Jaded No More

This. We are killing these guys by throwing them in and out of the side like defected yo-yos. Petty is on his second concussion for the season. He is unlikely to only miss a week, and frankly should take a few weeks to recover fully. So now is the perfect opportunity, given we can’t play finals, to give JVR and Jeffo an extended run in the senior. Side by side, as was the plan when they were drafted. Give them 5 games, and tell them to just play without the relentless pressure of being dropped. If we waste the remainder of 2025 like we did 2024, by playing the same player mix with the same game plan, then 2026 will be another season of total mediocrity.

Bringing in a top quality GM of football and some really good quality assistant coaches (even with the view that one of them might take over from Goodwin post 2026), has to be the top priority for Smith and Guerra. A senior coach is one part of a larger football department. Replacing the senior coach alone might do absolutely nothing (see Sydney), if the rest of the football department remains unchanged. The reality is that after having 2 very experienced midfield coaches, both of whom have gone on to become senior coaches, we have replaced them with a relative unknown, and a rookie for 'feel good' purposes. Who runs the match day box now? Where are the fresh ideas coming from? Yze changed our midfield, and McQualter pushed for the change in game style last year. You need change makers in the FD, and they don't necessarily need to come in the form of a senior coach, if that senior coach still has the ear of the players and is willing and open to adapt. Simon has proven that he is open to adapting the game plan, going from all out attack in 2018, to all in contest and defense to win a flag in 2021, to now playing a more attacking half back game. Changing game styles is very hard, especially when you best players are older and have experienced the ultimate success with a different game style. But likewise, we need some fresh eyes in the coaching box, and we need a GM of football who is ruthless, experienced, and complements Goody. Richardson and Goody are too similar in their management style. We need a 'bad cop' to enter the chat.

I’m off to drink wine

Don’t think so. He’s absolutely physically cooked. Cramping like crazy and hasn’t been of the ground once because of our injuries.

Disco looks really hurt. [censored] burn the tapes.

THE [censored] GOAL KICKING 🤬

Kosi is the only player in the team who doesn’t make me want to burn my eyes out. Apologies to Bowey.

This list may not be good enough to win a flag, but it’s certainly got enough talent to be better than a bottom 4 side. It’s a joke that we find ourselves where we are with absolutely no injuries.

A sad indictment when he’s our oldest player. Gawn the only other senior player earning his paycheck today and even this season. Trac, Clarry, Salem, Fritsch, Lever and May absolutely letting us down consistently over and over and over again.

How fast have we gone from a really good competitive team, to an insipid one. We are horrible to watch. No skills, effort that we turn on and off like a tap, and absolutely mind boggling game plan. Kosi is the only player in this team that I enjoy watching. Everyone else is either unskilled or a non entity.

Bowey the only player who should be allowed to kick a football. Rivers has lost the plot. We’ve ruined another promising kid.

When your stoppage coach has never coached a day in his life, what do you expect? One of the most ridiculous coaching appointments in recent memory.

The pre match selection has absolutely killed us. Howes and Petty going down can’t be foreseen, but you dropped Roo and Lever for Jefferson and now our backline is a shambles and Jeffo has to ruck. Diabolically risky!

When there is ZERO pressure on the ball carrier and the ball is coming in like that, nobody can defend the mark without infringing.

Yes well of course this was a mistake. Dropping Lever and JVR and replacing them with Jefferson alone is woeful

Absolutely [censored] pathetic. Grow up Melbourne. What an embarrassing showing.

Have you noticed that Howes and Petty are off?

Nothing like seeing the GC earth yet another academy player they got for nothing. This competition has never been more rigged.

Good competitive effort from Jefferson to get the tap to Kosi

This umpiring is dead set criminal

If ever a senior player needed to be dropped to Casey and made to the earn a recall…

Replay showed his head bounces off the ground. I hope he doesn’t get suspended of course, but I’d be shocked if it doesn’t get looked at

How does Max play as a lone ruckman for the reminder of the game? God help the coaches if he gets injured.

Which will help his cause, but that is textbook dangerous tackle. He did exactly what you’re not supposed to do and slam him into the ground and his head hits the turf. Hopefully he gets off or maybe just one week.