Howard_Grimes

The same crew who believe Buckley is past it, believe Oliver can get back to his best.. 🧐 Talk about contradiction.

Wowsa. I don't know how to respond to these types of comments, they're so silly.

It's true.. Although, some of Trac's discontentment has been player related too without wanting to go into detail. A lot to play out.

Trac wanted out because the club was a shambles in so many ways. I know this as fact. We covered cracks for so long and look what's happened? People on here can believe what they want but trac wanting out last year is a reflection of the state our club has been in and what has been allowed to go on for too long.

So. Many of the wishes of supporters on here have been granted. Had to happen, whichever way you look at it. He was great for us for a number of years and continued on from the Roos era, building a strong, uncompromising and competitive list and game plan that won us a flag. No small feat. Our fall from grace has been alarming to say the least from then and whilst there are many factors involved, it's clear Goody has been a contributor. The intel I've heard is that we've been in close contact with Buckley. Someone I'd love to take over at the helm. The one-eyed supporters that poo poo Buckley are the same that were against bringing Melksham in etc etc. Demonlanders being demonlanders. His aura alone will help keep some players and most definitely be more attractive to opposition players looking for a new home. And the idea that 'he's past the modern day game' is the most boring and unimaginative commentary I've heard. He made prelims and was a kick short in the last minute of a Granny. Christ. Watch this space.

Looks like it wasn't just some supporters that thought Goody being moved on was the right call...

Yeh, I know not everyone will agree. I just think Trac can bounce again, especially with a change of coach. He is completely solid off-field. Clarry STILL isn't. Trac is elite in his prep, lives a professional athletes life, has a partner, is settled etc etc. Clayton is a lost boy and it shows on the field. The way he lives his life directly translates to how he plays imv. Completely erratic, too loose, doesn't bother thinking through situations with ball in hand. We've been covering the cracks for a long time with Goody's boring talk about it all. Connectedness etc. . But I've known for sometime that not all is well between players. And it's shown throughout the year at various stages. It's as if people forget that two of our prime movers wanted out less than 12 months ago. I think it was fanciful thinking that we were magically going to recover as a group from that. Whether people like it or not, that's a big issue that can have a lasting effect emotionally. And with the scrutiny and media pressure put on elite athletes in this day and age, it's naturally going to become ANOTHER negative factor that will impact performance at some level along the way. We've been trying to bandaid things for way too long. And this is the result of that dodgy patchwork. A quarter like that. You'll get the same posters blowing it off as if it's nothing. Cause that's the bubble they like to live in. But it's a big issue and something has to give now.

What on earth makes you think our fitness such a pressing issue? Is that demonland podcast? This fitness issue is the most over-talked, nonsense I've ever heard. At this level of sport, differences between the fitness levels of teams is minute. It would only be a talking point if we had a significant run of injuries and were playing more than half a side of Casey players. It is the biggest load of tripe I've heard. Our fitness is fine. It's skill execution, decision making, players levels of motivation, a mentally fatigued group and coaching that are THE reasons. The 'we don't look fit enough' talk is due to the above. Nothing to do with actual player fitness.

For the picks that they'd net us, it'd be possible for sure. I still want Trac to stay and I still think under a new coach and another season post his injury he could bounce hard. I don't think the same for Oliver and I genuinely think that there's still tension between players due to Oliver's mishaps over the journey. Which is part of why we're a disconnected group and a group that seem to play for themselves. We are carrying Oliver and it's weighing the club down in more than one way.

He wants to come back yeh but the likelihood of it being us is extremely low. Unless we the club are willing to part with more than some supporters would like.

I have a contact who works at a big network station and works with the partner of someone inside the club. And I can say that earlier in the year when things weren't looking great, Buckley was someone that we had a word to, sounding out his interest. I get tidbits but I can also say that Buckley has pulled out of the Tassie gig if it were to get off the ground. As far as the Goody situation goes right now, no idea. Obviously the club will be looking at the potential financial loss of having another year next year where membership drops, attendance to games is poor, the potential of players wanting out at end of year etc etc vs the payout that comes with sacking him. My hope is that we part ways with him, bring in someone like Buckley with some strong line coaches. It's the only way I see our current core having a spike. You don't have quarters like yesterday with a club that isn't fractured. We are fractured, regardless of what the blindly positive posters think.

The last quarter simply is a by-product of all the little festerings that have gone on at this club over the last 12-18 months. Nothing more and nothing less. A completely unorganised group of senior players who are simply not connected. No matter what people say. They play for themselves. And that's part of why you get these enormous inconsistencies within games. A coach who just cannot inspire and has zapped all the fun out of footy. The players feel it, we feel it. No vibe to our games, to the crowd, just vanilla. That Oliver moment where he could have finished the game off was one of the most amazing but also hardly surprising pieces of play I've seen. How can someone who has previously been so elite in an area of his game, equally have perhaps the worst composure of any best 22 player across the league? Like, is that Melbourne to a T or what? Oliver's inability to think in moments like that is just unbelievable. So dumb. It's wild. Goody and Oliver to go end of year. Bring Buckley in, a few strong line coaches and watch the team transform.

No if that last quarter is not down to the fact that we've been loading, I don't know what is! Help me out here @binman

Hahaha. Yeh, we've been loading though so it's alllll good.

Not watching, how has Duursma looked? And Kalani?

Whilst we're on the 'loading' or 'fitness issue', I have a question for those who think it is a strong contributor.. Given the myriad of post-round analysis television and talk-back radio shows within the sport, please tell me why these contributing factors aren't talked about in the same vein as they are on demonland? Genuine question? Like, seriously? What are your answers?

One would think that if 'loading' played such a significant role and determined certain results throughout a home and away campaign, we'd be hearing a whole lot about all clubs. Not just ours. So no, it's not about a narrative that I hold. If it were a 50/50 split of who it affected, do you think I'd say boo? The reason I bite back is because it seems to be about us almost entirely every time. (save the 1% that you've noted). And it's spoken about conveniently when we spike after a shock loss A LOT!

A huh, my bad. I should have specified that 99% of the time it's about how it affects us.

I'm sorry... The discussion is never about how other clubs fare against us based on their 'training block' or where they're at in their 'loading cycle'. Never. It has always been about how it has affected our performance be it an unexpected loss or a spike against a better side.

A great point that INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, never gets talked about on demonland?! I wonder why.. Doesn't fit the narrative!

There are a bunch of us not on the pod who have only been saying this for the last 3-4 years...

I think you're misunderstanding me. I think Goodwin puts more trust in a senior/ core group of players to get wins, (even when they're not getting wins and even if they've individually had poor runs of games) over bringing less experienced players in who perhaps deserve a run at senior level.. And I think part of why he is reluctant to drop senior players who are out of form is because he thinks we're still a higher chance to win with them in (regardless of form), AND because he is scared of what the consequences will be at an individual relationship level.. You may disagree, but it's not a contradiction.

Will be more than happy to be proven incorrect :)

They go hand in hand. I don't think there's any contradiction. Goodwin favours playing certain senior players, (regardless of form) over blooding younger players both in key positions of the ground and/or in any other role/position. Viney was a case in point. We were performing better without him. Oliver last year as well. It took an eternity for him to drop Fritsch. The inconsistency in who is dropped based on form is wild and all over the place.

Save his job/stay on-side with senior players. Too afraid to make calls because of the potential fall-out with particular players. I think there is plenty of evidence to suggest both. As supporters and experts in the media have questioned, why does he continue to run with the same midfield brigade so often if we're not getting desired results, AND if some of those players are simply not cutting it at the level? Where is the accountability? Isn't it interesting that we looked far better balanced and performed better as a side when Viney was out with concussion and Oliver was given a run with role? He's back in. With Oliver. With Petracca. For what? He's [censored] scared of rubbing Viney the wrong way if he drops him. And Viney simply cannot play forward. This is the problem when you have a relationships coach first and foremost. The bias is unbelievable. Why won't he throw one of McVee, Windsor or Bowey forward to help with our inside 50 ball use? I don't think any Melbourne supporter would care if we blooded some untried players to see what they've got. I mean, we're getting the same results with the same players in the same positions right now. What could be worse? Well for Goody, clearly his job and clearly his relationship with certain senior players. That's how I see it. And I disagree that another win or two won't help keep his job. Of course it will. That's how these things work and history suggests as much. So it's all part of it. He is too afraid.