Lots to talk about. Lots to play for.

❤️💙Clarry. 200 games. 👏👏he showed energy and desire. He gave it 100%. Umps didn’t reward him and penalized him for smallest of indiscretions

💙❤️Kozzzzy. Magic. We love him. He was exciting and 5 goals again surely locks him in for All Australian selection. He’s the future for us.

👍🏻Fritsch. Again showed better intent and has class to create and finish. Still need more energy but he’s important for us

👍🏻Harvey Langford. Another very good game from Harvs and he’s definitely in Rising Star conversation. Though the media is pushing up Dan Curtin and Murphy Reid

👍🏻Riv was good. He still has run and gun and we need him given some more CBA opportunities

👍🏻 Max battled against two big rucks and was one of our best

The rest were average. Some were poor!! Kolt definitely needs a block at Casey

Questions.

1. Surely the May incident was a split second collision where both players are going to win the ball. The ball doesn’t run, it’s pops up and May arrives 0.00008 second late. His shoulder hits Evans high. Accidental. His eyes are always on the footy. MRO Christian takes any opportunity to crucify Dees. If he gets suspended, will we fight it? Surely we must. Dees must stand up.

2. Can we withstand a rebuild? We were in the wilderness for 12+ years after the 2006 season and our prior “rebuild”. Our finances and membership and relevance would be severely dented by another poor season next year.

3. Umpiring standard was shocking. The non free to Clarry who catches the Blues player clearly holding the ball and no free!! 40 metrs out from our goal. A possible chance to hit the lead. Then a soft free to Curnow for barely a hold and he kicks it to ice the game. When will we stand up and call up the poor umpiring to the AFL? or do we just lie down and accept it as a soft club

4. Buckley was commenting on the game and called out …”Dees lack of movement ahead of the footy … Apart from Kozzy, Dees have few threatening forward options … Dees mids are not goal kickers any more “

   Overall he was constructive, so any thoughts on Buckley as a future coach (from 2027 most likely?)

Edited July 21, 2025Jul 21 by spirit of norm smith
H

@Demonland Losing to Carlton. Andy, it hurt. Really hurt again. Four close losses in a row to the Blues.

Felt we were caught in two minds with ball movement this game. When we moved quick from the back we actually looked good, there were times when it looked like we were favouring bombing to pockets though.

There will always be times to do that but does it seem like there is too much confusion in our approach right now?

The swings of this year continue to hit hard. Where do we go from here?

The most depressing thing for me is that we are looking at significant time to improve if we continue with the current trajectory. The coach isn't changing, so we can't expect any change to gameplan, tactics, selection, or skills improvement. Some player movement is expected but it's not going to make us a better kicking team any time soon because our longer contracted players are our poorest kicks. So we seem to be doomed to endure this for at least 3-4 more years.

My question to the panel is what should the club be doing today to bring our next premiership closer? Because I'm not seeing the club pursue anything that's actually doing that.

I think the most disturbing fact is the overwhelming majority of players have either declined, or simply not improved at all..

Bowey and Kozzy have been outstanding. Chandler and Turner have improved, and ironically Melksham has also improved.

But outside of this, I’m struggling to find anyone else?

For me, all of the following regulars;

Trac, Oliver, Viney, Salem, Rivers, May, Lever, JVR, Sparrow, Petty, Fritsch, McVee, Windsor, Tholstrup and Langdon have all individually declined from their best football.

That is damning

I’d love you guys to go through each of our regular seniors and give a one word answer - improved, same or declined.

A simple question for the boys. The coach, in his press conference, was clearly angry with the first quarter effort on Saturday night and also referenced the even more anaemic effort in the first quarter against Gold Coast.

Given that someone is accountable for those failures, which arguably costs us both games, who is it? The Senior Coach, the leadership group, the playing group generally, the Head of Football, the interim CEO or the prospective CEO (a bit of tongue in cheek re the last two....)?

Points for discussion:

Skills - simply not good enough this is with handballs actually to advantage. Then kicking, virtually all kicks held up in the air and gave time for the opportunity to close down the target. What has happened to ability to kick flatter to a target. We do it, just we didn't in this game.

On Skills Jeffo marking. Every mark was a chest mark. He's got nice long arms, we need to get BB to show him how and a rule at training that every content by Jeff I marking at maximum reach to develop that skill. For those that have seen hi Casey games, does he mark out in front or was be being nervous in the wet on game day (Even then some bounced off his chest)

Positioning - I could only see the spectrum of the kayo broadcast. but we crowd and rarely have someone to receive on the outside in the right position for that clean and quick break. Player do has designated roles for this but they are too close.

For the rest of the year I want to see players that have been performing well at Casey to have a series of games to see who stays and goes. But this needs to be in position they play at Casey. Which players can play the style we need for 2026 and beyond.

This decree needs to come from above Goodwin and make it a club policy, whether they don't deserve it the reason not elevating, we have many players no given an opportunity to perform at AFL level that have been on our list for an extended period. Often given he opportunity some players perform better around good players an in the Jessie's.

Looking forward to your show... keep up the good work.

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Solid pod.

@Demonland’s rant only a 6/10 compared to his earlier effort this year.

Another fantastic Pod @Demonland and @binman . Amidst a dismal season from our beloved Demons, you continue to deliver insightful and enjoyable listening. I particularly enjoyed your rant Andy, and bin’s well considered reply. Keep up the great work. Thanks guys!

Thanks Andy, Binman and all posters for another great listen, although I feel that we are all being weighed down by our teams performance and that massive Web of Negativity. Let’s hope we knock off the Saints and our boys give us something to get a bit excited about.👍😁

Great pod guys, Andy I agree with your sentiments wholeheartedly re the coaching situation. Binman makes some good points about stability, the high performance program and the culture if good governance but I don't think any of that can excuse the performances we've seen since round 2.

Goodwin has been there long enough and the playing group is experienced enough to lead the team infield and ensure they front up each game. Is it high performance or poor governance that sees TMac dropped after being one of our best earlier this year? Is it high performance or good governance that sees Goodwin persist with the same mids and then bemoan our "lack of forward connection"? If we were losing while trying new things it would be easier to take but losing while trying the same thing over and over is insane.

13 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Great pod guys, Andy I agree with your sentiments wholeheartedly re the coaching situation. Binman makes some good points about stability, the high performance program and the culture if good governance but I don't think any of that can excuse the performances we've seen since round 2.

Goodwin has been there long enough and the playing group is experienced enough to lead the team infield and ensure they front up each game. Is it high performance or poor governance that sees TMac dropped after being one of our best earlier this year? Is it high performance or good governance that sees Goodwin persist with the same mids and then bemoan our "lack of forward connection"? If we were losing while trying new things it would be easier to take but losing while trying the same thing over and over is insane.

Bravo mister! Spot on!

On 21/07/2025 at 10:29, Doug Reemer said:

Goodwin will stick to his favourites though, unless May gets suspended it’ll be one or two changes and the usual Spargo in for an underwhelming VFL performance.

What a surprise

20 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Great pod guys, Andy I agree with your sentiments wholeheartedly re the coaching situation. Binman makes some good points about stability, the high performance program and the culture if good governance but I don't think any of that can excuse the performances we've seen since round 2.

Goodwin has been there long enough and the playing group is experienced enough to lead the team infield and ensure they front up each game. Is it high performance or poor governance that sees TMac dropped after being one of our best earlier this year? Is it high performance or good governance that sees Goodwin persist with the same mids and then bemoan our "lack of forward connection"? If we were losing while trying new things it would be easier to take but losing while trying the same thing over and over is insane.

Interesting take. I’ve personally felt it’s a whole of club problem where in and probably shouldn’t land directly onto the coach. I dont (didn’t) think changing the head coach is going to turn everything around mainly because we dont have strong leadership in place at any level.

However putting those problems aside you’ve presented some compelling reasons why maybe the Coach does need to move on.

This weeks ins and outs for aints game is just so…. Meh!

The teams gameplan is based on emotion now, including fear, love, anger, hope. Their arousal levels dictate performance. able to get up and compete against The Pies but not against the blues. This fluctuation happens even in games.

That surely stems from a lack of or belief in a clear direction or identity. Which probably does land on Goodwin.

I’ve said it in another thread but leading up to 2021 the club had a strong and bold 5 year plan. Add to that, the teams mantra was all about contest and defence and the hardest team to play against.

Right now the team has no identity or direction and that’s on Goodwin.

Off the field the club doesn’t have a plan or direction (that we know of anyway) and unfortunately that’s on a a good guy but fan boy in Green and that other guy ?? Til real leadership comes in.

So I think I’m moving to the sack Goodwin side, but it’s much more complex than just that!