spirit of norm smith

We called it 12 months ago Let’s all dance @Ted Lasso Harvey will be a star in years to come 👏👏

BUCKLEY TO COACH THE DEES My Vote is YES Simpson is uninspiring imv Longmire is burnt out and comfortable in his footy director role in Sydney I think Buckley is driven to succeed. He wants an AFL premiership. He has experience and knowledge about what works and doesn’t. He doesn’t tolerate mediocrity. He will command respect from the playing group and from the media. I think he has mellowed from his early days as a grumpy hard taskmaster who wanted players to reach his standard. He admitted he needed to build relationships with players and get to motivate some in different ways. His commentary reflects a new instructive method that is more purpose driven. Melbourne cannot go back to being an irrelevant bottom 4 club. We have talented players who need support and structure to succeed. Buckley will command to bring in a high calibre team to support him and will generate high interest from assistants Buckley imv might attract players more than perhaps a rookie coach. Maybe not in year 1 but once he knows what is needed I think Buckley will push to get the best available high performance fitness program and head of player performance Buckley is comfortable and capable in the media and handing the spotlight that a coach in today’s game. Let’s get it done 👏👏

@Demonland Max Gawn. Simply the best 👏👏👏👏👏👏

Sorry yes the hatred was because he was an excellent A grade star and wore the “black and white jumper” and beat us time and time again.

I love Trac. I’ve met him several times and he’s always been a great personality and with my kids when they’ve met him. He brought real star power to the team, an elite player over many years and was amazing in our GF win in 2021. I think his recovery this year has been great. It was a traumatic experience and he had to take time to mentally and physically recover. But there are glaring weaknesses to his game that were at higher output and performance to where he has slipped from being one of the very best, an A grader to being a very good player he simply fumbles and fumbles and stumbles too much now. The fumbling is definitely a problem. Not sure why? Pressure?? He even goes to ground in key moments when he was always so strong over the footy Goalkicking? He looks nervous. Uncertain. Would like to do anything but kick the goal ? The constant looking up at the scoreboard or spinning the ball countless times simply cannot be good and it shows. He is on track again for more behinds than goals. Tackling pressure. Despite the max Viney jujitsu training, Trac’s tackling is poor. Players break his tackles too easily. It’s something to work on and bring back. I’m in the minority perhaps that really wants TRAC to stay in red and blue. I know many want him gone for picks (in a weakened draft pool year) but I say he needs to focus now on the above keys and get back to an A grade weapon in our team. @george_on_the_outer @picket fence @adonski

Langford fluffs his kick to a wide open melksham in the sqaure ...balls goes oob. in the last ? End of the second quarter and yes Melksham had every right to go nuts. It was a simple 35 metre kick that would have seen a goal. Your 3 examples count in such a close game.

@binman “Who Will Be Our Next Coach?” Can we have a few minutes discussion on possibility of Nathan Buckley as our new coach for 2026 and beyond. From your post yesterday in the other thread , I agree with many of your thought on misgivings but also the many many positives. Perhaps talk us through your post. I’d also add that whilst Buckley never has tasted AFL premiership glory, I think it makes him driven to succeed. He still has the hunger to drive himself. I think he sits amongst others in the media and would like to taste that premiership glory. Whilst I hated him as a player, he has really great insights on SEN and on the commentary. He has my vote.

In: Lindsay, May Out: Windsor (inj.), Adams McVee May Tmcd Howes Turner Bowey Langdon Rivers Langford Trac Petty Fritsch Melksham JVR Pickett Gawn Trac Oliver Lindsay Culley Viney Chandler Sub Sparrow

6 Gawn 5 Rivers 4 Petty 3 Bowey 2 Tmcd 1 Salem ? Trac getting votes … ???

@Demonland 💔another close loss. That’s 6 this year where the Dees were right in the contest but couldn’t get the win. What’s the issue? The onfield leadership? Decision making? Goalkicking? Strategy? All are shown to be lacking at the crunch) 💔💔our midfield? Once much adored, but was shown as a weakness. Gawn 50 hitouts and yet we LOSE CLEARANCES 31-46 and LOSE CENTRE CLEARANCES 10-19. What’s wrong? Setup? Strategy? Trac was particularly poor in stages. Fumbles fumbles fumbles. He needs to regain one touch footy.

Another close loss !!!💔 agree @Dannyz a plea to JV7

Fourteen losses so far. The worst in a long time - since 2019. But in six games in season 2025 , the Dees were well within grasp of victory Pies 1 point Giants 3 points Saints 6 points Bulldogs 6 points Blues 8 points Crows 13 points In some of these, the Dees snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Dees were smelling victory but seemingly lost due to a combination of Knowing how to win Fitness Decision making True Desire Poor Umpiring

Petracca- Mr Fumble McFumbles !!

@Demonland Why can’t we stop the opposition half backs ? Wanganeen Milera Mckercher Maric Now … Dale … they run free from contest to contest Dale had 21 possessions up to half time and zero strategy still to put him under any pressure … embarrassing

He’s defensive play is non existent.

@Demonland Is Petracca still an A grader ? 10 possessions 100 metres gained Zero pressure acts One tackle Need him to lift!! Push back for more midfield runs

Ditto !!

My post in June was asking “play Kentfield as a key forward”. Somehow strangely our Forum must be read. He’s played as a key forward over the past 5 games and performed really well !!!

Howes as Sub Sparrow escapes again!!!

Agree. Right now I’d give Kentfield a game ahead of AJ or Jeffo. Though he’ll probably see out the season at Casey. If he has ripper pre season, he might a debut chance for round 1.

Great win Best: Kentfield. Billings. Freeman. Bonner. Spargo. Duursma will be a star. Wish we had access to him Annable to Lions. Ffs. Zone pre academy is [censored] … unfair advantage to Lions, Swans, Giants & Suns. Prindable also very good and we might bid on him.

last 5 minutes 💔💔💔horrible forward connection. Laurie. Throlstrup. Brown. Bonner. All had chances to hit up players inside 50 and missed (kicked to Brain who was one of the lions best!) Billings misses from 45 out Finally AJ with a contest , handball forward and Hardie goal 👏👏 1 minute to play 🤞 Two free kicks against Duursma - first tries too much and caught with the ball then at the bottom of the pack caught HTB - umpire finally puts his whistle to his mouth after 5 minutes of silence 🤬 Lions miss after the siren Wow Wow Wow Heart stopper Casey win ❤️💙❤️💙

Kentfield contested mark and goals 👏👏👏 He is looking better than Jeffo, JVR and AJ

✅Billings. Spargo. Throlstrup. AJ. ✅Luker with 2 goals. 🤮Like MFC, Casey cannot work out how to stop momentum 🤮Somebody want to pressure Beecken for the lions - we seem reluctant to stop oppo half backs that run and distribute 🧐Kalani White will need 2 years in the gym and on the protein shakes.

Coach … need more height in defence