Red But Mostly Blue

Agree with all GWS points. The fans have joined because they actually love the sport and have bought in, and are wholly decent. Would be nice to see Jesse (although I wish he was still with us, but happy he seems content) and Snooze (lol) (also wish he could have stayed, but understand) lift the cup. Rick knows what's up and the socials are GREAT! haha love the pics, that's the right kind of spirit - thanks for sharing WCW :-)

hahahah - if it's worth anything, I am not a practising lawyer 🤣 Answer: most definitely! Wouldn't even make it to trial. You might even be sent a box of chocolates! (Kind of related - with us not making finals, it's petty I know, but I am all for living through others not making it either. I am all in on the Bombers (especially) and maybe even the Blues missing (I played around with the ladder and somewhat expected results, and it requires the Eagles beating them over there - certainly possible), but I appreciate this also means that the Hawks would slip in, and I am not sure how I feel about that. At least they are playing exciting footy, which is both fun to watch and also aggravating for the usual hawthorn reasons. While this outcome could also open a spot for the Pies, I know we'll bump them in the final round (as they did to us a while back - 2017? 2016? When there was nothing in it for them, and in a similar place to us), so should be good. Anyway, no bombers or blues in the finals? How good!

Sorry if my sentiment came across as light/non-committal. I'm a lawyer, so use words very carefully (mostly) haha. I am all about should/could/would etc. But you obviously have much closer contact with the group. As a specialist in observing surrounding circumstances as a whole to make conclusions, I'd have to say my comfortable gut feeling is the group very much backs Goody. Big time ❤️

Here to +1 any use of circle-jerks in correct circumstances like this one. And +1 to the view generally. I hate potting the players/coach. I don't agree with everything Goody does, or any player for that matter, but you never will. Goody brought us a premiership, and consecutive top 4s. Yes, it didn't work out the way we wanted but them's the breaks. Lots of things had to go wrong (and indeed did). I hate the reactive 'sack them all' mentality when things go south. It's like we want to invoke the Norm Smith curse all over again. Just look at Bevo. Fans and media have been calling for his head for a while now, and look at them - in with a real shot of a flag and playing great footy. Those people are very quiet now/have quietly changed hats and are all of a sudden pro Bevo. I suspect the same thing will happen with us. The sack goody now thread will get very quiet, but there will be a good record of such champs. I am disappointed by the year, and expect a thorough, proper level of scrutiny at what happened, what needs to be done etc, but we just need to make a few smart decisions, tweak some stuff then come out hungry and renewed. Anyway, as you say, the man to lead us through that is Goody and I back him, and importantly I think the boys do, too.

This is a great, positive, post. Thank you. Look, I agree. But I think there has to be some room for reasonable emotional posts and thoughts. You’ll note that I said been a member for over 20 years and probably appreciate I had MANY better opportunities to cancel my membership. I don’t know a tougher time to support the club. I stuck through that and went to many, many very sad games. My sentiments now are that we are finally a relevant football club again, and I am concerned we slide down again without proper and honest scrutiny. I know there have been reasons for our inability to capitalise on our list the last few years. Some good ones. Some not so good ones. I just want a proper review so that we can be like the cats and swans of the game and maintain our newly rediscovered relevance, We are after all investors, as well as fans. I have signed up my 5yo, we’ve been to games and will no doubt sign up my 18 month old, hopefully next year. Go Dees. Truly 💙❤️

For what it’s worth, I think we can, too. But it will need smart, effective recruitment and some better ideas for game days, plan Bs and 4quarters of consistent footy each and every game. A reliable gameplay again. Consistency. We need a real deep dive on the off season, not a gloss-over because the big part of this is we need to attack real talent to plug holes immediately and that will require convincing them that we’re not a rabble on the downward slide. Dan Houston etc will want success. Watch this space

Absolutely smashed. Should have been 100 points. It’s kind of fitting and sad that the doggies did this to us tonight. We smashed them to win a GF to herald what we thought was a dynasty and they have smashed us not even 3 years later to close our door. Is it closed for this year? Or for good with this list? I don’t know. But all I know is they must have felt good ending our season. We were terrible. Cant believe I’m saying this, but can we do a turnaround like the dogs? They were lost last year, slid out of the 8 as we have and started poorly this year. It can be done, but it takes honesty and hard work. I may hold my 20+ year membership next year, unless I see we’re actually going to perform a review on what has happened. I know we lost Gus and Trac but that does not mean effectively 100 point loss. We didn’t lose to an invincible either. Lots of questions to be asked at year end. sad tonight, friends. That was woeful. We will always have 2021 I guess ❤️💙

Maybe the dogs will get tired given they are coming off a 5 day break? Kind of like we do after a 5 day break? It’s about our only chance to steal a 5 goal loss here.

Bang bang bang But not for us 😔

We have been gifted with only being 3 goals down, I wonder if we’ll make anything of that…

Dunno if I’ll invest much more time In this tonight. Maybe half time. This is beyond terrible. I know it’s only Q1 and there’s a lot of footy to play still, but wow a LOT would need to change for us to even be competitive. Sad to say but there’s something a little fitting about the dogs destroying us? We destroyed them just 3 short years ago to win the GF and signal a mirage dynasty, and unless things change DRASTICALLY tonight they will end that for us officially, at least for this year. Kind of bummed, fam 😢

I feel like that’s been an issue most of the year. Everyone else looks to have Velcro and we’ve got oily hands.

How can we give up the first 9 scoring shots of the game, seriously? Looks to be turning a little but geez there are slow starts and there’s this. Dogs are running hot and will take great pleasure in eliminating our finals chances. Let’s not just hand it to them on a platter?

Completely agree about being lost. It's the most confused I have seen us for a while. And I understand this has been largely driven by unexpected and significant shifts to personnel. I'd say we go the Geelong/Sydney approach, as I think we have too much invested in guys like Clarry and Trac to not try and add a premiership in the next year or two. It'll definitely take buy-in from the group, some luck with injuries/fixture and a more consistent gameplan, but I believe we can get there. I'll admit some of that belief is coloured by hope, such is the life of supporting this club, but a lot of it is based on the fact that the higher-ups will know we have not reached the expected return of this group, so they will do their best to make that happen - and belief that the team core is very good, we just have to make some good decisions from here.

We have everything to play for. Personally, I don't think we'll make the finals. We need to win every game and I just don't see it. The doggies are flying. GC up there will be hard (it has been for most others), Port will be tough and the Pies always find something against us. Can we win some? Sure. We CAN win them all, but with Gawn clearly not right yet, no Trac, a half-fit Clarry, and an apparent inability to play 4 quarters of consistent football, I don't see it. Happy to be proven wrong though. If we do, we will enter the finals like a steam train and will have earnt it, and will worry other teams. BUT, to me at least making finals doesn't really matter. This year has been hard. We lost Gus, who is an irreplaceable, last minute anyway. Looking at guys like Houston is smart. But that's for 2025. Trac being injured for most of the year, Clarry not being fit, these are not nothings. We have been missing forwards/forward synergy, which really should have been planned better, but alas here we are. Missing players, Petty being way off, Melksham only just re-joining. JVR and Disco are kids. If we don't make finals, we need to finish the year as a team who will be serious contenders next year. Maybe I have had too much coffee/got a little more sleep than normal (thanks, bub!) - but I am feeling pretty good about our prospects next year. Trac will be back, Clarry will be fit, Max will be patched up and good to go. We start the year with JVR/Fritter/Melksham (who will get another year for sure) and Disco up forward - plus Chin, Kosi etc - pretty dynamic and dangerous. Petty has been good the last month, I think he will start strong. He may go back if TMac hangs em up, though. May has another good year or two. Flanked by Lever of course. Judd etc. Viney has another couple of years, The kids will bulk up a little, build a tank. That's a good core. But - ending this year strong and with a message to send in 2025 will mean we can make an argument for trades. As it stands, we will not be the only team looking to plug holes. We're not a destination club and honestly we're a little bit of a basket case - and I say this with love - the 'which Dees' will turn up today, or any quarter actually, is something that causes blood pressure spikes, for me anyway. If we are to contend next year we MUST get on top of that. We need to play 4 quarters. That does not mean full intensity for 4 quarters, that's not smart, and not possible for the full year. But we should expect effort and consistency over the 4 quarters. No more fadeouts, and letting teams slam 5 goals at the end of the game to put us out of touch. Get on top of skills. Basic skills. No more hospital handballs. Hit targets. SKILLS! We need to sell ourselves to trade prospects that they will find success with us. I think we can win a flag next year. But, together with good health to our stars and our kids improving, this means we need to fill gaps - a replacement for Gus. Maybe another forward, and definitely another plug and play ruck if we're not going to play Fullarton. At least. Plus a better, more consistent game plan. Which will be assisted by having all/most of our guys on hand, of course. We have not had a 'game' this year. Its been a mess. I know, in part affected by personnel. But I think we have been confused at times as to what/who we are. We need to settle that in the offseason and commit to it/one another. Whatever happens, I just want the boys to have a dip and end the year like they know we can do it next year, and they want to enter 2025 with some momentum and send a message to other teams, and trade prospects. Work on regaining reputation and a consistent brand of footy. There are other teams on the up, we need to push. I really think we can do it. Other teams avoid these dips. But it takes vision, smarts, hard work and commitment. (If you made it this far, thanks for reading!) Let's go 💙❤️

I think 2024 is done (save for something pretty amazing - which I am open to, and we are certainly capable of). BUT 2025 is alive. It should not be understated how big of a loss Gus was at the start of the year, then losing Trac and a not-quite-fit (yet) Clarry has been. You don't just replace those guys, all in one hit. We have a small shopping list of people to upgrade next year. I like our interest in Houston/Cumming. Waterman maybe, and definitely need a new ruck project (someone playing already) to help Max if we're not going to play Fullarton. With Trac back, Clarry fit and firing, a couple of upgrades, the kids bulking up a bit - and a system to look after Max as his body can't hold up as it has been in younger years - PLUS a more consistent and reliable gameplay (we can't be getting blown out by 90+ or 10 goals anymore - as the percentage will cost us (likely will this year), we will 100% be contending again next year. Going forward we will need to look to replace Max, May and Viney - but for next year and maybe one more, we have them and can contend. I believe we will. But we have to recruit like hell, and convince talent that we are going to contend.

Heartbreaking. But the loss sums up 2024 perfectly. We showed glimpses, but not consistent enough. Our lapses are too frequent and too costly. Better teams are overtaking us now and we’re too slow to respond and too little too late. Can we get a Hogan type player? 🤣 Good to see Petty continue to improve. Still a sniff for finals but will be tough for the reasons above. Still hoping.

76-21 since Q1. We’re done, they’re too good and we’re just not good enough.

It’s up to us. GWS have stepped it up since Q1 and we haven’t had an answer. Their skills have been much better and have maintained intensity. We will need to be much better, for the whole quarter to win this. As has been the case all year with this team, we certainly can, but will we? Which team will turn up in the last? Let’s go boys, win this and we’re back in the 8 to launch at the final 4 games.

We were outplayed in that qtr and they had more intensity at the ball. We just have to come out firing again. They are not going to give this game to us. They are a seriously good side and need to be treated as such. Let’s come out and kick the first few hey?

The pressure for that goal was AMAZING!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Good start, just got to keep up this pressure and make sure we make the most of our i50 entries. I think we re-signed the good Petty! 🤣

It's appalling that so called fans call for such a great servant of our Club - one of our best to do it EVER - and one of the best all round in the modern era - to be dropped/traded/sold down the river because a season does not meet their/his usual lofty expectations. It's like we love repeating Norm Smith over and over. Where's the faith? It's disgraceful.

Clayton is not going anywhere. After all the unfortunate dirty laundry aired in the off-season, there is no reason for us to come out an deny unequivocally, unless it's the truth. This garbage comes from Sam 'hot garbage' McClure. It's the media drumming up the usual [censored] they do for...surprise surprise...clicks! Then Cornes gets on it (SHOCK), and it continues. If we ignore them, they will go away. I follow Clarry on Insta, and together with the bits I see/hear from him along the traps he seems genuinely healthy and happy. Some people still want to see 2021/2022 Clarry RIGHT NOW - and I get that. But for a multitude of reasons (fitness, game style, tags etc), we aren't there yet. We have to get used to it. So many willing to throw a deadset champion out because of a 'bad' season (according to THEIR standards). The fact that so many other teams want Clarry should tell you enough. Clarry is gonna get a good preseason in him. Together with his current positive mindset, hunger to improve, and the team improving, collectively, not just one guy, he is going to be a ball magnet BEAST, again, and then all those people who asked/demanded he be dropped/traded/sold down the river will be awfully quiet. Big love to Clarry who looks like he's doing well, and our FD is happy with him. I'll take that and let's get back to the team effort to play each game out, in its entirety, and make the finals for some ultimate disruption.

Yeah the inconsistency is something I struggle with. I don't mind losing, but our best and worst is worlds apart.