Mega Thread General MFC Discussion IV – Roffey and Pert Gone, Bartlett Case Settled, Board Election Finalised

[markm106]

I like that Smith has already said he isn’t happy with some of the dealings they have gone on. He might have told Green etc that he will come on as long as certain things happen.

 

[Bluelegs]

Lots of good news stories this week. Nice to see some actual change and I'm glad Steven Smith's come on board. Really need some good people at the top.

It's a decent coup for Green honestly.

 

[melbun]

Next two to go. Soyman and Richardson need to go if Melbourne wants my membership.

 

[Scythe94]

Can anyone outline the general article here?

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has been urged to lighten up in his dealings with players as part of an overhaul that will see chief executive Gary Pert depart and club great Steven Smith join the board as president in waiting.
Smith declared on Thursday he had agreed to president Brad Green’s urging that he stand for election as a director to help rebuild the Demons’ culture after three years of turbulence including board unrest, litigation, behavioural issues, and disgruntled star players.

“I wanted to be involved in the implementation of the recommendations,” said Smith, 68, who won the club’s best and fairest in 1981 during a 203-game career, and was previously the Melbourne Cricket Club president.
“[We] need the right people in place to restore the culture that the club had and I guess I was always concerned that the club needs more stability at the moment.

“If elected I can hopefully help with stability of the club generally, with players, the board, sponsors. I am much more comfortable doing it now with Brad there and then have an orderly transition.”


Green said he would “encourage Steve to take over from me [as president] in 12 months”.
A football department review to be released on Friday found the events of the past year had weighed heavily on Goodwin, making him intense and stressed around players, according to two sources familiar with the findings who were not authorised to speak publicly.
The sources said Goodwin welcomed the recognition of the burden he had been carrying. The review reinforced that the players still held the 2021 premiership coach in high regard and wanted him to have the support needed to perform at his best.


The review recommends a tweaking of roles within the football department and a shift in the focus of high-performance manager Alan Richardson.
Former New Zealand All Blacks manager Darren Shand, who helped lead the review, will continue supporting Richardson during the year as he deals with the team, coach and the rest of the department.
Pert, who was also involved in conducting the reviews, has brought forward his retirement plans to Christmas. His departure follows former president Kate Roffey exit from earlier this year.
Green said the review did not recommend Pert go. However, the CEO recognised it was preferable to introduce new leadership after such a turbulent period. Pert will be retained as a consultant on the development of a training and administration base at Caulfield racecourse.

Champion player Christian Petracca revealed on Thursday he had held “healthy conversations” with club officials about the club’s culture.
Petracca was at a Melbourne Cup promotional event for Penfolds unveiling the Birdcage Enclosure, his first public appearance since his disillusionment with the Demons became public more than two months ago.

Asked if he was happy with the culture at the club, Petracca said: “I think so. Culture is an interesting word. It’s a high-performance industry and for me we’re always trying to improve and get better.
“For me, getting people through the door is the right thing. We’ve had healthy conversations and that’s awesome. Like any industry and any club, we’re looking to improve.”

Melbourne’s chief operating officer David Chippindall will take over as acting CEO.
As part of the succession plan Smith will nominate for the board along with businessman Chris Barlow.
The plan allows Smith to be involved in critical decisions the club needs to make now, including the appointment of a new CEO, but also enables him to take a long-planned break in Europe next year after retiring from his legal practice, before returning to take over as president from Green at the end of next season.
Green stepped into the role after the Roffey’s departure in September.

Pert has been leading Melbourne’s proposal to build the club’s headquarters at Caulfield. This masthead reported that the club faced a $70 million funding gap for the project, continuing the Demons’ 20-year search for a permanent home in central Melbourne.
He had been discussing a mid-2025 retirement with Roffey before she stood down.
“I asked [Pert] what a succession plan might look like and the conversations flowed from there,” Green said.
“I then asked him if he would consider staying on [to complete] Caulfield because we are that close to getting that high-performance centre done.”

Petracca said he was not fazed by the widespread commentary generated when he privately voiced frustrations with aspects of the culture and the club’s dealings with him after a life-threatening internal injury he sustained during the King’s Birthday match.
“Disappointed is a strong word. I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed, that’s the media’s job is to report on issues,” Petracca said.
“For me, all I’m trying to focus on right now is my rehab and my injury and just being ready for day one of preseason.
“I love my job, I’m passionate about footy, that’s all I’m really focused on now.”

Pert became CEO in 2018 and has become the longest ever serving chief executive of Melbourne. The Demons have won a men’s and a women’s premiership during his tenure, but the period since their drought-breaking 2021 premiership has been beset by controversy. They have not won a final in that time.
Soon after Petracca recommitted to the Demons, fellow midfield champion Clayton Oliver was offered for trade with six years remaining on his contract, before the club shut down the prospect on the opening day of trade period.

 

[Topkent]

Couldn't be stuffed reading it all but they say teams are a reflection of their coaches generally. No wonder we became a dog shit lifeless team.

 

[MarcMaverick]

So when are we expecting the "full" "External" Review to come out.

 

[Praetorian]

Dear Members, I hope this message finds you well, and that, like me, you’re looking forward to some positive results this weekend to help secure our AFLW team’s place in the finals. After a challenging start, our women’s team has shown tremendous resilience, emerging as one of the form sides in the competition as they prepare for Saturday’s clash against Collingwood. Let’s rally behind them and hope to see them in finals footy this November. As President of the Melbourne Football Club, I want to be up front with you. We know that 2024 was a tough year, both on and off the field. We faced some big challenges, and we recognise that certain off-field issues caused disruptions. We admit that some situations could have been managed better, and we're committed to learning from these experiences to handle the inevitable challenges more effectively in the future. Yesterday was a significant day for our club. While the focus was, deservedly, on acknowledging retiring CEO Gary Pert’s contributions, the announcement of Steven Smith’s commitment to stand up and support the club, the Board, and myself was equally important. The Board and I have been working hard to bring Steven into a position where he can contribute, and we look forward to the potential of him joining us in driving the club forward. As I’ve mentioned in previous communications, we have some important updates regarding both the AFL Football and Board reviews and at the bottom of this letter you will find details regarding Call for Nominations ahead of our Annual General Meeting. AFL Football Review The purpose of the review was to identify opportunities for the AFL Football program to return to finals in 2025. Over the past four years, the AFL program has achieved significant milestones, including a drought-breaking premiership in 2021, three consecutive top four finishes, and the inaugural McClelland Trophy (in conjunction with the success of our AFLW team). We entered 2024 with the expectation of playing finals, and not doing so was incredibly disappointing for our members, players, staff, and everyone associated with the Club. We understand that this competition demands continual improvement, and we are committed to doing the work in every aspect of our football program. This review involved over 40 interviews with players, coaches, football department staff, and external industry experts. Ex-All Blacks Manager Darren Shand, Gary Pert, and I conducted these interviews and meetings to gather comprehensive feedback. Darren Shand then used the interview findings to lead a series of workshops and collaborative meetings with on-field and off-field leaders, including Max Gawn 11 Max Gawn Age 32 Ht 209cm Wt 110kg Pos. Ruck Career Season Last 5 D 14.1 4star K 7.4 3star HB 6.7 4star CL 2.8 4star HO 35.3 5star D 18.5 4star K 11.5 4star HB 7.0 4star CL 3.5 4star HO 29.2 5star D 8.4 3star K 3.6 2star HB 4.8 4star CL 1.0 3star HO 15.6 5star and Jack Viney 7 Jack Viney Age 30 Ht 179cm Wt 93kg Pos. Mid Career Season Last 5 D 22.1 5star K 9.4 4star HB 12.6 5star M 2.8 3star T 5.7 5star CL 5.0 5star D 21.8 5star K 10.3 4star HB 11.5 5star M 2.5 3star T 4.5 5star CL 5.0 5star D 13.4 4star K 8.6 4star HB 4.8 4star M 2.6 3star T 3.4 5star CL 3.6 5star , to establish key priorities for improving our program in 2025. While much of the review’s details must remain confidential to maintain a competitive edge, we felt it was important to share the high-level findings and priorities with our members. Key Findings: - Our Playing List: The review identified strong confidence within the playing group and football staff that we can play finals next season. We have a very strong core group of players, but fast-tracking the development of our talented young players will be essential. Throughout the pre-season and into the season, we will prioritise and dedicate additional time in our schedule for coaches to focus on developing our first to third year players, ensuring their growth and progression remain a top priority. Members may have noted our commitment during the trade period to secure an additional top 10 selection ensuring we have two early picks in this year’s draft. This aligns with our decision to continue bringing in high-end young talent to complement our core group and return to AFL finals next year. - Staff and Structure: The review confirmed the strength of our football program’s leadership and staff, while identifying an opportunity to refresh energy and leadership within the Assistant Coaching group supporting Senior Coach Simon Goodwin Simon Goodwin Age 48 Ht 185cm Wt 86kg Pos. Def Career Season Last 5 D 20.9 5star K 12.1 4star HB 8.8 5star M 4.0 4star T 2.5 4star No current season stats available D 9.4 3star K 7.2 3star HB 2.2 2star M 3.0 3star T 2.2 4star . The review also reinforced the importance of our midfield as a critical driver of success, prompting us to create two dedicated midfield coaching roles as detailed below: Troy Chaplin will transition from managing defence to overseeing our forward line and team offence. Troy has successfully built one of the league’s highest-performing defensive units while nurturing emerging talent. The review recognised our highly talented young emerging key forwards, as well as our dangerous mid and small forwards. Troy's focus will be on developing cohesive structures and disciplines within our forward line. Nathan Jones joins us as a midfield coach focusing on stoppages. Known for his football intelligence and drive for success, Nathan is highly respected by the playing group. His recent playing experience brings fresh perspectives to the role which the review identified as an opportunity for improvement. Sam Radford will work alongside Nathan as midfield coach. Together, they aim to maximise our current midfield group’s strengths while integrating new talent in the midfield mix. Nathan Bassett joins the club and will lead our backline and team defence. With a wealth of experience, including a decade in coaching roles with Essendon and Port Adelaide and most recently at Norwood in the SANFL, Nathan’s fresh outlook will greatly benefit our program. - High-Performance Environment: The review highlighted the importance of empowering the player leadership group to play a greater role in shaping and sustaining our High-Performance environment, setting clear expectations and driving performance outcomes. This includes preparing our next generation of leaders through education and development. To support this, we have engaged an external leadership expert to implement a club-wide program with a dedicated focus on our player leadership group, set to commence when players return for pre-season training. In addition, Darren Shand will mentor both our on-field and off-field leaders, as we implement the various initiatives that resulted from the review. - Game Style: The review emphasised the need to refine our method of play, focusing on all facets of the game— with the ball, without the ball and in the contest. During the pre-season, our coaches will work on evolving our game style to maximise the strengths of our playing group, aiming for a style that not only propels us back into the finals but withstands the pressures of finals football. As a competitive measure, specific details of our game style remain confidential. While the review has highlighted areas for improvement, it also reaffirms that we are well-positioned to turn challenges into opportunities. With strong foundations in place and a clear path forward, we are committed to driving the Melbourne Football Club back to success in 2025. Board Review In tandem with the football review, the Board initiated an external governance review in September, conducted by governance and culture expert Megan Dwyer. This review assessed our structure, practices and composition to identify areas for alignment with best practice and our strategic goals. Key Outcomes: - Commitment to Improvement While the review acknowledged our commitment to improvement, it also identified areas where further changes would support our objectives. The Board is committed to embracing these recommendations and will continue evolving our practices as we implement them. - New Committees As part of our strategy to meet member expectations and bolster on-field success, we will establish two new committees: a High-Performance Committee and a Member Engagement Committee. These committees will bring in additional expertise to strengthen our approach in these areas. - Governance Working Group To maintain focus on continuous improvement, a Governance Working Group, chaired by Director Sally Freeman, has been established. This group will guide the implementation of review recommendations. - Strengthening Board Skills and Experience The review’s skills matrix analysis supports and expands on the Board’s objective to recruit highly skilled and experienced individuals who can support our strategic objectives and foster a culture of TRUE (Trust, Respect, Unity, Excellence). In closing, I want to extend my gratitude to all who contributed to these reviews. We acknowledge the honest feedback from our players, coaches and staff, which will be invaluable as we strive to improve. Most importantly, we thank you—our members and supporters—for your unwavering trust and passion. As we enter the Call for Nominations period, members can nominate for a Board position. As mentioned yesterday, Chris Barlow will be nominating alongside Steven Smith, while incumbents Sally Freeman and Dr. Angela Williams will stand for re-election. Our path forward relies on collective effort. With the reviews complete, our players and coaches are ready to put in the work needed to return to the finals in 2025 and we ask that they feel the support and energy from you, the Demon faithful, as we prepare for the 2025 season. Thank you once again, and as always—Go Demons!

Brad Green President Melbourne Football Club

El Presidente email on the outcome of the football department review

 

[Topkent]

Some of that makes no sense at all. We got two top 10 picks to ensure we give ourselves a chance of playing finals next year. Since when do 2 18 year olds give you a chance of playing finals.

 

[Scythe94]

Key takeaways:

• Chaplin moving to forwards/'offence' coach
• Jones and Radford co-midfield coaches, with Jones focusing on stoppages
• Bassett in and will take charge of the backline
• Additional focus on developing first to third year players
• Shand to stay on in mentoring role
• Game style requires refinement, though can't give details due to 'competitive advantage'
• Establishment of high-performance and member engagement committees, and a governance working group

 

[booshboy]

Biggest load of shit I've ever read and that's coming from a club that's dished up alot of shit to read in the last few years.

Honestly, why bother saying anything at all?

 

[Topkent]

Can't wait for the inevitable sook fest about Chaplin being not a good enough player to be a forwards coach even though Goodwin controls the game plan

 

[Demon Attack]

Chaplin as forward coach will draw some outrage I imagine.

At least they aren't saying they just need to score one more goal per game. Or maybe that's confidential this year.

 

[Topkent]

Key takeaways:

• Chaplin moving to forwards/'offence' coach
• Jones and Radford co-midfield coaches, with Jones focusing on stoppages
• Bassett in and will take charge of the backline
• Additional focus on developing first to third year players
• Shand to stay on in mentoring role
• Game style requires refinement, though can't give details due to 'competitive advantage'
• Establishment of high-performance and member engagement committees, and a governance working group

Seriously go **** yourself. Nothing's gonna change here, they could say we want to attack more but nah just more **** all.

 

[booshboy]

Chaplin as forward coach will draw some outrage I imagine.

At least they aren't saying they just need to score one more goal per game. Or maybe that's confidential this year.

Nah mate saying that in public again would be throwing away our competitive advantage. ****ing laughable.

 

[Bluelegs]

• Game style requires refinement, though can't give details due to 'competitive advantage'

What competitive advantage?

 

[Scythe94]

Chaplin as forward coach will draw some outrage I imagine.

At least they aren't saying they just need to score one more goal per game. Or maybe that's confidential this year.

Already was our 'offensive coordinator' a few years back. Fresh blood etc, haha

 

[Scythe94]

What competitive advantage?

"We're competitive and that's an advantage" - Goodwin, probably

 

[Bluelegs]

I like Chaplin becoming the forward coach because it will make or break the argument about the power of assistant coaches.

If our defense goes to shit and the forward-line starts firing on all cylinders then Chaplin is a gun and should take Goodwin's job immediately. If nothing changes then we can sack all the assistants and save some money.

Exciting times.

 

[Bluelegs]

No section on Operation Cheer Up Goodwin is disappointing.

 

[Bluelegs]

Tbh though that statement is about what I expected. We won't really know whether the review bears fruit until next year.

 

[Praetorian]

No section on Operation Cheer Up Goodwin is disappointing.

Behind the scenes

 

[Dancing Potato]

El Presidente email on the outcome of the football department review

Jesus Christ what an absolutely pointless dribble of a statement.

Lots of "the review confirmed our strengths" going on in there.

 

[tomcruise]

The changes have got us started, as long as we can bring in a CEO capable of being open and having actual conversations with other humans. Bit sick of the robots.

Probably need to fall apart next year to get some proper coaching group / head of football shake-up then we could be on our way.

 

[Crusty Demon]

Tbh though that statement is about what I expected. We won't really know whether the review bears fruit until next year.

Exactly. People already sooking it up lol.

A few things that are great to see:

Pert gone is the big one. I actually don't mind that he's kept on as a consultant for the Caulfield Home Base project. Shows the club are committed to it and he's been all over it from the start. Would be silly to cut him completely. Smart move. Hopefully he can deliver.

Smith is the other big one. Great get for the club. He obviously turned us down initially, I'm guessing he needed to see some change and we've responded. I expect he'll be president by this time next year. Green IMO has been excellent so far. Exactly what the club needed. He's been upfront and transparent and unlike Roffey, he's been heard.

Chaplin to the forward line is a good idea. He's easily been our best line coach, so give him the weakest area of our team.

"The review also reinforced the importance of our midfield as a critical driver of success". Finally the penny might have dropped. We don't know if Chunk will be any good, but at least they are acknowledging that the midfield needs change.

"The review emphasised the need to refine our method of play" Isn't this exactly what people on here wanted? I don't get the sooking? Of course they aren't going to tell us plebs exactly how they are going to refine it or what exactly will be changed. Surely people aren't that stupid to expect that lol.

Overall I'm pretty satisfied with what has been shared. I have no doubt Goodwin has been told behind the scenes that if things don't change for the better then he's gone. They aren't going to say that in the review, but looking at the pointed sections about midfield and also method of play suggests if those things don't change for the better, then he's out the door. He and Richardson 100% on notice. Now can he pull it off? Most are hoping he doesn't, but at least we can see the club seeing the areas we need improving. Midfield, forwardline, and method of play.

 

[Daemon]

The only line I gave a toss about in that lengthy statement was "evolve our game plan". Now the proof is in the pudding.