smurf

I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, and after last week’s final-quarter collapse, a comprehensive mauling like that felt cathartic. But honestly, how much can we really take from a win against a side floundering as badly as the Eagles are right now? They’ve managed just one win all season and were missing key players like Waterman, Reid, Yeo, Allen, and McGovern. I’d go so far as to say most VFL teams would’ve rolled them on the weekend, and any finals contender would’ve blown them off the park even more than we did. The real test comes over the next three weeks against genuine opposition. That’s when we’ll get a clearer picture of where we truly stand.

It’s remarkable how much of a difference accurate goal kicking can make to your chances of winning. We kicked straight this week and surprise, surprise, we won. Beyond the scoreboard, missing gettable shots, which we still did for a brief patch, is just so deflating. It undoes all the hard work that leads up to those opportunities and can completely shift the momentum of a game. This has happened to us multiple times this season. In games where we have had a positive goal kicking to point differential we have won 5 and lost 1. In games where we have had a negative differential we are 1 and 9. We lost the game against Collingwood by 1 point where we had an even number of goals and behinds. Any one of those points converted to a goal would have won us the game.

How good was Trac!? He was explosive at times. That burst out of the middle when he dished off to Sharp was just magical. Congrats on 200 games at the Dees.

We've been blessed with some of the talent we have unearthed in the last couple of years and this years crop in particular have been fantastic editions to the team. Langford has had a super start to the season despite a couple of uncharacteristic howlers yesterday. Equally as impressive, particularly yesterday, was Xavier Lindsay. He is going to be an absolute beauty.

It's looking like the drafting and now selection of Jefferson is a bust. He does not present as a physical forward and seriously lacks any of second efforts. He looks devoid of confidence and his form at Casey has not warranted a recall. Petty and/or Melksham should return to replace him.

Can we take a moment to give some well-deserved kudos to Jake Bowey for the fantastic start he’s having to the 2025 season? After his brilliant entry into the AFL, including that incredible 17-game winning streak, it felt like his development plateaued a little, and at one point, he was even dropped to the twos. Last year, after getting injured in Round 1, I thought he struggled to recapture his best form. But fast forward to this season, and Bowey has been nothing short of outstanding. To put it in perspective: he averaged 17 disposals per game in 2021, 16.71 in 2022, 16.13 in 2023, and 16 in 2024. So far in 2025, he’s averaging a massive 24.43 disposals per game, including a 32-possession effort this week, the second-highest of his career. At this rate, he’d have to be right up there behind Max Gawn in the Best and Fairest standings. Well done, Bowser.

6. Gawn 5. Bowey 4. Petracca 3. Lindsay 2. Lever 1. Salem

In the final quarter, we were completely overrun by the Giants' swift and efficient transition game out of defence. Their last two goals were generated from deep within our forward 50, yet they managed to move the ball end to end with alarming ease, ultimately sealing the win. What was most concerning was the lack of pressure in our forward half the Giants found space, linked up cleanly, and exited without much resistance, exposing our defensive structures. Adding to the concern, it seemed like we simply ran out of gas in the final stages. Whether it was due to conditioning, the oppressive conditions, or the intensity of the contest catching up with us, we looked second-best when it mattered most. Was it a structural breakdown, a fitness issue, or simply the Giants executing their game plan to perfection? Keen to hear your thoughts.

Any inside info on the severity of Maysie's injury?

How good was it to see Clarry back to his blistering best for. Loved that he slotted through 3 goals. The last one was my favourite. Will be a weapon for us this year. Bring on the real stuff.

Of this I have no doubt. If Collingwood or Carlton had access to early picks I do not believe Christian would be a Demon next season. Now the hard work begins to get Trac the support he needs to rehab and get back to playing at his best. The club also needs to get to work and be a better run club top to bottom.

Can I ask you why you believe Trac was silent for 19 days while the MFC was trashed and roasted in the media for that entire time when the whole story could have been put to bed straight away?

Bloody great news. Now to work on supporting Kozzy and getting him to stay in the red and blue.

It's surprising how worked up people are getting over an email, as if they don't already receive hundreds of spam emails every day or week. Let's put things in perspective: it's just an email, not someone showing up at your house and digging through your personal belongings. You have options—delete the email if it's not your cup of tea, or take a moment to open it and read what a passionate Dees supporter has to say about the current state of our club. Are you genuinely satisfied with how our club is being managed at the moment? If your answer is "Yes," then I have to say—your indifference or lack of concern for the club's future is contributing to the very issues we're facing. But if you think everything is fine and we don't need an external review, then let me tell you, you might as well prepare to see your favorite players wearing a [censored] Collingwood jumper. That's the level of complacency you're endorsing.

I honestly doubt we will hear anything anytime soon since we haven't heard anything until now.

The information was from 2 weeks ago. I didn't know this thread existed until today. Mate is OS now but will see what I can find out. Don't know anything about the crown land stuff. Mate doesn't work for the council. Works closely with them on various projects. At the time he claimed the info was solid. No idea how this news of a board spill effect anything.

I'm not sure the Trac Family is a #1 fan of Garry's at the moment after his last two diatribes on On the Couch.

Have a very good non-dees mate who works closely with the local government in the area who reckons this deal is all but done. He doesn't have any details on timelines or costings though. I have no more information and can't vouch for the veracity of the information only to say that I trust his word implicitly. Understand that I am just an anonymous person on the internet so use what ever amount of grains of salt that you need.

Always liked Tomo. If not for the ACL he might have been a Premiership Player. He has been stiff in that we have some solid key backs and always performed admirably when filling in and unfairly dropped even after solid games. Cannot begrudge the guy for seeking opportunities elsewhere and I wish him the best of luck. Thanks for your contributions Adam and good luck wherever your footy career takes you.

I genuinely believe that many people here are significantly overestimating the potential trade value we could get for Petracca, regardless of whether we consider his recent injuries or not. Even without factoring in those setbacks, it's important to recognize that we're also not accounting for the challenges of attracting contracted players from other clubs who might be interested in joining the Demons. Petracca hasn’t just put his own future with the Dees in jeopardy; through his grievances, he's cast a shadow over the entire Melbourne Football Club. His actions have made the club appear dysfunctional, adding to an already problematic narrative that the MFC has struggled with for years. Sure the MFC has contributed to that perception but this situation has further highlighted the issues and magnified them significantly. This entire situation has turned into a public relations disaster for everyone involved. Fairly or unfairly, it has tarnished our image, reinforcing the perception that we are far from being a Destination Club. It’s a mess that has left us looking less appealing to potential recruits, and that’s a serious issue moving forward. Even a flag didn't make us a Destination Club.

We might need to retire the guernsey and perform an exorcism on it. Holy cow.

Who is the Pickle in the media that Garry is referring to?

Sparrow is our latest casualty in the midfield. Surely this means Judd McVee will get some more midfield minutes this week. Andy Moniz-Wakefield racked up 35 possies in the 2s. Will he get the call up this week? Any other changes for the Pies? Can’t see Benny Brown getting a swan song even after 6 goals in the e 2s considering the 10 goals from our key forwards against the Suns.

So our starting midfield next season is Sparrow, Rivers & Laurie.