Pates

I've heard Kentfield has a bit of mongrel about him. Fingers crossed he could be our next Disco Turner, and Bailey Fritch of a mature recruit. We also have AJ, who has angry running through his veins but is not AFL standard.

I was initially an absolute no to Buckley, but I have since softened. He had been widely considered one of the best football minds during his playing days, and his analysis is always insightful. I think he would command respect of the players due to his stature in the game, I just wonder what his style would be. Would he try to follow the trend or create his own?

Gawn and Viney are legends and club captains, but they are also past an age of certainty. Gawn I'm less annoyed about, but to me it felt like Viney was holding us over a barrel when we were vulnerable (with the Oliver/Trac issues). We need to stop being sentimental about players and caving to their demands. We have Viney contracted for another 2 years after this season, he's been average with some good performances in there. He's also symptomatic of our issues with ball use. I'm hopeful that a new voice will help extract a new role for him so we can get better balance, but we need to have more of an edge of "you either come with us how we want to do this next phase, or we can trade you to another club that will suit your needs". They are all warriors, and legends of the club. But did we really need to extend them as far as we did? I don't think so. I would've been/would be sad to see Jack go, but we need a new mix in the midfield. I reckon I can name on one hand the players we absolutely can't be without next season, everyone else is a question mark. EDIT: Just to add I feel like we are in the position we are more because of our contract decisions, with so many being high money and long term, than because of Goodwin's coaching. It has definitely hampered our ability to bring more quality to the club.

That is really surprising, I know Melbourne fans are disillusioned but a new coach and fresh beginning could actually bring a few back through the gates. Just on the pink lady aspect, this was so well done when it first started (aside from the AFL putting the umpires and the ball in pink, with us wearing pink in the yolk). This feels like the forgotten game amongst the "cause games". I really want to see us start with energy and a point to prove. We have a good record over the dogs and I'd even go so far to say we're a bit of a bogey team for the doggies. It being at the G just adds to it.

Honestly to me us extending Viney, May, and even Gawn for as long as we have is worse than giving Laurie an extra year. Unlikely he's on big coin from an AFL perspective.

Sadly we are. We've lost to all of those teams, all embarrassing in their own way. But here's a bit of positivity, I think our bounce back will be quicker than at least two of these teams.

It's a little sad that the madness of Goodwin getting sacked has meant this hasn't been given it's proper acknowledgement. I feel like I'm alone in this but I feel like he's been solid for us this season, he's been playing his role in a more high half forward sort of way (to cover the loss of Nibbler maybe?) and you know whatever happens he will not stop running. He was a key recruit and component to our 2021 premiership, have a lot of time for him. I would even go so far to say he's a leader/future leader of the club. Congrats Lingers! Bring some positivity this week!

As you say the grain of salt will be applied but if it's not home calling him then I'm confident we'll retain him. He's quality, his partner plays for our VFLW team. We plucked him from relative obscurity so I would hope a little bit of a nod at the faith we've shown in him would go a little way.

Am I right in saying we were playing him in defence for much of the season? I'd be really happy to see him get a crack at it, but lets not throw him to to wolves to make him the "main option".

They could even apply the logic (tough for the MRO i know) of the potential dangers to Cameron. If the Lual was in a different body position he could've cleaned Cameron up and caused concussion to him, instead it was his own teammate that copped it but it shouldn't mitigate the circumstances. If they are suggesting that May could've and should've done differently to protect his opponents safety the same theory should be applied in this play.

This Shiel/Jezza shove that resulted in Lual being tunnelled is an interesting one. The AFL article puts forward the question, "can a player be cited for injuring his own teammate?" For me the answer is 100% yes, and to me the incident with Petty and McGovern set a bad precedence. The media at the time was hyper focused on Melksham protecting the space while McGoverns own bloody teammate shoved Petty into the contest causing the concussion of both players and the retirement of McGovern. This one looks even worse and could've had a catastrophic outcome. He should be given 2-3 weeks because he showed no duty of care to Cameron and Lual. https://www.afl.com.au/news/1383481/essendon-bombers-dylan-shiel-shove-on-luamon-lual-leaves-mro-with-interesting-dilemma-after-friendly-fire

There are people I want to leave the club, Chaplin is most definitely not one of them. He is (to me) our only highly rate assistant. I hope that whoever we get in is able to worth with him and I would send him back to being the defensive line coach. I wonder if his immediate refusal is more to do with him knowing the direction the board want to go down and he's basically saying "I'm not going to waste my time".

He's rated highly because this is the only year since he made his place in the team he's been average to poor. Every other year he has been one of our best users of the ball in defence, and been brilliant in all aspects asked of him. I had zero doubt this poor year has been 100% because of his injury, next year I'd picture him having a year similar to what we've got from Bowie this season. As for this game, I would've liked to see Petty sent to defence but I am happy to see Adams given his chance. I think Windsor would be the obvious one to be the sub. I'm hoping the players will play with a bit of freedom and dare, and if we can give the dogs an almighty scare than that would be fantastic. I have a strange feeling about this one, I don't know whether it's a positive or negative feeling. It's just strange.

He was an integral part of the team in 2021 but in reality since that time he has done very little to warrant his place in the team apart from those runs on the board. I have to admit that he was one of our best players against Carlton in that fateful final, but aside from that he's been injury riddled and done little to demand a spot. If another club offered us a relatively cheap trade option for another player we feel could be fringe/best 23 I'd jump at it.

I don't think Laurie is an amazing player that is necessarily someone that could be a mainstay of the 23, but I don't think he has been treated fairly when compared to other players that have continually put up mediocre performances but still get retained. He has at least deserved more full game opportunities. Sometimes a new coach, new voice can bring fringe players out from the shadows.

Left field approach but is there a way to do another master/apprentice style, say approaching one of the senior experienced coaches to take on the role for 2 years and get someone in as coach in waiting. Not sure who would be open to that. It's sounding like we are looking for an experienced coach, to me Adam Simpson seems the logical choice with Horse being second. Assistant coaches wise, is Cam Bruce looking to take the leap into senior coaching? He's been involved in several successful systems in a similar way to Yze.

This is for me 100% our bigger issue, we haven't improved our list since we won the premiership, it's been the total opposite. The players we've lost vs players we've gained (draftees aside) has been a HUGE drop down in quality. And it's one of the reasons why I'm worried that Goody's sacking isn't going to address the deeper issues in list management, high performance/fitness, and our ranks of assistant coaches. I have to wonder how hard it is to attract players to our club with Casey as one of our bases, and the other being a public park right next to a main road.

He made an account because he want to join the conversation and made some extremely good points. I have been one advocating for calm heads and patience but I have to confess my patience with Goody is running very thin. Our issues aren't out of the blue and if we were to act of sacking him it wouldn't be just through the result of one really bad loss (as it was for Bailey in hindsight). We lost to a blues outfit that were devoid of confidence the week before, we let slip a 46 point lead against a fellow cellar-dweller, I could spend hours naming the issues we have had that have resulted in a clear regression and as much as I will be grateful to Simon for helping us get our premiership, a lot of it has to fall on his shoulders. He is absolutely not alone in this by the way. You cited Daniher as an example of what can go wrong with changing coach, fair enough. But the decision to appoint Neeld when there were clearly better candidates available rest with the board at the time. There are good senior candidates available and there are always assistants that are ready to take the next step. Staying with Simon because of "better the devil you know" is just going to lead to more of the same. And I'm just sick of it.

Judd's form is temporary, this I have no doubt on and if we lose him we are losing a genuine gem. Remember how Bowey was after his shoulder injury last season? Now look at him. Never ever underestimate the impact of a pre-season affected by a serious soft tissue injury, and then add to that the fact this is his first major injury so confidence in his body is low. It also doesn't help that our club is an utter shambles right now. I will be seriously annoyed if we lose Judd, and even more annoyed if we don't get decent value for him.

It got an ammendment that if you are a) a Pies player, and b) potentially in line for a grand final and/or premiership you can do whatever you want.

100% I agree that a lot of what is going on at the club is mental thing, but this is something that has been slowly getting worse and worse until it reared its head in that total embarrassment on the weekend. We showed mental fragility in going straight sets in ‘22, we showed mental fragility in ‘23 with our two tight losses to go out straight sets again, ‘24 things started coming a part at the seams but no one was able to stop the rot, and then this ear has happened which has included some of the most demoralising losses I’ve experienced in my 30 years as a fan. Fact is our club has no mental fortitude at all, I can’t stand them and sometimes their stubbornness is completely arrogant, but I have to tip my cap to the Pies for the way they not only stick together but find ways to make sure this sort of garbage doesn’t happen.

We’ve been on the end of some insane tribunal cases but that Maloney one took the cake, didn’t even make contact with the player (believe it was Bartel) instead the player ducked his head into the ground. Somehow it was ruled that Moloney’s actions contributed to the Geelong players own clumsiness and he gets suspended. Seeing Pies players like Maynard and Moore get off just confirm that the MRO and tribunal is completely corrupt.

I love the idea of this, and a big issue I would have with trading them is that their currency wouldn't be that great and we would likely pay a large sum of their wages anyway. But i have so little confidence in the current coaching crop at our club, and our club itself to be able to get them back to what they can be. They are almost symptomatic of what we are. If the right offer came our way I would look at trading one or even both of them.

People are dark right now, I get it. They need to vent, thankfully there's Demonland!

I said this to my brother, I would like us to give him 3 options. Option 1 - he coaches out next season, we bring in a new highly rated assistant that is going to take over from him in 2027. He gets a swansong of sorts as thanks for getting us a premiership, the club says "we are rebuilding", and the new assistant/coach in waiting begins to implement his style over the year. Option 2 - He coaches out the rest of the season, it's announced he won't coaching in his final season. He's given the chance for it to be a "mutual parting of ways", potentially pay him out his final year or at least part of it. Option 3 - If he won't walk, or play ball with a succession. He gets the sack. He can coach a final game if he'd like but that is up to him. Bottom line for me: we can't go into 2026 with him as our first line plan for the future. I can cop him being around if it means we have the succession in place, and it could help with transition from old to new. But if he finds that disrespectful or wrong, then he is showing he is not willing to put the club first. Now unfortunately I don't feel like any of that is going to happen, and I'll be a broken record here: Richo must go, personally I think replacing him is far more important.