Wylie D

This is a really curious trade. Like both Trac and Claz, Steele was one of the best players in the comp in the early 20s. I haven't followed his trajectory over the past few years, but clearly his form dropped and he fell out of favour. The odd thing is that unlike Trac and Claz, he is being shown the door despite being, from all accounts, an excellent clubman and leader - their captain! While it hurts to lose Claz for a third round pick and to pay out half is salary - I fully understand it. For St Kilda to do something similar for the club captain - I don't fully understand it. Some strange Saints down Moorabin way. If he can get his fitness right - I think this is a fantastic trade. I have more faith in this trade than any of Billings, Schache, Fullarton, Sharp, etc. Steele has played at the highest level - he is tough, can mark overhead and his kicking his solid. There is also the motivation that comes with being rejected. I suspect that will be driving him all throughout the pre-season and beyond. Welcome Jack

Clayton Oliver is one of the greatest to play for the Red and the Blue. One of the greatest contested ball players of all time. Not unlike many of those who are gifted with rare talent, it came at a price. His history caught up with him, as it does all of us, and he couldn't navigate it and ran off the rails. I have many friends in the same category - so I won't judge - but I'll still be disappointed and genuinely sad that it all fell apart when he was at the peak of his powers. I respect him greatly for getting back on track - so to speak - but I also agree with the club that his time was up. Some things can't be undone and a fresh start benefits everyone. Thanks for the wild ride Claz, and for the greatest moment of my sports supporting life - Bang, Bang, Bang!

Trac will always be a Melbourne legend. His Performance in the GF was one for the ages. Hard to choose between his first goal from outside the 50 or his second goal which he dribbled through from the forward pocket - his power and finesse on full display. Things really went pear shaped - his mind, body and ego after his near death experience on the operating table. He returned - but to me, not the same Trac. I would have been devastated had he left at the end of 2021 - but I'm not devastated now. He gets to move on, we get decent draft compensation and salary cap space to target players coming out of contract in the next few years. I honestly wish him all the best, and will be eternally grateful for his epic contribution to the club.

The hope is that the club has a plan, that we have a coach lined up and that sacking Goodwin now gives them the edge on other clubs in the market for a new coach. The fear is that internal politics and the fragile egos on the board have resulted in pulling the trigger. Whichever it is - Goodwin has been the best coach MFC has had in my lifetime. I've liked other coaches more in terms of the way they communicate and engage with fans, but Goodie created an environment of consistently high performance in the home and away for consecutive years, including overcoming 57 years of failure making us champions. Thanks Simon, I know you gave everything you had, and I will be forever grateful to you.

What I noticed at the game was Trac taking a short lateral pass to Salem in the first quarter when he was just outside 50, rather than blazing away long. Salem then hit a beautiful hit up pass to a leading player (maybe Sparrow?). It felt like a set play and Trac received plenty of high fives and encouragement for giving it off. In the third quarter Viney was in a similar spot and Mcvee was available for the lateral pass, but Viney chose to bomb long (and it ended up going a huge contest). Either way, I’m hoping we see more of this - getting the ball into the hands of the guys who can hit targets. I imagine if you are one of the stars and leaders of the team, it is not always easy to hand off the ball, but if we are going to succeed, sharing the ball and prioritising kicking roles is crucial with our current cohort.

We need some more teams to lose back to back finals to take the attention off us 🙂

My wondering relates to the striking difference between the Carlton pre-season game and the Sydney match, and how much the weather played in the results. The coaches have stated that they are looking for only a goal more on average per game - and the tweaks to the game plan appear to be faster movement out of defense, and bringing in a bit more speed (windsor) and footskills (salem) through the midfield, with the goal of better inside 50 scoring efficiency. The Carlton game would have left the coaches very happy - there were over 20 marks inside 50. But it was a dry night without much pressure and some room to move in the 50. Thursday was the opposite scenario. I agree that Goodwin was outcoached on Thursday, but Goody is known for sticking to his gameplan regardless of the conditions, with the goal of applying the strategy as much as possible for the players to become familiar with it. It often looks like stupid coaching when we are losing. Last year we had a woeful record in the wet, and that has carried on this year too. Our bread and butter used to suit wet weather - a pure territory game, high contest, defensive, low scoring. However the coaches understand the game has changed and we are evolving. It takes a long time for clubs to fully adapt to new gameplans and master them. This is a roundabout way of saying that the weather was for me the biggest factor in our poor performance. Gawn noted it was one of most draining games he had played. Not only was it slippery, but it was humid. That started our problems, and the stubborness of the coach, and the absence of half our best forwards only seemed to exacerbate the issue. However - we were level with them at three quarter time. Despite everyone agreeing we were woeful. My question is - do we simply write this one off as a a weather related aberration, or is there something deeply flawed in our gameplan (coaches) or the execution of it (players). I'm going with weather as the primary issue, but also think the adjustments to the gameplan will take time, and until we get Petty and Kosi back, we won't be executing to the best of our ability. Feel free to ignore this lengthy point/question/rant. Go Dees

Max is one of the best captains in the game - a genuine leader on and off the field. For a footballer, he is off the charts for social skills and emotional intelligence - which is increasingly important as a mentor for young players - helping them simultaneously figure out 'who they are' while working in a job that attracts a potent mix of relentless public scrutiny, idol worship, quick money and media vultures (hi Kane). Jack on the other hand is the quiet guy off the field who becomes a giant on the field, lifting everyone around him with acts of insane bravery and a monomaniacal desire to crush the opposition. This is one of the best mixes of leadership Melbourne have ever had and it is the right decision - for 2024. My sense for the future is that Petracca needs to reach his personal footballing ambitions before becoming captain - more flags, a brownlow, a B&F. He has set himself to be a legend of the game. Being a captain takes time and effort - I'm not sure he is yet in a place to let go of the all conquering desire to be the best player and team mate. Depending on what happens this year, he might be ready to to focus fully on the rewards of captaincy. He will be fantastic when he is ready. If you wanted a more conservative path, Lever is a ready made captain. If you wanted to be more strategic and long term? Rivers to me is starting to look like a man who can inspire those around him. My wife is getting suspicious about how long I've been 'checking my emails' - back to making hot cocoa :) Cheers

I actually agree that it would go against the logic of selection under Goodwin, and that right now Hunter and Langdon are proven performers. However, and while I'm a big fan, Langdon was completely dominated by Sidebottom in the Qualifying Final - so much so Hunter had to be moved onto his wing. I thought Hunter actually had a good finals series - but was interested to see how low he finished in the B&F. I just wonder if the club feels that some experimentation is warranted - especially if Langdon and Hunter aren't at their very best. Either way - having genuine competition for those spots can only be a good thing. Cheers

While our centre square mids are a lock (clarry being available) - i feel like coming into this season, neither Langdon or Hunter are automatic selections on the wings. Based on what people reported, it sounds like Windsor and Billings are the primary competitors for these spots, with Windsor showing good signs but inexperience (to be expected) - and Billings impressing, particularly with his disposal. Is there anyone else observers have seen on the wing that could also be included in the selection mix (i thought Howes was selected as a wing but seems to be trialling at half back). Given Hunter has been sidelined with a calf, will have given Billings more opportunities. Interested to hear what people think on who we play on the wing - but it could be the case by the end of the season, if Windsor and Billings stay fit, they might have bumped Langdon or Hunter down to the twos. Cheers

It’s a shame for Ben and the club, but I never had him in the seniors this season. Petty and JVR are our key forwards, the mystery is more so around the third tall / ruck chop out. Fullerton was drafted for this role, and Schache is there for competition. Even in the twos we are stacked with tall forwards. I have Jefferson, Tmac and Schache in that team. My sense is that Brown is a great clubman and is getting involved in coaching roles. I also think he wants to get his full contract as might be the last year he ever earns such a big salary. His spot on the list this year is going towards the value he can add off the field - with a bonus element of being a very good option if we get into injury trouble.

Binman, I'm glad you've raised this as one of the things I would love to see in 2024 is Bowser trialled in the midfield. While I partially agree with others that he doesn't have the size, he's not far off, and it hasn't been an issue in the past - he has always been undersized, and yet starred as a junior as a mid. In the words of Jason Taylor, was drafted as a possible midfielder in the mould of Sam Mitchell. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-16/afl-melbourne-demons-jake-bowey-journey-to-grand-final/100463912 One of the main reasons I want Bowey in the midfield is that he has the type of creative foot skills that we lack, particularly going into the forward 50. There are very few players that have both the IQ to create opportunities + the skills to deliver. Nick Daicos is the one of the best examples of these players - they create for the team mates, as opposed to reacting to their team mates. Travis Johnstone was brilliant at this this, and it is exactly what we need when going inside 50. Bowsers kick to Brayshaw in the third Q of the GF was an example of what i'm talking about. He saw a spot on the ground inside 50 that only Brayshaw could reach, and led Gus to the ball. He did so under immense pressure - and it led to a critical goal. Kozzie is the other player that has similar IQ + Skills that creates with the ball by foot. You couldn't play both in the middle at the same time, but I think adding Bowser to the mix would give us exactly what we need in an era of defensive zones and flooded backlines. Cheers

The only scenario I would consider trading Petty this year would be if his injuries are a major concern and there is no certainty he will get back on the park and playing his best in 2024. The club is possibly bluffing when they say is will be playing with us next year to up the anti, but I doubt that. Otherwise, he is a critical piece of the premiership puzzle - a tall forward who is physically fully developed, can clunk marks, split packs, run all game and kick accurately for goal. We have fantastic draft picks already - I don't care what draft picks are offered - we need exactly what he offers right now - not young talent that will come good in 2-3 years. I'll be upset if he does leave, even in 2024, as he is part of our core group that will play at their peak for the next 5 years. His ability to play at both ends of the ground make him all the more important as May and Lever get towards the end of their careers. I really hope that he holds to his word and gives it another crack with us next year. Another test for the club. Go Dees!

I think if the club is talking about the importance of a good culture ad nauseam, on that criteria alone Mathieson would be ruled out. We have Viney to make opposition lives miserable.

Of what seemed like a limited selection of experienced coaches, he seemed like the best available - and it is an endorsement of the club that he wanted to come to us. He is coming from a highly successful culture, but also fits the mould of more humble leaders that are increasingly coming into the game, which Goody represents. I think he will also be excited to come to a fresh environment. Good start to the post-season.