Engorged Onion

It was and maybe I just particularly rankled about ‘depth’ commentary as It’s typically wafer thin. We were unlucky with significant injuries or significantly compromised players playing throughout the year, and so are most teams. Anyway you’re typically insightful, detailed and thoughtful.

If you’re still trotting out a complete lack of depth as a reason, then you’ve drunk the media koolaid. Or at least institutionalised to it. It’s not the mythology of ‘one soldier in, one soldier out’. When your best players are out injured or playing somewhat crocked and you expect another player to merely fill that talent void, then you’ve got unrealistic expectations. If I could be stuffed, I’d either find or develop an injury ladder vs real ladder position for the last 15 years and low and behold there is a significant causation/correlation.

An aside: Now that ANB has gone, which player becomes the biggest whipping boy if they fail to have a big year!?

The anti-Demonstone.

It's interesting observing the fickleness of fans, whereby he is not rated by some (fine to have an opinion) and for those it's not enough that he was an emergency in the eventual premiers. A little while ago, that would have been seen as progress!

No they don't Macca, and havent applied for 20 years, well unless of course the coach is 'old skool'. Treating people fairly, isn't the same as treating them the same 😀

Gunna stick with your name Sideshow? He spoke so eloquently at the BnF!

Finger on the pulse, or merely conjecture on the first morning of trade period?

Ok... got back home at 2am. Found it slightly weird the Bluey Truscott himself, just got awarded his life membership in 2024. Overall, it was an interesting night. Although Goodwin (whom I rate) spoke a lot about 'process' I felt (projecting) that there were some very pointed comments re: selflessness or at least, not making it about your self, and that won't be 'tolerated' going forward. Whom that was to, you can have your guess. The overall messaging was about unity and fraternity, both in professional speak, and 'mateship' speak ie: 'Perty, Greeny' etc. Glad Roffey got to speak and her endeavors acknowledged. This was my first Bluey, and I have been to a range of other BnF's in a professional capacity over the last decade. Themes spoken about felt fairly generic, and for me the highlights were Ben Brown, Alex Neal-Bullen and Ed Langdon AND Angus Brayshaw, all guys who speak with emotional gravitas, and go beyond cliched sound bites. Richness and depth, about the existentialness of their careers. Effectively, your legacy, is the people you help support along the way, not just those that support you in your own journey.* Everyone at the club (organisation) from FD, to board to bootstuder and physio and high performance team are people with their own careers trying to do their best on any given day at any given moment. *Spoke to a former coach today over coffee this morning, who was quite clear that the general public/punters will never understand or accept, the realities of the scrutiny that the position holds and in effect, when you take the job, there are very few people on the outside who appreciate the isolation and loneliness that the job has with it, as everyone has an opinion on things that you can control, and things that they think you can control. You're on a hiding to nothing...but people would give their left nut... etc etc

Absolutely. A bunch of us attended last night, driving up from beyond Geelong and were commenting how, due to location, sporting commitments for kids, other family commitments - prime time just doesn't suit us, and how we are really looking forward to some early afternoon fixtures, to actually take our kids along to expos them the sport live. Success drives fan bases for sure... but also the ability to attend matches that isn't so Melbourne (city) centric, to bring the next generation along, and indoctrinate them to the red and blue.

Not one word... but neither was Charlie Spargo mentioned.

Of all the sons that have been 'sired' by all the gentleman that have played the game at the highest level, some have gone on to great things, some mediocre things and some 'allegedly' terrible things. Names that come to mind include McClure, Stephenson and Scarlett - you can work out the order that best suits your needs... As you said - Luck of the draw.

Are you a reincarnated Riddler?

Panic stations! Geelong are into him 😏

AFLCA Champion Player is the pinnacle in my opinion. https://aflcoaches.com.au/awards/the-aflca-champion-player-of-the-year-award/leaderboard/2024/20250125

If we transpose this into the EPL -can you imagine for example , Arsenal, Tottenham Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Fulham, Brentford and West Ham, all playing out of Wembley... and all other teams getting their own home ground advantage... Brighton can be Geelong... by the seaside etc etc... It's a little bit hilarious... There is so much nuance in this topic dependent on your point of view. Do you take on board home ground advantage/disadvantage? What about the abilty to recruit players? Does that influence the coaching aspect of coaching? Are Premierships are the only thing that matters, not finishing position? Did you under or over perform dependent on supporters expectations of the year? Did you win the premiership and thus expected a dynasty by some, and thus under performed? Are you good chat in the pressers? 😎

Such a [censored] headline and line of inquiry... https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/the-12-players-most-under-the-pump-in-the-2024-afl-grand-final-20240922-p5kch3.html

Whilst true, that’s their hope of course, but after a while they recognise where they are at in the AFL ecosystem and mostly just want employment. Hence yearly movement to up and coming clubs… Jordan Lewis to us, premiership tigers to the GCS over the years, Jack Darling this year to North, etc etc

If you agree that Geelong as a club has advantages due to Geelong the city being regional and thus can attract athletes that want the geographical advantages that come with living there, then you can’t unthether that from any coaching record for whomever is coaching Geelong. its been 20 years since it was called ‘sleepy hollow’ pervasively in the media. Athletes want to live there and on the Bellarine and Surf Coasts I lived there then and now live on the Bellarine - generationally (compared to 1,2 and 3 decades ago) athletes want different things and live in quieter places due to the scrutiny placed in them daily/weekly. All in all, GFC has significant advantages compared to Melbourne based clubs when players start having families and want a different lifestyle that Melbourne clubs can’t offer. its their unique selling point and there is no coincidence that that is why the list profile of Geelong ("too old, too slow") is the way it is. *This does not at all take away from Chris and his coaching ability. What factor of advantage, the ability to attract and recruit a particular demographic, is worth considering and mulling over.

Fair enough, I’ve got a enough Brisbane supporting mates to know he has copped stick for years for not delivering on the fact that someone else chose him at a particular draft pick outside of his control…

Disappointed in him? What’s with the chip on your shoulder? Did he run over your cat? Celebrate him mate, he is a solid AFL citizen… just like James Harmes.

Huh? 😇 I mean you don't usually write [censored] on here @Mel Bourne - I think I need to do some research....

Just pragmatic acceptance... you can't get everyone for a whole range of valid reasons.. No point bitching and moaning on Demonland about the myriad of hypotheticals as to why it did not occur, and then to draw allusions from that, about what it means about the MFC post hoc. But what I am gleaning is, that until we land an acceptable player* - MFC is a rabble. *as deemed by the vocal supporter base.