Red But Mostly Blue

And all for a bag of chips!!! It'll free up space.... and space for another person. WHO??!! Clarry is a jet and has clearly required extra attention. Provided it does not unduly divide the group, and they can find some common ground, and work towards a common goal in 2025, together, HE STAYS!! Wins the ball for us, not the Cats. Stuff that.

So what happened to our stupid email today? You know the one. The crappy, everything’s fine, don’t know what you’re worried about garbola.

This is the biggest issue for me. Or at least the equal biggest issue. The loss of Oliver, one of the best to ever wear the colours, is immense. Generational talent like that is… obviously rare. His likely loss will also be compounded by Tracc likely going as well. These things have cascading effects. Other team members see this, as do prospective trades and recruits. Why would they stay/join? It took us SO LONG to return to building some respect and redefining our culture… and through some bad luck yes, but mostly mismanagement we are looking at a dire 2025 - can’t see us doing better than bottom 4, we were very close with both Clarry and Tracc playing although admittedly to different degrees. Beyond that, HOW are we going to build for the future? Why would talent want to come to us? The reality is half of what has been said about us is likely not true, but it doesn’t matter, it’s perception. Talent will have the option of another safer stabler team likely with better talent and not their midfield obliterated, and us, which may be plagued by talk of culture, crappy Comms, board drama etc. prospect of years at the bottom. So. How will be recover from this? Seriously. And I’m sure we will. Some day I guess. But will it take another 10 years in the doldrums? We had a real chance to finally stamp our return to relevance and I fear we have blown it. What a waste.

Looks like we're going to lose one of the 'bangs' 😢

I'm largely with you on this, but I think there is merit and cathartic value in making the big statements. I don't mind the lows. I guess that's part and parcel of being a Demons diehard. We (the last 60 years) have had wayy more lows than highs, and those lows have been pretty low, probably lower than most. What I DO mind, and what does test the faith, is that this is not a natural low. You know, the ebb and flow of teams - you ride high, players get older, and you gotta rebuild. Unless you're the cats, of course - who don't seem to ride that low, and don't have the constant battery of accusations of poor culture/players wanting to leave/drug scandals/board issues etc etc... but anyway, I digress. This is not that - we won the flag in '21 and were on the cusp of a dynasty - best team we had fielded in yonks. Generational talent. Since then, we have had nothing but culture/scandal/missed opportunities (although I still say last year was bad luck, and would have been different had any one of the things that happened, not happened) - Tracc wanting to leave - the debacle surrounding that. Clarry issues - over two seasons - constant comms nightmares - nobody seems to be on the same page. Strange, inconsistent performances on field - getting belted by Freo TWICE in embarrassing circumstances. A team that did not even make the finals. If we lose Clarry - and we lose Tracc (in 25 or 26) - and people think we're going to improve next year - I ask, HOW? Viney is at the end. Rivers and McVee are good, but they are not star studded midfielders. There is no way to argue they are a like for like swap for Tracc and Oliver. Next year will likely be very ugly. We don't have draft capital this year. I want to, but I can't see how we climb out of this wreckage BETTER than where we were. I think now, and fine, perhaps after the review for the club to draw a line and explain to its members how we are here so soon after a premiership, and what the plan is to return to glory, before another 57 years. I'm a 20+ year member and I am not cancelling my membership,. In fact I'll be signing up my 5yo and 1yo next year. BUT I want to know they will see success some day, and that the club is actively doing something about it, not just sticking the head in the sand!

I'll have whatever you're having. But honestly, love your faith and will do my best to see silver linings as everything seems to be burning... 🤣

With all of this lately... Trac, Oliver etc - how the hell are we going to land any notable trades?? Who would want to come to us? WHAT A MESS

Just realised I have been blocked by Brad Green on Twitter!! I haven't even said anything to him!?? I post from time to time asking the Club to do better/say something...but have NEVER outright trashed the club I love. Very strange...

Friends, truly, I am exhausted. This is exhausting. 23-24 preseason: Oliver. JS. Goody. Culture 24 season: Culture, Tracc. Goody. President. Legal stuff. post 24 season (and not even 24/25 preseason): culture, Oliver again. Board/President. Kozzie? Viney? I am sure I have missed stuff, this is just a snapshot. For Chrissie, I am asking for a normal club/offseason.

Really interesting, and not surprising based on what I have heard to date. Clarry looks to have gotten himself into a really good space, happy and healthy, which is great. He loves the club. From what WCW has said and what we have observed, I think he's an emotional guy, so this love for the club is important, and so is the love in return. That's where it gets interesting. So my take is that he's been shopped - hence the Cats have, again, felt he is gettable - since they've received intel that he's on the table for the right price. Clarry has caught onto this. He updated his insta to remove references to the Club (#13) 😢 - and met with the Cats. This express action, I think, would be consistent with an emotional (maybe a little immature, sure, we know this already) guy who has felt pushed out. This does not look to be Clarry's doing and as usual, we're getting mixed messages/non-messages from the worst comms team in the southern hemisphere. Maybe all the lands. Feel for Clarry. I reckon he's gonna be a jet next year. He's happy and healthy and will have a good preseason with the 1-4 year players. He's keen. But it appears this issue is not confined just to Clarry, which is really frustrating.

Hey @WalkingCivilWar I have seen you pinged a few times here. I just want to send some goodness your way, hope you're doing ok.

I still don't think the Cats have anything to give us, aside from TWO established players (and that requires said players to actually want to leave - because let's face it, the Cats are playing, at worst, a prelim next year), so I am not sure how this gets done, even if Clarry wants it to get done. For whatever reason. However, I will say this - IF this gets done - which could only be for a packet of chips - I think I might be done with footy for a while. The last couple of years have been exhausting. We went from being on the cusp of a dynasty to rabble in just 3 short years. Partly a media beat-up, sure, but also partly our own doing. The constant culture scrutiny, Goody beat-ups, our poor comms, the Petracca drama (which has not truly gone away) has me tired. I want to love following my club, but this shizen has me sighing every time I open my browser. You'd have to argue there is even greater impetus for a review, and I would expect to see more of an outcome. Who exactly is going to play for us next year? No Clarry, and ??? with Petracca (in general, but also what kind of player he'll actually be with his injuries) does not bode well for us. That's a bottom 4 finish, easy. (Very small) window closed. Max, May and Jack play out contracts for a rebuild. We were not far off a bottom 4 finish this year, and we had Petracca for half a year! And admittedly an underdone (but still good/v good at times Clarry). What a debacle. Why can't we just be a stable team? Why don't the cats deal with this stuff? Anyway, it's all a big IF for now, but as a 20+ year member I am not happy.

I take your point. Sorry, I meant draft picks, but yeah they obviously have a few players we'd gladly take off their hands, if realistic. Are SDK and Max BOTH looking for a trade? To us? Because that's the bare minimum I think/hope we'd consider. It's just my humble opinion, I love Clarry and know he will return to his best next year, but I don't think SDK for him is a win for us at all. That's the Cats winning a trade, again. Which they somehow manage to do often. We hold firm. Clarry is a 3 x All Australian, 4 x B&F. Neither Sam, nor SDK, has even one such title. And realistically, I don't believe the Cats would hand them both over, so I don't believe there is a realistic deal there, which is what I was alluding to in my earlier post.

Doesn't really bother me IF other clubs are into Clarry. They'd be mad not to. Geelong will take Bailey, and simply don't have anything to give us. Sometimes I wander past the Ferrari showroom and stick my face to the window and point. Doesn't mean diddly squat. FWIW Geelong can shove their interest right up the back entrance of their $340m funded stadium. Anyhoo, all the interest in Clarry, generally, simply means other clubs what our club would know - that he has immense value and WILL return to his best next year. Otherwise they wouldn't be asking. We love Clarry and Clarry loves us, and the journos pushing this garbage are gutter rats. Fugazi. Ignore.

Oh FFS. Enough. Let's 'start a few enquiries' at other clubs. Dees are considering trade approaches for Hogan, Gulden, Curnow, N Daicos, Sheezel, Serong, Young, Xerri, Warner, Waterman. That should do it for now.

Can't be said he wasn't handy/v good at points last year, so there's that to be thankful for. For whatever reason, fitness included I guess, there was little value this year and lots of mystery. I'm guessing the mods will be all over this one today haha, but yeah see ya! Not sure he truly ever lived up to his potential, but he's not alone in this respect. Thankful for the spot this frees up, and the (hopefully) renewed, laser focus on success/new starts next year. I think this is another step in the right direction, in this case out the door.

100% No notes 🤜🤛

How hasn't this thread been binned and incinerated, with the ashes placed in a barrel and dumped in the sea? 🤮

100% - unfortunately Trac's starting point is behind everyone else, so he has a lot of ground to make up for next year. As you say, each minute counts, this looks like a solid investment.

Do we want a fit, focused Trac in 2025, or not? Yes. In fact, we need him (yes we 'can' do without him - but it cannot be argued we are better simply because he doesn't play - we did that for half a year and I thought we were rubbish for the most part). If this helps him get to where he needs to be, physically and mentally, then it's a good thing IMO. Goes without saying that he is an intense professional athlete, and after his injuries, I would say just wants to get back to having the body/abilities he is used to. For his confidence and mental health. My opinion counts for zero, and I don't think he handled himself well these last 1-2 months, and has contributed greatly to setting us back for next year (or at least making things harder), but I still don't have an issue with this. It isn't a great look, but I suspect that's a case of bad luck from a scheduling perspective, complicated by the fact that he is a Red Bull ambassador. Get yourself ready, Trac.

It looks like it's still not 'certain' (business case stage...), but at least it's some good news. And we could certainly do with some more of that! Good news > bad news.

Ooof know that feeling well. Are we the giants? Absolutely fluffed both finals and winning positions. That is gonna burn, should have won both. Guess I want the swans to win? Can’t operate the cats winning again. Port won’t win. Lions could I guess. Would not be the worst. Damn you Giants, would have been a GF winner we could get behind!

EXCELLENT outcome. A classy, experienced, intelligent player - something we need a lot of right now, especially up forward. Was happy with his return this year, I imagine he will be vital next year. Onya, Melk!

Expectations: Consistent, reliable footy with a plan that makes sense. Good footy for FOUR quarters. I appreciate you can't maintain manic intensity for the whole game, so what I am saying is we don't play those famous 1-quarter games. Or turn up midway through the third for 10 minutes then never again. Or brain fade for 10 minutes at first bounce in the 4th, and have 6 goals kicked against us. Redefine, commit to and rebuild our brand. Who are we? Show us. Every week. Win or lose. Selfless footy again. The results will look after themselves. The competition is close and I expect it will remain so next year. We were only a 2 small losses away from finals, but arguably so were other teams (such as the Pies, Freo). I'd love to say top 4, but in truth based on this year, I can't say that hand on heart because we were truly ordinary in parts this year. No-shows, and flogged by Freo - TWICE. The Eagles. Etc. I believe we are capable of turning it around, but a lot has to happen - Clarry has a great offseason (he will), Viney regains his best, Petracca is in the right mindset and regains his strength. Some luck with injuries throughout the year, like Maxxy, May and Lever (all hurt us with absence). Kozzy out for 3 weeks is big (that went very quiet, still sad we didn't push that). Can't afford more absences like that. And we need some of the guys to continue improvement - Sparrow, Riv, Salem (needs something), McVee, JVR etc. They need big years. So yeah, it would be easy to say top 4, but it's more complicated than that. BUT - if the Board can settle things (and yes it is their job to do so, this is the right time - well a while back was, but the next best time is now - the culture trickles down). Not to say the culture is an issue. But whatever it is, they need to look at what's happening, and decide what needs to be done to correct it. We have a small window with Maxxy and May to launch at a flag. If we address those things above, I believe the results will reflect that and we will play finals, with a real shot at success.

This deal ain't gonna happen. He's obviously cooled on us, and you can't really blame him for being spooked. We haven't exactly been the bastion of stability and good footy this last year. And even though we love our club, and like our children think and hope they're gonna turn out just fine despite a rough patch, acting up, talking back, some prima donna moments and poor test results, there's no guarantee to anyone else on the outside that anything is going to change next year. So... the Blues (who are rats, but fortunately don't have any such media noise - and while a disappointing finals exit, are still on the up, generally_ and the Dogs (who will look to improve again next year with a good side) are likely the frontrunners for his valuable services. The Pies had an ordinary year, but they're the Pies. Big crowds etc. The Saints had a rough year, but they finished above us and ended strong - they may throw $$$ to improve next year. TL;DR - doesn't matter what pick we have, he's not coming. That ship sailed. Likely numerous times this year. Still sailing.