PaulRB

The fact he had a brain fart and outed himself from Port’s finals campaign means his papers may be stamped, bridges burning and there’s a deal to be done…

Not sure many experienced footy admin would be comfortable betting that the Demons don’t bounce back in 2025, and so would put a value of pick 14+ on our F1 in 2025. A favourable draw in 2025 should also help… Be keen to trade despite this.

I'd say we've added Rivers, Tholthrop and potentially McVee to our midfield stocks this year... Darkest before the dawn i say :)

Can we trade up? Getting another champion midfielder as Trac, Viney and Oliver age is essential. Best we can.

From Jack Viney ... Dear members, I wanted you to be the first to know that I’ll officially be a Demon for life. Today I agreed to a contract extension that will see me pull on the red and blue all the way through until 2028. Let’s be honest, I was never going anywhere. This footy club has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Melbourne is more than just a club to me – it’s home. The connection I feel to the jumper, its history, and our passionate supporters runs so deep, and I am incredibly proud to continue on this journey with you all. I have created some special memories over the past 12 seasons and formed some amazing bonds. The love and respect I have for my teammates and coaches, as well as the staff and the whole club, is unrivalled. Working and learning alongside my coach Goody, skipper Max and the broader leaders continues to be a privilege, and I am so thankful for the way our club focuses on growing us not only as players but as people. On a personal note, my family absolutely loves being around this football club. My wife Charlotte, along with our daughters Mila and Chloe, have formed their own strong bonds, and singing the song in the rooms with them after a win never gets old. I’m excited for my daughters to create further memories here, and who knows, maybe one day we’ll even see them running out in the red and blue for the Melbourne AFLW team! The support that we’ve received from you, our incredible members, has been unwavering as always. I know it hasn’t been the year we all had hoped for, but we have a real opportunity to finish our season on Friday night in a manner that makes you all proud to belong. As Goody has said publicly, this week is another chance for us to really show what we are made of as a football club. Today, the boys heard from Melbourne royalty in Hassa Mann. This weekend he and some of his 1964 premiership winning teammates, will celebrate the 60th anniversary of their flag. We will honour them as part of the pre-game, and let’s acknowledge the legacy they’ve left on our club by filling the stands with red and blue. Hassa spoke to the strong rivalry between us and the Pies and expressed how much it would mean to him and his teammates if we can get the win. It's also Member Thank You Round, where we can acknowledge you, the heart of our footy club. It’s something we speak about a lot, making you all proud to belong, and it means a lot to the group to feel your support behind us. Friday will also be a chance to honour the great Big Ben Brown, who will do a lap of honour with his family at half-time. It will also be Alex Neal-Bullen’s final game in the red and blue and a chance to say thank you for his contribution to our club. So fair to say we’ve got a lot to play for. Whilst there is a lot of hard work ahead, there’s also undoubtedly a lot of good times to come. I have full faith in this group and this club. The challenge on Friday night and beyond, is one we will tackle head on. And if there’s one thing Dad taught me, it’s that when you tackle, you tackle with intent. Go Dees! Jack Viney

Club probably worked with Clarry to agree on an approach both parties would be happy with.

Thank you! That’s interesting and feels right with Hawks and Dons lower and us on edge of 8 and with a real chance to come home with a wet sail… Interesting that it rates GWS as second best. My kingdom for an equitable competition.

Also… while I’m ranting. 😃 Call out to @WheeloRatings to see if your stats boffins could produce an “Equitable Ladder” that is one based only on teams playing every other team once. For those you play twice the average result could be used, but only 4 points per team… Any chance?

I was thinking about another way our success of top four finishes has played against us, such that I’m open to us losing the rest this year, not for draft picks but to reset our draw in 2025 to be average versus the hard draws we’ve had every year since 2021. In the AFLs crazy new world of “entertainment” over competition, teams that finish top are penalised the following year with a harder draw. It’s a new “innovation” that makes it considerably harder for teams in their window to win multiple flags, as they are worn raw by the inequitable draw. So how do we get a fair, or god forbid, a favorable draw? Not in terms of when and where, but who we play…? if we’d had tha same draw as the Hawks, or Dons we’d be sitting top 4… but for the fourth year we’ve had a horror draw. Makes the competition unfair, and it’s a blight on the game.

How would you like Goody to speak at his presser after a big loss..?

Yep, a Brayshaw would have been handy today. Any word on how Guy is travelling, post-football?

I think Goody rightly assessed that we could ill afford to be without Clarry (while he did a mini-preseason), as in we’d be further off finals without Clarry for part of the season. And highly likely to miss finals. Due also to our other outs (Bradshaw, Smith) and poor performance of the mature recruits (Billings, McAdam, Hunter) and the resulting need to blood the kids. This again required Clarry’s midfield power, experience and stability be there every week.

Would prefer Tomlinson to Fullerton as another option to hassle, run with an harass Jackson/Darcy. Most likely again teaming with Petty and JVR. Otherwise Laurie to cover Woey as sub, and no change. Go Demons!

Its not controversial, it's deeply disrespectful, to both Clarry and the MFC. [censored] em.

Curious: Is there any chance Trac could be back in 6-7 weeks, I.e. primed for first final (assuming we make it)? is that what “indefinite”, rather than “season”, means?

Fullerton has a modest physical presence at the moment. Lacks bulk and importantly, lacks agro. Such that he’d not be a better option than who we played in ruck last night.

Does Baby Yze have Obst’s number?

Fullerton not doing a lot in ruck.

Was responding to Maldon’s comment about our surging the ball forward through traffic with a wave of runners till we get it out the back, being very Richmond in their recent heyday. And speculating that our midfield coach, former Tigers assistant coach, McQualter, was teaching/training that method. Love it when it works. Like end to end bang-bang-bang. Great footy.

I think the McQualter influence re Tigers style. Thought the same.