Dee in a Kilt

On grand final eve, Essendon had their best game of the season against the unbeaten Roos. The match report said Essendon applied immense pressure, forcing the Roos into uncharacteristic errors with the dons up 20-0 at quarter time. If Essendon can replicate that pressure, it will be great hit out for the Dees. We showed vulnerability against high pressure when we played Collingwood and Port. In those games, we were still trying to work out how to replace Liv Purcell. Since, Wotherspoon, Fitzsimon and Chaplin have stepped up. At only 21, Wotherspoon has already played at representative level in soccer, cricket and softball and it shows. Really smart, tough athlete. Fitzsimon had an amazing 15 tackles against the Suns. When she rotates into the midfield, Chaplin makes impact and gets the ball outside. It will be interesting to see how the post-Purcell midfield progresses.

Thanks so much @Dees_In_October. Much appreciated. Mithen versus McNamara was an interesting tussle. In my view, McNamara was the clear winner despite Eliza only having a 9 point better fantasy score. Mithen had her hands full with McNamara so she wasn’t able to impact elsewhere. There was one point in the 4th when McN did five consecutive high pressure acts that ended in a Dees goal. She’s certainly fit. In McN, Hore, Hanks and Wotherspoon there’s considerable football smarts. O’Hehir & Mahony are great trades for Lily. O’Hehir has considerable upside which I guess is stating the obvious being #3 in the draft.

Thanks as always @Meggs . Love your work. Why did Lily Mithen leave the Dees? From memory, we were given a round 1 draft pick in return. Who did we draft?

Really good signs with this team. Stinear in his presser said they're applying the learnings from the Port Adelaide loss and the 4th quarter against the Eagles when mentally they played the fourth quarter poorly. It is critical to have these learnings in season and not just before finals. Today's performance reflects excellent coaching and a mature team performance in applying the learnings with intent. That we won by 14 goals with Kate Hore and Eden Zanker below their best and a spread of 10 goal kickers speaks volumes to this team performance. That Kate Hore won the toss and decided to play against a very strong breeze in the 1st quarter (to Stinear's surprise), then we scored in the first minute, would have deflated the Suns' confidence. Then the Dees kept applying intense pressure. I note Stinear took a page from Chris Scott's book and conservatively left some key players out of today's game. Boy I hope Steven King employs that strategy. I used to think a tough schedule was critical to finals success, but the Cats have proved that theory wrong the last two seasons. I'm pleased to see AFLW umpiring has improved substantially, the Cats women's team win last week aside.

Don’t underestimate how big a loss Purcell is. The Dees run & carry was magnificent with the Purcell and Hanks combo initiating it. But we’ve struggled since Purcell’s season was ended. The reality is you can’t replace someone of Purcell’s class. Since the injury, we certainly don’t cope with pressure as well. Imagine Gold Coast without Rowell… I feel for Stinear. The team trained all preseason and early season with a game style taking advantage of our strengths, then we lose one of the pillars. Stinear will earn his coaching credentials now.

That male commentator was dreadful. Surely Fox can do better than that. It was distasteful referring to “Big head” for Harris’s cardboard cut out in the crowd. He thought it was so funny he kept on saying it. Who is he?

Thanks so much @Meggs. I really enjoy your posts, writing style, positivity and all you do for the Demon women. Bet you were tempted to write about the 5 straight frees against the Dees in the last 90 seconds 😂. Very noble not to

Thanks @KC from Casey and thanks all you do with Casey reporting. Can you please provide an image of who plays who going through to the granny? Thanks again.

The public boardroom battles since 2021 have been embarrassing and cost us on-field success when we have a team in the premiership window. While Board and executive leadership fought, dragging the coach into their mess, our club suffered. Goody and Max did the heavy lifting publicly when winning games should have been their only focus. This is clearly unacceptable. MFC leadership must learn from this and put in place processes to ensure it never happens again. The good news is we're getting a fresh start with a new President, CEO and head coach. This communication is constructive feedback to inform this renewal. We're actually in a strong position to fix this. Assets of $44 million, no debt, strong profitability, thriving AFLW and VFL programs, and what some experts call a compelling AFL playing list. Importantly, a loyal member and fan base that I suspect runs deeper into the community than we know. We're not broken. But we must have strong governance, professionally executed, as a foundation to delivering sustainable success and properly representing MFC members and fans. Why this matters nowSteven Smith and Paul Guerra represent a fresh start, a renewal. Professional sport generates huge emotions, but this is a billion-dollar industry where emotional decision-making destroys clubs. We’ve experienced that. Some of you might think 'they won't listen anyway, why bother.' I get it – I once wrote to the CEO and had a nuff nuff response. But here's the difference: if Andy approves, we're speaking as Demonland - a unified voice representing the largest collective MFC supporter base. That's much harder to dismiss. Besides, staying silent guarantees nothing changes. Instead of staying frustrated, we can be a constructive voice for change. For the love of the club. What needs fixing· Coterie groups getting privileged information while regular members are kept in the dark · Crisis management that protects egos instead of the club · No independent oversight when things go wrong · No audit to ensure accountability for delivering review recommendations · Board elections that feel like insider deals Governance & accountability recommendationsHere are some of thoughts: · Information equity: If coterie members have been shared information that has not been made public, governance principles require immediate disclosure to all members. The MCC and coterie are important stakeholders deserving respect, but they are not above MFC members and fans in terms of accountability and disclosure. · Independent reviews: Use independent experts for major reviews, with follow-up independent audits ensuring accountability. Within commercial realities and protecting competitive interests, there needs to be transparency of both the reviews and audits back to MFC members. While we recognise and respect any review is a Board decision, we'd love to see Peter Jackson involved - everyone respects his track record with our club · Modern Board elections: The current process to elect Board members is outdated, lacks member respect and has not kept up to date with advances in corporate governance, sports professionalism, technology and social media. Inform us what skills you need on the Board, why those skills are needed, how current directors deliver those skills, and let candidates engage with members through social media (Demonland) Q&A before elections · Process over emotion: Immediately establish clear protocols overriding individual emotions when major issues arise Your thoughts? Demonlanders, our voices matter – and the more voices, the more credibility. What do you think and what governance changes would restore your faith in MFC leadership?

I've heard more context making the sanction and AFL's stance clearer. Adelaide Crows played North last Saturday. There was an invite-only Friday lunch in which the Crows CEO, Footy Manager and a couple of other Crows leaders spoke. There was blunt discussion on the Rankine episode. It was said Rankine made a homophobic slur earlier in the season. The AFL found out, was angered and gave Rankine a firm first and last warning. Thus the intolerance with the latest episode. One of the Collingwood backs, who spent much of the game on Rankine, had recently done an Insta post showing off nail polish on one of his hands. Rankine made a deal about this with the homophobic slur. Given this and the impact on this vulnerable community mentioned in this thread, Rankine is lucky to have only 4 weeks. The discussion also made mention of the extraordinary impact Nibbler has made at the Crows. His leadership has been exceptional - and there were no Dees supporters in the audience...

Both Melk & Tommy have very good post footy options. I don’t believe the club had full control as you suggest.

The MFC Board has a full plate. They will not be providing running commentary on journo reports. Also, there are times a Board will not correct an incorrect public perception if it means negatively impacting someone's reputation. The Board takes this "on the chin" for integrity and moral reasons. Since becoming President, Brad Green's every action has been to do the right thing for the MFC. Brad's Presidency has been like his captaincy - without ego. Given this, it's just not believable Brad and the Board took the Goody action without Steven Smith's blessing. It is common for a Board to approve a future action. For example, as a pure theoretical with no basis in fact, the Board might pre-approve an action to sack a coach based on, after the meeting, an independent report revealing a coach's leadership is no longer effective. Further, if a Board has a critical action, such as sacking and hiring of a professional team's coach, the responsible Board member would remain responsible even if there is a change in President or Chairman. It would be poor governance otherwise. Despite Steven Smith taking the Presidency reigns, It is good governance for Brad Green to remain responsible for the hiring of a new coach under terms and guidelines set by the Board. The Board has final approval after due consideration. If this means Brad stays as President a little longer, there is no drama. But somehow, this clickbait age creates a story.

😂😂 Yep, love Binman's work. He's important to Demonland. Both Roos and Goody discussed the veil of negativity that hangs over the Melbourne Footy Club. That in the last week angst has crept (hijacked) into every thread is evidence. Positivity is a force multiplier. My word the MFC and Demonland needs that.

@binman, awesome work on "Communications" feedback to Steven Smith and Paul Guerra. Your gifted at seeing the big picture, setting up processes, fact-based decision-making... Be interesting to know what your day job is... I'd like to suggest the next topic be: Constructive ideas to improve MFC's Governance, Transparency and AccountabilityI'd love George (what's his hashtag - The Pearl??), as he covers this topic so strongly on the Demonland Podie. But I'm not sure George is available right now. Here's why I think Governance, Transparency and Accountability is the right next topic: For the longest time, podcaster George has identified governance, transparency and accountability as a significant issue. @PaulRB specifically called for "active and engaged transparency" with embargos only on competitive issues - this was one of the most thoughtful, well-received responses @BKKBooga (40-year member) highlighted governance issues, particularly how "coterie groups run the place and are treated on a different level to everybody else" @beelzebub noted the coterie groups "guard their activities, influences and power very carefully and craftfully" @The Trunk proposed an independent review with "terms of reference shared with members" - directly addressing transparency @Previously known as LITD. mentioned Brad Green's letter as a "veiled reprimand" rather than genuine transparency about performance Why was there no transparency on last year's football department review? Why wasn't this review independent? What were the terms of that review? What were the accountabilities to ensure the review was implemented? The AFL is now a $1 billion industryIn 2024, MFC had $57 million revenue and assets of $44 million. Twenty years ago, MFC was essentially insolvent.Just 30 years ago, the AFL and most clubs were still run like today's country footy clubs, with emotion and passion trumping professionalism. The AFL and most clubs, MFC included, still suffer from amateurism trumping professionalism. Peter Jackson showed us the path. Governance, transparency and accountability becomes a foundation to professionalism, stability and strength. What do you think? Worthy of feedback to the new leadership using @binman's Communications template??

Hey @binman, in line with your suggested process, do you want to do your AI thing to arrive at a draft feedback to Steven Smith and Paul Guerra focused on Communications? As a next step, I will propose to our Demonland brothers and sisters the next topic to tackle.

On MMM, Maxy said he told Goody on Monday that he (Max) should play on Darcy this weekend. Didn't Max play a first quarter on Geelong's Tom Hawkins at one time?? I recall it confused the Geelong offence.

With Maysie back next week, I'm wondering if the Dogs game may be TMac's last as a player... Sincerely hope not. I'll go to the game just in case...

I'm surprised there's not discussion about Troy Chaplin. Troy has been an MFC assistant coach for 8 years and has a very good relationship with the players. He was the architect of our flag winning defence, successfully introducing and implementing the total team defence concept. He transitioned to the offensive coach for the 2025 season. Our offence has improved significantly as the season has progressed. Despite having Alan Richardson's guidance, the AFL Coaches Association CEO, Alistair Nicholson, will ensure Troy will have one or two mentors to help him with the transition. Richardson is accountable to the Board. The mentor(s) will be focused on supporting Troy as a coach and a person. One mentor will be an ex-coach and Alistair is likely to give Troy a few options. The other mentor may be someone in the system who has experienced being thrown in the deep end as an interim coach. It's my understanding Troy has aspirations to be a head coach. So these three weeks become very important. Also, the next three games become a test of player leadership - Gawny, Viney, Trac, Melk, TMac and off-field Lever and Maysie. All those saying the Dogs will whoop us are implying we lack player leadership. Frankly, our on-field leadership was lacking in the 4th quarter against St Kilda and at other times this season. Elite sport is so much between the ears. I'm quietly confident Chaplin and the player leadership will deliver. This Dogs game is intriguing.

@binman, excellent work identifying the video content gap and the Monash partnership opportunity. Agree 100% Ben Gibson's departure highlighted how much we were punching above our weight in this area, and you're right that we've fallen way behind. Your Monash University idea is particularly smart. Leveraging our geographic proximity and their expertise while giving students real-world experience. Building on your framework: Strategic suggestions: MFC should identify 2-3 signature content series. Real Madrid's "Behind the Dream" generated huge engagement. It was compelling and memorable. MFC's road to the flag series was excellent - but sadly one-off. Also, the health of any club is determined by an ability to continually attract the kids. There needs to be strategic focus on kids content without diminishing content for the broad member base. Additionally, members must hear announcements and breaking news through MFC social media as a trusted source, not through journalists - even when it's an uncomfortable story. Brand identity clarity: @BW511's post on the "Anger to Action" thread was brilliant, highlighting something crucial - we've allowed external caricatures (wine, cheese, snow) to become our identity by default rather than defining ourselves boldly. Our membership is so much than MCC members. An image of adult men and women MFC supporters in the general admission seats crying after the 2018 Mitch Hannan goal in the first final against Geelong needs to adorn the Board room wall. The solution is to own our heritage proudly, making it aspirational for ALL supporters. We're Australia's oldest professional sporting organisation - some have said the oldest in the world. That's extraordinary. Own that boldly. The Monash partnership could deliver this beautifully - high production values that match our standards, authentic storytelling that reflects our real supporter base.

@binman, this is outstanding work transforming our earlier discussion into something genuinely actionable. Your structured approach addresses all the key challenges we identified while creating a framework that could actually deliver results. A few thoughts on your excellent foundation: The AI summary approach is brilliant, removing emotion and bias while creating professional output the club can't dismiss as "just fan complaints." Having numerical support data (thumbs up/down) adds credibility that individual posts lack. Your communication elements are comprehensive but I'd suggest one addition: Internal communication processes. Evidence is MFC's external communications reflect its internal communications. How information flows between board, football department, and members. Many issues seem to stem from poor internal coordination before external communication even begins. The self-moderation model is crucial for credibility. If we can demonstrate mature, solution-focused discussion, it shows the club what they're missing by not engaging properly with this community. One process suggestion: Consider having a brief "impact/effort" assessment for each idea - distinguishing between quick wins (better injury reporting protocols) and longer-term strategic changes (complete website overhaul). This helps prioritise and shows we understand resource constraints. The fact that 266 people were online during a Friday afternoon despite our current form shows the engagement level here. That's exactly the passionate, committed stakeholder base any professional organization should want to tap into. This could genuinely become a template for how supporter communities engage constructively with their clubs. Let's make it work. 🙌🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Binman

Sincere apologies @binman . I was wrapped up in family activities the whole weekend, including Friday afternoon. BTW, these activities included taking the whole family to the Eagles game. I've now seen your new thread and it's typical of you - intelligent, well thought out and constructive. You're awesome.

@binman this is a gentle nudge to start this communications thread. Hasn't this week amplified the issue! A public statement was not pre-prepared. Players heard via the media 🙄

Charles Darwin, the "survival of the fittest" and a lion brutally claiming a wildebeest come to mind. Darwin would argue such brutality is necessary for evolution to the fittest, smartest, strongest. This is where the CEO of the AFL Coaches Association, ex-Demon backman Alistair Nicholson, becomes important. The AFLCA is well rehearsed in this scenario. Alistair will ensure Goody feels supported and taken care of from a mental wellbeing POV. The head coaches have such a huge workload they don't speak to their fellow head coaches so much in-season. But on occasions like this, they will send messages of warmth and care. There's a sense of "There but for the grace of God go I." Alistair will ensure Goody is mentored through all this by an ex-coach. Alistair will check in frequently with the mentor and mentee. Alistair will also help with Goody's next phase in the AFL industry when the timing is right. Simon is still only 48. Given his MFC coaching premiership and his two premierships as Crows captain, he will have impact and bring wisdom where ever he goes next. Godspeed Goodwin.

We need to be patient with AFLW - but we live in an era lacking patience. We live in an age of instant gratification, instant messaging and Instagram, but there's no short cut to AFLW reaching the elite skills the men have had 166 years to get to where we are today. As a society, we want professional women's sport to inspire little girls, young women and deliver society leaders like Daisy Pearce. I want my granddaughters to believe they can do anything, achieve anything and that, as a society, we are giving them the same opportunities as their brothers and male cousins. There's a wonderful Chinese proverb "If you're planning for one year, grow rice. If your planning for 20 years, grow trees. If your planning for centuries, grow leaders." That's what the AFLW is about.

Brilliant @The Trunk! It would be awesome if Peter Jackson ran the review. I wonder if Steven Smith has that gravitas. 🤔