KoltTheRam

Lever for Simpkin? (One injury prone player for another?)

GW’s info will get confirmed sometime later this week (unsure what day) Mitch Cleary says it will be decided upon this week, and Judd will remain a Dee.

Would be very happy to get this man in! Age doesn’t matter, and he can still contribute at AFL level for at least 2 more years in my eyes. Brody would also a great mentor for the multitude of young players in our forward line, and fits in with Kingys philosophy of having experienced players. Get it done Dees!

Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. unfollow New Melbourne coach Steven King has doubled down on the “expectation” the Dees will play finals in 2026 as he promises to bin Simon Goodwin’s game plan. King won the race to replace Goodwin last week, beating out a field led by Nathan Buckley, by convincing the Dees his new club didn’t need a list teardown but a game plan flip. The new coach will step out of a Geelong side that plays with attacking flair and pledged to play a “uniquely Melbourne” style that will see his team play with far more attacking flair. In the waning days of the Goodwin era, the Dees were lambasted for kicking the ball high and long into attack and playing with a defensive mindset. “I just want to give the players a bit more ownership to play with a bit more freedom with ball in hand,” he said. “I think we can challenge teams more and as you see now in today’s footy, teams put scores on the board. “I want our players to have freedom to get after the game, attack it, give our forwards a bit of a look faster with even numbers.” When asked if he hoped or expected to play finals in 2026, King was clear. Both club president Brad Green and CEO Paul Guerra have publicly said they planned for the Dees to return to September next year after a finishing 14th this season. “For me it is an expectation,” he said. “Every staff member, every player should expect to play finals next year and I’d be really disappointed if that wasn’t an expectation. “There’s no guarantees in footy, I’m aware of that, but if you don’t expect something you don’t get it, and so you have to get after it. I’m a firm believer in visualising what you want to get after and go and chase it and make everyone else catch up.” King said he knows Goodwin “well” and would reach out to him on a personal level “when the dust settles”. The sluggish Goodwin style was a factor in his removal as coach in August and King said he was keen to “move the ball a bit quicker” to give his forwards one-on-one contests. Green said King won the job in part because of his “contemporary game style” and that he “likes our list and can see it getting better”. Guerra added: “At one point Steven mid-response to the panel said ‘I am the coach this club is screaming out for’”. “It kind of captured where we are as a footy club looking for someone to bring that contemporary piece,” Guerra added. The Dees will maintain some assistant coaches from the 2025 coaching panel and bring in new faces. Interim coach in the final two games of the year, Troy Chaplin was in attendance when King was unveiled to the media on Monday. It was in preliminary final week last year that King send a shudder through the Geelong camp when he collapsed at training, and he would miss the prelim loss to Brisbane days later. Almost 12 months on, he said he had been “checked out fully” and was healthy, as he put the incident down to going too hard on an early morning workout.

This is why I think we are probably losing one of Lever or May. To have money to make considerable moves one would have to make way.

This is exactly what I’ve thought. Possibly would get us over the line in that race?

I am excited by this hiring. King brings a wealth of experience and a breath of fresh air. Welcome Kingy!!

Are we completely sure it's Buckley and not one of the others?

Please don't bait me like this I'm already on edge until the coach is announced...

If we are trying to get more into this years draft then JT must have someone in mind. I trust JT's judgement and would be happy to do what we can to get the best young talent in the door.

With a weak draft I'd be asking for a player back from Freo or Wet Toast. I would be asking for a forward or a good ball-user, it's a must to address our weaknesses.

As a hypothetical, could we re-ignite our interest in Waterman? I highly doubt they let him go after Allen to Brisbane but it would be a good starting point.

Well now it’s been jinxed, amazing!

I think we only trade RivDog is if Dogga is coming back the other way. If not then I would be [censored].

A nothing opinion statement from Edmund. I wouldn't buy too much into it, he's participating in the process which is enough of a sign to tell me he wants the job.