binman

24 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

Game plan ? Well you were never going to get an overly different game plan. Funny you say that as I DIDN'T.

What i referred to were the nuances .

There was , imo, certainly a different directive out of the coaches box.

If you feel compelled to hang onto Goodwin that's your call.

Different directive from the coaches box?

Do prey tell, what was that?

11 hours ago, Hopeful Demon said:

It was a shame about the final outcome and I really wish we would sort out our inability to win close games but I actually really enjoyed today. We played fast, free flowing and daring football. I haven't seen us play with such an attacking mindset all year.

I'd much rather lose a game trying something new than repeatedly losing games playing the exact same style.

Whatever people think about Goody's sacking I really hope that false narratives and myths don't take hold on Demonland.

The post above is an example of such false narratives.

We have been playing fast, transition footy all season and playing with an attacking mindset all season. In fact it's been one of our problems - we don't have the cattle to not cough up huge scores on turnover, as we did again yesterday.

Tactically and method wise, yesterday's game was no different to how we've played all season, particularly since the bye.

In fact, we have been really improving our transition game in the second half of the year, as evidenced by a raft of stats, for example scores from defensive half.

I mean we did some of our best transition and ball movement all season in 7 of our previous 8 quarters before yesterday's game,

8 minutes ago, Garbo said:

Cully another great game always gives 110%, makes you wonder how many other players have been stuck in the vfl that haven’t been able to get a game due to goodwins loyalty to the premiership team that could also have what it takes

Let the rewriting of history begin.

9 minutes ago, BoBo said:

Would Maxy (or any senior Ruck) have input with the mids coach as to the set up? Or is there no collaboration and it’s totally dictated too by said coach?

I would be shocked if they didn't, particularly maxy.

But it's not Maxy's job to coach them and ensure they are so well drilled they could set up with their eyes closed. Or for that matter to coach mids not to get caught behind their opponent.

5 minutes ago, Maldonboy38 said:

Re Gawn's ruck work in the last quarter, have a 2nd look. On most occasions he tapped to the exact correct place, but our mids were a step behind, and/or the Dog's mids were reading it off his hand. Our setup and system 3-5 metres off contested ball was really poor today, so I reckon our midfield woes rest on the shoulders of the mids, not the ruck.

I reckon the responsibility for our midfield woes, today and all season, in large part falls to Jones, who is charge of stoppages and the other midfield coach (whose name escapes me - Sam ratcliff?).

Our set up and structures have been woeful all season.

I went to a player sponsor event last year and Maxy was on our table. I was talking to him about stats and whether he is into them. Short answer is yes (he noted every player has access to an app with the full stats the club keep, team wide and for each player - he showed me the app on his phone).

I asked him if hitouts is the most useless stat in footy - leading question but he agreed.

But of more interest he volunteered that by far his least favourite stat was hitout to advantage as it's dependent on the mids being in the right spot - that's to say he hits it to a designated spot on the clock (his phrase) and a mid is supposed to be there.

In games that's mainly on the mids but it also comes down to how the midfield coach sets up structures etc and how well drilled and coached the mids are.

9 minutes ago, sue said:

Good grief. Can you list 3 things that the Goodwin era has done right? Even one would impress.

Goody being sacked and getting bagged for not selecting Lindsay when he's no longer at the club at Casey is peak Cranky

My only feedback would be to narrow down the focus as governance, transparency and accountability are interrelated but separate things.

Ideas covering all three areas run the risk of being too broad and nor sufficiently targeted.

Transparency relates to communication and governance is very broad.

I'd recommend constructive ideas on how the MFC can be improve its level accountability to its fans and members.

18 hours ago, picket fence said:

He is massively overated IMO

Good lord you post some nonsense.

8 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

Horse scratched.

Bit more time in the paddock before returning for the Tasmanian Cup.

My take on the next coach:

Short version:

Despite my misgivings about Buckley i think appointing him coach would be a good move and i'll fully back him in if they do.

Long version:

I'm ambivalent about Buckley. He was a famously defensive coach that, yes came close to a flag but was sacked on the back of a woeful season and his replacement turned much the same list into a competitive unit immediately.

And the knock on him as a coach was that he wasn't a great manager of people and had a propensity to judge others by the myopic, hyper driven standards he set for himself as a player.

Add to that I've never much liked him.

Against those misgivings i think the following counter arguments hold significant weight:

• Personally i think we need to go with an experienced coach like Buckley or Longmire that has gravitas and would not need to 'earn' the respect of players the way any new coach would

• I agree with Goodwin and Langdon that we're actually not far away from being a contender again, meaning we are not in full rebuild mode - a scenario that suits an experienced coach

• (on that point, the fact that Buckley is even interested suggests he also believes we are not far from being a contender - no chance he is up for years long rebuild like McQualter and Yze)

• An experienced candidate like Buckley or Longmire would also have the power, within limits, to call the shots on key hiring and firing decisions which will be important as we need a broom

• Buckley would demand veto on assistant coaches and no doubt create his own team of line coaches, something that i think is very much needed (ie new assistant coaches)

• I think some tough calls also need to me made about our high performance program - Bucks, who was ahead of his time on the fitness front, will have firm views in that space and I suspect would drive change

• It is reasonable to think Mcrae built on the foundation Buckley built - I think that's particularly true in regards to driving training standards

• They were clearly already a super fit team when Mcrae took over and their success under Mcrae's would simply not have been possible without that base given his method is so aerobically taxing

• Landing Buckley soon would go a long way to assuage my concerns the executive made an ill considered, vibe based decision to both sack goody and do so three games from the end of the season

• Many have noted Buckley has mellowed and he himself has acknowledged he has to chill a bit in terms of his interactions with players, particularly those that are perhaps less driven than he was as a player

• He was on a bit of a hiding to nothing at the Pies as the whole legend player becomes coach of their team narrative arc often has an unhappy ending (Voss being one such example)

• Buckley is unquestionably a good media operator and whilst it would be great if that wasn't such an important KPI for s senior coach the reality is it is - particularly for a club that has relied on the senior coach and captain to front the media for the last three years

So, all things considered I hope we land Buckley and I'll fully back him in if they do.

There would certainly be an irony in Buckley coming in and having immediate success with a team that had struggled in the previous two seasons.

By the by, in terms of choosing bucks, or indeed any coach, I'm of the view that whilst the coach is of course important the impact of an AFL coach is hugely over rated.

I'm more concerned the clubs sorts its governance and get the high performance stuff right.

33 minutes ago, Cranky Franky said:

Worst list management decision ever by us.

Weed says hi

It will be Sparg's call but we do not have the luxury of trading out a player who is far and away our best kick inside 50.

3 hours ago, Dee in a Kilt said:

@binman this is a gentle nudge to start this communications thread. Hasn't this week amplified the issue! A public statement was not pre-prepared. Players heard via the media 🙄

Huh?

I think that answers the question as to whether the idea of a collective voice to provide constructive feedback to the MFC has legs:

4 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

I have been watching and specifically keeping an eye on that the last month. Still way too much bombing down the line and playing the wings.

Total bollocks.

But whatever.

51 minutes ago, Deeko2 said:

I'd be surprised if it was leaked from the board.

Could have very easily been Goody himself who leaked it out? Maybe even accidentally.

His family would be aware straight away obviously, then it wouldn't take a great deal from then on.

Also, Gawn knew from 7.30am this morning. He might have messaged a few mates and then its basically out and about in the world. Bad news travels incredibly fast.

Which is why i said in previous post that it was either directly leaked by the board or knowing full well as soon as Goody was told it would get out there, they allowed the jungle drums to beat for hours.

The result is exactly the same.

Dees fans find out from Tom Morris our premiership coach has been sacked.

If they wanted to treat Goody with a modicum of respect they could have spoken to him in the evening, given him some time to come to terms and had the presser ready to roll 8am this morning giving no time for the ghouls to go to work.

I have little doubt they backgrounded Gleeson a few days ago to lay the ground for Goody's sacking.

33 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Goody's relationship with our senior players is very special and was both a positive and a negative thing in the end.

Also lol at this drive by around the Casey facilities.

I suspect it was a drive by of pert who yes was CEO when we won the flag but as good notes that followed a period of stabilty when PJ and Mahoney were in charge.

The implication being Per didn't bring stability - and nor did he deliver a home base, something he made central to his vision from the get go (and then stepped down but remained in a project management role to deliver the home base - which he has again failed to land).

Sliding door moment when the board rejected PJs advice to go with a succession plan involving Mahoney becoming CEO and instead went witn Pert whose ladt few years as CEO of the pies were fractious.

4 hours ago, biggestred said:

no. have some class and wait until the players know.

That's exactly what the board should have done. Pathetic by them.

How bloody typical the club didn't get ahead of this and show Goody the respect he deserves and make a proper announcement instead of leaking to Tom Morris (whichbis clearly what's happened, ir if they didn't they knew it would come our because they told Goody ladt night and didn't have a presser first thing this morning)

That puff piece by Gleeson the other day was basically a board written background piece and in hindsight laying the ground fir today's strategic leak.

Just now, 3183 Dee said:

Apparently, they do have a coach appointed, but he can’t start until next May.

Its funny coz it's true.

Just now, 3183 Dee said:

Apparently, they do have a coach appointed, but he can’t start until next May.

Its funny coz it's true.

Just now, Smokey said:

Forever a legend of the club, thanks Goody. Best for all parties concerned however.

A rare strong position from an otherwise impotent board.

That remains to be seen.

How strong a position will it be if they haven't sorted a strong replacement, or at the least have some serious irons in the fire - not to mention a clear timetable to sort a new coach in a timely fashion.

I mean, how do we go about trading players in and preparing for 2026 if we are still faffing about in November trying to land a coach.

Just now, Dee Zephyr said:

Same here, I'm the only Dee at work and surrounded by Dog supporters. One of them has been at me for the last two weeks, constantly telling me Naughton and Darcy are going to have a picnic without May and Lever back there. I want them to miss finals.

I like the dogs but I hope we neuter them.and then clip the wings of the hawks and pies.

1 minute ago, beelzebub said:

And we did so by thumping the BOTTOM teams, undermanned at that and whose only carrot is 'another' pick.

Yet all you mention are actually valid observations.

And I'll be interested ( really ) to see how those metrics go this week against a team motivated by finals.

Hopefully not too many team changes and we can have another look at this (our ) setup.

Looking forward to it. No expectations, just interest.

If we are going to fairly assess where the team is at we should take into account how we perform gains the best teams, teams that are motivated by finals.

In the last month we have been competitive against the top 2 teams on the ladder atm - the Pies and Crows - and also the Suns who are 6th with a bullet. And in May we pushed the Lions who are currently third.

In all those games out transition footy has been really good. In almost all of those games we likely win if not for inaccuracy.

No reason to think we won't be competitive again the Dogs this week.

6 hours ago, Pirlo said:

Sorry to be horrible, but that Eagles game was always going to mean less than nothing. They were abysmal and totally incapable of bringing the game to us. I suspect Goodwin won't change much because he knows he needs a scalp to present to the board at the end of the season as evidence we're going okay.

With that in mind, I suspect it'll just be Lindsay for Sharp and Culley to sub.

What I'd do, given I support Melbourne and not the ambition of a group of coaches to keep their jobs by running older blokes into the ground, is as follows:

McVee - Petty - Turner

Lindsay - McDonald - Bowey

Langford - Viney - Langdon

Petracca - Jefferson - Chandler

Melksham - JVR - Culley

Gawn - Windsor - Rivers

Campbell - Oliver - Salem - Howes

Sub - Mentha

Out: Melksham (managed), Sparrow (omitted), Sharp (omitted)

In: Jefferson, Campbell, Mentha

My personal view is that every single AFL game is meaningful, regardless of opponent or whether finals are no longer a possibility.

Agree West Coast were very poor but thought their effort level was pretty good actually.

But that doesn't mean the game is not meaningful. Just a few examples of why that's the not the case for Saturday's game include (but are not limited to):

• Such games are the perfect opportunity to practice implementing game plan and specific strategies, particularly important for teams like us who are moving from one method to completely different method

• On that front we saw some really positive signs in terms of how we transitioned the ball from the defensive half, for example we scored 3 goals from a kick out which is huge return

• Fritter continued his resurgence - good for him, good for us

• Fritter and Petty clunking their marks up forwards reinforced how much better we are when we take advantage of our inside 50 kicks (we are actually transitioning the ball really well this season and getting it inside 50 is not problem - just haven't finished off our work)

• Regardless of opponent nearly 60% of inside 50s to score ratio is impressive

• We got a good look at Culley and what he can bring to the table

• Maxy surely locked in his AA selection - and he continued his simply incredible contested marking this season

• Bowey had another blinder and surely, he must be in the AA frame now

• Clarry played his best game after quarters time in terms of real impact - his hands were terrific, and his endeavor remains first class which bodes well for next season

• We got a good look at Windsor in the middle; he played his best game for the season and i think it's clear he will play as mid going forward

• We kicked 10 goals in a quarter

• We won but nearly 15 goals and Koz was quiet

• And perhaps of most importance, we looked untied, cohesive, played with great energy and the players seemed to enjoy themselves - all terrific signs given last week's fourth quarter nightmare

41 minutes ago, At the break of Gawn said:

Dogs are 2-6 outside of Marvel and Ballarat. It's going to be a decent challenge but it's 9th vs 12th when you look at it on paper and it's at our home ground. At least we know who their mids are going to kick it to.

Gawn?