Lucifers Hero

I have changed my view on Pert 'abdicating' the review to Mahoney. On listening to the Inside Melbourne podcast... ...Pert says he is involved in the review and the conversations related to Structures, People and Resources. I take this as he being the driver of the review so I no longer think he has 'abdicated' it. I am relieved as it allays my concerns that Mahoney is reviewing his own patch. Mahoney is a conduit, albeit an important one in the review process but my take from from interview is Pert is the one directing the show and probably having the last say.

Great to see Roughy go out on a high: kicked 4 goals already. Teammates making sure he has a good game. Like it.

Yes it was Gordon that insisted on Boyd in Griffen trade but only after Griffen insisted on going to GWS.

Check your facts: Gordon took over in 2012. McCartney did not resign he was sacked (at end of 2014), apparently had lost the players. Griffen asked to be traded (at end of 2014) because he wanted to join Cameron and didn't get on with McCartney.

Hmmm...I would think our Prelim to 17th (5 W) is worse than their Premiers to 10th (11 W) - remembering that Bulldogs also had a very young team at their zenith. Not suggesting we make the same changes the Bulldogs did at end of 2017 but if we delay the hard decisions another 12 months it can do untold damage to the club. I say that if there are issues on or off the field deal with them now.

After their disasters: Do you mean before Bevo was appointed coach. At the end of 2015 2014 they sacked their coach and traded out their captain. Do you mean after the premiership and they fell to 10th in 2017? They retired their captain and an ex-captain. They traded out a leading goal kicker and fan favourite (Stringer). They read the riot act to a few 'untouchables' eg Liberatore, Dahlhaus. They sacked their List Manager/favourite son (Jason McCartney) who had compiled their premiership team. The Bulldogs have not shied away from the tough decisions on players or staff regardless of club loyalties and done so without fear nor favour. I hope our club can do the same. Edit: change 2015 to 2014

Can you pinpoint at which time in podcast Pert said/alluded to this. Have listened twice but can't find it.

Can we have a 'Downgrade' option? For those that will drop the GFG or to fewer games etc.

Yes, but Mahoney and Chaplin were teammates at Port for a few years. So, unlikely that Chaplin is going anywhere. This is a good example of why Pert should have conducted the review himself with assistance of a one-on-one external consultant rather than abdicate it to Mahoney who is far too conflicted to objectively review his own patch.

Would love to see the final ladder as WCE 2nd and Geelong 3rd so Cats have to travel to Perth for their first final!! It would be poetic justice after Scott's year long protestations about 'deserving' a 'Home' final at the Cattery. Of course they would get the next final at the Cattery but I like the karma of them travelling to Perth. Could they go out in straight sets yet again!?

He had a leg injury of some sort in the first quarter. And not many defenders to work with him. Commentators are now combing every bit of vision to try and show up a 'poor' patch by a Demon player. Not all those goals were to do with Salem. Long bow drawn by KIng.

Go Lions! Wipe the smug look form Scott's face. Nothing better than him doing dummy spits!

Agreed. That Pert has abdicated the review to Mahoney without external input, is a major worry. Having worked for a long time in corporate consulting I've not seen a successful result when a person reviews their own patch. It often becomes an exercise of protecting the sacred cows and finding scapegoats. There are changes but are they the right ones... More concerning is staff and player changes are now being made and will be made to fit Mahoney's 'masterplan'. Their replacements need to be found in the next month or two as that is when assistant coaches etc move clubs. So not enough time for an external review this year. And not much point having one next year as we will be stuck with any contracts Mahoney signs now (usually for 2-3 years). Sadly, the opportunity for a fresh start off-field has been lost for several years at least.

To put such a person in place meant moving Mahoney out as GM Football and PJ was never going to do that. PJ promoted him from Assistant coach in the Bailey/Neeld era to Manager Football Department (largely an administrative role) and then promoted him to to General Manager Football (covering admin, coaching, list management, sports science) in the Roos era . And PJ had clearly earmarked Mahoney as his successor as CEO. Thank God that didn't work out. Have said it before Mahoney is great at administration but a poor manager and has poor footy nouse. So I see him as a large part of the problem having overseen and signed off on game plan, nearly every staff appointment, player trade and recruit in the last 3-4 years. Pert should have managed the review program himself as Mahoney was never going to replace himself. And what Mahoney sets up this off-season re assistant coaches, trades, recruiting etc we will be stuck with for the next 2-3 years (standard contract terms).

Sadly, a measure of DL's interest level in the game. The only interest is that the loser will be who gets pick #2. We lose it is ours. We win and it is still up for grabs and if the cards fall Sydney's way it is theirs.

Who the heck is going to relieve Max? An underdone, skinny Lever? Frost? Or are we going to run Maxy into the ground as well. Laughable team composition!!

Even if we win it is because Sydney will try to lose more than we do so it will be a dreadful game to watch. Glad I'm out for dinner.

Last chance to show we deserve Friday night games and we kiss it goodbye at the selection table. Brilliant management by the club. Pick #2 isn't worth the damage we are doing to ourselves on so many fronts. The irony will be the AFL will give it to GCS and the next half dozen picks are relatively even. Only Melbourne can shoot themselves in the foot like this.

WOW! We take out 3 players who are over 190cm and bring in 2 who are about 175cm (Spargo, Chandler). 2 other sub 178cm players (Viney, JKH) are in the side and other additions: ANB and Stretch aren't exactly tall at 180cm. Then there is Jones who is also 180cm. We have gone from giants to pigmys! Expect a big loss - except Sydney is also tanking! Edit: we are going to be physically monstered. Sydney has two 'short' players Jack and Papley who are both 178cm but strong. We will be like lambs to the slaughter.

While Goodwin's comments look defensive and self-serving he makes a good point that with future pick trading the priority picks are out of date eg GCS can trade their future 1st rnd for another 2019 1st rnd pick and trade up the order eg they can trade a player and there 2020 1st pick to us for our 2019 pick #2 and get the two players they want.

With a fully fit list at the Lions there must be some good players who just can't get a game. I don't know their list very well but there could be some ex Vic players happy to come back and get regular games. Any ideas?

My thinking is that Petty will get a spot before Frost so Frost becomes depth for us. So he may leave for a permanent senior spot, a longer contract term or more $ than we are prepared to offer. Would be surprised if he couldn't get a starting 22 spot on a 3yr contract on good $ elsewhere. Don't think we can offer him that package.

The ambit claims have started: Adelaide and St Kilda are prepared to trade their top rnd 1 picks for two lower rnd 1 picks or the 'right price'. top-draft-picks-on-the-table This probably reflects the view that the draft falls away quite quickly after #1 and #2. If GCS get pick #2 as a pp we may end up joining the party and try and trade it for two lower rnd 1 picks.

Thanks, I meant Lockhart. Will correct post.

Early season trade period My cynical read of this 'The AFL is mindful of the enormous interest generated when players move clubs – web traffic is enormous in the major media outlets and on the AFL’s website during the trading period – and has clearly been keen to open this up further, as happens in American sports' is that the AFL wants to generate 'click bait' and copy yet another element of US sports. All under the guise of more player movement! My practical view is: not much changes from the usual trade period in October to this proposed presason trade period in February. no games played so no exposed form. there will be no draft picks to trade just players. there is more than enough happening in February to keep fans engaged: Preseason, draftee progress, JLT games etc etc. another daft idea that diverts attention from the AFLW. What's more clubs have until mid March to top up their lists with 'rookie drafts' if they have list spots, with players who were previously on a list or a previous draft. As we did with Sparrow Lockhart. Ridiculous idea!!