Jump to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Demonland

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Featured Replies

46 minutes ago, Kent said:

yes two years ago!

Yeah it appears that he was done by the end of 23, not able to find new purpose after 21, Hodge in unfiltered said Clarko constantly found it to win a 3 peat

 
1 hour ago, picket fence said:

Yep and says plenty about his ego and inabilities to change, real head in sand stuff, just like those on this site that couldn't and still cant face reality!

Head in the sand? Please. Some of you are so desperate to bury Goodwin that you’ve dug your own bunker. King hasn’t even coached a game yet and you’re already rewriting history like you’ve got the script. Maybe pull your head out of the sand before lecturing others!

On 24/09/2025 at 22:23, 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

On 24/09/2025 at 22:51, DubDee said:

Seems pretty obvious from his remarks he wanted to stay as he was so invested but after reflection can see the issues more clearly.

Goody definitely wanted to stay and yes, he was 100% invested and he fully believed we could make it work and it would happen soon. Only a week before the shock sacking he said this to me: “almost every match we’re in it, we’re right in it. We’re thereabouts, almost every week.” And he thanked me for never losing faith when so many people had. Call him delusional, but he genuinely believed.

 
6 minutes ago, john delosa said:

Maybe pull your head out of the sand before lecturing others!

I don't think the sand is the place he needs to pull his head out of.

I can’t see the point of folks saying Goody should’ve had a purpose after 2021. No sch!ttt captain/s obvious. He knows that NOW, he didn’t at the time.

Someone even bothered to go into detail about what the purpose should’ve been…

“… 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…”

Genius! Now, let’s fire up the DeLorean and go back to this day in 2021 to tell Goody this.

The same person wonders how this was “allowed to occur.” Yeah, the Board, the players, the whole club should NOT have allowed this to occur, how dare they sit around and do nothing! I don’t care if they knew nothing of it at the time… they shouldn’t have allowed it to occur regardless.

Holy Mary Mother of God… give me strength


Now let’s talk about the value of honesty. Goody gets nothing outta telling this publicly. He could’ve kept it to himself but he chose to share his recent reflections. Quite ballsy of him when he must’ve known there’d be folks angry at him for an issue that happened four years ago even though he himself has just come to realise it now.

It would be surprising if they didn’t use let’s do it back in Melbourne as a major motivator, as that what a lot of fans felt, but obviously didn’t resonate or not enough.

Another point well made was we celebrated in December of 2021 at the “G”. Perhaps we were too slow to move onto 2022 - and yes I realise we started 10-0!

Given he has admitted to not fulfilling his contractual obligations satisfactorily (i.e. position description), could we have our 800K back for 2026 please?

 

I think this highlights the difference between perpetual successful competitive clubs compared to us breaking that 57 yr drought. It was such a big event that he club did not have the culture to sustain the change. Off field we did not have the staff and culture to sustain it. Just thing back to the dabbler years, up and down. That ability to support it was not present. Goodwin came from a club that had the same issue. 2 flags and then nothing for a long time.

Whereas I take Geelong has had success but a club focus and culture that maintains it. That takes time to build and embed into a club.

Hopefully King, coming from a whole club culture of success and stability (Off field) can help change our culture to what we see in perpetual competitive teams in the players mindsets. We have a good crop of up and coming players and a brigade of experienced "star" and with modern sports science see them plays for quite a few years yet. Looking forward to a new approach this year and King in action next week.

2 hours ago, Ghostwriter said:

I can’t see the point of folks saying Goody should’ve had a purpose after 2021. No sch!ttt captain/s obvious. He knows that NOW, he didn’t at the time.

Someone even bothered to go into detail about what the purpose should’ve been…

“… 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…”

Genius! Now, let’s fire up the DeLorean and go back to this day in 2021 to tell Goody this.

The same person wonders how this was “allowed to occur.” Yeah, the Board, the players, the whole club should NOT have allowed this to occur, how dare they sit around and do nothing! I don’t care if they knew nothing of it at the time… they shouldn’t have allowed it to occur regardless.

Holy Mary Mother of God… give me strength

It speaks to the amateur mindset of the club that they allowed this to occur. No coach should enter any season without a defining "purpose" whatever that means anyway. This is sport, the purpose is to win. It doesn't take a Rhodes Scholar, the fact Goodwin has identified this lack of purpose, in hindsight, says everything you need to know about how the club was run following the flag from the Board/Pres, CEO, Coach/FD down to the leadership group. It's unacceptable.


I'm invoking the ghost of Jack Hamilton - can we send a 'please explain' to Richo?

8 hours ago, Ghostwriter said:

I can’t see the point of folks saying Goody should’ve had a purpose after 2021.

Goodwin had a purpose after 2021, we wouldn't have finished top 4 in 2022 and 23 without it. It's not so much about not having a purpose, it's about being able to shift or redefine your purpose.

Also, it's not just on Goodwin, it's club-wide. Were the admin and board driving standards as hard (or harder) post 2021? Difficult to see that they were.

You even see it here, the constant reference to a lost era of dominance, as if winning the 21 flag automatically gave us dibs on the premierships that followed.

Remarkable insights as to the use of technology in the AFL in Goodwin's interview on AFL360.

He talks about Steven May and what he needed to tick off in order to play in the GF. They knew who he was playing on (Naughton?) and went back over the whole season and found that the longest hi-speed sprint that he'd done was 68 metres. All May needed to do to prove his fitness was be able to sprint that far.

68 metres. The depth of analysis and data that the clubs have on players across the league is mind-boggling.

Edited by bing181

Think people are taking the 'no purpose' thing a little too literally. The club obviously had a general purpose and drive to keep winning and going for flags, but the unifying purpose that the whole team was playing for up to 2021 was lost. The mountain had been climbed already and the team was crowned a dynasty in-waiting before the medals had even been presented.

He's saying we got complacent and players became more focussed on themselves rather than the team and he's admitting that he failed to see it or revitalise that singular team ethos that they had in 2021.

It's a hard truth that I hope the players hear. But by Goodwin's own admission the board was vindicated in their decision to move him on.

Edited by KozzyCan

20 minutes ago, KozzyCan said:

He's saying we got complacent and players became more focussed on themselves rather than the team and he's admitting that he failed to see it or revitalise that singular team

And yet the pres, ceo, coach and captain all came out over the 2021/2022 offseason saying that we wouldn’t get complacent 🙄.

I suppose the best time to drink the bath water is after a flag, but gosh just about everyone in the club had a good mouthful.


13 hours ago, Ghostwriter said:

Goody definitely wanted to stay and yes, he was 100% invested and he fully believed we could make it work and it would happen soon. Only a week before the shock sacking he said this to me: “almost every match we’re in it, we’re right in it. We’re thereabouts, almost every week.” And he thanked me for never losing faith when so many people had. Call him delusional, but he genuinely believed.

He is not the only one delusional Ghosty!

18 minutes ago, picket fence said:

He is not the only one delusional Ghosty!

I know, Fence. And it’s big of you to admit it. 😉

14 hours ago, D4Life said:

It would be surprising if they didn’t use let’s do it back in Melbourne as a major motivator, as that what a lot of fans felt, but obviously didn’t resonate or not enough.

Another point well made was we celebrated in December of 2021 at the “G”. Perhaps we were too slow to move onto 2022 - and yes I realise we started 10-0!

I can understand this. Players can practise goal kicking* with loudspeakers blaring or pretending they're a goal up or down in the grand final. But their brains know it's pretend. Same thing about winning a GF at the MCG ; it's NOT the venue ... it's the actual match. Do you watch someone on The Front Bar whose only GF win at VFL Park and suddenly lower the merit of their career? No! Our players toiled years to win a GF and they did that. While I hope most still had/have a burning desire for a second at the very least before their flag every time they had to sacrifice something they could say "I'll do it because I want a flag".

That said completely unmotivated players probably wouldn't reset twice and have done all the boring, hard work to get back into the top four in the following years (and often since mid 2022 they've arguably panicked and lost games through fear of failure/wanting to win too much.)

*Love the typo - goal Licking. 😂

Edited by Go Ds

Cats hadn’t won a flag since the 60s, their culture was set up and continue after 07 within their playing group, we had knuckled head May having a bust up in 22 with his team mates, player standards dropped off,player behaviour off field, Oliver getting game time after missing pre season, players tummies were full, what message is that to others who busted their behinds? This falls at the feet of the coaching staff & leaders

Edited by Demonsone

On 26/09/2025 at 10:00, Ghostwriter said:

I can’t see the point of folks saying Goody should’ve had a purpose after 2021. No sch!ttt captain/s obvious. He knows that NOW, he didn’t at the time.

Someone even bothered to go into detail about what the purpose should’ve been…

“… 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…”

Genius! Now, let’s fire up the DeLorean and go back to this day in 2021 to tell Goody this.

The same person wonders how this was “allowed to occur.” Yeah, the Board, the players, the whole club should NOT have allowed this to occur, how dare they sit around and do nothing! I don’t care if they knew nothing of it at the time… they shouldn’t have allowed it to occur regardless.

Holy Mary Mother of God… give me strength

21 was selfless .. they went away from that .. that purpose is enough to strive for the Swans wee/are great at this


Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

Featured Content

  • AFLW REPORT: Gold Coast

    The forecast said wind. The ladder said mismatch. The scoreboard said obliteration. Melbourne didn’t just beat Gold Coast — they dismantled them: 13.15 (93) to 0.6 (6). An 87-point obliteration, the Suns held goalless, and the Demons delivering their second-highest winning margin and third-highest score in AFLW history.

    • 0 replies
  • 2025 Player Reviews: #28 Will Verrall

    It was a tough ask for him to break through as a 199cm ruckman in the shadow of an all-time great in that position who is also the club captain. He had some good days at Casey but was unable to progress and was delisted at the end of the season.

      • Like
    • 2 replies
  • 2025 Player Reviews: #29 Tom Campbell

    The 33-year-old Campbell has yet to play AFL football for Melbourne, but his Casey form has been strong and he has been retained as a ready-made ruck depth option who is widely regarded as someone who is excellent for the culture of the club.

      • Haha
    • 2 replies
  • 2025 Player Reviews: #30 Harry Sharp 

    The Demons acquired an interesting player in Sharp, who narrowly missed securing a spot in the Lions’ premiership team last year. The 22-year-old medium forward played in the opening round this season and ended up with 18 senior games, although he was substituted in or out in for ten of those matches. He demonstrated glimpses of form, but ultimately ended the year on the margins of the team.

      • Like
    • 7 replies
  • 2025 Player Reviews: #31 Bayley Fritsch

    Worked his way back after a slow start and a further slump in form going into the midseason but became a solid contributor for the club in the latter half of 2025. Closing in on 300 goals for the club.

      • Like
    • 3 replies
  • AFLW PREVIEW: Gold Coast

    On Friday, the Demons return to our Casey Fields fortress where they have a 77% win rate. The scent of September is in the air and the struggling Suns are on the horizon. The Cranbourne weather forecast? Ominous, like the match itself: a strong chance of carnage. Let’s be honest, last week’s first half against the West Coast was a training drill but we dropped our guard in the final quarter. While this match is a mismatch on paper — second versus seventeenth — football is won in the wind, the contests, and the moments.

    • 0 replies

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.