57 minutes ago, John Demonic said:

Not sure why we would doubt Goody on this when he said this was from two months of self reflection after the sacking.

Imo I think revitalising our style into a faster and cleaner 2025 version was so much of a huge all consuming task, that perhaps he had not balanced that with inspiring the collective and personal drives of the playing group. I think it was commonly thought that it was the reverse! (Or both)

The new tactics position makes a lot more sense in this regard, as others have pointed out

Forever grateful for the flag and will always be our premiership coach, but hearing him say they didn’t define a purpose after the flag is strange…

9 minutes ago, Demonsone said:

Forever grateful for the flag and will always be our premiership coach, but hearing him say they didn’t define a purpose after the flag is strange…

Yes. I thought doing it on the G for the fans was the motivation and drive? Or is he talking about 24/25 once the dust settled? Maybe there's some revisionism going on

From the outside looking in, 22/23 we were driven and determined enough to be top 4. That can't have just been talent. Our demise was fitness one year, and then personnel and the beginning of the shift away from totally defensive footy in 23.

24/25 feels like more of the existential lack of purpose coming to the fore once we had to shift tactically and recruit better ball users.

3 hours ago, KozzyCan said:

Clubs like Collingwood, Hawthorn, Geelong etc haven't got that baggage so it's a lot easier for them to move on from the flag and get back on their bikes.

The filth took 20 years to win again after 1990 - they celebrated that drought breaker long and hard

5 hours ago, KozzyCan said:

You could see the complacency setting in during that period and it had fully taken hold by the second half of the year. Once it was clear we weren't as dominant as we thought we were the cracks really started to appear.

We also had a very easy start to 2022 in those first 10 rounds, only playing two top 8 sides in Bulldogs and Richmond, both of whom failed to win a final.

Just before the winning streak ended we played West Coast and North who had a combined 4-40 record between them, and the warning signs were well and truly there against North at Marvel.

Fantastic effort to start 10-0 but you can sense the side was a bit off compared to their barnstorming 2021. I shudder to think of our W/L record from the Freo loss in round 11 2022 to round 24 2025.

11 hours ago, KozzyCan said:

Think Jordan Lewis has spoken a bit about how when he was at the Hawks, by the time they came back to pre-season after winning a flag they had pretty much stopped celebrating completely and the mood was totally back to business. Due to COVID the club was still celebrating into December with the Members (rightly so) but I think when you're a smaller club that hasn't had much success it's hard to move on from such an historic, generational moment. Clubs like Collingwood, Hawthorn, Geelong etc haven't got that baggage so it's a lot easier for them to move on from the flag and get back on their bikes.

Hawthorn and Collingwood both struggled after their drought breaking flags. Pies in 1990, were pretty average for a decade after. Hawthorn only went 18 years without a flag but it took them 4 seasons to get good again.

12 minutes ago, praha said:

Hawthorn and Collingwood both struggled after their drought breaking flags. Pies in 1990, were pretty average for a decade after. Hawthorn only went 18 years without a flag but it took them 4 seasons to get good again.

Fair on Pies but Hawks were in a prelim two years later. Missing the finals in 09 and 10 was probably good for that young group though in hindsight.

In fairness, Goody is absolutely bang on.

Goody was so desperate to cash in on 2021 with more flags that he missed the competition flying right past him and into a totally different game style

He was a brilliant coach and Melbourne person, someone who deserves nothing but respect from the fans and even since being sacked he's been all class.

To hear him say it was the right thing to do in sacking him is very brave, just wished he could have resigned and to send him off in the right way

I'm glad Goody has finally woken up to what most people had been seeing for at least 12 months, and arguably three years, prior to his sacking.

I wish him all the best, but there is no doubt that he, and many at the club, were asleep at the wheel for much of his post-premiership tenure.

Think it's a little poignant for Goody to be saying this all now.
Also whilst we're reflecting on Goody, on this day in 2021 we won the flag, and for that Goody will always be a Demon legend.

11 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

100% and this was evident for all to see in the collapse against the Saints.

I appreciate Goodwin's honesty and ability to reflect, he is a legend of the club and will always be welcomed back - but I find his comments unfathomable. You had difficulty redefining your purpose? How about aiming for excellence, consistently being the best in the comp, winning a flag at the G, being the best Demons side, being the best team of the modern era etc etc. Lofty aims, sure, but I don't understand how there could be a lack of focus and an inability to define your purpose.

Good on him for identifying it and being able to reflect as I said but I don't understand how that was allowed to occur. As others said above, a whole of club thing not a one person thing.

I think it is fair that we can all ask that question given how everyone on this blog are heavily invested in our beloved team.

I doubt there was a lack of purpose in 2022 and 2023 as we were desperately unlucky in both years with injury and poor accuracy in front of goals. Going out in straight sets was IMO the time there was a need to refocus. I admire Goodwin for his insight and think it is fair ro say 24/25 is where the lack of purpose crept in. Same, same game plan, reliance on premiership heroes and a failure to notice the game was changing to the detriment of our game style.

I hope Caro read his comments and stops bagging the club about sacking him

I think that what we saw this finals series, it really woke Goody up to the reality.

1. After beating Geelong in 2021, they have played in three Prelims, two Grand Finals, and won a flag.

2. After beating Brisbane, they've played in four Prelims, three Grand Finals, and won a flag.

3. Hawthorn threw absolutely everything at Geelong: in the last quarter they were a completely different line-up and outside of moving Petty back/forward we just never saw that type of readjustment mid game from Goodwin. I think it really showed how far off his high pressure coaching was.

He's going to be on 360 tonight. It's good that he doesn't sound bitter & realises he needed a break.

On the other hand I'm glad we didn't get get Adam Simpson. He still sounds like he has an axe to grind. Saying when Don pike came in he knew he was hone because pike wasn't a fan & had a go at the media.

3 minutes ago, dees189227 said:

He's going to be on 360 tonight. It's good that he doesn't sound bitter & realises he needed a break.

On the other hand I'm glad we didn't get get Adam Simpson. He still sounds like he has an axe to grind. Saying when Don pike came in he knew he was hone because pike wasn't a fan & had a go at the media.

In fairness the WA media were relentless.

10 minutes ago, KozzyCan said:

In fairness the WA media were relentless.

Yeah true especially what they did the day after he got sacked with the headlines the wa paper went with.

I guess though his negativivity with the hub & stuff. When he speaks he just comes across as angry

2 hours ago, roy11 said:

Think it's a little poignant for Goody to be saying this all now.
Also whilst we're reflecting on Goody, on this day in 2021 we won the flag, and for that Goody will always be a Demon legend.

Im getting all the flashbacks on my google photos recap on this day.

3 hours ago, poita said:

I'm glad Goody has finally woken up to what most people had been seeing for at least 12 months, and arguably three years, prior to his sacking.

I wish him all the best, but there is no doubt that he, and many at the club, were asleep at the wheel for much of his post-premiership tenure.

12 months?? I wanted him gone after the 2023 Debacle and that was 2 years ago!!

55 minutes ago, YesitwasaWin4theAges said:

Im getting all the flashbacks on my google photos recap on this day.

Facebook memories may or may not have shown a video of me dancing around in my living room drinking bubbles straight from a bottle.

Goodwin reflecting on this is good and all, and a credit to him as a person.

Everything he said just validates the boards decisions and the fans anger. Yet people would argue that changing Goodwin wouldn't solve anything.

3 hours ago, MurDoc516 said:

Yet people would argue that changing Goodwin wouldn't solve anything.

Except that that's not what people were arguing is it.

Demonland.

3 hours ago, MurDoc516 said:

Goodwin reflecting on this is good and all, and a credit to him as a person.

Everything he said just validates the boards decisions and the fans anger. Yet people would argue that changing Goodwin wouldn't solve anything.

Validates everything most of us had been saying on here for the past couple of years with a great level of frustration.

Coach finally wakes up to reality after being sacked, and then admits exactly what some including myself, could see and voice exactly what was unfolding in front of our eyes.

Goodwin coming out with this is purely a Sandra Sully moment from his end.

Looking forward to the King era now.

Watching unfiltered Luke Hodge it’s amazing how they could define a purpose after 08 flag and win a 3 peat