titan_uranus

I get it. I liked a lot of what I saw too. But I think there's significant danger in the "some polish, some refinements" argument. Just tweaking and hoping the same core group is going to fix the close losses is IMO not right. We went 0-6 in games decided by less than 10 points this year. Going back to last year we're now on an 0-9 run in these games, and 3-10 overall. Going back another season it's 7-16, including the two finals in 2023. This year was the worst year for close losses, but it's not a new problem, and going into 2026 trying to hold onto as much of the 2021 premiership side as we can and tweaking around the edges is IMO likely to lead to too much more of the same.

This is what I want to think. The Demonland consensus pre-game was that we were no chance and going to be belted. They kicked 2 quick early goals and I'm sure the Game Day thread assumed a 10-goal loss was on its way. So we clearly did well to exceed those expectations (by a lot) and play what was at times really strong football that suggests we ought to be in the top 9, not the bottom 6. But then of course I see us lose yet another close game. I see us lose yet another fourth quarter. Yet another late lead squandered. 5 behinds in the first three quarters but then 5 behind in the fourth when we just needed someone to find a goal. Pressure goes up and we revert to consistent long kicks to the hot spot over, and over, and over. Gawn tries to do it all himself. So the fourth quarter was the "perfect" end to this disaster of a season. It encapsulated almost everything that's wrong with us, the more so because it came off the back of 2.5 quarters of really good footy.

My heart skips a beat every time I see @Chook in Perth pop up.

I've said this before in another thread, and this isn't really the place anyway, but for a player to have this record (12 games in 5 years, only 3 of which he wasn't subbed on or off), and having only been selected once all season despite being fit all year, it's maddening that he's contracted for next year.

For those who can read it, anything new from Ralphy here? Or just reheated soup?

I’m not sure what you want done about this (edit: the fixture bit). It’s luck more than anything. Unfortunately not. The Dogs-Freo game is actually the main one - Collingwood can’t go below the loser of that game. They’re locked in.

It’s possible to celebrate the achievements of our premiership players and long time stalwarts of the club, whilst simultaneously being open to challenging their role now, or moving forward.

I reckon both @Howard_Grimes and @binman are right, and therefore wrong. It’s frankly dumb to attempt to ignore the 9 day vs 6 day break. It is clearly capable of being a factor, particularly for a side like us which appears to me to have struggled with aerobic fitness all year. But then of course you see Adelaide have no discernible fitness issue against Collingwood despite the exact same 9 day vs 6 day break issue. Fitness and that 3-day break difference cannot, and does not, explain everything.

If he finishes top 10, let alone top 5, that will say so much about our season. He is IMO at the heart of our struggles. A leader, but coasts through games, takes dinky and easy kicks, never imposes himself, all whilst playing a position that in the modern game sets up the best sides. An absolute mile off the best half backs, it isn’t even close. That he is never seriously discussed as being on the chopping block at selection is a genuine part of our current predicament (the same goes for Sparrow, Petty and Langdon).

This has mountain and molehill vibes all over it. Trac and Clarry are 11th and 12th in the league for CPs. They have more than Libba, Neale, Newcombe, Brayshaw, Dunkley, Butters, Dawson, and of course about 600 others. The gap is such that, across the season, Clarry averages 1 CP fewer than Gawn per game, and Trac 2. Is this really an issue? IMO, Gawn dominates this stat because he’s a legend of the game. Indeed, it’s arguable that for Trac and Clarry to have had as much as they have had despite Gawn’s dominance is a testament to how good they are in this area.

[censored] I’m sick of the “changing the coach does nothing” argument. Anyone who thinks changing the coach without making any other changes is going to see some marked turnaround is clearly wrong. But genuinely how many of them are there? Most of those who were in the camp of a new coach for 2026 are also posters who want a new approach to our midfield, forward line, stoppage setup, training structure, etc. At the heart of the argument for changing the coach is to bring other changes that perhaps would not have occurred under Goodwin.

Can't recall the last time we lost as badly as we did today and it wasn't almost entirely due to scores from turnover. Also how about that third quarter. 64% in forward half, 20 inside 50s to 7, yet outscored 3.3 to 2.0. Classic.

Despite how bad Port have been of late, that game does have hallmarks of a Port win. That would then leave GC to have to beat Essendon in the final game of the year to make their first ever finals series, and knock out the loser of WB-Fremantle. The pressure on them to not choke would be so, so high...

We just have to beat them by 300 points or something for that to happen. Fremantle losing to Brisbane pretty much locked Collingwood (and Hawthorn now) into finals, given Fremantle's much lower percentage. We can hold them out of top 4, though. And for a side which was 10 points clear on top of the ladder after 16 games, that'll be some achievement.

We're not about to pick Laurie, Woewodin, Brown or Billings after ignoring them all year. What would we gain by giving them this one game anyway?

The gap between our best and our worst is bigger than the Grand Canyon. Maybe this was always going to be a down week after the emotion of the last fortnight but we still play incredibly poor football when we're off. Let's hope we can fire ourselves up one more time to try to get some positivity into the group before what will be the most important off- and pre-season we've had in a long time.

Hawthorn, GC and GWS all still have to win at least one more game (Dogs have to beat WC too). So if we beat Hawthorn, they are still at massive risk of missing. But if they beat us, then Freo either have to beat the Dogs or hope that St Kilda beats GWS or GC somehow loses to Essendon or Port.

What a waste of space Caro’s article today is. Reheating the “Goodwin clips Casey” comment from the presser that was 11 days ago. Again saying the coaching job isn’t enticing (oh, Leigh Matthews agrees? That renowned lover of the MFC?). She makes valid points about the club being dysfunctional, but she’s repeating herself. It’s all been said. Move the [censored] on.

They were 12-7 last year, then lost their last 4 games to miss finals. If they then back that up by missing again this year, that is a level of mediocrity/failure that would have Demonlanders rioting with pitchforks if it were us. This is a club with a stacked list (Serong, Brayshaw, Jackson, Young and Bolton in the middle, Treacy, Voss and Amiss up forward with Frederick and Switkowski (edit: and Reid!), and a very well drilled backline with Pearce, Cox, Ryan, Chapman and Clark). Plus they had an extra home game with North selling one to Perth. If they lose to the Dogs next week, and if GWS, GC and Hawthorn all win once, they’re out. They should be ensconced in the top 4, not battling for finals. Longmuir should absolutely be in danger if they miss.

If it was us in their shoes I have no doubt at all you’d be saying “we’ve fallen over the line against 4 of the bottom 5 by a combined 21 points, these are junk time wins, doing us nothing for 2026, ruining our draft hand”.

HAWTHORN V MELBOURNEMCG, 4.15pm •Hawthorn’s form has returned at the right time of year, looking up and about and energised in its last two games. Despite the absence of Will Day and Josh Weddle, they look to be imposing a game style that could challenge other contenders. Hawthorn’s pressure game has been competition best across the season and when they can speed up off turnovers they look at their best. •Melbourne brought energy and workrate to their strong performance against the Dogs last week. In the game all the way until the end, they were able to match their midfield and bounce off halfback consistently to provide supply to their front six. With two more big games to come against Hawthorn and Collingwood, it gives the players a focus to test themselves and shape the finals in 2025 while taking some key lessons into next year. Since Round 19, Hawthorn has conceded more points from intercept possessions than any side – over 30 per game. The Demons’ ability to transition quickly, especially off kick-ins where they’re ranked No.1 for scoring, could expose that vulnerability if the Hawks’ forward pressure drops for even a moment. •Jake Melksham’s seven goals from beyond 50 metres this season – more than any player in the AFL – is a threat Hawthorn must plan for, especially given its 21.5% one-on-one loss rate in defence. Conversely, when Nick Watson kicks multiple goals, Hawthorn is 8-2 – making his influence a strong barometer of its winning chances.

DEES TO REWARD PRE-SEASON PICKUPMELBOURNE is rewarding Jai Culley with a new contract after an eye-catching fortnight from the former West Coast midfielder. The 22-year-old earned a lifeline at the Demons after the AFL briefly reopened the pre-season supplemental selection period in February, following knee injuries to Andy Moniz-Wakefield and Carlton's Jagga Smith. Now Melbourne is extending the Langwarrin product with a contract for 2026. Culley played 12 games across three seasons at the Eagles after being selected with pick No.1 in the 2022 mid-season rookie draft. After being delisted at the end of 2024, Culley joined Casey at the start of the pre-season when Melbourne didn't have a list spot available. The Demons then signed Werribee premiership player Jack Henderson after Shane McAdam ruptured his Achilles, but were blown away by how Culley handled that news from former coach Simon Goodwin. Culley got his first shot for Melbourne against his old side West Coast in round 21, where he kicked two goals from a wing and showed he can perform at the level, before finishing with 16 touches, 11 contested possessions and five clearances against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday. – Josh Gabelich https://www.afl.com.au/news/1388149/race-heats-up-for-in-demand-blue-record-in-sight-for-veteran-lion-luckless-saints-new-deal

If this is referring to me, you’re helping me out. We’ve quietly enough put 85 on GC, 90 on St Kilda (who love to stifle their opponent) and 99 on the Dogs (bad defence but a much better side than us overall). Plus everyone gets to play the bad sides (and whilst we got North twice, we got smacked by them the first time). My point really is that I doubt many on here would think of our 2025 as being high scoring to the point of being 10th overall.

So we're now 0-5 in games decided by less than 10 points this year (losses to GWS, Collingwood, Carlton, St Kilda and the Dogs). We're now on an 0-7 streak in such games, 3-8 overall since the start of last year, and 3-11 since the Marchbank disaster.

What? On expected score we should have lost by 12 points. It's right there in the stats file thread. You could have done 1 minute of work before exposing yourself as an [censored].