wisedog

Well I can’t help but feel our point is the same (aside from the metrics of how success should be defined.) I agree the new versus returning coach debate is shallow; which is why I find the expectation a returning coach will rescue a struggling club from the doldrums just as shallow. Particularly, as you write, there are so many intangible factors within a Club, which also need to addressed. And perhaps this is why the Jackson and Roos ticket was so successful.

I did mention Hardwick in my first post. Whether you view Lyon’s tenure at Freo as a success and Voss at Carlton is a matter of opinion. However, those records are certainly achievements. And yes, I understand new coaches are overwhelming appointed. The point I’m making is that returning coaches are often seen as the leaders who will replicate the success they have previously enjoyed - but that rarely seems to be the case.

Yes, and Malthouse at West Coast (and later Collingwood). But post-2000, I can only really think of Eade at the Bulldogs whose tenure would be regarded as a success.

I think it’s a valid thread. I’ve often thought how few examples of success there are from head coaches in their 2nd or 3rd tenures. Wallace, Eade at GC, Malthouse, Pagan, Voss, Lyon and Scott were all seen as a safe pair of hands but were largely unsuccessful. Jury is still out on Clarkson. On the other hand, you have Hardwick, who appears to have bucked the trend, and of course Roos, who laid some very solid cultural foundations at Melbourne. I struggle to think of many other examples of success recently. I don’t know why that is. Does the game change too quickly and coaches become set in their ways? Or are they expected to come in and cover a multitude of shortcomings within the entire organisation.

As for Laurie. I hope he’s kept and gets a clean slate under a new coach because he just seems a class above this level. I’m excited to see what Kolt and Kentfield can do with a full pre-season under their belts. Kentfield doesn’t quite seem to be involved enough at this stage, but still has a significant impact when he does get it.

Laurie and Culley were the standouts from what I saw. In fact, Culley’s improvement over the season has been really impressive and seemed to draw a lot of confidence from his time in the seniors. Kicked 3.1 tonight and gave another one off but seemed to move really intuitively as a forward. At 6ft 4, I wonder why he’s not discussed as more of a permanent key position prospect - he looked most effective for Melbourne deep in the forward line as well.

I just feel that much of the reason this latest episode has blown up as it has, is due to the consternation around a star player missing finals. If something like this was in place, Rankine would cop his 5 weeks, as he otherwise would have. Then if Adelaide play in a Premiership, and he plays 3-4 finals, he has to sit out 9-12 games in the next home and away season. That decision becomes Adelaide’s to make, and the AFL won’t have to grasp for reasons to reduce the penalty on the cusp of a finals series. (As I wrote in my earlier post, it would only be an option for players contracted for the following season.) Just an idea, and I do acknowledge the distinct possibility it’s not a particularly good one at that.

I was really just trying to make a distinction between an act of deliberate and targeted abuse and someone who is wildly ignorant of the damage of such language. But perhaps that point didn't need to be made. Footballers are not typically well educated; they mix with a very narrow section of society and are basically allowed to live out a protracted adolescence. It’s ironic their actions and words are of such greater consequence - but I understand you are much less aggrieved by the incident itself than the attempts to downplay it.

I’ve often wondered whether the AFL should introduce a policy where finals sanctions could be commuted to the home and away season. Perhaps usual suspensions would attract a X3 loading so the Crows would need to decide whether it was better to lose Rankine for 4 finals games or 12 home and away games. This could only apply to players who were contracted for the next season - and in extreme cases where suspensions were originally 7+ weeks, it also should not apply.

Growing up in 90’s and 00’s, this word, along with ‘gay’ as a pejorative were common. So much rap and hip hop music dropped these words so casually - and even shows like South Park. This is the world that young men like Rankine grew up in. Thankfully, it’s changing (although, speaking to my 14 year old nephew, not as much as I expected). Possibly, the AFL environment is too much like an extension of high school. This is not to excuse Rankine, as he should know better. The AFL, which is in a strong position to influence change - particularly in young men - is right to take a strong stance against this language. However, I do feel this offence is a rung below incidents where a player is specifically targeted because of their race or sexuality - I appreciate others here would not agree.

I do sometimes wonder how things would have been different had that Carlton defender, soon after delisted, didn’t claim the touch. At very least, our finals opponents would have been different.

2023 was absolutely brutal. From the moment of the ‘touched’ goal against Carlton (which most likely cost us top 2, it just felt like one kick in the guts after the next. Injuries to Petty and Melksham, then losing Brayshaw, and watching Collingwood go onto win a Premiership. Just excruciating. I still watched the game on Friday, hoping for some little bit of poetic justice… but no dice. I appreciate the post; it’s always hard to discuss these intangibles, and it’s harder to know how to act to improve them. How can they go from a side to who spectacularly reversed the momentum in the third quarter of a Grand Final, to being so incredibly fragile, they lose almost every game when our opponents are within two goals. The last occasion, I felt we really willed ourselves to a victory was against Brisbane in 2023, where Melksham was absolutely enormous. Two weeks later Petty kicked 6 goals, and for a fleeting moment, it felt like it was all falling into place again. But then it all bloody changed. Damn.

The difference in the 21 and 22 seasons are also interesting: had pretty much the same number of shots, yet in our Premiership year, he kicked 28.19. The next year, however, he kicked 19.31.

Want to hear something strange? In 2017, Petracca kicked 26.6 for the season. He was the most accurate kick (minimum 30 scoring shots) that season at 81.25%. That season accuracy is so high it ranks 13th since 1965.

I suppose we prepare ourselves for players leaving: we know once they’re over 31-32, each season could be their last. We also know, some will have no hesitation jumping ship if there’s a better offer from a rival Club. The coach, it would seem, is required to make a much more profound commitment, and remain at their post until the bitter end - and it is usually bitter. I was in favour of keeping Goodwin right until the Saints debacle, but hearing him talk about how close we are to success, well, he just about won me over again! I am sad to see him go and hope to be able to shake his hand and say thanks one day. Go Dees