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Leaving the politics out of it, dumping and trying to bury all this stuff at once is the best thing to do after a year of bad headlines. The alternative is that each story receives maximum coverage and drags on for as long as possible .. and then just when the air clears, another stink bomb drops. Much prefer to get it all over and done with at once, rather than trickling out one at a time and prolonging the agony.

An article attributed to Michael Warner in today’s Herald Sun, entitled “END OF THE LINE FOR TROUBLED DEE” contains the following paragraph:- “In a statement handed to federal MP Andrew Wilkie earlier this year – assessed by SIA – former Demons doctor Zeeshan Arain estimated two thirds of the club’s squad were either “frequent” drug users or “occasionally” used illicit drugs.” There is no further explanation of the claim made by Dr Arain and the article does not refer to the fact that the doctor was sacked by the club and was subsequently involved in an acrimonious legal wrangle with the club. Warner should know because he wrote about the situation in an article appearing in Code Sports on February 16, 2022 “Melbourne crisis: Former club doctor issues legal letter to Demons”. In that article, Warner mentioned an email in which Melbourne CEO Gary Pert questioned Arian’s credibility. I am quoting directly from Warner’s article:- "Pert wrote: When dealing with Zee on issues, he consistently changed his stories when I challenged him on details and his stories rarely matched up to other people involved ... He also described Dr Arain's evidence as "full of inaccuracies, misrepresentations and a rewriting of history, which was a frustration to all he was accusing". Today’s Warner article refers to the club’s off-field scandals and cultural issues but fails to mention that when the issue was raised in Parliament by independent MP Andrew Wilkie (using parliamentary privilege), Wilkie said Arain alleged it wasn't a Melbourne problem but an "AFL problem" with a number of players arriving at the club with pre-existing cocaine dependencies. However, the most glaring omission from Warner’s article today (and the reason why I feel it necessary to raise this point here now) is his failure to provide the full story which is the Melbourne Football Club’s version which appeared in his own newspaper written by his colleague Jay Clark who, followed the process of allowing the other side to be heard. This is an excerpt from “Melbourne deny ex-club doctor Zeeshan Arain's extraordinary claims of player illicit drug use” - March 31, 2024 “The Demons told the Herald Sun on Saturday Dr Arain did not report a single concern to the club's audit and risk sub-committee on any issues regarding player illicit drug use during his tenure. "Dr Arain was the head doctor of the Melbourne Football Club between 2014 and the start of 2020," the statement said. "During this time, he was required to report annually to the club's audit and risk subcommittee on any issues or concerns regarding the entire medical program. "At no time throughout his tenure did Dr Arain ever raise any concerns about players' illicit drug use to this sub-committee. "Like all clubs within the competition the Melbourne Football Club continue to invest heavily in education and support systems, including the IDP (illicit drugs policy) to help reduce the prevalence of illicit substance abuse within the club and the game."

Can't knock Greens communication level of recent.. Doing okay so far in my opinion.

Well, that will be up to all of us I suspect. If we can discuss it like rationale, mature adults that understand nuance then we should be fine.

I been watching Goody as a tracker for a while now. Early in the 2024 season he was much more aloof and was regularly and openly frustrated with the team. As I Ieft track watching in the middle of the year, so I cannot say how he was later on. The seasons before, he was very much in the positive feedback mode, with a softly softly approach to them. I believe he was altering his style so as to see if that would propel us to success. He was conscious of his style change. I hope the review has more to offer than Goody's style. Any Fred or Jane would have been able to see that Goody consciously changed his style. I expect he will change again, not because he has been instructed to do so, but because he will continue to find a way to get the best out of himself and the team. Smoke and mirrors!

I had thought the quality of my posts had improved Thanks a lot!

It’s only early days but FWIW I think Brad Green is doing a fantastic job. Certainly getting on the front foot, great communication and there seems to be a plan. Finally actions and not just words from the club. I feel confident we can turn things around quite quickly and it will translate to on field success.

I’m just enjoying that nobody seems to know anything about anything. Makes this time a lot more fun with endless possibilities and opinions.

Maintains a fantastic relationship with all players and staff, performs role of development coach very well, specialising in skill/decision making areas and has an overall positive influence on morale, ethics. 👍

Would love to read this thread properly but the same few are constantly at each other and its boring and old, please, for the rest of us, just stop. we get it, you don't like each other but the constant [censored] you are posting is petty.

Letter from Brad Green Dear Members, I hope this message finds you well, and that, like me, you’re looking forward to some positive results this weekend to help secure our AFLW team’s place in the finals. After a challenging start, our women’s team has shown tremendous resilience, emerging as one of the form sides in the competition as they prepare for Saturday’s clash against Collingwood. Let’s rally behind them and hope to see them in finals footy this November. As President of the Melbourne Football Club, I want to be up front with you. We know that 2024 was a tough year, both on and off the field. We faced some big challenges, and we recognise that certain off-field issues caused disruptions. We admit that some situations could have been managed better, and we're committed to learning from these experiences to handle the inevitable challenges more effectively in the future. Yesterday was a significant day for our club. While the focus was, deservedly, on acknowledging retiring CEO Gary Pert’s contributions, the announcement of Steven Smith’s commitment to stand up and support the club, the Board, and myself was equally important. The Board and I have been working hard to bring Steven into a position where he can contribute, and we look forward to the potential of him joining us in driving the club forward. As I’ve mentioned in previous communications, we have some important updates regarding both the AFL Football and Board reviews and at the bottom of this letter you will find details regarding Call for Nominations ahead of our Annual General Meeting. AFL Football Review The purpose of the review was to identify opportunities for the AFL Football program to return to finals in 2025. Over the past four years, the AFL program has achieved significant milestones, including a drought-breaking premiership in 2021, three consecutive top four finishes, and the inaugural McClelland Trophy (in conjunction with the success of our AFLW team). We entered 2024 with the expectation of playing finals, and not doing so was incredibly disappointing for our members, players, staff, and everyone associated with the Club. We understand that this competition demands continual improvement, and we are committed to doing the work in every aspect of our football program. This review involved over 40 interviews with players, coaches, football department staff, and external industry experts. Ex-All Blacks Manager Darren Shand, Gary Pert, and I conducted these interviews and meetings to gather comprehensive feedback. Darren Shand then used the interview findings to lead a series of workshops and collaborative meetings with on-field and off-field leaders, including Max Gawn and Jack Viney, to establish key priorities for improving our program in 2025. While much of the review’s details must remain confidential to maintain a competitive edge, we felt it was important to share the high-level findings and priorities with our members. Key Findings: - Our Playing List: The review identified strong confidence within the playing group and football staff that we can play finals next season. We have a very strong core group of players, but fast-tracking the development of our talented young players will be essential. Throughout the pre-season and into the season, we will prioritise and dedicate additional time in our schedule for coaches to focus on developing our first to third year players, ensuring their growth and progression remain a top priority. Members may have noted our commitment during the trade period to secure an additional top 10 selection ensuring we have two early picks in this year’s draft. This aligns with our decision to continue bringing in high-end young talent to complement our core group and return to AFL finals next year. - Staff and Structure: The review confirmed the strength of our football program’s leadership and staff, while identifying an opportunity to refresh energy and leadership within the Assistant Coaching group supporting Senior Coach Simon Goodwin. The review also reinforced the importance of our midfield as a critical driver of success, prompting us to create two dedicated midfield coaching roles as detailed below: Troy Chaplin will transition from managing defence to overseeing our forward line and team offence. Troy has successfully built one of the league’s highest-performing defensive units while nurturing emerging talent. The review recognised our highly talented young emerging key forwards, as well as our dangerous mid and small forwards. Troy's focus will be on developing cohesive structures and disciplines within our forward line. Nathan Jones joins us as a midfield coach focusing on stoppages. Known for his football intelligence and drive for success, Nathan is highly respected by the playing group. His recent playing experience brings fresh perspectives to the role which the review identified as an opportunity for improvement. Sam Radford will work alongside Nathan as midfield coach. Together, they aim to maximise our current midfield group’s strengths while integrating new talent in the midfield mix. Nathan Bassett joins the club and will lead our backline and team defence. With a wealth of experience, including a decade in coaching roles with Essendon and Port Adelaide and most recently at Norwood in the SANFL, Nathan’s fresh outlook will greatly benefit our program. - High-Performance Environment: The review highlighted the importance of empowering the player leadership group to play a greater role in shaping and sustaining our High-Performance environment, setting clear expectations and driving performance outcomes. This includes preparing our next generation of leaders through education and development. To support this, we have engaged an external leadership expert to implement a club-wide program with a dedicated focus on our player leadership group, set to commence when players return for pre-season training. In addition, Darren Shand will mentor both our on-field and off-field leaders, as we implement the various initiatives that resulted from the review. - Game Style: The review emphasised the need to refine our method of play, focusing on all facets of the game— with the ball, without the ball and in the contest. During the pre-season, our coaches will work on evolving our game style to maximise the strengths of our playing group, aiming for a style that not only propels us back into the finals but withstands the pressures of finals football. As a competitive measure, specific details of our game style remain confidential. While the review has highlighted areas for improvement, it also reaffirms that we are well-positioned to turn challenges into opportunities. With strong foundations in place and a clear path forward, we are committed to driving the Melbourne Football Club back to success in 2025. Board Review In tandem with the football review, the Board initiated an external governance review in September, conducted by governance and culture expert Megan Dwyer. This review assessed our structure, practices and composition to identify areas for alignment with best practice and our strategic goals. Key Outcomes: - Commitment to Improvement While the review acknowledged our commitment to improvement, it also identified areas where further changes would support our objectives. The Board is committed to embracing these recommendations and will continue evolving our practices as we implement them. - New Committees As part of our strategy to meet member expectations and bolster on-field success, we will establish two new committees: a High-Performance Committee and a Member Engagement Committee. These committees will bring in additional expertise to strengthen our approach in these areas. - Governance Working Group To maintain focus on continuous improvement, a Governance Working Group, chaired by Director Sally Freeman, has been established. This group will guide the implementation of review recommendations. - Strengthening Board Skills and Experience The review’s skills matrix analysis supports and expands on the Board’s objective to recruit highly skilled and experienced individuals who can support our strategic objectives and foster a culture of TRUE (Trust, Respect, Unity, Excellence). In closing, I want to extend my gratitude to all who contributed to these reviews. We acknowledge the honest feedback from our players, coaches and staff, which will be invaluable as we strive to improve. Most importantly, we thank you—our members and supporters—for your unwavering trust and passion. As we enter the Call for Nominations period, members can nominate for a Board position. As mentioned yesterday, Chris Barlow will be nominating alongside Steven Smith, while incumbents Sally Freeman and Dr. Angela Williams will stand for re-election. Our path forward relies on collective effort. With the reviews complete, our players and coaches are ready to put in the work needed to return to the finals in 2025 and we ask that they feel the support and energy from you, the Demon faithful, as we prepare for the 2025 season. Thank you once again, and as always—Go Demons! Brad Green President Melbourne Football Club

It’s a lot and it’s a sign of how resilient Perf was given we took it right up to 3 of the final 4 left in the race for the flag and didn’t play the 4th while they were rampant.. 11 wins and best player out half year inc when we took it to their 3 teams.. picks 5/9 and a heap of young resent to improve this year.. The list above is also largely media driven ie Trac/Clary — it was awful but it’s over and it’ll now all depend on how we go this pre season we need some luck and to get 90% doing 90% of it but if we do I’m confident both will be happy and content again.. but worst case we have a new young core to build round and if we lose them we lose them and get more young talent in without needing to bottom out. But I’d punt on both being dees for life right now. Trac clearly still playing games sending sublimation to club to express his frustration but once he hits the park I think it then turns to being his turn to act and put best foot fwd. Bring on draft and 2025.. can’t wait to see Windsor with another pre season, Clarry with a full pre season & May/Lever returning to their best as well. The could fuel us to a flag or tear us apart but it’ll largely come down to that 90% doing 90% of the PS.

I'm not sure we're entitled to that from Trac to be honest, i think to pretend we've handled him and Clarry perfectly is foolish, regardless of what mistakes the players themselves have made. I think it's going to take time for wounds to heal and relationships to strengthen, if we're playing in and winning finals in 2025 it's going to be a non issue, if Trac does decide to go, we're going to get a war chest of draft assets right before Tasmania join the league from a club like Collingwood standing on the edge of the cliff looking down (Age wise)

i'm not convinced he's ever going to be anything other than serviceable he doesn't impact enough for a second string mid and he doesn't run hard enough as a fwd / mid to replace the likes of anb we really need him to step up

All smart business operators, even successful CEOs and multi millianaire/billionaires have mentors. Needing a mentor does not mean you can’t do your job. Not saying Rich is the right man for the job, just saying that this isn’t the reason someone should be replaced.

Pert could have easily dug his heels in and made this difficult Fair play to him taking the hit and making it easier for us to get ready for next year

Email from Green about the review. Chaplin to fwd line coach, CHunk and Sam Radford as mids coaches, Bassett to the backline coach. Change to the playing style and a focus on 1-3yr players Workshops with leaders ie Gawn and Viney, as expected most will remain confidential.

The skills in the age group in which he's work with are quite strong. McVee, Bowey, Rivers, Windsor, Pickett, Woewodin. To my eye the skill execution deficiencies lie with Viney, Oliver, Trac (At times), Lever, Gawn and Hunter.

“I love my job, I’m passionate about footy, that’s all I’m really focused on now.” I would have preferred Tracc to have said after footy, "and the Melbourne Football club". But he didn't. Not reading anything into it, but it would have stopped any speculation.

It’s not leaks it’s just basic PR and getting our in front of it before the full thing drops it’s just how this stuff is done to exert some small form of control of narrative but after hearing [censored] Korn and Dumby Edmund this morning it’s just gonna be more doom gloom and nose rubbing by footy media until R1 so I hope to avoid much of it

Given all that went on over the last 12-18 months a clean break was the best course of action. Whether he was at fault for some most or all of the problems doesn’t matter. He was head of the organisation so has to take ultimate responsibility. He leaves with a flag each for the men and women on his cv. He had a very good run. He won’t be short of offers.

It has been mentioned a number of times already But I want to reiterate how great it is to receive regular email updates from our President that are pleasant, firm, concise informative and timely that actually address our concerns and ease our anxiety. Hard to believe this man was that pimply faced 18 year old kid that kicked 4 goals for us in that win over Carlton in the elimination final in 2000. He has stepped up again when we needed him most.

I wonder if player x is available at 9 that we would take but if Richmond really want would they offer 11 and 18 or 20 for 9. As example we may plan to take Armstrong but be willing to let them trade up if they really wanted him seeing the combo of Shanahan (11) and Hynes (18)as greater overall value.

I'll hazard a guess and say that the off-field cultural issues with the players frustrated Goody, and he felt that he needed to be harder on the players. Rather than Goody being the bad cop, the review concluded that Richardson failed in his responsibility in handling the off-field issues. If Richardson needs a mentor, then he needs to be replaced.

Unfortunately, cynicism is a necessary trait in the modern world. "Through being involved in this year’s reviews Pert discovered, or had it reinforced to him, that his departure was necessary to bring meaningful change at Melbourne. The reviews did not recommend that he go - but they did make it clear that leadership change would be beneficial. Combined with the departure in September of president Kate Roffey, this leadership reset would create “clear air” and a project a new start for the club. The review recognised Pert’s value with the ongoing pursuit of the Caulfield racecourse development for a Melbourne home base. That’s why he has been retained as a consultant beyond Christmas when his reign as Melbourne’s longest serving chief executive will come to an end. The knowledge that there would be a change of CEO was also a significant factor in Steven Smith’s change of heart to seek to join the board now." https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/pert-said-melbourne-had-the-best-culture-he-d-seen-his-exit-shows-he-was-out-of-touch-20241031-p5kmv7.html

If I was Brad Green I would be quite annoyed that these leaks have come out. Too many blabber-mouths at the Club it seems! I will wait and see what the Melbourne Football Club officially makes public from the Reviews in the next few days.

"Now is the right time for me and the right time for the club." Well played Gary Pert on your achievements at the club and in the gracious way in which you are handling your departure given the circumstances. You steered the club through potentially treacherous waters to win our first AFL/VFL premiership in 57 years, our first AFLW premiership a McClelland Trophy, two further top four finishes, record memberships and unprecedented financial strength. We look forward to your seeing us through to the conclusion of negotiations to secure a state-of-the-art training and administration base at Caulfield Racecourse Reserve. Thanks to you for all of your efforts for the betterment of the club.

A 'Member Engagement Committee' at board level. Hopefully they will give the comms department the rocket they need. Perhaps Russell Howcroft to be engaged as a consultant? Would be crazy not to ask.

Would not mind it one bit if we took him with 9. Enormous upside in terms that he could genuinely explode in the next couple of years with his sheer power and strength. Probably similar to Chard Warner who was a 3rd round draft pick. It's such a jason Taylor thing to do to reach for a particular player they like.

Not getting enough respect in my opinion. Runner up in the Morrish medal behind Lindsay. Club co-captain. Best mates with Langford, could JT pull the trigger. Have met him a few times as he is from down my way and is going out with a girl I coach. A good size and frame also a real grounded, level headed kid. Yes we have spoken to him several times.

The key thing in the whole communication from Green, in my opinion, is the line about empowering the playing leadership group in shaping our 'high performance' culture. Hopefully that empowerment/expectation extends to the whole playing group. For mine, who we bring in is midfield coach is nowhere near as important as our playing group taking ownership of setting the standards and driving excellence. The Hawthorn Football Club understand that in the end it's the players who get to dictate what the club becomes. Hopefully we are taking a leaf out of their book.

lovely to have some clear, concise communications from the club

It became clear after the review that Pert’s job as CEO became untenable, he did the right thing. The problems of the last 18-24 months were real, and we needed to clear the Decks I have been very impressed with the way Brad Green has handled the situation so far….

Here’s a reminder … Langford is seriously very very good. I have seen him live at Stingrays games and for Vic Country v Metro. Seen him on multiple Coates leagues games off the app. Don't worry about the potential phantom drafts others put out where he might be 15 or 20. He’s top 5 in my books alongside Lalor, O’Sullivan, Smith & Draper. All could be number 1. If he’s available, I’m taking Langford. He’s footy winning ability, marking , endurance, strength, kicking and footy IQ are high quality. Sure he doesn’t run 20metres in 2.88 seconds but his game is build differently.

Not crazy but with these picks, he should have a beer in his hand …in my view, Dees would be crazy to miss Langford

Plainly some senior players believe that Goodwin’s increased anxiety and seriousness have not assisted him, or the playing group. IMV that’s entirely understandable in the light of the year we’ve just experienced. I think that all of these developments playing out now, rather than in Feb/ March give us every prospect of a much better year

Dr, I am simply saying that denying Pert the self-ownership of the decision and the actuality of being someone not just out for himself is the cynicism. Your post just provides more evidence to that end - if SS (IF…) was suddenly more keen now that he would have a clean executive slate to work with then credit to Pert for ‘retiring’ and not making the club face a difficult financial decision to remove him. I am just saying that denying good people agency over their own decisions is just petty and cynical and says more about us than them.

They both had to fall on their swords due to media crucifixion. These people have other jobs to go to, including retirement! When the BS gets too much they leave. This is not their whole life!

I have been thinking for 30 mins BB and all I have is a headache.

Is that a rhetorical question for the reporters or a trick question for me ...?

A summary: On Smith (old news) “If elected I can hopefully help with stability of the club generally, with players, the board, sponsors. I am much more comfortable doing it now with [president] Brad [Green] there and then have an orderly transition.” On Goodwin Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has been urged to lighten up in his dealings with players A football department review to be released on Friday found the events of the past 12 months had weighed heavily on Goodwin, making him intense and stressed around players, according to two sources familiar with the findings who were not authorised to speak publicly. The sources said Goodwin welcomed the recognition of the burden he had been carrying and agreed with the sentiment to try to ease his stress. The review reinforced that the players still held the 2021 premiership coach in high regard and wanted him to have the support needed to perform at his best. On Richardson The review recommends a tweaking of roles within the football department and a shift in the focus of high-performance manager Alan Richardson. Former New Zealand All Blacks manager Darren Shand, who helped lead the review, will have a mentoring role in managing the way Richardson deals with the team, coach and the rest of the department. The rest of the article is a repeat of the Pert article earlier today and discussed in the Pert thread. The above are reports which may not align in accuracy or context with the acutual findings. If they are accurate: I'm very pleased Goodwin will get the support the players think he needs and he is open to receiving I'm surprised that Richardson is getting a 'mentor' after so many years in the game. But not surprised as I have said elsewhere he was a poor choice for GM of FD.

Be the same people who put the 2021 flag down as a fluke or Yze’s coaching Nothing is ever isolated to 1 individual in success many factors over period of time inclusive of many bumps along the way

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This thread has gone berserk so I'm sure any comment I make will be three pages back within minutes and never seen again, but I'm going to go on record with my feeling about Pert. 1. Extremely capable and driven. Had clear visions for change to bring about success as a club at both Collingwood and Melbourne, and personally committed to making it happen. Surging financial positions and on field success came to both clubs under his leadership. 2. An 'excess of awareness of own abilities' (I am so polite) led him to not respect role boundaries and the decisions made by others, at both Collingwood and Melbourne, leading to a continuously accumulating breakdown of role definitions and an undermining of the crucial need for unity of purpose once decisions and plans had been set. I suspect he may even be addicted to creating change. This appeared to particularly affect the football side of things with both clubs experiencing unexpected and not fully justifiable slides after their premiership peaks. As Sun Tzu said, to understand the weaknesses of anyone you must study their strengths.

The online edition of the Herald Sun is carrying an article by Mark Robinson in which Gary Pert explains that controversial comment about the club’s culture ~ "My point, that was taken out of context - I was saying we are dealing with player behaviour issues and I don't want the entire club being tarnished by that," he said. "When I made the comment, we had won more games of footy in the past three years than any other team (in the league) and had recently won a premiership, and that we were doing a lot of great things. I was saying, the player behaviour issues had to be dealt with in that regard and not discredit the Max Gawns, Jack Vineys and Kate Hores ... I didn't want the whole football club being tarnished by a couple of people." In what was a complex situation, Melbourne had to carry the can for its players being in the controversial and secretive AFL drugs program, which meant the club wasn't fully across all the information - and still isn't. It's frustrating, but it's reality. "I did take offence, and maybe got a bit emotional, but I did take offence to a couple of players' behaviour tarnishing what I think is a club full of magnificent people," Pert said. I’m sure this won’t satisfy everyone but it’s logical and consistent with the views expressed to me in recent months by some of the senior group of players.

His awareness and ability to weave through traffic is unparalleled in this draft. The way he moves at such speed in traffic and zips around is eerily similar to Butters. He didn't test through the roof for the 20m sprint (was still good), but he's constantly moving at such high speed around the ball that to the eye he's the fastest midfielder out there. He's so strong through the hips already, if he can add some upper body strength in a proper AFL environment then the skies the limit. Not hard to see him becoming a Lachie Neale type midfielder winning a Brownlow. He's probably the safest bet in the entire draft to become a good player. He's a leader too, being a captain this year. Would be a good point of difference to the bigger slower Trac and Clarry types we have and could lead the next generation after them. If he fell to our pick 5, it would be a very bold call not to draft him.