Go Ds

@Demons11 It's so hard to win flags. While a close loss isn't quite the same as a GF win I doubt an ordinary coach gets that close.

He may be nervous at his 'next' GF. But would the players be? If say 10 from '21 play in this their experiences will probably well and truly nullify Longmires individual...demons

Can a player use being sub as an excuse? I think partly yes BUT even factoring time on ground does he ever look at home in the seniors? I'm happy to be corrected but it always feels like he averages but a few disposals only per quarter (despite fresh legs!)

Yep! It's amazing to think supporters have no clout. Sure, the board didn't suddenly look at this site or the like and make a decision. But as dissent snowballs, as those on the fence go that way too , I'm sure this becomes apparent even just with supporters at the games (or lack thereof of them) From there a board gets more and more antsy and often end up caving in. While I'm annoyed there were already dissenters as early as late '22 no online commenter deserves a dressing down (bar the ***** sicko with their death threat). Coaches get sacked too often as a lazy, often counterproductive, solution so I'm disappointed . We rightly persevered with Goody in '21 and Clarkson, Hardwicke, possibly Chris Scott were given reprieves and paid back tenfold (while the likes Carlton, Essendon and St Kilda languish with regular coach changes) In 2021 we really had no proof Goody could go all the way. Yet now despite that proof we're less patient??? Anyway it's done now. Of course Gawn's attitude is the right one. I look forward to following each stage in our new coach's story.

What's strange about that is that if we beat Bulldogs, the 9th team, they're suddenly 3 games behind the Pies with two games left and thus Pies are in the finals. That said I'd prefer we somehow win our last three.

I guess so 🙄

That'd be nice. But I'm sure the sacking will be front and centre in the next podcast (and the teams first game result after it.)

Apart from Roos which other midseason caretaker coach has gone on to success? There were 2 maybe 5 years ago that failed rather spectacularly. If it's almost impossible for such a caretaker to go on what is the point of having a holding pattern for half a year?

How do you know he's wrong? Certainly he'd know way more than randoms on a website. The irony is if we crash and burn for a few years it could be argued Goody was clueless OR that the new coach is useless and Goody should have stayed. Similarly if we win the flag in 2027 suddenly Goody was right OR the board was right sacking Goody(!)

That sounds like riddle. So make tons of extra decisions because...some are bad?! BTW non-decisions are actually decisions too.

This could be disastrous! It always looks like a club is doing something but a coach sacking can just wallpaper over the cracks. How many coaches did we have between Norm Smith and Simon Goodwin? Statiscally the next coach probably won't win us a flag. Fingers crossed we get a Chris Scott replacing Bomber Thompson. But if not and the player shortcomings persist then suddenly there we are desperately needing the draft picks Tasmania take. (And don't feign surprise if this happens.) Too often coaches go prematurely.

Are we better than any of those 3 teams? If not doesn't that mean we'll lose to all of them? Of course we should go in thinking we can win them, play well and at the very least not embarass ourselves. But, especially given all the c**p this year, I hardly think three honourable losses will add more grief.

Is that Mr Smith or Wight?

When did she say that? When Langford marked the ball just outside the goal square in the last quarter she said something like it goes to the rising star "in Langford" not "Ed Langford". is that what you're referring to? She's no one's favourite commentator but I think you might be wrong here.

WCE are 1 and 19. On pure wins this is one of the worst wooden-spooners. Many teams would have thrashed them today. While our game wasn't incredible at least we won easily.

I never know what to make of these articles. Clearly there are on-field problems and obvious shortcomings off-field. But the conclusions may not follow and some BS/unsubstantiated stuff can be thrown in. This piece is not enlightening, just depressing.

GW said "It’s not easy. It’s actually bloody hard. The looks on some of their faces broke my heart, especially the young boys. I wish all those who relentlessly bag our players could turn up to Gosch’s on a day like yesterday to see the hurt on their young faces" I can't see your problem with this. Many people don't like seeing strangers upset, let alone acquaintances ( or whatever GW and the players are). One can be more excited for someone who just won Tattslotto than another who just won a $20 pub voucher. But for both there's a degree of joy. Similarly one can sympathise with someone whose icecream fell into a puddle and then minutes later have more sympathy for someone hysterical at a car crash site. Melbourne players feel like **** at the moment. How they learn and move on from here could be argued. But I'm not sure why you're doubting their emotions or applying Whataboutism to this.

Possibly. I certainly don't know exactly what the High Performance team is or what Mission's role was either.

Hmm, interesting theory. I'm sure there are plenty in the inner sanctum that knew where we were at for the past 5 or 6 seasons ( or ends thereof)

Hmm, I would've still been scratching my head but assuming you're right about Misson I stand corrected. Obviously not everything a player does at home will be monitored. But I'm surprised with all the ways a player's ability and performance can be measured that much escapes a fitness coach.

Fingers crossed But like fanmail it would very easy for such a letter to not get proper consideration.

Yep. I get people venting their spleen. Honestly at times I get the feeling some people only support a sports team just to whinge and moan. We won't stop this. I certainly screamed and swore at my TV as we lost the unlosable. But ultimately it's not constructive and I suspect most of the time damaging. No one needs to say a thing that the club and players don't already know. Often it's best to let people work through their problems in peace. Too bad that's impossible in this city's "AFL goldfish bowl" with now 24 hours a day commentary.

Surely almost every factor is the responsibility of both coaches AND players. If not that creates opportunities to avoid responsibility and the positive change, you rationally desire, doesn't happen. This is not my wheelhouse. But I'd assume come the break after Mad Monday the coaches will at least give advice how to return for preseason reasonably fit and the players follow it. Actually on the same theme wouldn't players get instructions all the time for their weights program, cardio, nutrition and so forth ... and the players follow them? And don't clubs monitor a staggering amount of stuff? I'm sure players think they had their usual hard-running game until the GPS shows otherwise. Anyway we do need to improve fitness. But unless players are deliberately cutting corners or being uncooperative it's incumbent on the coaches to help guide and redirect players towards those goals.

Umm, you seem to be deflecting. GW was pointing out that the players do care about our horrible loss and season. Surely no one's claiming they're the unluckiest people on the planet.(!) As to St Kilda's 666 "plan" could it simply be that Wanganeen-Millera knew he had a great chance of running inside 50 , and same as for many decades, the tactic of creating space can let a player be found separated from opponents? It could well be no team had a contingency plan for what fate dished up for either team last Sunday.

Actually an interesting question. Do Melbourne supporters prefer being miserable or euphoric?