pitmaster

17 hours ago, Cossie_84 said:

You cannot compare the Neeld era to the current one, mark neeld was a terrible club decision which followed another in Dean Bailey, but if you want comparisons in Neelds draft years as coach we drafted Jesse Hogan and Jack Viney, in 2011 and 2012 respectively, and Dean Bailey's era gave us Max Gawn, Tmac and Nev Jetta coming on the back off 24 wins in 5 and a half years between the 2 darkest coaching times in Melbourne's history, but if King can draft in 5 players of the above qualities then I'd say we would be sitting not too bad.

Our list does not need a full rebuild, a somewhat reset yes. But losing the 3 players in question is not the end of the road, as I said they aren't the first and won't be the last champions.

8 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

We won't get 12 for Clarry we might have last year but Goodwin stupidly kept him. 32 at best.

Geelong was offering their second round last year so something around 32, actually.

On 03/10/2025 at 20:07, KozzyCan said:

Grow up.

Well, he calls himself Young Angus so let him have his fun. I for one enjoyed his rant. A little irrationality can be good for mental health at times.

Bugger.

I remember when he was first drafted thinking that he would be - my words - "our next Barassi". Well, RDB turned away as well.

If a satisfactory deal cannot be negotiated I would welcome Trac back. If he goes, then I will console myself with "good riddance to a malcontent" because that is what he seems to have become post KB 2024, and if that's right then the playing group would be better off without him.

Hopefully today's and yesterday's events are designed to scare off Mihocek.

Many thanks for giving the Demon community this vehicle for venting, raging and celebrating. A crucial part of the footy season.

On 02/09/2025 at 11:49, poita said:

Don't all MCG tenants share the rooms? I don't think any club has designated rooms, so I would be very surprised if there were honour boards there. I agree that these are most likely cricket related.

That said, it would be great to have a place that members can access to see all of this kind of memorabilia.

Having toured the MCG I can tell you that the rooms are characterless, uniform and dull - how exciting can it be inspecting an empty, tiled ice bath? Anything installed there is done on the day for the benefit of TV viewers and sponsors. Even the (removable) team names installed over the door are boring.

Just now, 58er said:

You are not understanding what players want and their development.

Bedford is a VFL player and has improved due to maturity and if handled more sympathetically by Simon would have dine this at Dees. But Simon stuck to Premiership players at our expense and we lost Bedford JJ and maybe not giving Judd some more consistent mid time in games at the end of the seasons 2024 and 2025 is partly responsible no Matter what King may have said to him.

Money may well be an issue and if so Dees should stand firm and accept an appropriate compensation or player.

Agree. Bedford was not trusted by Goody and he has something we lack...genuine pace. A much bigger loss than JJ who is just a negator. We've been lacking pace for a couple of years and Toby has it in spades. That is one black mark against the coach but they all have their favourites.

Classic Chris Scott press conference, citing 10 or 12 unknown challenges that made Geelong's task this year so difficult.

What might some of those be? Well, being the only Victorian club with a weird home ground unlike any other in the competition for them to train and play at to the disadvantage of all who are sent there, almost gifting them 6 or 7 wins a season. And maybe being gifted the softest fixture of any of the previous years' finalists, that could be one.

So while he goes through the motions of praising Brisbane he spends most of his time hinting at challenges but not really explaining any of them in case we learn what they are and think so what?

I mean, does he even know that Brisbane were missing Coleman and Hipwood? (I am not fan of Hipwood but he is structurally important to Fagan)

It makes me wonder why Simon Goodwin did not moan about Petracca playing a finals series with a fracture fibula (secondary bone in the lower leg) or Gawn carrying a debilitating back injure in the second half of 2022 (Mason Cox you rat).

Really ungracious performance typical of that entitled winger.

I was open to Snoop performing today since he has conducted himself well since arriving but this pre-game stuff is awful Americanised rubbish.

A mix of marching bands, cheerleaders and dance groove. Utterly underwhelming and a cultural cringe from the AFL.

Dillon, no doubt, will say it's the best yet.

Utter [censored]. Best ignored.

9 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

The clown show of Beveridge and Twomey want to continually try to push up the trades of Petracca and Oliver. They have zero interest in club loyalty as they hunt for the trade scenarios and how they can click bait through Gettable on the AFL app/website.

Trac to the Crows for pick 14 (pick 19-20 after academy’s/father son) and a 2026 1st round (again likely pick 18-19 likely). No way !! That’s the Dees getting shafted. Trac needs to stay. The Dees need him and I’m sure King has plans to get a Dangerfield type role for Trac !!

That's hilarious, with the mooted Flanders trade for pick seven.

You're right. Every half cut commentator has some bright idea for where Petracca should or might go. I had a Hawks fan yesterday claiming Trac for the injury prone Mitch Lewis.

Given the new coach has said he wants to keep them - they are (potentially) A graders (again) - why not accept that the Dees have the whip hand and they are not moving unless the price is right.

On 24/09/2025 at 13:43, The Jackson FIX said:

That was almost 25 years ago!!

Should we reference what we got from Carlton for Barassi as well?

Nothing.

Heard of him? I was introduced to him!

He must have been one of my father's favourite players because way back in the 1970s, at the MCG, my old man recognised him and bailed him up in the old MCC Members' Stand, since demolished. My dad would have been a teenager when Eddie was playing and he even told Eddie what number he wore, so that kind of confirms demonwiki's description of him as a cult hero.

Eddie, as I remember, was pretty happy to be recognised.

9 minutes ago, Bay Riffin said:

agreed. i was surprised how poor he was. definite gun kick when given room, but when the heat was on his kicking and decision making was very ordinary.

Commentators were suggesting he has been slow to adapt to his new home and regime and will be better next year. Maybe. But for the moment I am happy he went elsewhere. He will be 29 next year which, as mentioned on ABC yesterday, is close to the Pies' average age (28 and 8 months) so that makes him a good fit. And if he is a recruiting bust, a perfect fit. 🤣

12 hours ago, Ghostwriter said:

Again, the poster was writing Mihocek off based on his performance last night, ie. one game. Experts simply don’t do that. They wouldn’t last long in their jobs if they did.

I'm the poster referred to. Here's a fuller exposition. His game was a shocker. He is broken. A toe tendon injury is not an easy repair as it's part of the body that has relatively low blood supply hence slower, more problematic recovery.

Anyone contemplating bringing him in is relying on past performances but he has never been a goal machine, averaging 1.67 goals per game (267 in 159). He has been a handy addition to the Pies' forward line but never its main target. His output is similar to Fritter except Mihocek will be 33 by round one next year and Fritter will be 29.

Wounded Mihocek is the Pies' problem now and they have other ageing players to dispose of so let's leave him to them to resolve.

Our recent record on recycling bit players from other clubs is not good.

We would do better punting on a promising kid. Experts sometimes do that.

3 hours ago, Demonsone said:

Lions somehow find & develop young key forwards vs us targeting older 32 yo & trying to get Daniher out of retirement

This is exactly the point.

I was at the prelim. On the evidence of that game I wouldn't touch Mihocek with a barge pole.

A welcome move.

I thoroughly enjoyed Steve's work as a defender and I am grateful for his role in the 2021 flag, but as good as he was (is) as a player, I don't think he was as good as a teammate or club man. Entrecôte was very revealing. So thanks, cobber, and goodbye.

44 minutes ago, At the break of Gawn said:

So he was our second choice?

"Nathan Buckley's presence was a curiosity all along as Bucks was interviewing Melbourne as much as they were interviewing him," he said. "Right at the end, he couldn't answer the question if they offered him the job would he take it and I know Tasmania plays a role in that somewhere."

What's the source for this comment?

19 minutes ago, Deepfreeze said:

Waiting for the ‘Sack King’ thread!

For the historically minded should be more like "Off with his head".

But count me out. I loathe those threads about undermining the coach whoever he is.

22 minutes ago, KozzyCan said:

Think that was Dean Bailey

And Hardwick's laptop played up, ruining his presentation.

50 minutes ago, binman said:

What i hate is when journos create false narratives, for example by quoting some anonymous source who has their own agenda, to create a story where there isn't one. And then when it becomes clear that there's no there there, fall back on the old 'well my source was wrong' palaver.

Actually, binman, from long experience I can tell you Caro's form is to say "it was right at the time" which is the ultimate get-out for a report that is later shown to be wrong, because as an excuse it is simply unprovable either way.

48 minutes ago, Adina88 said:

And what of the lists he was coaching during those years? What of the rival competition and their lists and coaches at the time? You can't look at stats in a vacuum.

I'm looking at finishing positions in a competition where there is only one prize. Ten years is a big enough sample to cancel out variables such as a bad run with injuries one year, or an extraordinarily good run with injuries, or close finishes.

It is relevant that he inherited from Malthouse a team that had contested the two previous Grand Finals and within three years had them in the bottom half of the ladder where they remained for four years. I acknowledge that only rotten luck and a freakish kick denied him a premiership but that form of 2018 was not sustained.

Whatever the variables his record compares poorly with coaching contemporaries such a Clarkson at Hawthorn, Hardwick at Richmond or Scott at Geelong. And whatever the variables it is also significant that he had charge of one of the strongest, best resourced clubs in the game and could not deliver what they wanted.

I am not saying I'd be burning a membership card if he is given the gig, but I would not be shattered if he opted for the Tassie Tigers either.

I don't claim to know anything useful here nor would I pretend to know better than any member of the coaching selection panel, but nowhere have I seen any run down of Buck's coaching record, so I checked and it's very mixed.

In 2012, having inherited the 2010 premiership side and 2011 losing grand finalist ,he took the Pies to 4th.

2013: 7th

2014: 11th

2015: 12th

2016: 12th

2017: 13th

2018: 2nd (denied a premiership by a poor umpiring decision and a miracle kick on the final siren)

2019: 4th

2020: 4th

2021: 17th (good times)

He was coaching one of the best resourced clubs in the comp. It's not a great record. An equal mix of mediocrity and success.

If he wins the job I hope he has learned plenty.