JJJ

I thought we’d finish 6-8th this year which I guess we still could mathematically do. Just felt that missing Brayshaw and and NQR Oliver would expose our lack of quality depth in the midfield. I was mildly optimistic when we beat both SA teams early on but was a tad worried how 1- dimensional we’d become with Petracca expected to do pretty much everything for us. The game against WCE in Perth was when I realised we were not a premiership threat. The week after against the Saints was just the usual players sticking their fingers in the dyke which broke the week after. Im pretty optimistic about 2025 though. We have enough reviews etc going on now that we might right the ship for a another shot at the crown.

I posted about 2 months ago that there were some disgruntled players. Trac is one of the players. I don’t want him to leave, nor Oliver, but I think we could bring in some new people and ideas to our footy dept. I think that would go a long way to appeasing some of the players. More so than a new home base etc

Trac has been upset with the club for a while. I think the KBD game and the days following pushed him over the edge. His unhappiness has been an open secret for some time. The club and Petracca are both in no win situations now regarding public statements. Everyone involved, including his management share the blame for this ridiculous situation.

If there was a vote in the UK to rename the Dees, it would Leaky McLeaky Leaky Boat Face.

Four years ago we told him to look for a new home. From a personal perspective, I am saddened as he is massively respected by the players and a super nice bloke as well. Always very giving of his time and just an upstanding young man.

I agree with most of what you say but I do not get the Bowey love. To me he hasn’t really progressed since early 2022. I think our development is on par with most clubs.

Most professional cyclists require change of training methods after 4-5 years. Unless they are on rocket fuel of course.

This particular journo is single so I don’t think the bedside table is necessary.

I agree except for one thing. I don’t like hearing from Pert in the media. There’s just something about him I can’t quite handle.

Potential future leaders in Rivers, JVR and McVee. Windsor. Could be elite. Gawn. One do the greats.

Wow! There’s a game on this weekend?!

It’s hard to say. One could assume Goody only wants Football Dept people addressing these types of issues with the media. If you talk to her about footy, it becomes pretty clear her depth of knowledge isn’t great. Lots of motherhood statements. Her lack of presence in this case is understandable in my eyes. On the other hand she tooted her own horn quite a bit at Club functions when she came onboard about her ability to successfully negotiate contracts with Gov and Enterprise. In that aspect, she has been an abject failure, setup by her own grand standing. Backed up, I will add, by lots of current board members who will probably do as they normally do and throw her to the sharks if things don’t improve on all fronts.

There were plenty of stories going around since preseason about us. Most are garbage but there were common themes which would get a journo like Morris motivated to work his contacts. I can’t stand him and wish he was out of the industry all together but he may have some of this stuff right. Trac is very competitive but he is also a huge fan of the NBA. Players seek trades under contract when they feel they can’t win where they currently are all the time. It’s not seen as a negative. Maybe he feels the AFL should be the same? I think we will see Clarrie playing elsewhere next year if I were to put money on it. I don’t agree with that and do not wish that to happen. Clarrie is a terrific fella and one of the greats and deserves a chance to rehab with us…. For the record that’s my opinion. Nothing more….

I didn’t say they should. I am saying that the leaky ship is very leaky and there’s plenty of disenfranchised people. Also, this stuff is not something a preseason will fix. It will be fixed or we will be [censored] by the end of trade week.

This is an underrated factor. A lot of large financial contributors in the Coterie etc are also player sponsors and friends with the families of the players. It’s a leaky ship at the moment.

The disconnect predates the aftermath of the King’s Birthday game. Pretty sure I have been intimating that there is discourse within the playing group for a while…. Not just Trac.

The same could be said of the people that consistently state the opposing view. Irony…. Football, like life is not black and white. He’s a good catch. A premiership coach. Is he without fault? No. Should we be reviewing his method and the methods of his footy department? Yes. Is our predicament this year all on his shoulders? No, but he is responsible for some of it. This last bit should go on the contracts thread, BUT I will say it here anyway, our rather big problem is our top heavy contracts. We are nowhere with a lot of players as we just can’t offer them the going rate. It has killed our depth and ability to recruit. That’s not on Goody in my books.

I’m not talking with Dazza from Narre. Otherwise I would agree with you. Plenty of ex and current Dees players go there.

There’s a few players with covid at other clubs who are suffering. Wouldn’t surprise if a few of our players are too.

Yep. I knew an opposition club board member who was friends with Gubby when he was at GWS. He gloated about signing old mate Tom prior to his last season with us. Don’t like him but he was pretty good at getting shady stuff done.

It’s another thread but the trading for McAdam still confuses me. We needed small forwards who can read the play, hit the contest with speed, kick goals and pressure. McAdam plays like a small key forward.

If you want to hear what players, past and present, and agents are talking about head to Lamaro’s in South Melbourne. The sheer volume of footy people who hang there is incredible. I happened to spend an afternoon there last week and heard interesting stories about the Dogs, Dons, Freo, Tiges and as the regulars know I am a Dees supporter, Melbourne. I won’t post what I hear as I think I was basically put on notice last time BUT what Dazzle said about Petracca was very similar to what I heard on Friday. Clubs will be testing the strength of that rumour no doubt.

I don’t think he has disappointed. We liked him last season and he’d shown some improvement in the WAFL. We will have a large deficiency in key position players next season. T-Mac, Schache, Tomlinson most likely gone at seasons end and a very underwhelming start for Fullarton, it makes sense to bring someone we like in, let him learn the game plans and people and get a full preseason in. People who are annoyed by his presence or think he has nothing to offer really should be looking at players like Viney Oliver Bowey McAdam Fritsch and Sparrow as players who have not hit the mark this season. (Viney gets a near pass as he was playing well before his injuries)

That’s the most disturbing thing to me. We go on about culture and playing a Melbourne brand of footy but once a team starts picking and choosing and needing massive bakes from the coaching staff to perform, I get worried. It won’t be one issue alone, but a collection of issues that have hit critical mass. Fitness, confidence, inexperience, injury, outside noise etc Good clubs put the fire out before it becomes an inferno. I look toward the coaches and Gawn & his lieutenants for leadership but I think we should be reviewing that group and reinvigorate the nominated leaders with some youth such as Rivers.

Sadly. Not sure what Salem has on Goody but this isn’t the first time he’s rushed him back after injury. Those changes really sucked the jam out of my donut.