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Only Melbourne supporters would wait 57 years to win a flag, and then immediately find ways to poop all over that flag. Insanity.

Welcome to the curve of equilibrium, by design. Welcome to the sport that neutered the influence of cash to have a 'relatively' equal competition, rather than purchased success, where over a period of half a decade, any team can win a premiership, in effect. We rode the crest of the wave with a game style that won a premiership and now, as the sport, the tactics and the opposition has evolved, those warriors (and coaches) that won us a premiership are moving towards the setting sun... Some may see it that we haven't moved with the times, or haven't drafted/recruited well enough. Or the coaches cant coach, or are outdated. Some may even be genuinely entitled in their expectations of a dynasty has been missed. I would take the players that we had, and the coach that we had, for the one premiership of supreme joy and 4 years of quality, quality competitive football, game after game after game. Whilst acknowledging that all good things, start a decline, and it's actually no-ones fault. There is no one to blame, but we do like to do so. Every thing in life is transitory, Everything is impermanent. "Pursue it vigorously, and hold it lightly."

Sorry, but if you go to your home state, organise for a local reporter to show up and interview you while you play a round of golf, request a trade, then play with little effort the following season… you’re going to cop criticism.

The Choco Williams ‘school of skills’. Should have him kicking off his shin & ankle in no time..

Melksham did actually show a solid 10 or so week block of good form last year that gives us some reason for confidence in his ability when fit. Whether his body is up to it or not remains to be seen though.

Used to taking a dive, so should be good at this…

Sadly you're right Picket. We should have found another flag or at least a GF appearance in 22 or 23. 2022 we tried to replicate what we did in 23 with a shorter pre-season, suffered injuries to key players (that we didn't sustain in 21) and ran everyone into the ground by September 2023 we tried to time our peak better and actually looked really good rounds 18-24 but lost Melksham and Petty at the wrong time. Despite this, and ballsing up the Grundy situation we should have beaten Collingwood and made a prelim if not for ThugHead braining Angus and Fritsch & Pickett combining for 5 behinds. The coaching was pretty solid that night, in hindsight Laurie as sub was a miss. In those conditions and at that time Jordon or Harmes likely would have offered more in place of Angus. We also even more clearly should have beaten Carlton. We dominated, should have iced the game (+16 CP, +8 scoring shots) but choked in front of goal. Somehow the Blues got 8 goals from Walsh, DeKonig, Motlop and Acres (WTF!!). Schache as an unused sub and JV going for a short kick on his right with a minute to go are knives in the chest! 2024, although I was hopeful, was always going to be a bigger stretch than 23 as soon as Clarrie was disrupted and we were to be without Angus and Smith.

This thread is disgusting. The way he is being discussed is appalling. A few years ago TMac suffered a serious foot injury. For the following two years there was an enormous amount of vitriol directed at him - but look at him now: reborn!! The simple fact is, foot injuries of this type take years for full recovery. MFC supporters should know this: see Trengove, Vandenberg, Viney as well as TMac. Petty will come good. What is certain is that when he does, most of the posters here won't own up to how bad their behaviour has been and how wrong they were.

I thought he was excellent in The Big Lebowski.

You can't deny this bloke is a very special talent. I look forward to seeing him play for many years. Of course I'd love for that to be in red and blue but I understand that is just a pipe dream. I am just pleasantly surprised that the usual preferential treatment handled out to AFL golden children didn't occur this time. Realistically, the already badly battered reputation of the AFL probably couldn't have survived another blatant miscarriage of justice. I also believe the decision will serve Harley himself well in his maturity and development. Sure, it's a shame that it will cost him the Rising Star, but it also says to him, we know you are already a super footballer and a likely future great of the game, but you are subject the the same rules as everyone else. This is one part of the whole thing that I hope is not a pipe dream.

Fluke the flag?? Nah.. people are simply trolling now. We absolutely deserve, and earned that flag. We timed our run at the most perfect time and the reason we smashed those teams in the finals was because we had a system and game plan that stood up in finals. We got challenged in the grand final and could have just crumbled under the pressure but we didn't, we rose to the occasion and did the job. Flags are incredibly hard to win and anything thinking we fluked it can get in bin.

Melksham back cannot come soon enough. Weapon firmly believe was a major factor in not playing a GF

First day today.

I'm kind of shocked. Something went horribly wrong against Fremantle and I'd like to be alarmist but so many others have hit the panic button before me that the fun has drained out of it. We came into the season seriously behind. I was thinking we'd be lucky to even have a 50/50 win loss record at the mid-season break. After the Alice springs disaster we're now 7w 5l and outside the 8 on percentage alone, and in this wacky season we're still one win short of the top 4. Anyway, the problems are easy enough to identify; Our forward line is an abject disaster. Not a single forward has been in form, and those who have been at least keeping the scoreboard moving or providing contests are the not the ones who can define a structure by contesting over and over - Fritsch and Pickett aren't built for the role, and Van Rooyen is eventually built for it but still too young to be doing it alone. Our mature-age depth recruitment drove off a cliff. From the epic run of Langdon, Hibberd, Melksham and Brown all playing their part to make a team complete (and even Tomlinson had an important run of form before his injury), we've now had Dunstan, Hunter, Grundy, Billings, McAdam, Schache and Fullarton all cost us more than they have been worth to date. And of course the elephant in the room of losing Angus Brayshaw right on the cusp of the season, when also previously losing the depth which would otherwise have come in, James Jordon. The hole in our hearts is matched by the hole in our list. And the other elephant in the room of Oliver's messed up pre-season and 'just another midfielder' form. Simple statistics will say he is down about 20% on the levels he sustained consistently for seven years. That feels about right, but maybe exacerbated in the sense of "getting it 20% less, and then doing 20% less with it." It is pretty clear that the emotional strain of holding it all together under such trying circumstances got the better of us at last, away in Alice Springs and without Lever's reassuring screaming keeping everyone in line. None of this is a surprise or mystery. And yet we're right in the mix after playing through one of the hardest draws of any club in the first half of the season. Congratulations Max Gawn on being an epic captain providing the example of even-tempered grit and excellence the club so desperately has needed during this time.

WCW likes to defend our players, but when she attacks she goes after the top dog in Max. 🤣🤣

I can’t agree with that assessment. He had a great game against the filth last year and from memory was dropped the week after? I think he’s unfairly maligned but that’s just my opinion.

Sparrow should be dropped well before Clarry.

McAdam vs Spargo at training for the longest kick would be a tense thriller of a matchup!

Tommo out, Howes in. Better balance for pies setup. Lingers back to a wing, Kolt to HF, Windsor on other wing. Woey on bench not sub. Kossie more time forward, McAdam either out or on absolute notice. JVR straight in. Disco back, Petty CHF leading up to the wings Nibbler and mcVee run with Daicos My best is they will try to spread us like everyone else has. Gotta win the contest and get back to basics. Dees by 22 points

I understand people being critical of Fritsch but his job has been difficult all year with Petty offering nothing JVR in and out of the ruck. It became even more difficult with kozzy and anb out of the forward line and McAdam in the forward line. He's supposed to be the dangerous third/medium forward, as he was in 21. Not the only forward!

Anyone who knows Max will understand he is incredibly competitive, trains to his limits, gives his all, is straight and honest and hates losing. After a loss his wife has said he comes home and takes a bit of time alone to cool his jets. After last years Carlton final he was out and had his son on his shoulders when some so and so let Max know that he thought he had lost us the game. Max was fuming not at the insult but that it was belittling him in front of his son. Everyone has boundaries and when they are crossed you do so at your own peril. To answer WVW's question re Max's accountability but unlike Goody he doesn't talk media speak and waffle about learnings and speak in riddles. He isn't a ghost who you never hear, we rarely if ever hear from the assistant coaches. I give the club credit that Goody or Richardson speak on behalf of the club. Max has a media profile because he is good. He accepts bad performances, always has your back and is so approachable with no BS. Remember how Viney copped nothing but flack for his lack of eloquence as a leader. In short Max tells it like it is and is always accountable

I'm with Nathan Buckley on this week. Its not the result, and its not the opposition,. Its all about the team showing heart and effort. Was last week an aberration - maybe? A win won't fix anything because the pies will be so undermanned thus that will be the media commentary, . but that's not the point. Its how they go about the endeavour - yes I'm looking at you Bailey (for one)

Gives his all every game.

Believe it or not, who wins the popular vote will not make a scrap of difference. The AFL in the past have given the AA captaincy to non club captains, making it a farce. eg. Franklin, Hawkins etc. Great players, but not great captains in the eyes of their own clubs. Max has been a fantastic player, leader and captain over many years. I am not going to change my respect for who he is and what he has done for our club, and the AFL as a whole, simply because his teammates let him down on the weekend. My whole reasoning for rallying for this is to say we supporters still believe in you Max. He is not the reason for our poor form. He is the only shining light in this storm on and off the field and he deserves our support.

I'm saving it for our loss to the Kangaroos post Bye. 😱

Correct. It’s not personal. Putting aside his ill timed trade request, I put most of his form issues down to injury recovery and match committee. 1: He missed a large chunk of the preseason and was managed heavily. 2: The match committee persist with playing him forward. His perceived effort or interest level I can’t comment on but the above 2 factors are enough to slow down most AFL players. If he still wants to leave, and I believe this to be the case, then so be it. We will have to be ready for an underwhelming offer from Adelaide.

Is it that he goes missing? Or maybe the surrounding cast of players around him are not providing him with space and matchups that he can exploit? Maybe a bit of both.

Tomlinson played 1 good game against an awful side, an ordinary opponent in Caminiti and great up field pressure. That’s the easiest gig in footy. As soon as it got a bit harder he wasn’t just poor he was dreadful. The head goes down, the turnovers come and he’s unwilling to put his body on the line. It’s probably well and truly time for Petty to go back to Casey but the forward options aren’t good. So I won’t be shocked if they stick with him. Down back we have other plausible choices, mostly going smaller against a Collingwood small line up.

We might need to find him somewhere else to live, or he'll have concussion problems before he even plays a game.

Why is everyone always so quick to drop thommo , been in our best 5-6 players since coming back. You need selection integrity and Petty should be dropped before him

The longer Melks is out the better he is, it seems. Starting to remind me of the whining when we believed Junior had lost too much pace and let him go. It was the right decision in hindsight, but the moaning was significant. I hope Melks can come back for a couple of games but if he can replicate any earlier highlights, I will be happy to be wrong.

Very excited by the prospect of Milkshake returning soon. Done an incredible job to get back ahead of schedule, can see the steely determinationin in his eyes. Could do with the extra determination and tenacity on the field right now.

https://x.com/FootyIsMyJam/status/1797863535961321648 • Rick Lever was running 1/2 laps. Running, not jogging, went at a good click. Looking like recovery is going well. • JVR & Kynan Brown were doing separate training away from group. Both looked pretty solid, just management I’d say, too early to call on JVR. • Max, BBB, T Mac all on load-management shift ( taking care if older boys). Max was in high spirits, such a good leader. They were joined by Spargo, Hore & Schache • Lukar Kentfield is a ripping looking kid. Had his first hit out. Big body, good size, moves well and good foot skills. Wearing the almighty #44. • Had a good end-to-end ball movement session. Skills much better today, a few of them looked a little confused at times as to where they should be but most drills got one end to the other without missing targets. • “NO MISTAKES” was yelled a few times by Choco Williams. • Plenty of one-on-one chats by senior players with coaches and assistants. All seemed in good spirits. Vines and Goody spent a good 10mins going over a few things at end of training. • Kossy and McAdam were doing goalkicking from boundary line. McAdam won comfortably. And yes, he had multiple shots OVER 35m comfortably. Think it’s just a confidence issue from his soft tissue injuries. • Melksham looks really really sharp. Rest finishing, great footskills, said hello to the dozen fans that turned up. Ripping bloke, will be handy in 5-6 weeks I’d assume. All in all good spirits, no laughing or joking around, just focus and supporting players who nailed the drills etc. Pretty light workout overall, expected for post-match session.

I think behind Essendon in 2000 and Geelong in 2007 we had the largest aggregate winning margin (190 points) across a finals series in the AFL ERA. Collingwood had a whopping 11 combined points last year. There was nothing underserved or fluky about our flag, and any side that only loses 4 games in a home and away season is the real deal. Furthermore, the quarters were normal length in 2021. It doesn't take away the fact the approximately 15,000 MFC members, 10,000 MCC members and 1,500 AFL members were denied the opportunity to attend the experience of a life time, and probably won't any time soon. That's the only wrinkle on the 2021 premiership (outside of Perth people attending) and it has nothing to do with the club or coach.

And Goodwin deserves credit for this. Not a question mark.

Hearing he's requested a trade to Freo

Well said. I also think there's a little bit of revisionism going on around here about what he's done in his career to date. He wasn't just OK in the Premiership year; he was absolutely critical to the success of that backline.

Pretty sure Clarrie had the most pressure points of the whole team v Fremantle, by some margin. Not playing to his normal standard but is streets ahead of anyone at Casey currently

To me the easiest, most immediate change is to get blokes back into their normal positions. ANB, Kozzy and others running through the middle has been trialled for 2 reasons i think; to preserve Tracc, Clarrie and Viney for Septemeber and particularly with Clarrie and Viney nurse them through injury/gaining fitness get some speed on the ball But doing that has robbed us of forward pressure, defensive gut running, our best F50 entry kick and goal scoring. For Monday I'd suggest two of Tracc, Clarrie, Sparrow and Viney at every CBA,balanced with someone with speed at the defensive side, ANB, Kozzy, Langdon, Rivers, maybe even try Woewodin, Bowey, Windsor or McVee Petty to the backline (if not dropped) - Tomlinson may have to go Salem to the backline Langdon (wing), Kozzy (forward) and ANB (High HF) back to their substative roles Pick a forward partner for JVR, Turner or Brown, not sure which will offer more it's a flip of the coin Reward the blokes at Casey with some form (anyone playing ok there is swimming upstream at the moment), AMW & Howes Out Hunter, McAdam, Tomlinson In JVR, AMW, Howes (sub)

At the very least Melksham is a professional forward and natural goal kicker, which is exactly what Petty and Turner are not. He will add something to our forward line if his body holds up. My guess is that he'll return for round 18 V Essendon (13 July), after 2 VFL hit outs.

Not sure where you get this SPC? Choko famously swept Princess Diana around the dance floor on her honeymoon tour of Australia. Well known as pretty good on his feet.

Don’t worry Deemania Luker will be part of Mark Williams DNA academy same as all the 1st four year players.

The fact Woewodin had more then all of them is damning in itself.

Taller than the door - good stuff 😀 Good luck, Luker!

Did anybody?

A big difference of course that Cam was a mature bodied experienced AFL player when we recruited him; Luker is a young inexperienced WAFL player. I hope he develops into more that a fill in role player, not downplaying in any way the value Cam gave to the club.

If there's an asterisk next to our 2021 flag, there would be a star the size of Rigel against Richmond's 2020 flag, given the shortened quarters and reduced season length. Can't believe people are buying into this "your flag has an asterisk" [censored]. If not winning successive flags is a fluke, then what's that make it - 75 or 80% of the VFL/AFL premierships across all history are flukes? What a stupid suggestion.

Popped down to training, but must have got there late. Just saw Witches Hats- some wearing bibs and some without..