McVeezyLikeASundayMorning

Can’t blame him there - that press release stinks! I also don’t remember there being any kind of member comms from above about the injury, which might have compounded that feeling for Trac. (I’m talking specifically about emails from Pert, Roffey etc - the socials team definitely did what they could!) My read (speculation only) is that he was left to handle the media circus around his traumatic injury without the support he needed, while simultaneously trying to process the whole thing. It looked a bit like he was doing his own PR - gruelling fox footy interviews just days after the Collingwood game etc. I get that the club was keen for him to be the face of his own recovery but maybe he felt he was carrying too much? I think also if you’re not feeling adequately emotionally supported by your club, or if you feel like you’re being gaslit about the severity of the situation, of course your professionalism is going to drop from time to time, especially if you can find a sympathetic ear (who may or may not then leak that info to the media). Again, pure speculation but I’m also hoping that a hug and some validation is all he needs. I can’t imagine how terrifying the whole experience must have been for him.

Oh absolutely, agree with this 100%. I assume he’s still processing the accident and possibly having to manage other people’s emotions (fiancée, family etc) as well, which would be taxing. I also don’t envy the doctors - this would be ****ty for them too.

I really feel for Trac, and this situation seems impossible to fairly judge without all the information. I’m sure there’s a lot going on behind closed doors. I do think it’s pretty hard not to read something into this, but I think some compassion for Trac is definitely needed here. He’s been through a hellish experience, the club would have lost a lot of his trust in the way it was handled, and his distancing himself could just be his way of protecting himself from reliving all the trauma. We’ve been told he’s dissatisfied with the “direction” the club’s going in - notably not with Goody - which to me sounds like an excuse more than anything. He’s hurt, and he just can’t deal with us right now … that’s my highly speculative take, anyway! I hope the club’s taking his mental health seriously because I get the sense that minimising what he’s been through in any way would be the final straw.

G’day fellas, thanks again for this brilliant podcast. I love the insights and the banter. I think I’ll pour myself a beer on Monday night and imagine we’re all drowning our sorrows together. In all seriousness, I still love the club and love Goody. I just think we’re cooked. I was unfortunately not able to get to the game so I was watching the replay, and at one point Richmond and BT were acknowledging our young list and the fact that we’ve had to rebuild ‘on the run,’ balancing current match outcomes with future-proofing our side. They mentioned Geelong and Sydney as other teams who’ve successfully done this, the inference being that we’ve somehow fudged it up. I don’t know enough about the cats or swans to know if this is a fair comparison, but would love your thoughts - have we somehow made strategic blunders in the way we’ve introduced our younger guys to the game, or has our hand been totally forced by injury, and is this an unfair comparison? (If you can validate my dislike of BT’s commentary, I’d appreciate it. Cheers.) Thanks guys, love your work and am looking forward to Monday. :)

Hi guys, I’m huge fan of the podcast, so thank you so much for giving me something to look forward to every Monday (or in this case, Tuesday!) I’d love your thoughts on something. On just about every forum I’ve checked since the game, I’ve seen a consistent narrative that this “didn’t feel like a win”, or “we didn’t deserve to win”. I’m still seeing the regular refrain of “sack Goodwin”, and phrases like “absolutely disgraceful”, “lack of effort” and “soft” getting thrown around. I’m not sure I was watching the same game! I saw a much more cohesive team performance - the guys actually looking like they were enjoying themselves. I saw a solid spread of goalkickers and more of the accuracy we’ve all been (quite rightly) desperate for. I thought the vibes seemed much better and there seemed to be a real emphasis on celebrating each other’s achievements. Seeing just about everyone get around Harry Petty after his goal was a highlight - I can only imagine he’s been having a really tough time with recovery and it was interesting to hear Maxy reference the criticism Petty has been copping from fans in his post-match interview. I guess my question is, was it as bad as everyone is saying it was? And do you feel there is less virtue in hanging on for a win than grabbing it from the opposition’s clutches after coming from behind? I’m being a bit facetious but it does feel like that’s how this is being framed. Either way, maybe I’m in denial but I thought there plenty of positives and was really proud of how we held on through a very spirited North performance. And absolutely no disrespect to the Roos either - I thought they came to play. Thanks guys!