6 hours ago, Fork 'em said:

Dunno what Kings relationship with Steve Johnson is but we should sound him out for forward coach IMO.

No, we absolutely shouldn't.

Sydney players hated him as a coach and his off field behaviour at country level was toxic in some ways.

9 hours ago, beelzebub said:

All those excited about what a new regime might bring in 26... please ...over there >>

All those who are concerned about what Buckley's going to do ..... nahh... Dilligaff !!

😉

When we win the flag next year I'm gonna enjoy watching Buckley's post game analysis.

47 minutes ago, binman said:

When we win the flag next year I'm gonna enjoy watching Buckley's post game analysis.

I predict there will be significant initial pain as King implements gameplan change. In about R5 2024 we absolutely belted Hawthorn 93-39 and they looked miles off in system and talent at 0-5. Nek minnit they're winning finals that same year when it all clicked.

I think early patience will be required, something Demonland is not renowned for. Turbulence ahead, fasten seatbelts.

24 minutes ago, old55 said:

I predict there will be significant initial pain as King implements gameplan change. In about R5 2024 we absolutely belted Hawthorn 93-39 and they looked miles off in system and talent at 0-5. Nek minnit they're winning finals that same year when it all clicked.

I think early patience will be required, something Demonland is not renowned for. Turbulence ahead, fasten seatbelts.

McRae took over Buckley and got the ground running.

4 minutes ago, Oxdee said:

McRae took over Buckley and got the ground running.

True but even they started 4-5 in his first year before it clicked.

On 15/09/2025 at 13:45, Jaded No More said:

I reckon JVR and Kentfield will have breakout season in 2026.

Super interested to see where he plays Petty.

Please be at CHB.

(Aside from not live-streaming and having a roaming mic at the presser) - is it just me or has our social media game lifted a little the last week or so?

Steven King’s first piece of business as Melbourne’s new coach could be securing Max Gawn’s potential successor as the club prepares for a busy trade period, with new leaders appointed to key positions.

The 2007 Geelong premiership ruckman had his official introduction as coach at the MCG on Monday, and spent the afternoon with Demons football boss Alan Richardson, list manager Tim Lamb and national recruiting manager Jason Taylor.

Big list decisions are expected at Melbourne under new coach Steven King, but the moves might be less dramatic than in previous years.

Premiership midfielders and club greats Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver were undoubtedly on the agenda, along with Saint Marcus Windhager, Magpie Brody Mihocek, and Suns Sam Flanders and Malcolm Rosas jnr.

Collingwood veteran Mihocek received a three-year offer from the Demons – potentially two seasons with a trigger attached – to end his career at Melbourne. He has been holding off on any decision relating to his future until the Magpies’ premiership tilt is over.

Another was promising St Kilda ruckman Max Heath, who is out of contract and keen to play for Melbourne.

Nothing is locked in yet, but the Demons presented to Heath and discussed a three-year deal, according to a source familiar with negotiations who wished to remain anonymous. However, King, as the incoming coach and a fellow big man, will have input in Heath’s recruitment.

Max Heath wants to get to Melbourne in the trade period, with the Demons also targeting Brody Mihocek.

Melbourne were the first of several rival clubs to express interest in Heath – the No.7 pick in the 2021 mid-season draft, who played his first four AFL games this season – and he hopes to play for them from next year.

A trade will need to be brokered, but the reason for Heath wanting to leave is the path to eventually being the Dees’ No.1 big man, on top of Tom De Koning’s free agency arrival at Moorabbin. Contracted Saints ruckman Rowan Marshall is also weighing up the possibility of joining Geelong.

The 22-year-old demonstrated at AFL and VFL level that he can make an impact up forward as well, so there is a possibility he could play alongside Gawn in the senior side while learning from the eight-time All-Australian.

The Saint has a long-term friendship with Windhager, another Demons trade target, from their time playing junior football together at Beaumaris.

Windhager is due to return from his New Zealand holiday in the coming days and is expected to make a call on his future no later than early next week. However, Windhager’s preference is to remain at St Kilda, despite the Demons and North Melbourne making compelling rival offers.

Melbourne have re-signed Tom Campbell as ruck insurance, but have struggled to unearth other big man options, with none of Will Verrall, Tom Fullarton, Josh Schache or Kyah Farris-White still on the list.

The one-season experiment trying to partner Brodie Grundy with Gawn, who turns 34 in December, also did not work, with Grundy traded to Sydney.

On Monday, King’s public stance on Petracca and Oliver was that they were “both superstars of the competition” and that he would take pride in helping them return to the peak of their powers.

However, Oliver’s attempt to cross to Geelong in last year’s trade period was still a talking point at the Demons’ club champion function last week, where Gawn won his third best-and-fairest award. Petracca is contracted until 2029, while Oliver is tied to the red and blue until 2030.

Judd McVee, Taj Woewodin and Jack Henderson are Melbourne’s remaining out-of-contract players.

Woewodin will have to wait until after the trade period to discover his fate, but Henderson will be on the Demons’ list next season.

McVee, who has opposition interest, including from his home state of Western Australia, will speak to King about his role before making a call on his future.

Tassie planning commission has knocked back the stadium. Might be a while yet before Buckley is coaching tassie

36 minutes ago, Oxdee said:

Tassie planning commission has knocked back the stadium. Might be a while yet before Buckley is coaching tassie

Karma is a biatch. He is going to look like a fool now. I cannot see how the AFL is going to get this across the line especially how they have maintained that with no staditum with a roof there is no license.

23 hours ago, Jjrogan said:

I think folks are going to be quite suprised how competitive Tassie will be from the outset. Reading between the lines the AFL is very keen on giving a lot of draft picks, but that they expect (demand) to be swapped for experienced players AND give them a sign on bonus fumd. GC and GWS coming in in consecutive years somewhat cannablised their own success. They had half their side under 20.

Additionally, the player landscape is a lot different to 2011. There is a LOT more money splashing around. Good players and very good players will get an opportunity to be inaugural players with very lucrative sign on bonuses (expecting tassie to have almost $2 mln to sign OUTSIDE the salary cap)

If all this sounds like a total rort and manufactured way to have the team competitive from its first or second season. It is. Buckley isnt an [censored].

GWS and the Giants both had strong lists in their first few seasons, albeit young. Arguably, they’ve always had strong lists. Their main challenge, though, was the same one Tassie will face - player retention - anyone over the age of 18 leaves Tassie as soon as they get the chance.

As you mentioned, the only realistic way to counteract that is through lucrative player payments. Otherwise, building a genuinely competitive team from scratch will be very difficult, no matter how generous the draft concessions are.

1 hour ago, Oxdee said:

Tassie planning commission has knocked back the stadium. Might be a while yet before Buckley is coaching tassie

Anyone else apart from me on here now experiencing serious shadenfreude with probable media/AFL meltdown over this hiccup, whilst we quietly gloat we ' got our man' in Steven King and are moving on.

I don't mind a ground - just not there and not for now $1.13Billion.

Upgrade coming up IMO for Bellerive or Launceston.

53 minutes ago, GS_1905 said:

Karma is a biatch. He is going to look like a fool now. I cannot see how the AFL is going to get this across the line especially how they have maintained that with no staditum with a roof there is no license.

Gee if only the AFL had decisisve leadership to deveolp an acceptable Plan B.

1 hour ago, Oxdee said:

Tassie planning commission has knocked back the stadium. Might be a while yet before Buckley is coaching tassie

Parliament will ultimately decide if the stadium goes ahead not the planning commission but they won't get enough of the crossbench to support the stadium. The team is dead.

Edited 9 hours ago9 hr by lorn

$1.8 billion? Surely not...

Welcome, Kingy!

Edited 9 hours ago9 hr by Dr. Mubutu
Thread derailment imminent

16 hours ago, D4Life said:

She hates Melbourne- would not have mattered what we did! Pick Buckley and it would have been a ‘sham’ process!

100% right D4. Dammed if u do and dammed if u don’t.

It will be a great day when she retires and she can take her work experience mate S McClure with her. Both are a waste of space and time.

3 minutes ago, DemonOX said:

100% right D4. Dammed if u do and dammed if u don’t.

It will be a great day when she retires and she can take her work experience mate S McClure with her. Both are a waste of space and time.

Or you can just ignore both of them.

Works quite well 😉

Edited 7 hours ago7 hr by beelzebub

On 12/09/2025 at 16:25, adonski said:

He must've had the IT factor (has this been used?)

Winning in 2021 was a Fairy Tale come true, but Later it became pure misery. We sacked Goodwin out of Desperation. But with the Elevation of King to senior coach I hope to see a new game plan. Whether I'm in The Stand at the MCG or Under the Dome at Marvel, I will be watching carefully. I hope we longer just Blaze away into The Dead Zone where we're outnumbered by opposition defenders. I will be full of Rage if that happens again. We have to make best use of the veterans like the McDonalds (the Tommyknockers can go to hell) and the Salem's. Lot's of work to do and I'm excited.

Anyway. Carrie on.

4 hours ago, roy11 said:

(Aside from not live-streaming and having a roaming mic at the presser) - is it just me or has our social media game lifted a little the last week or so?

Don't blame our media dept for the inability to hear the questions in a press conf. It's true of all AFL coaches pressers.

3 hours ago, GS_1905 said:

Karma is a biatch. He is going to look like a fool now. I cannot see how the AFL is going to get this across the line especially how they have maintained that with no staditum with a roof there is no license.

Have u seen how the afl operates!! They will change whatever is necessary to get them in it’s just a matter of time. What ever is said take with a bucket load of salt.

6 hours ago, old55 said:

I predict there will be significant initial pain as King implements gameplan change. In about R5 2024 we absolutely belted Hawthorn 93-39 and they looked miles off in system and talent at 0-5. Nek minnit they're winning finals that same year when it all clicked.

I think early patience will be required, something Demonland is not renowned for. Turbulence ahead, fasten seatbelts.

we have that pain now. in games we look all over the shop in how we position ourselves as a team. Right up until that second last game against hawthorn. watching it live you'd think we've never trained together and got cut apart.

22 minutes ago, sue said:

Don't blame our media dept for the inability to hear the questions in a press conf. It's true of all AFL coaches pressers.

True, but why not a $300 directional mike? 🤔 I expect that they thought of them. 🤔

I would love to see Steven King get Nigel Lappin to the club. Arguably the best development coach in the competition.