Essendon search for an urgent response in dream time after a bulldog belting.
Captain Zach Merrits is with us.
As is Mitch Duncan, who becomes the seventh Geelong player to reach the story three hundred gay milestone in a career spanning a remarkable error and when to correct the howler should footy consider intervention from a higher power?
Will take it to Razor's edge.
You talked about his step into it, embrace all of it.
Hit in the room and Rent it's unedifying for a senior coach to do that.
They're on the side of Courtia with the brain tape.
The man on it. They played the best footy I've.
Ever seen at the start of the season, and Andy said president left. The couple older said, of course they do.
It is the stuff that legends are made of. What is holding the ball?
I don't think I could answer it clearly right now that I could do something.
Wrong, you know, and I need to go on the board.
Sacks, meet the fans, Lover and with no fans, no through sixty year old.
What winning percentage are you aiming for in life?
Gas win more than you lose, I say, Jared. Through life we having one more than you've lost, You've done well.
Let's just have it.
Mitch Duncan is going to join us, so he is. He's the spanning figure from the twenty eleven premierships through to now seventy point nine.
Thank god for that. Fifty six.
Yeah, a highly respectable.
Where you get drafted and at what time, isn't it And then if you're Joel Sellwood and you go to Gelong at the right time. I think it was Mitch Thorpe who went to Hawthorne next.
So he's a start. Mitch Duncan.
I'm rapped that he's on tonight, and I'm wrapped that he's made to three hundred games.
Here's what we have lined up for you on three sixty. In fact, it's a big night here on Fox Footy Zach Merritt, Mitch Duncan, Ray Chamberlain. We've got one real overreaction because it is the defining question of the day.
Then we will make way.
We'll hand over to the midweek Tackle Lauren Wood, Glenn McFarland and Scott Gullan with plenty of news bouncing around and a special edition of On the Couch, a retro a tribute to Robert Wall So, Mike Shean and Jared Heally have come together and then there's been this collection of memories.
Yeah, and the one that springs straight to mind is the Kevin Sheedy. I haven't seen this obviously. I'm looking forward to watching it tonight. In fact, i'll watch it tomorrow. It's a bit late for me, but I'm sure it'll be in there. And that was compelling television. I remember watching that.
Its unbelievable, all right, So that's a special tonight and then tomorrow night, John longmy Adam Simpson, Simon Gridlin is here at the desk, and all week we've looked forward to the appearance of Steph and Michael, who'll be in town and here at the desk. A Tuesday favorite to get us underweight?
Well, what is my Tuesday favorite? It was Oscar Allen.
I thought handled himself with great dignity and class in the face of what was the emotional turmoil surrounding the whole Adam Soawood situation.
I thought he was fuller class.
I know it's great to do any game of footy, but we've lost the legend of our club and I just want to say all love and support to the Cellwood family. Mental health is such a massive th year society at the moment. I struggled with the own mental battles this year, and I've been so fortunate to have such a great support crew around me to have my back throughout everything we've gone through. I just urge anyone out there as struggling with.
Anything, please reach out.
Helplines, friends, reach out to each other, because we're heartbroken and we just want to offer all the love and support we come to the Cellwood family.
And this time, well done, well said, And he may have just helped one person, he may have helped plenty along the way.
But if he's helped us one, well done.
Spoke beautifully yep, right from the heart. So I thought something uplifting, literally uplifting?
Is it possible?
The Gold Coast Sons have all three steps of the podium for.
Mark of the year so far.
I felt like that was the clubhouse leader through the early rounds, Ben King the quintessential one on one, and then.
Jed Walter did this.
I nearly went for this myself, but I think you got in earlier. I love this from this big, strong, strapping.
Man, So I think that's gold and silver thus far. And I reckon bronze.
Might be ned Long.
Yeah, that's a great mark.
Look at this is when it gets there, right at the peak of it. Ben Long, when he's he's perpendicular to the ground.
Yeah, they're three great marks.
I have three great marks, and I think they're the best that we've had so far.
Nice, I like it. Good start.
Top of the agenda is a stunning and sobering story out of the West tonights. The career of decorated West Coast defender Jeremy McGovern sits in the balance as he's been referred to an AFL concussion panel. He hasn't recovered from his latest concussion suffered against Melbourne in round eights. This was the statement the club has released tonight. Jeremy's health and well being is our number one priority and he's not currently advanced through the concussion protocols due to
ongoing symptoms. Jeremy has suffered multiple concussions over his career, which adds complexity to his situation and his recovery. So independent assessments and then a pathway forward or not, which we are becoming more used to as the years have gone on. He's a five time All Australian, including last year set a half back in the Team of the Year, and he's the reigning Best and Fairest West Coast as well as been a premiership player.
It would be the biggest name to be struck down Angus Brasier was a big premiership player coming off his best year.
Yeah, this is where we're at in footye.
So he goes into the independent assessment and it can come back a number of different ways.
He come back and say.
You're clear to play again, you need a prolonged absence from the game, or they can pull they can call time on.
His career, they can medically retire him.
Yeah, I think there's a lot Well, clearly there's a lot of things they take into consideration and the number I do know with Paddy mccarton when it came down to, one of the things that really weighed heavily on the decision was how easy he became can cast.
I think everyone will recall that last concussion that it went to you.
There wasn't much in that, so that'll be taking into consideration as really's history and it's almost it's unthinkable three four five years ago that would be losing players to concussion their careers.
We're talking about not just games.
In fact, it was unthinkable to think you'd lose a game, but now we're talking about careers, and as harsh as it is, the game is better for it.
Jude he had signed in February a contract extension to take in next year, so in the elders that are required during a rebuild, he's been one of the cornerstones for it. And there are a couple of years ago where people were theorizing, well, maybe they should move him out, but he's been so important, just a whole part of the ground together for him. So if he's not there for either a long period of time or through a forced retirement, that that is going to leave a big hole.
It will, and they've got suikap implications as well. So this is a mechanism whereby you signed players on extended careers, long careers, then you run the risk of something this taking place, and you've got to carry the majority of that way through your sory cap as well. So those are all things the consideration, the health being the primary concern here for Jeremy, so let's hope that he gets a positive result.
But I'm sure they'll make the right decision.
All right, we'll wait to see when that panel is going to be convened and when the decision is handed down. The AFL last night's care officials met with four of the long term serving coaches here in Victoria to thrash out some of the issues, the big picture and the tension pieces that have existed for some time between the coaches and headquarters.
Right, how's the last night?
Yeah, lampshold was solid. It was probably the best AFL meeting I can recall. I think it was. You know, there are clearly a lot of things to talk about, and I really felt that Andrew Dialing in particular with his staff, really listened to all the gender items that the coaches had and probably important to notice an annual event, it's not a specially called meeting, we do it every year.
But I felt that there was really productive discussion. So no doubt everyone got their their sort of thoughts out on the table. And I suppose the challenge from here is, you know what action has taken from this point, But in terms of Andrew in particular, but the AFL's willingness to listen and.
For the coach's voices to be heard. I thought it was really positive.
What do you make of it?
I think fixed at Jered was the impetus for the message. Well, what I make of it is it's interesting that we make such a big deal about the executive gut and sitting down with a few of the most important men in footy. Now we understand this environment, it becomes a bit bigger.
So I had a really good thing about today and I like it.
I think Mandrew Dion's been under a lot of pressure and that's okay, but it's I think we've also got a identify and understand and accept that he's a much different leader than the one we've had over the last however many periods we've had, you know, Andrew Demitriel and Gil mcgloch and who I've really enjoyed their leadership style.
I really like the way they got about it.
But they are strong, alpha, confident, ego driven, stronger he goes, both of them opinionated, comfortable in the media spotlight, some would say crave it over the time. They love holding court and they can charm and or intimidate a media group. That's who they were and that's they wore that with a badge of honor, and we've you know, I think we've been blessed with their leadership style. If Andrew Don's going to be his authentic self, he's much calmer. He's
the complete opposite of those guys. In actual fact, he is measured, low key, low profile. He's not a polished media performer. And I not being harsh, but he'll get better. But he's not and he looks to be empower he's executive. Now what happens then is when he's executive, let him down, which I think they have in recent times, and then he's got to become the strong.
Leader that we are all craving.
But I think his style of getting together with four coaches as opposed to Gills, come to my ass, bring your best ball of red wine and let's yeah, that sort of is what we're talking about here. I think he's looked at that and gone, this is my most effective way of leading.
I'll get with four at a time, I'll sit.
Down, get it all out on the table, and as Brad says, it's the best that he's come across. So then i'd imagine he's going to do it with every single coach, and I'm prepared that I'm prepared to give him a chance.
I would.
Yeah, he's got a this is a really good moment for him, though he's got to become the strong leader that we will hope he will be. But I also accept that he's a different leader to what we've had.
Yeah, so consultative to a fault and an excellent listener. All the question is does that parley into action?
And he's only he's new to the job to which I'm prepared. You know, I've been critical as you have strongly, and I've enjoyed that, and I think they understand that. But it's a really defining time for them, for this leadership group now, and I think that's a really positive step.
That's the way I looked at it.
The centerpiece for the co which remains the softcap and so what do you think twenty nineteen, So it became a period of austerity, which then morphed into a period of competitive balance, and that has led to a widespread resentment and the AFL I think pretended to a degree that they didn't realize the level that this is built to, and now they're hearing it firsthand.
I think they'd heard it over.
A period of time, So what will that look like when they reconsider the softcap specifically, what will it look like for the coaching cohort? Not just the senior coaches, but the coaching cohort. Is there a mechanism to be found that allows an increase in wage whilst not blowing out the softcap. One potential mechanism is removing a huge chunk of the senior coaches wage from the softcap, potentially the whole thing, but a bigger measure than its currently done.
So some of it targeted towards assistant coaches to lift the level of the coaching cohort. Have told us in a clear voice that they feel undervalue devalued by the AFL in particular in the industry in general for the work that they do. Are they prepared to see that and then move on it. They're hearing it, They've been hearing it for a long period of time. It's fully illustrated against CPI. What's happened since twenty nineteen to the profession to now are they prepared to act?
You think? And your answer, well, they should.
They should. There's no votes in it, but it's good policy. Just get there is a problem in that profession at the moment, which is not to be trivialized or dismissed.
It's actually to be addressed.
It's hard to imagine them arriving at any other decision, Jared, And if they do arrive in another decision that says they won't be adhering to the request, then the explanation will be insightful.
The Bomber's on field, so Brad Scott's got a bit to deal with this week after the belting at the hands of the Bulldogs.
It's very frustrating and disappointing to have poor losses, but from a coaching perspective, I often find that you learn more from those games than you do from the games where you win and get a bit of positive reinforcement. So you know, we'll and that's really what we're looking to do. We're looking to build this team to be capable of competing against the best teams on a regular basis. And we learn a harsh lesson on the weekend, and to the opposition's credit, you know, they did a good
job in teaching us that lesson. As disappointed as we were in our own performance, I was equally impressed by the Bulldog's performance.
So the lesson we learn.
In that is that there's a big gap between where they are right now and where we want to be.
We see them on Friday night, so I know you're deep at work on the Bombers. What was the significant part of the failure on Saturday night?
Brad talks about the lesson they learned.
Well, it's a lesson that's been well looned and well delivered. So they and this is a consistent thing around Usendon, is that they've got to defend better.
And what does that mean?
While it's laid and it's nuanced that the bottom line is they played against sides that are inside the eight. They've lost by twenty six points to Hawthorne, gave up seventeen goals. They lost the Adelaide by sixty one points, gave up twenty five, lost to Collingwood bye forty one on Anzac Day, gave up sixteen goals, and then of course what we just saw on the weekend and ninety one point loss.
Gave up aden goals.
That's an average of nine en goals in those losses that you're giving up. So the message is clear again defend better. The numbers would suggest they're defending better, but not against the sides where it matters most. The numbers suggest they're defending better against sides that have struggled and are inferior to the teams that we've just mentioned. So it remains a great challenge for them still, and I don't think there's the person would understand that better than
anyone's Brad Scott. So he's got to step up in front of the media and sell the message and try and not calm his supporter base but continue to sell what he wants to sell to them, but that the.
Bottom line is that this is still their number one.
Issue is and measure yourselves against the best. So I could see them defending no disrespect to Richmond, but they're not where Adelaide and.
Hawthorne and Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs are at.
So fifty six percent against those sides, that's where the Yes and footy clubs at right now, and they know it and they're going to work at it all right.
Zach Merritt will be with us shortly.
The Bullgog side of the equation, we see them on Thursday night. They're six and four they're fifth.
On the ladder.
They're going to be the darlings of prime time for the remainder of the year. They've got the Cats and then the buy, and it feels like the buy has been designated as a period to address the coach's contract.
We're sort of morphing into this.
I suppose partnership again, where we're looking at sustainability and thinking, okay, out of the say the perty Jackson review, how healthy are we off the field as far as our operational resources go and the club's vision of what's ahead. And I think we're reasonably contemp.
We're on the right path. So yeah, I.
Mean as far as formalizing something goes it may not be too far away.
It's the buye a good time to get to that.
Possibly, but we haven't really talked any terms and conditions.
You've been full of praise for the way the Bulldogs have handled this throughout the year. They might become the templates for it. Would you move next week?
Yeah, because I think why it has worked so well and why it has been brilliant is that both of them have been on the same page.
Both coach and club have been old judge you.
So that's what Luke's talking about last night, facility and all those things he spoke about. I'm going to make sure that that's there for the club to get better and then I can coach on that. And then the club are saying, well, yeah, we think we've got a list and we need to make sure that you can coach it. So they've both done it respectfully, but they've gone and sat back a bit when it gets to a point where both well, one of the two says okay, I've seen enough now I want to move. Well, then
you've got to make a decision. And the timing's perfect. There couldn't be anymore perfect. They're playing the best footy, They've got players in the best form. Bevos now at the point where he goes, yeah, I want to coach this group, I think, and I think what we're going to find in the next week or two is the West of Bulldogs say damn straight, you're the right man to coach House.
So you compare that to hate it.
But Port Adelaide in the way that that coaching appointment was made and the pressure that came on there, it is the temp, well, the current template right now, and it gives it a great shot at maybe adding to that premiership.
This is not the recommitment I reckon. It's the second marriage. They've each had a look.
At what it might have looked like if this was coming to an end.
They have time apart.
Jared, No, they stayed together, but maybe in separate rooms from time to time. So I think Luke Beveridge did nothing less than Betty's job on reinventing this bulldog side in the middle of last year. He did it early with the senior players, which he conceded to you last night, and then at the trade periods they made, they exposed their depth by trading those senior players away, so he risked being more exposed and then had a whole sequence of events off field and injury wise present before him.
But he has.
He's reinvigorated them and the players that they've added. And then they're not read the list last night, they're not how sold names, they're not locks.
At every club.
He's integrated them perfectly into this setup, given them a style of play.
They have now absorbed themselves from the who's missing. It doesn't matter who's missing.
This is the way they go out and play, and they do it together. I'm full of admiration for the way both club and coach have done it, and I reckon it'll be it's a stirring success when next week they come out and they recommit for two or three more years.
And you can't get to that stage until you, as the coach and the club are really honest about it all and how open it has Bevo saying you know, well, I might not be the man they might so when you get to that level of authenticity and truth telling with each other. So I don't know whether I want to coach beyond this year. Good because we don't know whether we want you to coach beyond this year.
Let's work it out.
Then you get a result like this and if it just it's gone pear shaped, heurit and it's not going to work. How respectfully they would have parted these yes, and I would have done it with great dignity. The bulldogs would have been and we hope you get another job, Luke and Luke could be saying, good, hope you get the right man to take lea group forward. And that's
where clubs and coaching departures should be. We haven't seen that acrimonious departures have been the template, if you want to use that word, and maybe this is the changing of the guard.
All right, the furnace the first time Tassy have been in the furnace. I reckon they're not in the comp yet, ye, but they are worthy of the furnace.
With Nathan Buckley looming.
Large, so the ball is basically in Nathan's court.
But this has got.
Big very quickly.
I answered him in that in that meeting, the same events at the whole time, I don't know whether I'm going to find the right fit, but.
It's for you still have the passion to coach?
Yeah, well, I.
Still love the idea of helping people along on their journey. And the Devil's opportunity, it probably is quite it's quite different to any other opportunity you're going to find yourself in.
Have you done anything in your own world to you think to make you a better coach?
And are you a more equipped coach going into potentially coaching again? Yeah, I know I'm more equipped. That's probably the reflection of your of your tenure and what you did well and what you did poorly, because there's yeah, I think in retrospect, do you actually get to understand that. I've sat with plenty of our players and gone through that and staff as well. I think they got there jacking me by the end.
That's what I thought.
Of course that's a never going process. But yeah, well, I've got no fears that I could do the job. Well, it's just whether I want to do it. Nice out at the Grand Final at the end of last year and when I saw Brisbane win, I thought, if you're going to do what you want to be there.
We might be looking to feel the sack. I'm really company. Yeah, you've got company.
Without Lady Lady's young bucks out of there, it was.
A good ds of couch, that's for sure. All right.
We always played one real we have a reel or overreaction, and it's just one. Nathan Buckley would be perfect for Tasmania.
I'm going to give you the answer. I don't think you expect overreaction.
This is all set up for real gas. I love this. I want this to happen.
So much so it's got real answers written down even before I've given it, which is not the sad. Don't think you'd be fantastic, but with John Lym John Longmy comes in here tomorrow, sits himself down and takes off the smirking, jovial horse that we've seen and says, I've never been more passionate about getting back into coaching again, and I'm up for grabs. Well, guess what the ideal candidate is now, Nathan Buckley or John lonmye.
So that's all I mean when I say overreaction, that's a pitch, by the way, from Nathan Buckley.
That to me, that's a pitch.
He's putting his hand high in there, which, as I said yesterday, I love. Don't play games. If you want to coach Tasmania, don't play games with it. So that's the way I watched that and read read that is that's him pitching. He says, I know I'll be a better you. That's not just around the edges. I know I'll be a better coach. So, Benny, if you're listening, I know I will be.
So I loved it.
If he's got the fire, which I think he has, go after a bucks and if you get the job, we all be supportive. But there might be a couple others that might also have their hand in the air, and that would be a great thing for Benny Gale, would all right?
Our players next, Mitch Duncan is about to mark the great smilestone of longevity in the game, three hundred games spanning this incredible.
Year at Geelong. And Zach Merris is with us in the studio.
He's living on the highs and the lows with us on three point sixty throughout this season.