JJJ

I wonder what the travel plans are on Saturday or if they fly back Sunday morning. This could be a chance to have a mini team bonding session at a bar on the Goldy after both VFL and AFL games. Everyone from the club who flies up should attend. Regardless of any changes in the off season, it would be good to have everyone locked in and happier to take on Collingwood next week.

I think what’s more likely is that we are no longer the front runner as other offers have come in. His management probably told the journo that it was about culture to hide the fact that he might like more money.

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.

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 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.

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.

I think I heard during the broadcast that he was the leader in AFL listed players goal kicking ladder.

I am one of those who didn’t think he’d make it at the start of the season. I am still a tad skeptical but I am 100% aligned to Fence in that he should be played to expose him to the level prior to next year. My expectations for him this year are low; hit the contest hard, show some nous in drawing the footy and chase defensively. Anything above and beyond that is a win at this stage.

His agent owes us a favour!! That is a long contract.

It’s fair to assume that even the most positive player would understand that the deck is stacked against them playing finals. Given the whole preseason theme was about redemption and playing finals, that would be a difficult pill to swallow. The mood probably reflects that to a degree.

And it’s not like Stengle hasn’t got form in this area….

I was in the Geelong Presidents lunch that day. I had an interesting interaction with the then MFC CEO prior to the game followed by watching an even more interesting one at the end. It was a massive mistake by Jimmy to bring that man back to the club. Re the game, I don’t recall much of it. I sat in my seat and watched the game in preference to the ear smashing I was getting from Geelong people inside. Board members, staff etc it didn’t matter, if they saw someone wearing red and blue at the function we were fair game to those people. As a result I will barrack for any team in the AFL who plays Geelong. Except for Essendon. In that case I hope for scoreless draws.

If we miss the finals, it’s better that we miss by a lot. We’d get a bottom 6 draw next year if we finished 13th. Id rather us try to win and in-still good habits into the younger brigade but if things go to form Friday night, we are a chance to go winless the rest of the year. A healthy list and an easier draw would be awesome for us.