1 minute ago, Redlagged said:

He's an easy target, admittedly. So is the club. Bit wouldn't it be nice for the MFC, just once, to offer some clarity and certainty to the supporters, who are sick of the [censored] bickering and gameplaying, real or perceived.

In other words, Green needs to say when the handover is taking place. A date will do. Surely he can manage that.

1 minute ago, Roger Mellie said:

IMO she also intentionally or otherwise puts Goodwin in the frame for leaking in the article

Certainly reads that way.

More likely someone who Goody has spoken with .( just m.o. ,)

6 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

Certainly reads that way.

More likely someone who Goody has spoken with .( just m.o. ,)

Yep, I'm not suggesting he is but that's how it reads.

20 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Caro trying to turn Buckley off us so he can go coach for her bestie Gale at Tassie.

I don’t mind her but in this case she’s just trying to advance her own agenda.

This in a nutshell.

Read Caro at your peril. Her article notes no calls returned to her as well. She will hate that.

18 minutes ago, Roger Mellie said:

IMO she also intentionally or otherwise puts Goodwin in the frame for leaking in the article

Definitely someone that doesn’t like green. And if not Goodwin then has to be someone close to him

46 minutes ago, binman said:

As I have said I see the logic of the board's decision - and God knows I've read enough posts on Demonland over the last two seasons with all the reasons why people think goody was not the right guy and should be moved on.

I disagree with many of those arguments but again I get the logic for making a change and will fully back and support whoever they decide will be the new coach.

Like Goody, I respect the board's right to make that call and sincerely hope that it proves to be the right decision.

Another hypothetical.

We appoint Buckley - and by the by I really hope we do as I think he us an excellent candidate. Buck says in his first presser that he has taken the job because he thinks we can win a flag in the near future, expects to be competitive from the get go and believe we can make finals in 2026.

Bur instead his message doesn't land, his game plan doesn't work and we win fewer games and finish 2026 near the bottom of the ladder.

Is sacking Goody still the right call?

It's like running business. If you are standing still you are going backwards because your competitors and still moving forward.

We're doing worse than standing still, we're demonstrably going backwards (ie: on the W/L front not your 'game style' measures).

Buckley may not be the answer but we'll know a lot more about what our boys can or can't do whereas with Simon he has been unable to get our guys to change. Witness 4m to go against the Dogs - game in the balance - where Viney gathers the ball on the wing, baulks around a Dogs player and ignores a short hit up to one of two free Melbourne players. Instead he bombs the ball to a 3 on 1. Turnover. Infuriating. And its been happening for years.

Now that's on Viney but its also on the coach because he hasn't been able to get Viney to change - either through education or through dropping him for breaching team rules etc. Same for Oliver and his blind kicks.

It took nearly 2 years of crud performances for Goodwin to drop Fritsch. And the results since have been great. Fritsch is playing a much more hard-edged team game. Why did that take so long?

As for Petty well his confidence is absolutely shot. 9 goals in 2024 as our key fwd and 1 goal in the first 5 weeks this year? Seriously?

Our problems are coaching in the main. We have cauterised the wound and now we move on for better or for worse. Absolutely the right decision

My fear is that Buckley's ego will be too big for the club. And that 2nd time coaches do not have the hunger or success than 1st time coaches do in the past - since 2000 only Leigh Mathews and Mick Malthouse and won coaching at a 2nd club

21 minutes ago, Roger Mellie said:

Yep, I'm not suggesting he is but that's how it reads.

Yes, would be intentional no doubt 😉

a quote from her article:

"no one in a position of authority at Melbourne was prepared to publicly guarantee the handover this week."

Typical slimy journalism. No one returns her call so she can say this implying people were dodging this specific question. Maybe they were dodging all her questions - and good luck to them.

1 hour ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Not sure straight sets exit is enough to not renew a contract just two years after a premiership but we may need to agree to disagree on that point.

But OK, let's say the Board delayed renewal into 2024.

Goodwin had introduced the 'transition' game plan with which we had reasonable results: at round 11 we were 7/4 sitting 4th with a healthy 116.9% heading for finals. Couldn't ask for more than that.

To not have renewed his contract by this point would have been very irresponsible.

No one could have predicted the downward spiral in the second half of the year.

I'm not so sure about that. You have:

1. Simon accepts his original contract expiring in 2024

2. Simon accepts his original contract expiring in 2024 but is not 'happy' the club hasn't offered an extension

3. Simon is actively annoyed they haven't offered an extension and fields offers from other clubs with a view to leaving in 2025

I'm not sure that any of these outcomes is necessarily bad. Potentially it would have meant us looking for a coach at the end of 2024 where at least 6 potential coaches would have taken the job given Melbourne's list profile.

Aside from Lyon I can't think of too many coaches that have gone down the path of ditching their club at the last minute for a tempting new offer. Maybe Hardwick but I think it was clear he was done and he had won 3 flags.

As a coach its not easy going to a new environment and starting again. Usually better to stay where you are and where you know the landscape/admin etc. The threat of poaching I think is overated.

It seems to me there are a small number on here that have more loyalty for Simon Goodwin than they have for the MFC. Maybe they have, or believe they have, a personal friendship with Simon = vested interest.

To those people and all others who believe Goodwin should remain Coach till the end if 2026 I ask you this ;

Should any Coach allow players to continue Premiership celebrations for 4 months after a Grand Final (a paid gig through country Vic till at least 24/1/2022) ?

It not about them having a night out, it’s the fact they were still in Celebration mode.

Hardly the right mindset going into a new season, especially that being a premiership defence.

15 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

My fear is that Buckley's ego will be too big for the club. And that 2nd time coaches do not have the hunger or success than 1st time coaches do in the past - since 2000 only Leigh Mathews and Mick Malthouse and won coaching at a 2nd club

I think In Buckleys case I think he will be very motivated for a premiership as this is the one thing he doesn’t have as a player or coach.

Edited August 16Aug 16 by DemonOX

1 hour ago, frankie_d said:

More of the same from Caroline Wilson. But there are details in the description of what happened in Goodwins kitchen that make me wonder just who would know that level of detail and be talking to the press

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/awkward-scenes-in-simon-goodwin-s-kitchen-and-a-power-play-in-the-boardroom-20250815-p5mn6a.html

Disgraceful piece of trash from Wilson. I have always thought she cops a bad rap but this is pure garbage from her.

11 hours ago, Ghostwriter said:

Why do folks seem to assume a new coach = a successful coach, or even just a better coach? Genuine question. Like every other supporter I really hope our new coach is successful, but I know it’s not a given.

Genuine question; are you satisfied that we have only won 18 of our last 44 games?

6 minutes ago, Abyssal said:

It seems to me there are a small number on here that have more loyalty for Simon Goodwin than they have for the MFC. Maybe they have, or believe they have, a personal friendship with Simon = vested interest.

To those people and all others who believe Goodwin should remain Coach till the end if 2026 I ask you this ;

Should any Coach allow players to continue Premiership celebrations for 4 months after a Grand Final (a paid gig through country Vic till at least 24/1/2022) ?

It not about them having a night out, it’s the fact they were still in Celebration mode.

Hardly the right mindset going into a new season, especially that being a premiership defence.

I think many confuse support for the MFC with support for individuals.

Individuals come and go. But he club remains regardless and its that we ultimately support.

I think you're misguided about the post premiership celebrations.

• The first premiership in 57 years

• Away from melbourne where we were in lockdown missing out on the live game, the gf parade, the post GF party etc

• A great opportunity to share the cup with tens of thousands of supporters across the State that have worn pain almost like no other club - the stories of Alan Richardson driving past houses with Melbourne flags and randomly stopping to go and say hi with the Cup were fantastic

• A great opportunity to cement the next generation of Dee supporters - remembering we have one of the lowest Auskick representations and support amongst young people generally

Totally understandable. And if anything the players were too focused on driving standards/performance in 2022. To the extent they were burnt out by round 11

11 minutes ago, DemonOX said:

I think In Buckleys case I think he will be very motivated for a premiership as this is the one thing he doesn’t have as a player or coach.

On balance I think so too but I still have doubts. He has 'failed' on both counts before.

4 hours ago, binman said:

I completely disagree with both statements, particularly the second.

If the next coach does not bring success, and I would argue immediate success, then the decision to sack Goodwin, one of only four coaches that have won a flag in the club's 173 year history who has a proven ability to take this team from near bottom back to the top (near bottom in 2019 after making a preliminary in 2018) and completely retooling the game plan (ironically super attacking to ultra defence) and had not 'list the players' will be an epic fail.

Just one reason why is that we have to pay him a million dollars on top of what i imagine will be a similar amount to the new coach severely hampering our ability to surround a new coach with the very best assistants and high performance team.

If we don't make finals next year then the opportunity cost for sacking Goodwin, in addition to pouring a million dollars down the drain, includes the lost chance to say do another succession plan with for example Chaplin or Bruce (which I think would have been at least worth considering, particularly given that exact model brought the club its first flag in 57 years just 4 years ago).

The board should be judged on its decisions. It decided just two years ago to extend Goodwin’s contract.

Sacking him with a year on his contract can only be seen as an admission that was a mistake.

If the coach they now appoint does not bring success, and I would argue immediate success by at the least making finals next season, then they will have made another mistake.

Agreed, but on your last paragraph, the board have already been all over the place on what next year's expectations are. First it was, we expected to play finals in 2025. Now it's seemingly become we need to re-set. Hopefully this is cleared up with the incoming coach asap.

But this is a board that have constantly failed to deliver on basic promises and failed to create an environment that lives up to the ethos of a football club where we can all feel proud to belong.

I've said it before but they let a journo attack Goody from the sidelines for two years before finally getting clean air at the end of 2024. Not good enough. They dragged the club through the courts, needlessly spending on legal fees, and creating bad press, on constitutional issues only to eventually accept most of the simple recommendations.

Not exactly a club that will make its supporters or coach feel proud to belong.

Green said in September last year that "we expect to see an outcome on the success or otherwise on the business case around mid-2025”. It is August 16th. Nothing.

Green said "I will encourage Steven [Smith] to seek Board endorsement to succeed me as President of the MFC at the end of the 2025 AFL Season." So in a fortnight's time, if Green is true to his word, Smith will be president. In name. Not just pulling strings. That needs to happen.

And who can forget that in April 2025, the CEO was famously going to "hit the ground running", but then we found out he wouldn't be starting for six months.

The way our club is being run is a bit like an episode of the classic Australian satire The Games. Hopelessly out of their depth individuals pretending everything is all a-okay.

And watch them tell us who to vote for again on the board this year, despite a current board member telling the courts that Melbourne members were not happy with this approach. They did it last year and they'll do it again this year.

The decision to sack Goody needs to reap commercial benefits and success immediately. It's a risky move to dump one of four AFL premiership coaches the club has ever had. If it pays off, great, but if it doesn't, the board needs to be held accountable.

Edited August 16Aug 16 by Adam The God

What a waste of space Caro’s article today is. Reheating the “Goodwin clips Casey” comment from the presser that was 11 days ago. Again saying the coaching job isn’t enticing (oh, Leigh Matthews agrees? That renowned lover of the MFC?).

She makes valid points about the club being dysfunctional, but she’s repeating herself. It’s all been said. Move the [censored] on.

34 minutes ago, DemonOX said:

I think In Buckleys case I think he will be very motivated for a premiership as this is the one thing he doesn’t have as a player or coach.

I'm very motivated to win a flag, doesn't mean I'll win one.

I'll hold fire on Buckley if he's appointed, but it's not like we're getting a better version of Goody. We're just getting a different voice.

And maybe that will work.

But just because Buckley has never won a flag before, he's not owed one. Footy is abloody tough industry and it's why I supported Goody for so long. Most coaches don't get to the top, so he's in rare company. Buckley, not so much.

1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

🥴

It was Guerra who pushed for Jobe Watson to join the coach-search panel, where he will sit alongside Melbourne Storm’s Frank Ponissi with Richardson, the only member boasting coaching experience

Love to understand the background to this ??

Something of the Essendon connection ?

What motivates/irks Buckley is that he left Brisbane thinking he was going to a Premiership Club like Collingwood buuuuuut..................... Brisbane done him in . I feel Buckley is a fairly self oriented person and the real good coaches have a broader "institutionalised" perspective. Really good footballers often fail to measure up really well as Coaches because of the inate "arrodensity" ( Yes I know Leigh Matthews was a VG/Exc Player) Chris Fagan a non player (AFL Standard) & Alister Clarkson (battler) are examples of what we need.

My recollection is that Goodwin was a more team oriented player than Buckley . Furthermore he had to deal with career ending/ potential decline in 3 generational players which is pretty hard to cope with.

Mark my words, a player like ANB would make a brilliant coach and for what it is worth Chapman comes across as a very team oriented person.

So I would go for Enright or King !!

2 hours ago, Howard_Grimes said:

And I think Buckley of all prospective coaches could get the biggest spike from our senior group. That's for a number of reasons, a lesser one including the fact that Fritsch and Trac were both mad Collingwood supporters growing up.

What a bizarre argument. King of the grass is greener everywhere but the MFC.

Buckley is the right coach for us because some of our players used to barrack for Collingwood? 🤣

Come on, Steve. If anyone else said this, you'd rightly lampoon them.

1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

🥴

It was Guerra who pushed for Jobe Watson to join the coach-search panel, where he will sit alongside Melbourne Storm’s Frank Ponissi with Richardson, the only member boasting coaching experience

If that is correct one wonders where his allegiance lies.

Not sure what Jobe brings to the panel or whether he has any experience in selection panels, candidate assessment etc

Plenty of other more successful ex players to choose from. Jordan Lewis for one. He has had a couple of similar gigs and knows first hand what makes a successful coach.

Edited August 16Aug 16 by Lucifers Hero

Clubs been in turmoil for the last 3 years, we are an easy target and you can hardly blame her and others for taking pot shots.

When we have stability and more on field success, the junk articles will stop.

15 minutes ago, Adam The God said:

But just because Buckley has never won a flag before, he's not owed one. Footy is abloody tough industry and it's why I supported Goody for so long. Most coaches don't get to the top, so he's in rare company. Buckley, not so much.

7 current coaches have won a flag and I think 17 separate coaches since the year 2000. Not sure it is a rare as you think.

2 hours ago, Howard_Grimes said:

I've always admired him as a player and coach. Not dissimilar to Goody when we brought him across.

It's not about whether I like him or not. My perspective on it comes from what I think is best for this current group of players.

And I think Buckley of all prospective coaches could get the biggest spike from our senior group. That's for a number of reasons, a lesser one including the fact that Fritsch and Trac were both mad Collingwood supporters growing up.

I think having a coach who holds court, has big aura and gravitas will mean that senior players will be much more inclined to step in line, want to earn respect and naturally standards will lift. Whether one believes it or not, psychologically there is a lift when you bring a head coach in with aura.

What's equally as important are the types of line coaches we bring in. We have clearly been left wanting in that area over the last few years. It's another reason where I think standards have slipped.

It all got just way too matesie under Goody toward the end. Accountability was just not there as was evidenced by selection, underperforming players continuing to play at senior level and not much change positionally speaking which clearly led to a plateau for a number of players.

There are so many reasons why I think Buckley is the right guy but as I said, I think equally important will be the rest of the coaching group. As for game-plan and the idea that Buckley is 'past' it. I just think it's a furphy. You listened to him speak, he is on so many footy programs and he is completely up to date with the current trends of AFL footy. It's as if some think he's been on a different sport this entire time.

And lastly, for those that are fearful of the statistics around second-time coaches becoming premiership coaches, I'll ask you this question.

Why are you following the MFC if statistics for success are going to drive whether or not you'll jump on board?!

Very good explanation. Thanks.

I have no doubt at all gravitas and aura have an influence. I think one of my hesitations on Buckley is whether that aura has dimmed. Good to hear you think not.