bing181

Except he didn't say that, did he. Typical of you, when there aren't genuine reasons to snipe at the club you fabricate them.

Mind-boggling. Post-2021 we lost Jackson as a go-home, but every one of our required players re-signed. As for Brisbane ... go and talk to Richmond and Hawthorn about topping up after their flag runs. Both fell in a hole.

"Fremantle’s pitch to Judd McVee contained a very specific vision, but it wasn’t the most compelling part of the presentation. The Dockers got him over the line by showing him how he was playing at the Demons. Under Simon Goodwin and then caretaker Troy Chaplin he was pigeonholed as a last-line defender playing on footy’s dangerous smalls. As the Dockers showed him, his disposals and intercept possessions had dropped off and he was barely a presence in the rebound game given his lack of handball receives. They told him they could develop him like they had 2025 All Australian Jordan Clark as an attacking running back." (Herald Sun)

Actually saw them play live once. Which is something, as they only ever did a handful of dates around the No Pussyfooting album. Was as you'd expect, both monotonous and mesmerising, and the technology was impressive for the time. Still remember it.

The one you missed that plays a role for some players is the desire to move to less AFL-oriented states where they can be out of the media spotlight/hothouse. It's where the 4 northern clubs have an advantage. Buddy Franklin and Joe Daniher both cited that as one of the reasons for choosing the clubs they did, but they're not alone. Of course, everything else has to be in place, and as always, money talks the loudest.

We're not going to do that. He's nominated Freo, he's OOC, one way or another it'll be Freo. None of us have to like it.

List management happens over the longer term. They could be equally eyeing someone for next year (e.g. Butters has been mentioned). I agree that next year will be a bit of an ask if we lose McVee, May and Petracca - but you'd think it's going to be a transition/learning year in any case.

Given the number of toilet breaks, perhaps picked up some kind of lurgy.

Sure. But it needs to be the right half. Losing McVee and possibly Trac is not a plus.

As it is for most clubs most trade periods. The marquee trades get all the media, but the vast majority of trades are for meat and potatoes players near the ends of their careers, surplus to requirements or go-home. Not particularly whelming. The season starts next March. There's no prize for "winning" trade period.

Bad management or advice? Immaturity or indecisiveness?

This is a bigger loss than some here are acknowledging. McVee was one of the central pillars to the team that was going to take us forward over the next 10 years, and often mentioned as such. Yes, he had a down year, but he'd be a walk-up start in every team in the AFL, for good reason.

McVee and his management have not exactly covered themselves in glory in all this. There are ways to play clubs off against each other without putting your present club off-side. Even being indecisive isn't a hanging offense, but he seems to have been less than transparent. e.g., why wasn't this brought up at the exit interview? Apparently there was a discussion with King, which was fairly widely reported as having gone well. But that was less than a couple of weeks back, by which time he must have been close to committing to Fremantle. So what was he saying? Further, from the way it's played out it's hard to imagine that this hasn't had a negative impact on his performance this year - notwithstanding the injury. Which in itself is not a great look. For months last year ANB knew he was leaving - but he always gave his all when he pulled on the guernsey.

Do we? Brisbane just won a premiership and of their 18 goals their tall forwards combined for a total of ... 1.

Seems these days that established players looking to switch clubs won't get out of bed for less than that.

Also, as one report noted, "high-maintenance". There's a reason they want him moved on. Culture.

Remarkable insights as to the use of technology in the AFL in Goodwin's interview on AFL360. He talks about Steven May and what he needed to tick off in order to play in the GF. They knew who he was playing on (Naughton?) and went back over the whole season and found that the longest hi-speed sprint that he'd done was 68 metres. All May needed to do to prove his fitness was be able to sprint that far. 68 metres. The depth of analysis and data that the clubs have on players across the league is mind-boggling.

Goodwin had a purpose after 2021, we wouldn't have finished top 4 in 2022 and 23 without it. It's not so much about not having a purpose, it's about being able to shift or redefine your purpose. Also, it's not just on Goodwin, it's club-wide. Were the admin and board driving standards as hard (or harder) post 2021? Difficult to see that they were. You even see it here, the constant reference to a lost era of dominance, as if winning the 21 flag automatically gave us dibs on the premierships that followed.

As always with player movement, certainly with players who are getting games. Less so for fringe players "seeking more game time", but Flanders is fairly established.

I don't know that any of us really know, but I think it's about being less of a lock-down defender and having more freedom to play an attacking role. I'm not sure he's asking for more midfield time per se, just more flexibility as a defender. Could be wrong ...

You answered your own question. Experience. We already have three young KF's, plus a youngish one in Johnston. Even Petty isn't all that old, if he's to be played as a forward. Melksham is a gem in terms of experience and leadership, but he's not going to be able to play every game, or perhaps anything like it. Our list is fairly lumpy - it's a bit unbalanced in terms of age/experience. This is a step to addressing that.

Except that that's not what people were arguing is it. Demonland.

This is an example of the gulf that exists between your average footy supporter's perception and the reality of what goes on inside an AFL club.

Not liking others' opinions is in itself an opinion ... which as you're pointing out, everyone is entitled to.