The Taciturn Demon

What do you mean by everything else?

I could easily be imagining this, but didn't Oliver go through a similar shift five or six years ago? I remember (possibly in full Mandela Effect mode) the media and supporters talking about him going from very promising young insider to potential champion thanks to his bursting run and link play.

Good lord. Are you saying this whole thing isn't a bit?

One of the most wonderful parts of winning the whole thing in '21 was being able to dispense with old ideas and superstitions. I realised, "Oh, we're not fundamentally, culturally incapable. There's no wide conspiracy against us. I don't need to delude myself into believing we routinely lose because of umpires. We don't need to accept that slightly above average is about as good as it gets." In part, we have Goodwin to thank for this. He allowed us - or at least me - to raise my expectations of the Melbourne Football Club. "At least we made finals" and "we broke even for one/two/three quarters", which have always seemed like tepid acceptance of mediocrity, now seemed ludicrous. They still do. I don't lament Goodwin's sacking because I no longer think two consecutive straight sets finals exits and two consecutive finishes in the bottom five finishes is "just what you have to accept from this club". I don't see kicking a few goals in the last quarter against a team that has absolutely pantsed us as something to hang our hat on. I don't see "transitioning" as a reason for losing by ten goals against North Melbourne. I don't see shocking inconsistency as something to be waved away. Goodwin and his team made these higher expectations possible. I'll apply them to the new coach as well.

Hanks Heath Purcell Chaplin Mahony Hore

Is the logical conclusion, then, that you never change a coach?

I'd go a step further and say definitely could not have happened under Goodwin.

I think he's gone, but he's making a decent late run, isn't he?

Miles off. I thought we were a fair way off at the start of this year. I could see a narrow path to sneaking into the eight. Now that seems absurdly over-optimistic. Our top paid and once best players (minus Max) are either horribly out of form or over the edge of respective career cliffs. (I've admired the way Petracca has returned from his awful inury, but his last few weeks have been so deflating.) We've lost any semblance of consistency and our period as the most difficult-to-play-against team in the comp seems like a fever dream. We get thrashed by the best teams. We get thrashed by the mediocre teams. And we get thrashed by the stragglers. The team with the worst list in the competition beat us by breaking one of the most unlikely records in the book. We've lost important second-tier players and have resolutely kept playing third-tier players who don't make us better in any meaningful way. Our overall kicking skills remain the worst in the league or very close to it. Yes, we have some beauties under the age of 20. So does just about every other team. I love Paul Roos, but if we win the Flag next year it will make Leicester City 2016 seem unremarkable.

If we make finals next year it would be an absolute miracle. It would be one of the great football department performances of the last 20 years.

Exactly. Everything about his public statements suggest to me he'd prefer not to be in the job. Or at the very least he finds aspects of it extremely difficult. If he revels in the 'power' of the position, he does an extraordinary job of hiding it. And, also, what does he stand to gain out of some weird little power play to squeeze a couple more months out of his tenure?

And we don't have one of the best home ground advantages in the country.

I'd take a fourth rounder.

The idea that we are "so close" is either an outright lie or vibrant delusion. When challenged in any significant way, this team has lost any capacity to grit its teeth and fight back. The result was inevitable from the five-minute mark - and that's disgraceful for a group with so many proven senior footballers in it.

They're a delight. Brightened my mood after a deeply depressing showing from the men. Absolutely loved Maggie Mahony's game. I reckon we've found one there. The tackling was obviously excellent, but I think she just looks a natural footballer. Brilliant hands in close.

Very good explanation. Thanks. I have no doubt at all gravitas and aura have an influence. I think one of my hesitations on Buckley is whether that aura has dimmed. Good to hear you think not.

You might have mentioned this elsewhere - apologies if this comes across as a lazy question: what do you like about Buckley?

"We need a new voice" is a weak, flawed and laughable concept, but the weather... that's a rich discursive vein?

Exactly. And the women's 'product' must be constantly compared to the men's 'product'. It's incredibly stupid. The dumbest marketing orthodoxy.

One of the most overrated people in football. Bizarre that they even considered having him back.

Exciting to see O'Hehir, Mahony and Ebert debut. Annoyed I won't be there due to the ridiculous men/women overlap. Atrocious scheduling.

It's a fair point. There's nobody at the club I'm more confident will keep up his form - at least.

Whoa. The injury list is lot worse than I realised. That Grace Beasley knee seems like it's going to take more than 12 months. I expect several debutants. Looking forward to seeing how they go.

If this is satire, it's really good.

The poster who says Chandler doesn't serve our energetics due to his profound psyhosocial failings might be able to help with this.