09:30, Doug Reemer said:

Goodwin said Post match, they put a load into the boys early in the week. He then said we’ll have to look at our program.

Why are we “loading” when we have no realistic target come September? Sounds like they flogged them on the track post bye and that might be why we were flat.

Putting a 'load' into the boys is completely different to the concept of 'loading' in order to peak at a certain time of year.

Goody means we 'trained hard'. And there would have been a greater work-load given we had almost an entire week without training. And this is simply in order to maintain fitness levels and be 'on' for the next match.

This is what happens when the loading topic becomes THE topic. People get confused.

Edited Sunday at 16:421 day by Howard_Grimes

@Demonland

Went to the GC to the game.

Some discussion items

What we liked

Melksham (up against a younger quicker taller opponent in “our” Mac Andrew). Melky showed his forward craft, played smart and whilst he had a few costly misses, he negated Andrews interception and he kicked crucial goals.

Kozzzzy ❤️💙did his best to bring us back into the match. His crumbing goal in the 3rd qtr was a highlight. That got the family excited. Kozzzy was special in the last with 12 possessions, run and carry and hit targets , and yes 2 goals. Very excited he’s on board for the future

Bowey. Again had a very good game, he was solid in defence and his disposal (25 disposals, 18 kicks) at 88% was a shining light. Definitely in our top 3 in the B&F

At least we fought it out … 100 % effort to keep battling and stay in the game Heads didn’t drop

Next 8 games ? we must continue to build the game plan and not be easybeats Try to get games into JVR, Jeffo, Kolt etc

The bad

First quarter was a disaster as we were completely outplayed. Missed tackles and skill errors only lead to the misery. The umpiring. Miller free in the first was a shocker

The Dees play a zone defence style game as they guard grass in between players. It’s so frustrating. Clubs pick it apart. Lots of pointing but no one manning up. A simple rule. Pickup or at least get closer to your opponent. The Suns exposed it early until we tightened up and got into the match. Ditch the zone!

Questions this week.

Q1. How was the King smash of May not a reversal ? Clearly called by the commentators as warranting a reversal which would be paid 99/100. Why doesn’t this get more post match comments? how does May get fined?

Q2. How does Ainsworth run 30 metres to the goal line (described as smart) and not get called for running too far? Umps lost control !!

Q3. Where are we at? We have beaten the Lions at the Gabba and lost by a point to the Pies but in other games look devoid of AFL quality skill or scoring power.

Q4. How do we get inside Fritta’s head? He’s effort v Lions was ripping in and 2nd efforts. It was barely par versus Suns. Two contested possessions. Small parts were ok. Goal from 50. Ok. He pointed a lot and was one of the more stagnant forwards giving no leads especially which hurt after Petty went out . His miss in the last was poor , from 25 metrs out !! Some call to trade him but goal kickers are hard to find.

Edited Sunday at 20:461 day by spirit of norm smith
U

A fellow DLer posted wheelo ratings for kicking efficiency of the 183 midfielders / mid- forwards in the comp which has Oliver ranked at 142, Viney at 169 and Trac (OMG) at 176. This is not just a statistic but a very clear observation when I attend games.

Q1. Am I being melodramatic or is this now at the stage where it is costing us games? I get that the players are often under pressure but so many kicks do not hit targets.

Q2. As these 3 have been 10 years in the system how can it ( ie. atrocious disposal) be possibly fixed, or is it an immensely frustrating, rinse and repeat for the remainder of the season?

Thanks for the poddy guys

Edited Sunday at 23:001 day by Maxie

Saturday was last chance saloon to have a chance of playing finals this year and what do our players dish up in the first qtr? 5.7 to 0.1 to have the game essentially dead and buried at qtr time

Unfortunately I think our team has a serious mindset/attitude problem

Whether its slow starts or poor kicking for goal when under pressure, it seems like the mental side of our game hasn’t been 100% right since 2021

I mean if the prospect of staying in the hunt for play finals isn’t enough to get this group up and about for the first bounce I don’t know what will

And that’s incredibly concerning for the long term future of our club

Edited yesterday at 00:301 day by demoncat

Going to cut the questions off here. Thank you all for your contributions. Feeling flat. Hopefully I can come out firing from the first bounce and not have to rely on a quarter time spray.

13 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Going to cut the questions off here. Thank you all for your contributions. Feeling flat. Hopefully I can come out firing from the first bounce and not have to rely on a quarter time spray.

MFCSS in full force today

If this one sneaks in….

When did we bocome such a group of ‘downhill skiers?’ Where is the heart to really go at a contest, to take your turn and go hard? It shouldnt be Jack Viney to the middle or the qtr time spray before th boys get their heads over the pill.

Biggest issue is somehow between our ears…

17 hours ago, buck_nekkid said:

If this one sneaks in….

When did we bocome such a group of ‘downhill skiers?’ Where is the heart to really go at a contest, to take your turn and go hard? It shouldnt be Jack Viney to the middle or the qtr time spray before th boys get their heads over the pill.

Biggest issue is somehow between our ears…

Post 2023

Wouldn't say GC put the cue in the rack but their pressure rating 166 as opposed to their first quarter 209 is a fair tapering off.

Regardless of whether they did or not I still get sceptical around how much you can realistically take out of a last quarter like ours. Its definitely a positive and glad they didn't give up but it buries the lead on what the real problems are and I can name at least 6 or 7 games that have gone this way this year.

@binman I’m part way through the podcast listening on my way to work. My point was that in the 1st qtr, the players erred by trying to guard grass in between players in a zone. Lots of pointing but no one manning up Pressure rating was non existent

@george_on_the_outer 👍🏻George also noted this disorganized piece early in the zoning.

The Suns exposed it early (as I commented ) “until we tightened up and got into the match”. I agree we stopped their transition after quarter time through tightening up but it as too late.