Swooper Northey

Ahead of the season many of us were contemplating 2024 without Clayton playing a game. The fact that he's played most matches and most importantly appears happy, healthy and engaged, is well ahead of expectations. If he can keep that up and then complete a strong preseason, he'll be back and firing in 2025. He ain't going anywhere.

I'm glad that we've retained him. An uninterrupted pre-season where he can prepare as a defender will be important. T-Mac doesn't have many years left and soon enough we'll need another tall backman. Petty is a premiership defender and it's where he plays his best footy. The recruiting priorities should be about restocking our midfield and recruiting for genuine key forward options.

Put simply, matches against Freo reinforce that we must increase the power and depth in our midfield over the pre-season. Yes Gawn and Petracca will make a difference, as will Oliver with a healthy, uninterrupted pre-season under his belt, but right now we just don't have the personnel to match it with Freo's onballers, and it shows in a big way.

Would be a very handy addition. Houston's inclusion at half back would free up Rivers to become a permanent mid. He's a great kick and would provide plenty of run.

I don't see Clarry going anywhere. With the support of the club, he's worked himself into what appears to be a much happier, healthier version of himself which is fantastic. He looks highly engaged, including making the trip to WA to visit Kozzie's family. With a strong, healthy preseason under his belt, I expect he'll have an improved season in 2025.

It feels like the position we were in a few years ago when a concerted effort was made to address our key defensive stocks. We traded heavily back then (I remember some arguing we paid too much) for Lever and May, but those decisions well and truly paid dividends. Just as we addressed those defensive needs, the time to address our long lasting forward issues is now, otherwise I fear we'll waste some of the generational talent on our list. A quality, competitive key forward to partner JVR would be rare gold for the MFC.

Absolutely agree. Allen would bring instant firepower and all of our forwards - JVR, Fritsch, Pickett and co would be better for his introduction. A forward line with that quality would seriously scare some opposition defenders.

Oscar Allen is arguably the best young tall in the game. At 197cm he's a superb forward who kicked 53 goals last season, is super competitive and can ruck when needed. At 25 years of age, he's precisely the forward we need. Imagine a forward line of Allen, JVR, Pickett, Fritsch and co.

An absolute class act who the club and us supporters miss in so many ways.

Terrific to see so much young talent coming through. Rivers as a prime mover in the midfield, Windsor, JVR, McVee, Tholstrup, AMW and Turner. And then it's easy to forget that Kozzie only just turned 23! In a frustrating season these players represent every reason to remain optimistic.

People complained about paying too much for Lever when we got him from Adelaide, but it's been well worth it. This presents as a similar opportunity. The chance to recruit a quality, long-term key position player. Back then we desperately needed to bolster our defence. Today it's our forward line.

Deven Robertson at Brisbane can't crack it for a senior game. He was highly rated by the MFC in his draft year (we would have taken him before Rivers) and was part of the Lions' grand final side in 2023. Would certainly add to our midfield mix. https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/brisbane-star-deven-robertson-one-to-watch-in-this-years-afl-trade-period-c-15238252

Cumming at half back would release Rivers to be permanent midfielder.

Would be a very welcomed addition.

Although season 2024 is still alive and finals remain a possibility, there are several issues, both on and off the field, that need addressing ahead of 2025 to create the conditions for being genuine challengers again. Some of these are easier said than done, but starting the 2025 preseason with a sense of calm rather than defending questions of behaviour, culture and attitude must surely be a start. So, I hope some of the matters below are top of the 'to-do' list for the club's Board & Executive as we plan for 2025. Off field 1.) Settle the Bartlett mess once and for all Demonland Note: Well reasoned commentary but unfortunately we had to use our discretion not to publish. Hope you understand. 2.) Settle the Smith Sports Integrity Australia case I realise this is out of the club's hands, but the longer this case drags on, the longer the cloud hangs over the club, with inevitable links to the Bartlett claims and all of the noise that comes with that. If there's a way to bring the timing of this case to ahead, to allow the club and Smith to deal with the ramifications, however severe, and move forward, it would surely be better than the uncertainty that exists right now. Again, time spent on this issue which has been playing out since October 2023, is time the club isn't spending on the near and long-term future. 3.) Ensure a strong plan for Oliver's offseason All involved in Oliver's recovery, including Clayton himself, deserve genuine praise for getting him to this point. Although not at his absolute best, he's well ahead of expectations. While an uninterrupted 2025 preseason will be important to get him back to peak Clarry, it's the offseason without the structure and routine of being around the club that concerns me. How the club and his management can work together to help keep Clayton happy, healthy and safe during this period will be key. 4.) Keep momentum with the Caulfield training base plans Until we see a sod turning at the new base, the lack of an elite training facility will remain our clear disadvantage. Solving this issue will not only help our players with their weekly preparation, it will serve an an important symbol of excellence which helps recruit players, coaches, staff and sponsors to the club. The Caulfield proposal looks promising. While we know this won't be resolved, let alone built by 2025, demonstrating progress and keeping momentum with the project will be important. We can't afford for another training base concept to flop. Another reason why getting rid of time consuming off-field distractions is so important. On-field 1.) Another top to bottom review Following the disappointing 2020 season, Gary Pert ran a comprehensive review of our football program. At the time he wrote, "what is currently holding us back and keeping us from playing Finals footy is our inability to play consistently for four quarters; every game, every week without exception and irrespective of the opposition. We are dedicated to changing this dynamic, starting with every aspect of our pre-season." The issue of consistency that Pert was trying to solve back in 2020 has emerged again. So the questions remain; does Goodwin have the right people around him? Do we need new voices and fresh perspectives? Are we as fit as we can be? What's being done to address our long-running issues of forward connection? Another review is important if we are serious about improving. 2.) The need for added depth and experience in our midfield Our midfield has looked tired and one-dimensional. There's been an over reliance on Petracca, Viney and Oliver without bolstering our midfield stocks following Brayshaw's sad retirement and the departures of Jordon and Harmes. Look at how Carlton added experienced big-bodied mids to their mix like Hewett, Cerra, Acres and Kennedy to support Cripps and Walsh. The Swans added Grundy, Jordon and Adams. We've done very little. While Rivers looks the goods as a mid, I'm not sure we would have given him a clear run at it, had Petracca not been injured. We certainly need to add to our depth if we want to compete with the best. 3.) Our forward key forward stocks Perhaps the most discussed topic on Demonland since the infamous Tom Scully thread. JVR will be fantastic but we don't have consistent quality key forwards around him to worry opposition backlines. Turner is showing potential and Jefferson might crack it, but neither are immediate solutions to our forward problems. Petty has had a poor year, is low on confidence and clearly hasn't recovered from his foot issues. Will we get into the market for a key forward like we did with Ben Brown in 2021? And will we work on our ball movement to give those forwards the best chance of kicking a winning score? 4.) Succession planning for Gawn and May These two players are elite but without any clear successors. They're both closer to the end of their career than the start, so how are we planning for life without these two starts?

Excellent player. Just hasn't had the continuity needed due to illness and injury. Hopefully he can can get a clear run in 2025. If so, he'll make an enormous difference.

At Melbourne, they are most certainly 'generational' players. The point is, we've relied on that core group for so long but our lack of depth is showing particularly in light of Oliver's interrupted pre-season and Gus Brayshaw's premature retirement.

I reckon you could describe the club's approach to addressing these forward issues as negligent.

Apart from Grundy, a former All-Australian, who we effectively walked out the door.

With generational talent like Gawn, Petracca, Oliver, Viney, May and Lever, the time is now to get serious about recruiting the right players to support this core, otherwise time will run out. Our midfield depth is severely lacking and is in desperate need of added quality, experience and variety. Look at how Carlton added Hewett, Kennedy, Acres and Cerra to their mix in recent years to support Cripps and Walsh. Sydney added Jordon and Adams to give Heaney, Warner, Gulden and co added strength and flexibility around the ball. We've tried ANB and Pickett through the middle but that robs a forward line already bereft of options of two important players. Add to that the need to recruit some competitive and reliable tall forwards to support JVR and you have Tim Lamb and Jason Taylor's homework between now and the trade period.

Thanks as always guys for a great podcast. I realise there's plenty of 2024 to play so there's always hope of regaining form, but right now it's hard to see how we get our mojo back this season. There's no shortage of issues. From a disjointed game plan to a lack of midfield depth and the same old forward connection problems. Right now, I feel the fix has to come post season where we can recruit for needs, reset and reload. That means adding much needed depth and variety to our midfield to help our core of Petracca, Oliver and Viney. It also means getting serious about recruiting competitive and reliable forward options to support JVR, not relying on part timers. Let's not waste time while we have generational talent like Gawn, May, Petracca, Oliver and Viney playing in the same team. The clock's ticking.

Hi Guys, thanks for conducting this much needed group therapy session. I appreciate that we're struggling to come to grips with an evolving gameplan which was exposed for all to see in the Alice, but I've been worried about our midfield for a while. Yes, we've tried running Pickett and Neal Bullen through the middle with some success, but it also robs us of their important role as forwards. I feel that we place too greater reliance on Petracca, Oliver and Viney as genuine mids which is starting to show, particularly given Clarry's limited pre-season. With the loss of Gus we have one less class midfielder in our ranks to add to those rotations in a game that is becoming more demanding by the year. It takes me back to the debate George and Binman were having in the preseason about midfield depth and just how deep our stocks run compared to other contenders. I feel we're vulnerable. Carlton added big bodied mids like Hewett, Kennedy and Acres to their mix in recent years to support Cripps and Walsh. Sydney recruited Jordon and Adams to help Heaney, Warner, Gulden and Co. This is the depth we're lacking.

Michael Warner will be salivating.

Michael Warner will be salivating.

Clarry's clearly not in All-Australian form coming off the preseason he had. Hopefully with a much better summer he can come back in peak condition. There's too much reliance on Petracca, while Viney needs some help around the contest. Carlton have been smart when trying to strengthen the reinforcements around Cripps and Walsh by recruiting other experienced big bodied midfielders such as Hewett, Acres and Kennedy. Freo today had real depth in their midfield with Brayshaw, Serong, Young, Fyfe and O'Meara. By comparison our stocks looks really thin.