pitmaster

You mean I would actually penalise the throws? Damn right!

It's so obvious isn't it? Just cannot talk them up enough. (Insert spew emoji here.)

Incessant. And yes, it is, Sharp being the worst offender, although Fritter with his fumbled marks ran him a close second. Normally I avoid this thread post-loss but everything said here is right. It is sadly true. A real [censored] show.

Remember Steve Newport's two goals in time on in the first semi of '88 (I think)? Good times.

How about losing six Grand Finals: 1926, ‘39, ‘55, ‘56, ‘60 and ‘64?

Just as Yze was marked to take over from Simon until a premiership got in the way. If Enright is the one the Saints’ plans won’t stop us.

Longmire has had too many hits to take it on again. Four losing GFs he’s punch drunk.

Horse has taken himself to the knackery.

I think that’s why we have moved now.

Exactly. Bruce’s history includes Hawthorn under Clarkson and Lions under Fagan as well as Blues under Bolton so he has seen both sides of the role. Enright I don’t know much about beyond pñaying history but he knows strong culture. I would prefer a younger coach. People pushing Buckley and Simpson chills me.

It hurts more now because we did to the Eagles what we coulda shoulda done to those clowns. Sorry Norf didn’t make it

Classic demonland. Find a negative in a positive.🤣🤣

Smith will be fantastic. Accomplished lawyer, seriously good (200-games) player in his day, totally committed Demon who is routinely at the G (except for this year obviously) with a strong network and MCC links where he was on the committee for close to 20 years and a proven chairman (MCC four years ). We couldn't have a better incoming president right now. Hopefully the same is true of Paul Guera.

For the paywalled: A payout of nearly $1 million for the final year of Simon Goodwin’s contract would not stop Melbourne from parting ways with the premiership coach should the board decide the change was the circuit breaker the club needed. Melbourne are determined to make significant changes this year after another season that has spiralled into misery. There is a harder edge to Melbourne’s decision-making this year and the potential of a payout for Goodwin or other contracted staff will not be an impediment to change should they decide it is required. Goodwin’s position remains under serious threat at season’s end, and possibly sooner should the club lose to bottom-of-the-ladder West Coast at the weekend. The Demons board held a scheduled board meeting on Monday, which included presentations from both Goodwin and former All Blacks performance head Darren Shand, the consultant who ran the club’s football review at the end of last year. Board member Steven Smith, who will take over as club president from Brad Green later in the year, joined the meeting by conference call from Europe. While the board did not settle on what its next course of action will be, it was agreed that significant changes to the football department are needed. The timing of decisions on those changes will not be reliant on the handover of the presidency. Senior Melbourne sources said the board would analyse the football department and performance again, look at Shand’s review conducted at the end of last year and examine whether changes recommended then were properly implemented this year. They will consider Alan Richardson’s role as the club’s head of football, the broader coaching panel as well as the senior coaching position, and most pointedly, consider whether changing the senior coach is necessary to prompt cultural and seismic change at the club, or simply the easiest and most symbolic change to make. What change would have the biggest impact at a club that needs to halt a continued slide from their premiership year? Moving on the one coach in the past 60 years to take the club to a premiership? Overhauling the rest of the coaches and football figures? Being more aggressive in turning over the playing list? Or all of the above? The potential availability of a number of experienced senior AFL coaches – namely Adam Simpson, John Longmire and Nathan Buckley – cannot be ignored when considering whether Goodwin’s message is still getting through or the group needs a new voice. Melbourne believe they could cover the impact on the soft cap of paying out the final year of Goodwin’s contract, or other contracts, if it came to a decision to part ways. The only certainty, as a senior Melbourne figure said, was that all options were on the table for the football department, with the board agreeing the status quo was not working. The dissatisfaction and resignation of members and sponsors is not lightly dismissed. While all options are on the table for the broad football department and strategy, the same does not apply to the playing list, as players such as Max Gawn and Kysaiah Pickett will not be up for trade. The Demons are aware they have stuck with the same midfield of Gawn, Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney since their 2021 premiership. That midfield blend was formidable when their game style, predicated on contested ball and strong defence, was the successful dominant method of play, but has waned in the years that the trend has been towards transition running and repeat speed. Debate has been had internally about whether Melbourne’s list is suited to that style of play or, if it is, then is the style getting trough to the players? That is the list-versus-coaching debate every club that finds itself in this situation argues about (see Carlton). Melbourne refused to trade Oliver to Geelong last year, believing the return offered was insufficient, and shutdown Petracca’s restlessness for a move. The club still believes it would need a significant return to entertain moving any of its players, including that pair, on. The Demons do not have a first round draft pick this year. As a senior Melbourne figure observed of their season, doing nothing is not an option.

This says (a little) more: https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/1m-payout-won-t-stop-demons-making-tough-call-on-goodwin-if-necessary-20250729-p5min1.html

Funny that because last night I was wondering how you would recover in time for the podcast. It will be missed.

So I am not the only one. Thanks for letting me know.

There are clearly doubts about Selwyn and the fitness program but yesterday was a mental failure. We never put sides to the sword. How often - when we were winning - did we get on top of sides and lament the fact that a four goal win should have been by much more. Other sides know how to make the most of a chance to utterly [censored] the opposition but we don't and that's a mind set issue. We are not, and I don't remember when we were last ruthless. At 3/4 time the right mental setting was to absolutely bury the Saints but we didn't have it. So yeah, by all means get rid of Selwyn, but we also need some Northey-like mongrel in the coaching personnel and the senior players.

Pert was the AFL's choice. Collingwood had booted him and it was a job for a member of the boys club I believe.

To be fair, that focus was the journos' choice and down to their questions. Goodwin did highlight the smashing in the midfield and loss of momentum which is on the senior players.

Seriously? The bloke who appointed Mark Neeld? No thanks.

He's done it before...and against this same mob...and cost a last minute loss as well.

My fear is that the fact that the eight almost settled - and you have to fear for the Dogs' chances with the Suns win over the Lions today leaving the western suburb crew a game outside the eight - the AFL will do something knee-[censored] and stupid, like introduce a wildcard round. Spare us! As for the Dogs in ninth spot with a percentage of 125-plus, that has to be the definition of flat track bully.

It's a dour struggle between Matt Hill and Mark Howard for the title of most useless, uninformative and distracting commentator. 3/4 time its Howard by a couple of points.

Jeff Gleeson, who cleared Maynard for his Brayshaw hit, finds differently for May. Go figure.