Big Gun

I usually mute the commentary these days as I find it insufferable. Thought I’d listen to the Geelong Blues game today just for a change but seriously Dwayne Russell is just the worst. His stupid one line planned puns are so embarrassing. How does he still get a gig???? Back to my music I think.

Not sure she left on great terms with her teammates. Remember when Dees played her Roos last season and when Libby grabbed the ball, she was absolutely gang tackled and pile driven into the ground. Even the commentators were shocked at the force used and numbers of girls getting into her. No niceties after the game either with her old teammates. On a side note, had the “pleasure” of going to our Nth Melb game at Marvel a few weeks ago and Libby was on the ground with the microphone. Brought back bad memories. Talk about nails down a blackboard. We are very lucky to have Robbo.

It looks to me like many of our players may have had their natural instincts and flare coached out of them by being so process and defence driven. They currently play with no joy and appear weighed down by the burden of trying to implement a style of play they don’t yet know or may not have the skills to implement. Watching the Tigers now, they are having fun and playing with flare and an attacking mindset. Yes they make mistakes but with so many kids playing for them, they look like they are on the right path and much more connected than our team.

Curious as to what you guys think our forward line should look like next week as I think there are a few ways we could go. Fritsch and Melksham shown little thus far but when playing well are a real handful for any defence. JVR ideally needs to build some confidence at Casey. A step back to move forward might do the trick. Turner is struggling with the step up to AFL but I see something there. Fullerton appears to be in good form and deserves a chance. Jeffo likely to be available this week too and should be given a good crack at it. I also like AJ’s aggression and is another option. I really believe we have to start rewarding good form at Casey so even though I have my doubts, Fullerton deserves his shot. Can’t do any worse. Out of the box options could be May down forward or even Campbell. Know neither are really key forwards but we are quite undersized down there and a bigger body could really help and straighten us up. Campbell gives Max a chop out too. If he keeps rucking at the current rate, he will be cooked by mid year. I have left out TMac or Petty down forward as we have been there done that. Must move forward. Anyway would love your thoughts this week. Big decisions ahead for Goody and Co.

Crowd looks pitiful. May not crack 15k. Get ready for more media bashing this week.

Like many of you I was there yesterday and was certainly bitterly disappointed with what the guys put on show. North were terrific and are clearly on an upward spiral now. We won’t be the only team put to the sword by the Roos this year. In spite of this, I just want to emphasise to all the doomsdayers how important it is that we Demon faithful stick by the club and turn up in droves at the G this week and beyond. More than ever, supporters need to get behind the players and coaches, especially when things look grim. We will turn it around!! To what extent I’m not sure but I think most of us were expecting this year may be a bit of a rollercoaster ride with new players and updated game plan. Key players missing have not helped either. Understand the negative sentiment towards yesterday's performance but it’s footy and a really hard and even comp. We looked great week one against GWS. It can turn around really quickly but not if we implode. Vision of that clown giving to the team as they left the field made me sick. That isn’t support and prefer he take this rubbish elsewhere. Please! If you are able, get to the G. Get behind them and please let the Chicken Little vibes go. Enough.

From Marvel App regrading General Admission bays. Gates Open: Approx. 1:45PM Ticket Boxes (Gate 1 & 5) Open: Approx. 12:45PM Match Start: Approx. 3:20PM General Admission: Level 1, Aisles 1-8 & Level 3, Aisles 24-48 (please note, Level 3 Aisles 28-29 & 36-37 will have front rows allocated to Reserved Seats. See aisle staff or signage for row specifications) Please note a partial Level 3 closure for this match. Access Level 3 via the ramps between Gates 4-6. AFL Member Walk-Up: Level 1, Aisles 8-10

Wondering that myself. Looked on Marvel site and they are yet to announce where GA seats will be located. I also just want something in top deck between the 50 meter lines but no seats on sale for top deck as yet. Assume when they do open parts of it up it will be GA but not sure.

Actually thought he seemed quite relaxed and answered the questions well. Just the overall content I found a bit lacking but hey, it’s a start. Glad he made the effort and look forward to hearing more from him on 360 during the year.

Good to see Goody trying to engage with fans but pretty underwhelming to be honest. A few [censored] bits about the team were interesting but nothing really new. Would have liked something a bit longer around team structure, player development over the summer and possible positional changes etc (without giving away any secrets of course) and minus the fluff. Not interested in who is the best table tennis player or nicknames. Looking forward to seeing him open up honestly about team performance and progress during year on AFL 360 during his fortnightly segments and hoping the real Simon shines through.

I love it!! Great to see such a strong message sent to our WA rivals and fantastic to see Brad on the front foot so strongly. Great leadership. Expressed great love for Kozzie but stressed the club comes first. Also quite pointed that if it is a WA club that it won’t be just Freo. As strong a statement that I have seen come from the club in a long time. Over to the WA teams now. They know the price.

Full credit to Goodwin for being so honest and opening up. Sounds like he is in a good place and reenergised which is what we all want to hear. Must have been so hard the past couple of years to even exist let alone coach at the elite level in front of rabid journalists looking to constantly bring him down. Some great lessons here on resilience and personal reflection. Sounds like we may see the true Simon Goodwin at times this year and maybe he will give a bit more of himself now to the media and supporters rather than rolling out the standard straight bat answers. Go get em Goody!!!!

Like most others, I am quite optimistic of our chances of steep improvement this year. Hopefully deep into September. I think a good start to the season (say 4-2 or better) could set us up nicely for a serious tilt at it. I am concerned however that we may start the season slowly with players taking time to gel under the new game style Goody has said is being implemented. I reckon the list is still very good with depth across the field and with the injection of more youth during the year, hopefully exciting times ahead.

Watching the live stream on the night, they did say that while they were unable to stream the final Q and A session due to broadcasting restrictions, they would get them up on the club site for all to see. Hopefully today some time. Agree this would be very interesting to watch.

Almost feel sorry for poor Damo. Making himself look like a fool rehashing the same pathetic lines from weeks ago on the Sunday Footy Show that he and Kane obviously have agreed to share like “mess of a club” and “clap clap” again and again. Pretty embarrassing really. Resigned to the fact that whatever Melbourne do now as a result of the review will be ridiculed and torn to shreds by these parasites so really don’t care what they come out with from here. Galvanise Dees and bring on 2025!!!!!

Wonder how poor Jimmy, being so passionate about supporting young people through Reach, would view the treatment of these young men by the club.

The problem that I need to overcome now is that sadly I have completely lost trust in the people running the club. I get that at every club there is a large degree of spin, carefully worded comms and positive messaging sent by the club leaders which I understand is super important in building the membership base and maintaining their support. But the events of the past year or so have me finally feeling more like a foolish, gullible [censored] for believing it all rather than the optimistic, supportive member I usually am. I’m pretty sure I am not alone here. Bit like a bad long term relationship I imagine. Heart says “all good, travelling beautifully” but the brain says “you have got to be kidding”. I usually get really angry at supporters threatening to cancel memberships and burn scarves etc. However, right now, I can’t say I blame them one bit. Make no mistake, we are yet again perceived as the laughing stock of the competition (a position I thought we had left behind us a few years ago.) How is it our skipper consistently manages to front the press, tell it like it is (be it good or bad) and come away with most people’s respect and understanding for the honesty? How can our highly educated and incredibly experienced club execs seem to lack such skills to the point that members will now struggle to believe anything that comes out of their mouths. Has any club self destructed so badly in such a short period of time since a flag? All I want is for the constant spin to stop (starting with the B & F tomorrow night) , some honesty, some transparency and to be treated with some modicum of respect. Once this mess is behind us, and hopefully very soon, if the club do these things I will be back on for the ride. For me, the next few months are critical as to how I feel about this club moving forward and I really feel so upset even saying this.

Just watched the post game interviews with Stinear and Lampard posted on the MFC website. Is there any danger at all the club could give the person asking the questions a microphone so we can hear the questions being asked??? Geez I know this is often an issue with press conferences where there are many journalists attending from various locations within the room but both these interviews were one on one and club generated content. A bit embarrassing really.

Sounds a good idea considering the little physical work he has been able to do since KB. Makes sense using this camp to get sufficient conditioning into himself in readiness for day 1 preseason. However, would love to know the actual dates of the camp to see if there was any scope to delay leaving so he could attend the B&F. Can’t help feeling a huge opportunity being missed here to address the loyal fan base with a short address emphasising his commitment to the red and blue. Just seems very convenient but will give him the benefit of the doubt guess.

Great news. So far, so good. Congratulations and thanks to all involved from the club. I think we all understood when the feasibility study was commenced that this was going to a long road to fruition but glad it has progressed to the next stage. Really do appreciate everyone’s efforts. Now the really hard part of the process starts and no doubt will throw up numerous hurdles to be overcome. I do wonder however if there is a plan B or C also being investigated (at least locations identified) in case the Caulfield project hits a fatal roadblock moving forward. If there are still other options being looked at as possibilities, what are they? I know Yarra Park ended up being a “no go”. Would be awful for the Caulfield option to fall over next year after having then spent the best part of two years working on it only to then be right back to square one. Need to at least have a few other possible locations identified. I’m sure they would have a few other options on the table that they probably identified when starting the project. Would love to know if anyone know’s what they may be.

I have faith in Max, Goody and the Football Department to smooth over any remaining players rumblings, if there are any. (Fingers crossed). However don’t have the same level of confidence in the club managing fan perception and fallout towards Christian.

Regular reader but rarely post however I am finding my thoughts and emotions around the whole situation changing by the hour. What is wrong with me? It was good news over the weekend wasn’t it??? Having been a few days now since the ‘staying at MFC’ announcement, my initial happiness and joy has for some reason dissipated somewhat as my brain runs over the possible consequences and doubts are setting on how I will feel when I watch the Dees next year, and more specifically, Christian. Reading the comments posted so far, seems there are a few buckets that people will fall into: 1. Will never look at him the same way again and will not cheer anything he does. Should have traded him this year. 2. Will never look at him the same way but will cheer him anyway while in red and blue. 3. Time will probably clear my head from negative thoughts towards him and will be back to loving him unconditionally when next season rolls around. 4. Love Christian and always will. I think I am currently in bucket 2. Hoping to move to bucket 3 in time but will have to see how that pans out I guess. I also have been thinking that I hope the club are putting in place a clear action plan about how this will be managed with the fans moving forward. Based on a couple of the clips shown last night on Footy Class and On The Couch, Eddie was quite clear that in his mind CP is a Dees player next year only and the big clubs have that time to get their ducks in a row to get him in 2026. There was also one that showed CP in a radio interview last year saying that Dees have small crowds and the demographic is quite old (with a look of disgust on his face). Media are going to be constantly over this whole thing again next year and while I am currently probably in denial that he will ever leave, a little voice inside says it is quite likely he will. How are the club going to manage this next year? They need for fans to embrace Christian to make him feel loved but not sure many will forgive and forget. What strategies the club adopt to mitigate the anger some fans have towards him will be interesting to see. Can’t be seen to be pandering to him either. Will the club ask him to do an interview explaining events and reasons it all blew up the way it did but saying how much he loves the club and the fans. Could they go the other way and restrict his media commitments in case he might be a loose cannon and cause another media pile on. If so, this may fly in the face of ‘brand CP’5’. Another year of continued speculation may tip some supporters over the edge. Time will not heal these wounds for many. As Christian would put it, ‘to be honest’ I think we are in for a rocky ride folks and the club must have firm plans in place to minimise fallout from loyal supporters and not just rely on time healing our wounds.

Tom Browne was doing his usual update on the ground with Tim Watson and said it as they threw to the break. Said he had just heard that Steven May has had a set back with his groin which could keep him out until July. Don't shoot the messenger. Just reporting what was said. Have also seen when googling a couple of other people say they heard the same thing. Hope it's not so but prepare yourselves. Doubt the club would report this one if true anyway as they already know Demon supporters are angry about the reported condition he came back in not to mention the views of many on the trade to begin with.

Been reported on the Channel 7 pre-game today that May has had a major set back with his groin injury and will most likely not be back till July.

I received the club email from SG this morning letting supporters know we will see an improved performance against Richmond. I think we can all see many the issues that the team have at present and its fairly obvious that we are an easy team to play against. However, I think there are many questions we loyal supporters would like answered. (Some of these I understand would need to remain in-house). Here's my long long list. Feel free to add more (I found it quite therapeutic) - What are the reasons for the huge drop off in performance from last year? (Apart from off season surgeries etc) - Did the coaching staff see this coming? In hindsight, were there warning signs? - Fitness seems low compared to other teams. Apart from surgeries etc, is this correct and if so, why has this happened? - Some players seem heavy to my untrained eyes. Not saying fat, just too bulky. (eg Petracca, Hibberd). What are the coaches thoughts? - Did players all come back in the shape expected? (apart from May who we have heard was behind levels expected) - Are some players playing hurt? (eg TMac, Hibberd, Jetta, Weid etc) - Is there any unrest within the group or towards coaching staff as there appears a huge disconnect at present? - Why has the desire and intensity dropped off so badly? - Why do the players' energy level seem so low? Again is it fitness, diet, desire? - What's happened to the work ethic that drove us to the finals last year? - Are there players who got ahead of themselves this season? - Has a new game plan been introduced that they are struggling with? If not, do they all have amnesia and forgot it over the off season? - SG has denied we are slow. Does he really believe that? - Have the club over rated the list? - What do the club see are the list needs for the draft / trading period at years end? Seems to me like there's holes on every line. - What do the coaches think of the players' body language during the game? I see them with their heads dropped, bending over exhausted, little enthusiasm. - What are the leaders doing on field to help lift team spirits, performance and motivation levels? - Is there a motivation problem for some reason? - There were few positional moves against the Saints. Why was this? - How does the club view the depth of our list? Seems to me to be quite shallow on players who could play AFL. Reckon our bottom 6 yesterday are solid VFL players at best. - What has happened to the Ruck / midfield dominance from last year? Have we become too predictable with hit outs and running patterns? - Has the introduction of 6 6 6 stuffed us up this season? - Why do the forwards all seem to lead to the same spot?