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Lol.

I hope we haven't lost Peter Jackson's number.

Usual cycle happening here... Dees are terrible. Dees fans complain they're terrible. Journo says Dees are terrible. Dees fans turn on journo.

Barrett is a tool. His grasp of the English language is limited and his intellect is worse. He just likes the sound of his own voice.

IF... It's Damian Barrett writing an article THEN... I don't give a stuff.

Spot on. I mean talk about an over reaction to a single line indicating the AFL are worried. As an example of an over reaction you only need to read the thread title. Talk about poetic licence. Similar over the top reaction to some random caller to 3aw's rumor file that some jumped on evidence of goody being a poor coach and other hoping it was true and that he was going to be sacked Praha, on the money front of course we lost money this year. How could we have failed to give our home crowds and QB or ANZAC day were both away games (which by the by the AFL could have avoided by simply staggering). Agree this off season and next season is critical. And have said as much myself. But the most important preseason in the clubs history? More critical than during the years where ceasing to exist as club was a very real possibility? C'mon. Are their issues? Yes, it would seem to be the case. Perhaps a fracture between young and older players and conflict with the FD and the younger players (who Lewis suggested did not come back in great nick)? Maybe. But losing 17 games will inevitably create and heighten tensions. Such hyperbole and over reaction from fans is in my opinion not helpful. Plays into the hands of the gossip mongers in footy media that masquerade as journalists. The club have been proactive thus far and have not sat on their hands. For the first time in long time i have faith in the current administration and FD to get things right.

Barrett has achieved what he wanted by his comment. Basically said nothing but planted the seed of panic which is growing very quickly. He has to provide some trivial/semi-relevant comment on each club every week in his ludicrously named "Sliding Doors" column. I'm sure everyone in the football world knows that the club has a quite a few issues to deal with right now and has nearly always had financial challenges.

On the money Binman! DB is a [censored]. Financial loss is certain. Low crowds late in the year would have been very costly. However, the 52k members shattered last years record so it's not doom and gloom. We won't have a big drop off in membership next year. It's easier to resign as a member than decline. As for players potentially wanting out, fine. It just presents another opportunity to improve our list, whether it be by draft picks or players. Credit to the club, they've acknowledged theres been a disaster but have taken steps. New director of coaching, new fitness coach and a gun under 23 year old player coming in already not even 7 days after the final game. Hold the course!

I don't buy this. Petracca's actions on the field are not the actions of a disgruntled player. He's vocal, team oriented and has played his role beautifully. I'd be staggered if he requested a trade.

You're dead keen on the club is in crisis narrative aren't you Praha. And dead keen of helping drive it too i might add.

I'd keep Gus, but part of me agrees with the ruthlessness needed here. I just think that Gus, Oliver and Harmes/Viney are our go to centremen. Get our stoppage set ups fixed, get miles in the legs and two-way-running back, and I believe we have the strongest young midfield in the competition. The least flexible out of those guys is Viney, but I'd be trying him as a small defensive forward with midfield bursts next year. I'd have Harmes on a wing with centre bursts and floating forward. And I'd have Oliver and Gus in the middle 90% of the time. Harmes/Viney and whoever else plays with Clarry and Gus should be very much the defensive midfielder in most set ups, because Clarry is an excellent tackler. Therefore, Gus needs to improve his endurance and two-way-running. The element that throws all of this up in the air is the Petracca x-factor. I believe he should be in there too, but only if he greatly improves his endurance. That probably then pushes Harmes to the wing and Viney to half forward most of the time. Only problem being we become very see-ball, get-ball, with little defence given an Oliver, Gus and Petracca centreline. Those stoppage structures will be so vitally important next year.

We have one of those?

Couple' things. As of this morning, I'm a changed person. I wish to apologise for playing the antagonist on this forum for too long now and will make a conscious effort to either ignore those whom I disagree with or engage with them in a less emotionally-fuelled way. I'll also refrain from using the term 'happy-go-luckies' as much as I enjoy using it. I have more warning points than 'deeluded' has posts now. Sometimes it's easy to forget that we're all supporters of the MFC but with a range of layers that individualise us from each other. The forum is great, it's an escape, informative, provides comedic relief and triggers my annoyances. Thank you and much appreciation to the creators of demonland. With that out of the way, I'd like to lay bare what is in my view the most important off-season I will have witnessed. I understand that sounds rather dramatic and the 'happy-go lu.....' *jokes*. Yes, it's dramatic. But let's think about the state of the club for a minute or two. Let's think about what we've been through since 2007 right up until last year. (2018). * Failed coaches, failed admin, an inability to develop, nurture and pick the right talent, a complete disconnect to the supporter base and no finals. What was/is the result of those failings that we still see today? * A missed generation of supporters, financial troubles, still no real home base, extremely poor and questionable leadership due to a lack of players who have come through the club together which has contributed to the absence of any club culture and has had an extremely negative effect on the 'psyche' of the club the individuals come through the doors. The last point is particularly interesting. Club psyche or belief. This morning, I was listening to SEN with Whately talking to Buckley about 'belief'. About the fact that when Buckley was playing at Collingwood, the list developed a real appetite and positive winning record when playing interstate over a period of time. That then filtered throughout the AFL world and became something that everyone knew, including young draftees that were picked up by Collingwood. It was already embedded in their psyche. The belief that Collingwood 'travelled well'. In a competition whereby the smallest of margins can give a side an advantage, it got me thinking about the MFC. I started thinking about the very real effect our failings have had on the psyche of every young player that has walked through the doors since 2007. It is clear to me that someone like Petracca, Watts or Hogan would have had vastly different experiences had they walked into a big and successful club like Collingwood from the day they were drafted. Experiences that have a profound effect on the psyche and belief of one's self that can absolutely influence whether or not a player can realise their potential. Is it any wonder why a club like Collingwood have continually churned out genuine stars and match winners over the last decade? I think of Jordan De Goey, (a player who went at number 5 in the same draft as Petracca and Brayshaw). More recently, players like Oliver have been relatively unaffected by the feeling of failure that clouded the club for so long and has been able to forge his own path. Gawn similarly has been able to overcome what I used to label 'MFC conditioning'. Every individual is different and has a different make-up and will therefore be influenced more or less by what the outside world is saying. (Outside world being the club our AFL world). The point I'm trying to make here is that part of the unprecedented drop to 17th on the ladder this year has to be in part attributed to what I'm talking about. A very real feeling and belief of Melbourne doing 'Melbourne things'. The "veil of negativity" as Paul Roos would say. You could feel it on the ground, in the stands as a supporter and clearly some of the players played as if it weighed heavily on them. When Melbourne supporters don't show up to a Friday night game against Sydney because we've 'seen it all before', the players feel that absence on the ground. It all has an effect. Go back to last year's elimination final at the G. I was standing in line at gate two of the MCC at 1pm and watched in disbelief at the number of buzzing Melbourne supporters that rolled in over the course of that afternoon. We got 90,000 and how many were Melbourne? The pressure meter that night was at 211 points or something ridiculous and we had but a finger nail of the finals experience Geelong had. The supporters and feeling that the supporters emit can have a huge impact on the way an individual will feel and therefore play. This is why the club can no longer afford to have seasons like we've just had. For both supporters and players. The disengagement is almost immediate from supporters due to our past and they simply won't turn up which creates an enormous negative effect on the club and players on gameday. And as far as players go, if we end up losing one of our 'core' due to unrest, it will further add to the disengagement of the supporters. We have lived through enough rebuilds, high draft picks and promises that we're building a list that will 'come through together'. Goodwin must use this off-season in the right way when it comes to trading. When I look at our greatest weakness as a list, it is skill level and decision making and it concerns me when I don't hear us linked to genuine match-winners and highly skilled players like Martin, Higgins (regardless of age) and even Betts. Langdon in my eyes doesn't fix our problems of delivery inside forward 50. Overlap and gut running is pointless when a team consistently butcher the ball and hand it back to the opposition. I would much rather follow what Geelong did at last years trade period. Target players who give us the best chance at retaining the ball inside 50 and creating scoring opportunities. Our inside 50 numbers this year were very good, what does that tell us? Bad delivery going forward and an inability to lock the ball inside 50. We can completely change the list profile if we're aggressive and bold enough. This is completely make or break for Goodwin and for the club in my view. Apologies for the selfish post.

This is hilarious (and sad). It’s like reading a horoscope .... it doesn’t say anything but people will use it to justify the opinions/fears that they already have.

Pick 13 for Petruccelle?? Are you mad?

The beating of jungle drums after the poor season that we have had is predictable. It is perhaps surprising that it has taken so long. Cracks appear in all clubs when they are performing poorly. The footy media like all other news outlets are looking for headline stories every day. It is 50 years since Vance Packard wrote about news creation so nothing new about it all, other than the fact that the 24 hour news cycle and electronic media has worsened the environment. Everyone wants to be a media star whether for good or bad and this includes journalists, reporters and news breakers. The game is seen as entertainment and the old ideas of footy and the behaviours of all involved in the game has forever changed. Like its supporters you would expect some players to be getting itchy feet. With some dysfunction between players and perhaps between players and coach, and admin staff there will be tension. Also the natural reaction of any well performed player is going to be "do I wait to see if things improve or get out now." With the Demons history and the perennial bagging of the club by all and sundry, players would feel depressed. Hell all us supporters feel suicidal, ashamed and embarrassed by our poor old club so imagine the feelings of at least some of the players. With ego massaging that comes from approaches from other better performing clubs, it would be tempting for anyone to consider a move. Better facilities, better money, and perceived stability, the temptation is there. And the grass is always better on the other side of the fence. When you are offered a job you feel pretty good about yourself, life and future prospects. At the same time, if players are hearing stories that they may be traded as part of big changes to the playing list, then this only encourages them to look elsewhere, supported by rapacious player managers who have a vested interest in the players career. Like with most things, I suspect the truth lies somewhere in the middle. The next 6 months is going to be a time when the professionalism of the clubs decision makers is going to be fully tested. I hope they are up to it. How much risk does the club take? Will it be able to manage the issues with intelligence, common sense and integrity. Its internal and external communication is going to be very important. Any perceived differences or tensions are going to be exposed and talked about. Testing times. I just hope the key people are up to it. At this stage it is hope rather than belief. Unfortunately, we will not get any sympathy from the AFL, other clubs, the media or the footy industry per se. Huge challenges ahead.

Vague, non-comital sentence from journalist that lacks any detail or specifics, sets off 4 pages of vague, non-commital hysteria lacking any detail or specifics. Barrett heard our presentation went badly. If he had anything else, he'd print it.

So we are the only club with some people married, some unmarried and some young? Spare me

And on this, so what? Lets see what happens. Might go the same way as the so called 'big' announcement that was supposed to happen last Sunday that you jumped all over. But lets say it is true we don't want the tail wagging the dog and to be honest there are only 4 or 5 best 22 that i woud be shattered to lose. In any case we have most of our best 22 under contract and i suspect might be looking to trade some anyway (eg Brayshaw, Hunt) Der. No sheet sherlock Stuff happens in a year like the one we have had in a very emotional environment like footy clubs The Doom Loop? Most important off-season in the club's history? hyperbole much. What a load of over the top histrionics. The Doom loop is good name for death metal band by the way.

Probably big names players wanting out. Petraccas manager sat down with the club recently. Wouldn’t be surprised if he wants out. Brayshaw has looked unhappy all year. Wouldn’t be surprised if he requests a trade to WA to be with his two brothers at WA clubs and his family living over there. People being defensive need to realize we have had a horrible year, and coming off the back of so much promise has made it even worse. Defend the club all you want, but fact is the club is currently failing. Financially, this year will be a shocker. Onfield, well best not to talk about it and thank god for basket case expansion club saving us from yet another wooden spoon.

AFL House leaks like a sieve! Barrett is an AFL employee. Join the dots.

Pretty easy, aging list, no superstars or few coming through, on field, sale of pokies, revenue comes from?, a coach that is useless, a head of FD that has more lives than a cat, near certainty to lose thousands of members next year..........

Why do people believe everything that idiots like Barrett say. He has given no information at all. Last friday all the carry on in another thread which proved incorrect

Perhaps people should read the second line, which is more insightful if true..... "And unlike the Suns, it won't be offering priority national draft assistance." i.e. The AFL HAS offered the SUNS priority draft assistance.....goodbye pick 2 to QLD!

Agree with both. It is so predictable. There is a bye weekend and journos have to continue churning out the same volume of content as any other week. This is a gigantic headline with a very insignificant story behind it. As others have said, MFC would have presented a bad financial loss, and predicted another for next year. That would probably be it. Demonland, stop reacting to this pathetic attempt for relevance, by this pathetic man.

I'm not offended by rumours. But i really dislike unfounded, unsubstantiated rumors of the 'i have it on good authority' type, particularly when they form a pattern that when put together support a particular narrative or agenda, in your case one that paints a picture of a club in turmoil. You made a definitive statement that Trac put an ultimatum to the club. Name your source. If you can't don't report it as fact. Anyone can play the i've heard from reliable sources, who i can't reveal, game. Hacks like McClure do it all the time. You don't indulge in rumors? Without going back through your posts i'd beg to disagree. You seem to be pushing quite a few of late, most of which that put the club in bad light There are handful of posters on DL who if they post a rumour and don't back it up with a source i'll take it on face value. To be frank you are not one of them. Which is not to say you don't get good mail or that what you are hearing is not factual. But as far as i am concerned you don't have the runs on the board. I don't work at the club. But i love the club and i maintain that spreading unfounded rumors on a site such as DL can be damaging to the club. You'd have to be completely naive to think hacks like Tom Morris and Sam McClure don't scour such sites and regurgitate information they hoover up as 'reliable sources', 'whispers' and 'good authority'.

[censored] off, the guy has been constantly been shown to be wrong more then right! When he is called out on it he backs peddle and won't own up to it. An absolute venom and a snake of a journo. He is lucky Luke Beveridge didn't put a fist through his head. [censored] off Barrett you germ.

Well I think we know who Damien Barrett is on Demonland now.

Yeah but if a journo like damo knew someone like petracca wanted out he would report it to get the glory rather than his cryptic comments on afl.com today.

Fair go, that wasn't too bad for a Jack Russell!!!

I believe Petracca's concerns has been what has prompted some heated exchanges between coaching team and the board. Essentially he is unhappy, and the board is pointing the finger at the coaching team. This all falls down to a disastrous pre-season. Goodwin and Co. have been the catalyst for this.

Up to three starting 22 players are set to demand trades. Club set to announce financial loss, debit to increase. Murmurs of a heated exchange between a powerful club exec and Goodwin following last week's match. Make no mistake, the Doom Loop is now full circle. Prepare yourselves. Once the finals end, it's all going to break open. Most important off-season in the club's history imo.

I read it and I thought; "WTF is that supposed to mean?"

And T Mac's game against Carlton which everyone's forgotten about. 6 goals by 3 qtr time is a pretty spectacular effort. We would've won 3-4 games on the run home if he didn't get injured. His form turned around at the Freo game and it was match winning against average sides.

Top post Steve. In my observations there are far worse offenders than you in the [censored] stirring/insufferable [censored] stakes. I’ve always enjoyed your contributions. But kudos for putting your hand up all the same. I think we have all been guilty at some point of letting our frustrations get the better of us. The psyche of Melbourne supporters would make for an interesting thesis. There are common threads but in certain ways we all react differently. At one end of the spectrum you have those who actively seek out the positive, all but turning a blind eye to the negative, and always looking to the future to save themselves from drowning in the present. At the other end of the spectrum you have those who shroud themselves in the negative and refuse to acknowledge the positive after such a dismal performance. And you have the majority who fall somewhere in between. To an extent, both sides of the spectrum are understandable. Similarly, both sides are open to criticism. The eternally optimistic can be accused of being too forgiving and therefore not holding the club and its leadership accountable. Case in point were those who insisted, to the very end, that the Neeld ship would turn. The eternally pessimistic are the poster children for the “veil of negativity” which I personally believe is a real thing and does have an impact on a club’s fortunes (which you also alluded to). By the same token, can you really blame the supporters for feeling that way after decades of bitter disappointment? I don’t. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a real thing. It’s all about finding that right balance between being a valuable supporter and providing a kick up the [censored] where needed. I think most would agree that continuing to be a paid member is the minimum requirement. The club is bigger than the individual. Be critical. Hold them accountable. But continue to support and try to, in your weaker moments, find a positive mindset.

I think most on here couldn’t care less about the romantic notion of him coming home and would be more concerned about getting someone who has worked closely with Clarko. But his ties to Melbourne are what could draw him back. I went on the Daniher Drive last year to raise money for MND and Oooze was there with a host of other past players including Neitz. I can tell you the bond is strong.

Goody realising that a focus mainly on crash / bash & overwhelm inside style of footy isn't going to win many games in the medium to long haul if this is your main go to method. Speed on outside, spread and an attacking overlap game style taking over. Also becoming expert at tempo / possession option when needed to ice match or protect a lead etc. Getting the inside/outside structures right - BALANCE. Getting smalls and mediums front and square more often. MASSIVE reduction in turnovers via improved skills, particularly by foot. Flow on - hitting a stack more targets inside 50 (and generally), resulting in greater ball retention and control of game/momentum. Big M as the new captain. Viney & Jones getting a full pre-season in. AVB making a miraculous comeback. Snatching a key forward, 2 quality smalls and a classy outsider in the trade. Burgess turning Tracc into an inside/outside beast who can tear a game apart through the mid field on a regular basis. Clarry as per Tracc. Get some run/gun and finish out of congestion...more kicking, fewer suicide/look away hand balls and instead looking to give first option to runners on the outside wherever possible. A broom through many NQRs on the list in place of pace/burst power marking and finishing skills including at goal. Uncovering a potential gun in the draft with serious X factor who can turn a match in 15 to 20 minutes of pulsating ball bursting footy! Goal kicking accuracy generally!

Journos constantly make up stuff and get away with it. Only a week or so ago the rumours were Coniglio was leaving for the Blues, then all of a sudden he signs a 7 year deal to stay at GWS. The fact is they have no idea and use words like 'alleged' or 'according to sources' to make up stuff and put it in an article. They are leaches.

This is a rubbish . There is no truth to this article. This is more reflective of the clabrre of the journalist than the facts.

The problem is his technique is poor. Don't get me wrong - I agree about his class and was really impressed with how he ended the season. Never dropped his head.i also look forward to him having a great preseason and some luck with injury and he will be huge for us next year. Like a new recruit.

I believe Tomlinson is an unrestricted free agent? Meaning GWS can’t match the offer.

Wasn't this best exemplified in the last 2 mins vs Hawks Frosty would not relent and threw himself at the ball to save the day agreed his determination is team lifting!

Really Flemo56 you have been drinking some red wine that's far too good for your palette. Why is it that about 20% of Demons fans want to try snd make Frosty a winger or a forward and now your suggestion that he is some sort of latent talent of the The Bont variety! The Bont is everything Frosty isn't! He's good in close, handballs in and out side superbly, turns on a small circle, kicks to his teammates relentlessly, scores clutch goals and also leads his team from the front! What Frosty brings is on a good day is the run of a run away train with no driver and no idea of any result! Occasional good high mark under pressure also! On a bad day it's just all a train wreck and no one able to clean up! in saying this Frosty has improved this year as an individual and team player and especially since Stephen May and Jakey Lever have enabled him to play with more freedom mostly as the Third Tall. Yes def offer him a new contract about $300/350,000 for the next 2 years and he will be even better for another 2 years with a $50/100,000 salary rise. BUT don't turn him into something he ain't Roos trued him as a forward and it was a disaster No one knew what he did and his kicking for goal was even worse than most this year!!

I'm glad we're all having a say. For those interested, a thorough read of my post will reveal that I haven't promoted the idea of a jargon-based Mission statement. I have shared with you what I believe is a robust process to map a set of Values and Behaviours. Your bad experiences in the past aren't a reason to kill the idea. Rather, they're a reason to execute the idea properly. So skeptics, am I to assume one or more of the following: You hate Mission statements, but you're ok with Positioning, Values and Behaviours? (Actually, I'm in this camp.) You'd rather not have a set of Values and Behaviours? That people should do whatever they want? You don't think it's possible to get buy-in from everyone? That it's impossible to get alignment, even to well a thought-through and well explained set of principles where people get to discuss and debate before they're adopted? Really? Then we don't need the dissenters. You don't think people are capable of following the Behaviours? That a code of conduct is beyond the people at our club. So we can't kick, spread, score... and now we can't behave properly either? Wrong people, not wrong idea. You don't think management could be strong enough to enforce the Values and Behaviours? That they'd be weak and let them slide. If it's this, it's not a problem with the Principles, it's a problem with the management. We can all find reasons not to do things. The better path is to do things properly.

I'm not talking about selling the farm for him, just bringing him in to help Weids development