Howard_Grimes

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.

Hmmm, might have something to do with the fact that we're having another dog [censored] season? And perhaps he is genuinely having a think about his future and where he thinks he can get the best out of himself as a footballer and person. Just a guess..

Thanks. Any thoughts on White of your own?

Oath. I mean, talk about a team who want to play for their coach. Reminder that Carlton have a stronger team in this week. And we lost to them.. Going at almost full strength. Christ almighty it's unbelievable that supporters think we're 'heading in the right direction' and it's 'just game-plan related'. The denial is comical.

Gawn had injuries galore in his under 18's year which is why he went as late as he did so it's a very different scenario. As I've said, I'm not writing White off as a player in general. What I am writing off is that he will be the game changing top pick we all had hoped. I mean he's potentially going to be taken in the fourth round at this point. And this is after a full year of 18's without injury, the advantage that comes with being part of an academy and having a father who played AFL.

I genuinely think Goody suffers from anxiety when public speaking. I think that can only explain why he repeats the same one liners over and over again. I don't think there's another coach within the AFL that repeats themselves as often, spitting out the same rhetoric, one liners and answers. It's almost as if he's in a freeze and simply doesn't have the ability to expand on any question in those moments. He goes into this automated mode of speak. I just think it's so disappointing for members and supporters who are so over his words. 'working incredibly hard'. 'Nowhere near the level'. 'Leave no stone unturned'. Blah blah blah. The players are over it. You don't have a senior core group of premiership players rock up with a different attitude every second game on repeat of you're motivated by your coach. Goody has lost the players and imo he is now showing those desperate signs he did in 2019 and 20. Afraid to throw magnets around, plays his favourites in the same positions, no rest for Gawn, no blooding or trialling players from Casey. It's just desperation to save his job at this point.

Father-son is pot luck, we'll get our chance at some point. White may make it in the end but I think it's fair to say he's not going to be a game changer for us given his output in the unders right now.

His consistency and consistency of performance has been a rare positive out of this year. Strong form in the VFL. No doubt Goodwin won't bring him in off the back of it!

Supporter forums are pretty self-explanatory. And the club would obviously educate young players around the risks involved of reading sites like these, reading too much social media commentary or media in general. For your own mental well being, maybe I could advise that you continue to provide the training reports/player updates and then (like you have advised those young players), not read/respond to certain topics that tick you off so much? I think that would help you and many of us.

And how many nuffs on here were on board with it! My god.

An example of his cleverness and ability to execute inside 50? Of which he goes at about 50%? I'm sorry but what you've written is incredibly misleading. Petracca has the ability to do those things, yeh sure. But his execution lands at less than 50%.