La Dee-vina Comedia

I expect being a senior coach can sometimes be a lonely job. Having someone around who has actually been there (and not in a caretaker role) gives Goodwin someone he can talk to who can empathise with those darker moments.

Your mates need to talk to each other and get their stories straight. It's very unfair of them to mislead us so.

The issue that needs addressing is the difficulty for umpires to make decisions with so much subjective interpretation. While I understand where you're coming from, I doubt umpires at ground level will be able to be certain about the first point and the second idea will be very much open to interpretation. Your last recommendation I agree with. If it does waht we think it will do, there should be fewer players consistently around the ball which should make it easier for the umpires to adjudicate.

Here are the three things I would replace: the deliberate out of bounds rule even though its purpose is sound. It's too subjective. Go back to out on the full only. the ruck nomination rule. It slows down the game substantially as the umpires wait, not just for the nomination to be made, but for the lumbering ruckmen to make it to the point where the ruck contest is to take place Stephen Hocking

Call me crazy, but I expect a result. Interesting that Keilty is an emergency. Should Max not play, which has to be a possibility, I'd expect Keilty to come in for what I assume will be his last game. If that's the case, good luck to him.

Good point. I hadn't thought of that (metaphorically puts head between legs and leaves the room).

So Tom Saprrow is only out for one more week and not the rest of the season. That's a bit of good news.

Having thought about this a bit more, doesn't every club receive funding from the AFL?

The last line in the article confirms it. It also shows that AFL media is just as sensationalistic as the mainstream media it feeds. The article implies that the Suns and Melbourne are meeting with the Commission because of their positions on the ladder. That's not the case. I hope we'll be explaining that 2019 was an abberation and that we expect to be back in finals contention next year. We need the AFL Commission to believe that if we're to be given good timeslots, lots of free to air TV games and a draw which will attract spectators to the MCG.

What I'd really like to see is players who dominate at Casey play in the seniors in the same positions in which they dominate the seconds. In other words, I'd like to see what ANB and JKH might do as proper on-ballers rather than being played in different positions. I'm not sure who else, but I've never understood why they aren't given that opportunity or, conversely, why they don't play at Casey in the role they are expected to play in the seniors.

Just wait for the trade period. That will get Demonland positively fizzing.

Actually, I'm not trying to be argumentative, but many CEOs survive one bad year. Look at Alan Joyce, for example. Qantas made a huge loss and Joyce cancelled flying due to an ongoing employee dispute. The Board kept him on and the next year and thereafter Qantas was flying (pun intended). Many don't get to survive a second scare, though, and if we don't improve significantly in 2020, Goodwin will likely be another tossed on to the scrapheap. I don't know if he can turn it around, but I am definitely satisfied that he should be given the opportunity to try.

Au contraire. We've had 22 match simulations, not counting the pre-season kick and giggle games.

I think we've vacated and it's now just full of squatters

He took 10 uncontested marks against Collingwood. That suggests a willingness to work hard and run to space. On its own that wouldn't be enough but it's certainly a good start.

As long as we stay away from Gloomy Sunday, otherwise known as the Suicide Song. There's actually a very good movie linked to Gloomy Sunday, Ein Lied von Liebe und Tod. It's no more gloomy than watching football in 2019.

Almost...but he can't know what's inside Goodwin's mind right now with respect to any changes to the gameplan intended for 2020. Of course, Goodwin's future plans might not work and Rawlings may have ideas that are better, but right now Goodwin deserves the opportunity to right the ship. That doesn't give him a free pass for 2021, but he should be supported by the club, the players and supporters in 2020 as he works to get us up the ladder and into contention once again.

Fair comment

Thanks, although I note that nothing provided shows that Misson was "practically demoted". Changes were made, improvements have been sought, but it does not appear to be correct to say, from the information available, that Misson was in any way "demoted".

The last 30 seconds of Gold Coast v Melbourne 2019

I still don't belive that Misson was demoted and I still haven't seen anything other than uninformed groupthink on Demonland that has proven that Joel Smith's injury (OP) was related in any way to being put back on the ground during that practce match.

I suspect Ross Lyon is a very polarising figure. Clearly some players love him (think Zac Dawson, but also, if I recall correctly, Nick Reiwoldt) but it seems to me that his demands might wear his players down. I also think he's been a poor judge of football character and has been involved in bringing to both his clubs players with flaws (psychological as well as known physical risks) that have ultimately wasted opportunities (Andrew Lovett, Colin Sylvia, Harley Bennell, maybe Jesse Hogan and possibly others). With limited list numbers each flawed selection is costly. We've seen it ourselves. In short, I suspect Lyon has been his own worst enemy by putting the powers-that-be at Fremantle off-side.

I thought following the Essendon and Hird experience everyone these days agreed that a senior coach should have some form of coaching experience. In my view, the best person to right the wrongs of 2019 is Simon Goodwin. He knows more about the playing list, the gameplan and the capabilities of the whole football department than anyone else. If he can't do it, then I'd turn to someone else. But he should have first crack. If we subsequently decide that someone else should take over, that person should have coaching experience (not neceesarily as the senior coach) as well as formal accredited coaching training. I would be happy to have Jordon Lewis as an assistant coach if he's prepared to do the formal training and if our football department is happy with his communication skills with respect to dealing with players.

I don't doubt Carey's playing ability but has he ever shown that he can coach? I find his media commentary banal so wonder whether his knowledge of the game (ie his footy brain) is as well developed as some people think. And even if it is, I question his ability to impart that knowledge to the players of today.

Is he known as a coach? There's no point getting him in if he's not. Just because someone was a great player doesn't automatically mean they can coach.