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I can also attest to what a great tonic it is watching games from 2021. Have re-watched the GF and PF in recent ( @Demonstone) weeks and it is food for soul. The 'veil of negativity' that has started to descend back here on Demonland since late 2022 is becoming quite unenjoyable. Here is my take on things: 1. You only need to look at what has happened to the other teams that were in our GF and PF to some extent to see how realitively good our form has been since 2021. The Bulldogs have fallen away badly and Geelong certainly wasn't able to backup as being a true compeditor in 2023. 2. I actually think our forward line and ball movement was starting to get back to 2021 type level in the back quarter of our 2023 H&A season. The game against the Tigers when they were making a late charge, but we still had all of Petty, JvR and Melksham up and about our willingness to share and seek good options around goal was back. Very few teams would have even remained compeditive as we did with the consistent churn through our forward line this year. Max and Goody are in my view exceptional leaders. Their ability to be both positively focused, while still being harf self critics, compeditive and always looking for improvement is exactly what is needed. Sucess isn't final, failure isn't fatal, it's the corurage to continue that counts is the sort of mantra I think the epitomize well. As an asides, I was reading a few days ago how Trent Cotchin and his wife hoasted Dusty Martin for a period following the chopstick assault saga in 2015. Perhaps this bodes well for Clarry's stay with the Gawn family.

FFS. Close this thread what a load of bollocks ! for most here it’s loaded posts at 40 paces turn and fire. its almost summer, chill , we will be training the house down soon. i got one cannot wait for some positive posts

I almost don’t feel like dignifying that performance with anything! I’ve never seen us so flat and that’s saying something after last week. Couldn’t take a trick and credit to North they did everything right and finally put it all together. So many dropped marks, half-hearted ground balls and lack of run. Then every small chance we mustered we butchered with poor skill execution and some absolutely shocking decisions with the footy. Consecutive performances like that is new territory for us. You could feel it coming a mile off. After what turned out to be a soft draw we’ve been battling complacency and haven’t prepared well for this phase of the season. Next week it’s back to basics and just absolute hunger for the contest. No passengers. Some desperation from the first siren please.

We always said one day the women's game would be just like the men's.

Any chance Bannan, Zanker or Harris can play in front, instead of waiting out the back?

This thread getting good levels of paranoia.

lol. so that's the best you've got. some anonymous "media manager" who "rolled his eyes"? [censored], you should get a job at the hun. you'd be in good company.

Not everyone on your list improves it but you need coverage

Very very disappointed with that. Embarrassing performance. I wasn’t overly confident coming into the game given our form but that was terrible. We’ve lauded this year the past year or so and rightly so. They’ve been fantastic. The last few weeks have been poor however and today downright embarrassing. We were trounced and lucky to kick a goal. Goldie, Hore and Hanks had a crack. The rest were awful. The appetite for the contest is not there. We hunted like lions last year. This year we’ve been meek as lambs. I’d love to know why. We’re other problems as well but you have to have the heart for the battle. Going back-to-back is very hard to do but our level of performance against the top teams the last month or so has been miles off. Some honest conversations required otherwise Geelong will beat us next week. Mick has his work cut out for him this week that’s for sure.

You don't think 2018-2023 has been a successful period for the CEO, given it's included rolling operating profits, membership growth of just shy of 30,000 and a premiership in the AFL, VFL and AFLW? I reckon he deserves a little bit of credit... say what you will about the SEN interview, i will acknowledge it could have gone better, but i guarantee you it meant an enormous amount to Goody and the players that the CEO would go in to bat for them, the club and the culture like that, and i additionally guarantee he did it for them, not for us or the general public.

I was thinking 12 hours after

There are a lot of fair weather supporters on here. Bad game today, a shocker...but they happen. Lets see what the team brings next week.

I don't think it's hyperbole to say it's probably the worst game we've ever played, considering the occasion. Hopefully we come up with a solution because Geelong will have a very clear game plan next week.

Oppo have worked us out - go hard at us physically

Hanks is an absolute star, would be lost without her today

are you allowed to just push your opponent over in the ruck contest? should have been a free to Pearce

My partner just told me an unbelievable story. She lived a few doors from 4 time premiership legend John Lord and had got to know him over time. 3 years ago and not long before he passed away she went through a nasty divorce and John rocked up at her door and offered to take her out to lunch for support. She had prior commitments and declined. Standing next to John was Ronald Dale Barrassi. I said to her are you farkin kidding me, how could you possibly pass up on opportunity like that. What a beautiful gesture by those 2 men.

When you say “we”, exactly how many are there floating in and around your head? Your mis-projected anger and anti-social behaviour is mind boggling. The idea a media manager from a AFL club, or anyone for that matter, would sit down with you and give you the time of day is also mind boggling.

A couple of things on this thread: 1) Aaron Vandenberg is a legend. Thanks to the poster that brought up his name. Good memories. 2) We should have smoked Collingwood really

2023 AFL Draft Preview: Melbourne https://central.rookieme.com/afl/2023/11/12/2023-afl-draft-preview-melbourne/

Reluctantly, but I’ll have a crack. Can hold their heads up: 6. Hanks 5. Goldrick 4. Hore For effort only, on a day when most of our players wandered around like lost sheep: 3. Purcell 2. Heath 1. McNamara

Cal twomey 12 hours before the draft most likely.

We've been linked to almost every player predicted to go in the top dozen or so, wonder when the real mail is coming

Disappointingly meek.

Pretty poor from start to finish. Lack polish and as already stated, if you take away our handball chain game we are totally hopeless. We have been smashed in every facet of the game. If you can’t kick the ball, you won’t be good enough. North hit targets over 30 metres. The major difference

Happy with a goal at this stage.

Geelong will fancy their chances next week. i hope we can get our [censored] together sufficiently to win that game at least and avoid the dreaded straight sets.

You make your own luck in footy but geez we haven’t had a good bounce all day

5 quarters since a goal. I’m at Ikon. It’s no fun here.

This is looking like a choke of epic proportions. Smashed at the contest and in contested marks. Poor decision making when we do get open. Brisbane must be laughing. Had to win the last game of the season to snatch a double chance and now look like hosting another Grand Final. I think that might be 5 quarters in a row now that we've been goalless.

needs to be some honest conversations after this loss. Zero leadership or intent today. Goldie, Hore and Hanks the only players with any credit from this debacle

Any danger we can make the Nth spare behind the ball accountable.

What a disappointing display after such dominance early in the season.

Really? Well done…you couldn’t wait to post this could ya.

Been watching some 2021 games. Thee is no doubt we played with more freedom in 2021. We were extremely unselfish and looked for other players nearly every time. Lots of pats on the back, helping players up when they were on the ground, stepping in when an oppo player was trying to be tough etc That care for our team mates and 'selflessness' disappeared in 2023. Maybe the 2021 hub was conducive to playing like that but thats what we have to get back to.

In: First AFLW game. Out: Vocal cords. Go the Dees!

My gut feels we will look to add someone who can have immediate impact. We are in the flag window and going full tilt at immediate improvement. Pick 6, praying for Watson (apart from a Reid trade) feels like the best choice to help our struggles forward. Pick 11, best available with a bias towards a quality tall def/frwd which will be desperately needed in 2-3 years. If not a ready made mid pick 11.

As mentioned above, Carlton and Bulldogs drew the short straw in 2023. Us and Essendon have drawn the short straw next year. Two other clubs will draw the short straw in 2025. I personally don’t see the issue.

Wonderful service. I watched the whole show from far away Perth and enjoyed it very much having watched regularly the great man in my youth. Played in a practice match trying for a game for the Melbourne thirds (under 19s). I was on the same team as Ron and he fed me at least 3 perfect handpasses. I didn't make the final list despite his help though. On the only negative side, I thought that maybe one of his old Demons mates like Brian Dixon might have been asked to say a few words. Maybe he declined.

Thought he was very stiff to be delisted in the first place. No problems with him coming back into the fold.

If he was drafted he would have to be a pretty unique journey wouldn't he? - VFL best and fairest in 2017 and 2018. - Drafted 2018 as a mature age recruit (22 years old). - Played 14 AFL games in 2019. - No games in 2020 or 2021 (injured most of 2021 I think). - Delisted and went back to the VFL: --2022: playing for North Melbourne (3rd in their best and fairest, behind winner Dom Tyson for trivia buffs) and named in the VFL team of the year --2023: playing for Williamstown, won their best and fairest and named in the VFL team of the year. - Back on AFL list in 2024, age 28?

Here is my gameday beanie

Engine room needs to fire. We’ve been bullied by lions and crows in that department recently. North will have taken note. We have the firepower to win and I think we will. But last weeks performance was poor. Not as confident as I would otherwise be.

I can remember my old mum taking newspapers to the Elsternwick market, in her shopping trolley, so that she might get a few shillings to buy some tripe, that I never eat these days. but then we did live in a paper bag in the middle of road ! it was a long time ago !

Not every recruit needs to play in the 1s and have 30 mate. We're not assembling a fantasy team on FIFA. Dunstan was a crucial contributor to Casey winning a flag, which benefited all of Chandler, Woewodin, JVR, Turner and Bedford (benefiting GWS), most of whom are now regulars in the 1s. Schache likewise - takes the best defender and kicks bags in the VFL Casey's success is crucial to our fortunes in so many ways. A lot of people don't understand this but there is a clear correlation of the strongest VFL teams with the strongest AFL teams. Bit chicken or egg - but either way, seasoned experience that helps Casey is valuable. Not saying I love this acquisition btw as I never really thought he had the athleticism against AFL forwards. I'd rather someone who was depth but a greater capacity to impact at the top level and carve out a spot - someone like Mannagh. But appreciate he will likely go in the ND.

Loved Jack. I backed the club in trading him out the year as I believe it was best for both clubs and turns out it's been a massive win for us. As other have said, had he been drafted 3 years back he'd be a weapon because he's exactly the kind of player we're lacking across half forward with his ball use and polish inside 50. Also, he kicked some serious clutch goals in big games mind you. For a guy that was perceived as soft he could certainly play in the big games.

Okay Max. Less words and more actions thanks. We've been hearing too much words for the past two years.

A story about jack I attended and was in the preseason team photo a few years ago. The process is mobility impaired and elderly people are photographed first and the rest of us follow. It’s about one minute for each photo! And after it’s all done players and coaches disappear usually quite quickly. So you spend very little time with players or coaches. On this day, a young mobility impaired person was photographed early and stuck around. Jack watts obviously knew him quite well and after the photo shoot came over and had a great chat to this fellow. All other players had left. In my view Jack was bog that day. Badly treated by Melbourne when young. Beautiful kick and clever ball user. Wish him all the best.