Dee*ceiving

The wins from here would be... See what's on the list No more long-term injuries A top 5 draft pick Wooing a free agent or two Maybe uncover a helpful strategy or two

That's exactly what I'm saying mate. Seasons cooked. If anyone is unfit, physically or mentally, don't play them. If you can get them fit and back playing footy before next season, great. If not have them as good to go day 1 preseason as possible Agree. Personally I reckon the coach is exhausted. All coaches carry a big burden and Goody's has been bigger than anyone's for the last 2 years. Might be time for him to take a break from footy. Players will sense when the coach is tapped out. If he is I'd suggest a tapped out coach won't be much of a motivator

I'd agree with the poster above. Use the rest of the year to trial some kids, get blokes fit and prevent anyone we really need next year from being run into the ground, eg. Max & May. If Viney is injured, don't play him. If Clarrie isn't fit, get him bloody fit! I'd also suggest we go back to playing people in their proper positions. Get Langdon on the wing, Petty in the backline & Sparrow in the middle for starters. And start hunting for FAs...now

Brayshaw was definitely the glue. A selfless player and person. Wonderful leader.

Duh! Scrutiny of the Pies has been outlawed... What a class act! A superb human being. All the best Trac, love ya!

I am also of the view we won't play finals. Mentally shot, you can see it on the players faces and their efforts on the ground. Bullied by Collingwood twice in a row now, barely gave a yelp physically on Monday Completely gave up for the first time in years vs Fremantle Embarrased by the Eagles I wonder if we've underestimated the losses of Melksham and Hibberd to, in the sense of their leadership and harndess. Could probably add Harmes to that as well. We have no one that plays on the edge now, Viney is to banged up and we've done our best to coach it out of Pickett.

To be fair, we've had our share of coaching blunders recently. - Couldn't find a way to make Gawndy work, more appallingly giving up on it after ~10 games then gifting him to the Swans - Picking underdone players/players showing no form at VFL (Clarrie, Hunter, Petty, McAdam) - Not playing Langdon on the wing, going from 500m gained to ~100m gained per game - Not playing Sparrow in the centre with time up forward (has actually taken marks and kicked goals from 50m enough to suggest he might do it again) - Continually playing backmen in the forward line - Drastically changing the gameplan post Yze - Seeing Max get owned in the center v Sydney and again v Collingwood (no adjustments)

I would agree we should give him a run of games before season's end to see what he's got. Turner not likely to be significantly better and Petty definitely should return to the backline, though he was a touch better vs Pies. Our backline looks especially slow at the moment sans Lever

VFL stats and Demonland podcasters don't point to much hope, but I'd love to be proven wrong

There is a core chunk of our list that still have a chance to play close to their best footy if fit, eg. they are young enough to believe the cliff hasn't arrived yet. Breaking out the depth chart it doesn't look disastrous yet IMV. Still capable of best footy Petracca Lever Fritsch Pickett Langdon Viney Neal-Bullen Oliver Bowey Fritsch Hopefully still capable of best footy Gawn May Sparrow Petty Salem Potential to improve further Van Rooyen McVee Windsor Rivers Howes Turner Tholstrup Unknowns – can they still/will they make the grade? Sestan Wowoedin Melksham Spargo Billings McDonald Laurie Jefferson Verrall Hore Adams Chandler Moniz-Wakefield K Brown Kentfield McAdam Moving on (delist / retire) Smith B Brown Fullarton Schache Farris White Tomlinson Hunter Brayshaw

Agree. From multiple points of view this is the biggest failing of the FD under Goodwin. Gave up after 1 failed plan, then managed it all so poorly that Brodie (allegedly) refused to play for us again a month short of finals. Pathetic & bizarre.

Fritsch was manned by Moore in the first half. Moved up the ground in the 3rd and got into the game. He can be laconic and defence is not his go but we play him out of the square copping the best defender who doesn't have to worry about Petty doing any damage at all.

Just a reminder that this can be fixed. The question is whether the coaching group we have are.uo to it. Collingwood needed a change but also have an impenetrable support base, fans, media, sponsorship, etc.

We are too nice. There is no fire in the belly anymore. We've always played like gentleman, Goody has coached for it and Gawn has lived it but there used to be an edge. Hard at the ball, no backward steps, steely determination. Flying the flag for your mate...it's all gone. Bereft of confidence, playing a style they don't enjoy and can't see working. We've got a long way to go. Simon is also exhausted, it came through in the article last week. It's all filtering through.

You mean being "crashed and bashed" takes a huge toll? I haven't seen us do any meaningful bashing or crashing since the cats game

Go after him? We were grinning and slapping him on the backside. Then he tried to bury Fritsch under the forward pocket. I have no idea why a Melbourne player would think that's ok! Bewildering

Since round 11 2022 we've had pressure piled on to us. One thing after another and sadly more that one own goal. Once cracks appear they either get fixed or widen slowly. May / Melksham The President debacle Extra curricular culture allegations Grundy disaster Oliver disaster Smith/Asada disaster Angus tragedy The media has attacked us in a fashion most other clubs wouldn't have to endure, with no protection from the league. I'm tired from it...it's hard trying to run through brick walls day after day.

I was on L4. Could definitely hear us booing Maynard at first but it didn't take long for them to drown us out. Plus boo May

We have 5 or 6 that apply little to no pressure. Viney generally in the top 2 or 3 for pressure, will be surprised if he got neat that today ANB following daicos may not have helped our pressure rating. Then there's Petty, Sparrow, Chandler and Billings...nuff said

Viney only 30 and tough as teeth. He will come good. Both he and Clarrie have lost the drive in their legs. Heaps of players have had seasons like that and improved the next year. Tmac will have a out 400,000 reasons to play on if we offer another one year contract. Will only retire if we don't IMO

System is definitely broken. Some deep rooted issues, whether new or existing, now is the time when that stuff surfaces. But when you break it down we've lost a lot more talent than we've gained over the last two years. Oliver and Viney are injured/not fit. Confident they'll get back to their best. It just won't be this year.

Bruise free footy is correct. We had enough of the footy to win but are largely impotent and when we do get a shot we burn it. But... Pies were missing half their team We didn't pressure the ball We didn't stick tackles Aside from 5 or 6 we play like it doesn't really matter.

Gawn Roo Kozzy Rivers McDonald May

ANB and kozzy and been playing midfield last 3 weeks trying to paper over sparrow, Clarrie and JVs chronic form. Should be forward and langdon on the wing. Not sure about Alice Springs accommodation issue but issues that can fracture a playing group is people being selected having not done the work and others playing out of position to cover form and/or effort from those with the big contracts.

Jeremy or Blake? If Blake, I wonder Howes he'll go?