Demonland

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Imagine beating the Pies in the Grand Final.

Just a reminder to everyone: Please refrain from posting any personal information regarding a player's mental health. This includes making assumptions, drawing your own conclusions, or sharing unverified rumours; even if you believe them to be true.

DEFENDERS MIDFIELDERS RUCKS FORWARDS INTERCHANGE

Carlton could be about to join the hunt.

That wasn't specifically the intention. It was more of a public thank you.

As Demon fans, we’ve ridden a rollercoaster of emotions over the decades; the heartbreaks, the near misses, the wooden spoons, and the endless waiting. But through it all, we clung to hope. And then came Simon Goodwin. Before he ever wore red and blue, he was a champion in his own right. A five-time All-Australian, two-time Best and Fairest, and two-time premiership hero and Captain with Adelaide, Simon Goodwin was always destined to lead. When he transitioned from the field to the coach's box, first as an assistant at Essendon, he began shaping a new legacy. In 2014, he joined the Melbourne Football Club as an assistant coach, handpicked to be Paul Roos’ successor. It was a plan built on patience and vision and when Goody finally took the reins in 2017, there was a renewed sense of belief. We could feel something stirring. Under his guidance, we began to see what was possible. He instilled defensive grit, relentless attack, demanded effort, and taught this proud but battered club how to fight again. In 2018, he took us back to September for the first time in over a decade. We stormed into a preliminary final after years wandering the football wilderness. For the first time in a long time, we believed. Then came 2021. It’s almost impossible to find the words to capture what that year meant to us. In the darkest days of lockdowns and isolation, Simon Goodwin led us to the light. He took a group of talented but unproven players and turned them into a ruthless, relentless machine. He dared them to dream. He made us believe again. And then, on a September night in Perth, he delivered us the moment we’d waited 57 long years for. A premiership. A demolition. A masterpiece. A drought-breaker. Simon Goodwin did what so many before him could not. He gave generations of Demon fans something to hold on to. For those who waited their whole lives. For the ones who didn’t believe they would ever live to see it. For the kids who now know what glory feels like. He made that happen. But footy is brutal. The expectations rise. The pressure mounts. And the same man who brought us our greatest joy has now been shown the door. It hurts. It’s confusing. It feels wrong in some ways. But above all, we are grateful. Grateful for the calm in the chaos. Grateful for the what he helped achieved for our club. Grateful for the premiership cup that now stands in our cabinet. He etched his name into Melbourne Football Club history, not just as a coach, but as a redeemer. There were lows, frustrating losses, finals heartbreaks, questions that went unanswered but no one can ever take away what he accomplished. He changed the course of our club forever. So thank you, Goody. Thank you for the belief. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for 2021. Thank you for giving us our time. You’ll always be a part of the Melbourne family. Forever a Demon.

Long ago and far away, the Melbourne Football Club replaced its coach in difficult circumstances after the team suffered a devastating loss. In the aftermath, I penned the following words: “Then came the politics, the intrigue, the axing, the sound of the football world laughing at a club, the circling of the media vultures, the reinvention of history, the anger, the irony, the pathos, the hurt on the face of the president, the dignified departure of the coach, and the determination of the newly appointed caretaker.” Today, we’re back in the same place although one difference here is that the coach who was terminated this time is Simon Goodwin, the man who four years ago guided the club to its most recent premiership victory. There is a considerable amount for which we are indebted to Simon Goodwin. The club’s first premiership after 57 years in the wilderness, multiple finals campaigns, the feeling of excitement and the restoration of relevance as a sporting organization notwithstanding some relentless media scrutiny, and recent issues at board level for a club without a home base. And with our eternal thanks to Goody, we move on … And we move forward with reason for confidence in the future as expressed by Goodwin at his outgoing press conference. That’s not an unjustified belief. He was in the midst of overseeing a significant change in style from contested slow ball movement with a base of midfield bulls to a faster transition into attack. When the Demons fell to 0-5 following their loss to the Bombers, they had a percentage of 59.5, whereas today, their record stands at 7-13 with a significantly improved percentage of 95.0. Notably, despite struggling with poor forward movement, dismal goal-kicking inaccuracy, and several close losses, their record from Round 6 onwards has been 7-8 with a percentage of 109.6. This is a resurgence of sorts and it includes victories over both of last year's grand finalists and a finals contender in Fremantle, as well as a narrow one-point loss to Collingwood, not to mention a couple of other close ones. A record that’s not shabby and not evidence of a basket case as some in the media would represent. But it raises the real question of why now? The answer to this question takes us back to 2011 when the playing group's inconsistency and unreliability created an unsustainable situation for the coach. This year's performances provided sufficient evidence in scattered instances for the board to determine that Goodwin's long-term future was similarly untenable. Perhaps, the change to a more direct, attacking style, blunted its once vaunted defensive pressure? Regardless of perspective, the style he was implementing proved insufficient in their minds to stimulate a revival over the remaining term of his contract. Consequently, this marks the end of an era and signals significant changes on the horizon. That horizon is however, outside the club’s boundaries for 2025, and given the fixture the Demons are facing, there is little optimism about improving the club’s record. Interim coach Troy Chaplin is caught betwixt and between. His team is facing three teams vying for finals participation or better, while Melbourne has a different agenda as the season draws to a meaningless close. This week, the team will face off against the Western Bulldogs, who boast Bontempelli, Darcy, and Naughton at the pinnacle of their abilities, as well as a midfield that potentially rivals or surpasses that of the Demons. Melbourne holds an advantage in the ruck, but the absence of Lever and May in defence continues to be felt. The most feasible outcome is that the younger players will gain invaluable experience against an opponent that will be desperate to secure a big win. Had the entire team demonstrated a slightly greater sense of urgency during certain periods of earlier games this year and more recently, the circumstances might be vastly different, and we could have provided our only premiership coach in six decades with a more fitting conclusion to season 2025. Western Bulldogs by 55 points. THE GAME Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs at The MCG on Sunday 10 August 2024 at 3.15 pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 92 wins Western Bulldogs 80 wins 1 draw At The MCG Melbourne 49 wins Western Bulldogs 29 wins Last Five Meetings Melbourne 4 wins Western Bulldogs 1 win The Coaches Chaplin wins Beveridge 0 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Western Bulldogs 15.20.110 defeated Melbourne 9.5.59 at Marvel Stadium in Round 21, 2024 Melbourne had no answer to Marcus Bontempelli who delivered a phenomenal performance for the Western Bulldogs and was instrumental in destroying the Demons from the very beginning of the game at Marvel Stadium. The result was that Melbourne's waning hopes of making the finals came to a dead end. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B J. Bowey, T. McDonald, J. Adams HB C. Salem, D. Turner, T. Rivers C J. Culley, C. Petracca, T. Sparrow HF H. Langford, B. Fritsch, K. Chandler F J. Melksham, J. Van Rooyen, K. Pickett FOLL M. Gawn, J. Viney, E. Langdon I/C J. McVee, C. Oliver, H. Petty, C. Windsor SUB B. Howes EMG T. Campbell, M. Jefferson, H. Sharp IN J. Adams OUT H. Sharp (omitted) WESTERN BULLDOGS B L. Bramble, J. Busslinger, J. O'Donnell HB L. Cleary, R. Lobb, J. Johannisen C 0. Baker, E. Richards, B. Dale HF R. Sanders, A. Naughton, M. Kennedy F C. Poulter, S. Darcy, R. West FOLL T. English, M. Bontempelli, T. Liberatore I/C J. Freijah, L. McNeil, L. Vandermeer, B. Williams SUB R. Garcia EMG S. Davidson, J. Dolan, B. Khamis NO CHANGE Injury and Suspension List: Round 22 Jack Henderson — groin / Available Steven May — suspension / 1 week Oliver Sestan — face / 2 weeks Jake Lever — ankle/ TBC Marty Hore — knee, shoulder / season Shane McAdam — Achilles / season Andy Moniz-Wakefield — knee / season