yes that round 22 game was a very spiteful encounter. I have it on VHS

I can't remember that bit but the Prelim final win was a beauty . Ricky kicked 5 and Sean 4 . Always nice to beat the Blues but that day was sweet as . I will take the '88 season over any of the last 6 years - in a nanosecond .

It's a strange thing with achievements in footy . Right now, if we got to 10 wins next year by playing some hard at it, accountable footy and avoided the beltings, many of us would see that as some sort of achievement .

Making finals is a reasonable accomplishment , making a Prelim final usually means you've had a very good year , making a GF is a terrific achievement and winning the GF is the ultimate achievement . Too much of an 'All or nothing' mentality exists in footy . We all want the ultimate goal but there's lot's of achievements to be had along the way .

Anyway , what was this thread about ? Oh , that's right , the Grinter/Straubs/Biffo thing . I like the concept !

Edited November 26, 201212 yr by Macca

I agree, making a GF is a mighty achievement.

But watching you team lose it by a humiliatingly huge margin amongst gleeful and arrogant (with good cause) Hawks fans makes for a scarring experience.

And then there was 2000.

Edited November 26, 201212 yr by PaulRB

I agree, making a GF is a mighty achievement.

But watching you team lose it by a humiliatingly huge margin amongst gleeful and arrogant (with good cause) Hawks fans makes for a scarring experience.

And then there was 2000.

Yeah , you make a good point and I don't disagree with you on the belting and the repercussions that go with it . Looking back , I have no idea why I thought we had a chance in that game . The Hawks were a super team with stars on every line . We played really well in the lead up to that GF . That's probably the reason for my ill-fated confidence .

A 13-9 season won't normally take you very far in the finals but that year we struck form at the right time then ran into a juggernaut . It rained in the first half yeah ? I couldn't get a ticket .

Yeah , you make a good point and I don't disagree with you on the belting and the repercussions that go with it . Looking back , I have no idea why I thought we had a chance in that game . The Hawks were a super team with stars on every line . We played really well in the lead up to that GF . That's probably the reason for my ill-fated confidence .

A 13-9 season won't normally take you very far in the finals but that year we struck form at the right time then ran into a juggernaut . It rained in the first half yeah ? I couldn't get a ticket .

'88 was a great season but the GF was like meeting the Cray Brothers in a dark alley and waking up in hospital the next day. The previous weeks are a distant memory.

I nearly died during the Elimination Final...that was too close.

Beating the Filth at the 'G in September in the first semi was a most glorious beautiful moment in human evolution.

I almost understood how my dad had felt 30 +- years earlier...But the GF killed all that spirit. That was a long summer.

Edited November 26, 201212 yr by why you little

88 was worse than 2000, not just from a scoreboard point of view but in terms of the absolute battering your psyche took. The whole Flower-inspired fairytale run came a cropper in the most miserable fashion possible. It was shattering.

Essendon were invincible in 2000 and every other side was just playing for scraps. We were never a chance.

Firstly, some will be aware that this concept was coined over at our friends 'Ology (not sure by which poster) a couple of seasons ago. So, credit where it's due.

In keeping with the new push for a more ruthless, harder-edged MFC, the 'hardest team to play against' and all that goes with that, I would like to propose that Demonland co-opt this award concept for the 2013 season and beyond.

Voting would be a simple weekly 3-2-1 and given by posters to the the players who did the most to transform the external perception of Melbourne as a club that prefers footy of the 'bruise-free' variety. I'm not talking about senseless acts of thuggery here, but within-the-rules acts of bravery and brutality that make the whole side walk taller.

Just like the great man "Balls" Grinter himself.

Well......I think give credit where its due for guys who were tough and had balls and I agree with what you put forward.

I didnt see a lot of Ray Biffen but I heard he was a tough ol bugger....

I did however see Balls play on the G many times...He was tough.

Why not use the guys that were proven for the award as some people have stated.

How about the Biffen Balls Bruise Free Medal For Ruthless acts of Opposition Intimidation!

This could involve flying the flag or as you put making the side generally walk taller through leadership or fearless plays!

Well......I think give credit where its due for guys who were tough and had balls and I agree with what you put forward.

I didnt see a lot of Ray Biffen but I heard he was a tough ol bugger....

I did however see Balls play on the G many times...He was tough.

Why not use the guys that were proven for the award as some people have stated.

How about the Biffen Balls Bruise Free Medal For Ruthless acts of Opposition Intimidation!

This could involve flying the flag or as you put making the side generally walk taller through leadership or fearless plays!

Good thoughts TT ... flying the flag for a teammate definitely puts a player in line for votes!

Maybe we should call it the Mitch Robinson Award with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

Framing an early market for the award ...

3/1 Tapscott

5/1 Clark, McKenzie, Jones

7/1 Viney, Frawley

10/1 Grimes, Dawes, Dunn

20/1 Sylvia, Jamar, MacDonald, Trengove

50/1 Spencer, Jetta, Rodan, Taggert, Howe

500/1 Watts, Barry

Edited November 26, 201212 yr by NoMoreMrNiceGuy

Biffen Balls Bruise Free Medal For Ruthless acts of Opposition Intimidation!

This is the name of the award^^ superb. Take a bow.

The Deestroy All ?

The Deestroy All ?

It could even be clever and witty.

Would make a nice change...

Slayer of the Week?

Slayer of the Week?

Actually you might not be far off Rog. That might be the way to go giving it that 'Demon' angle. It'll help bring back a hard edge to the name, make it the feared emblem that it should be.

Other possibilities:

The 'Lucifer'

The '666 Award'

The 'Triple Six Award'

The 'Satan'

It could even be clever and witty.

Would make a nice change...

Ouch.

88 was worse than 2000, not just from a scoreboard point of view but in terms of the absolute battering your psyche took. The whole Flower-inspired fairytale run came a cropper in the most miserable fashion possible. It was shattering.

Essendon were invincible in 2000 and every other side was just playing for scraps. We were never a chance.

Robbie Flower retired in 1987 and did not play in 1988. Earth shattering it was too.

Robbie Flower retired in 1987 and did not play in 1988. Earth shattering it was too.

Even though Flower retired after the '87 prelim, I sort of lump those two seasons in together. The special alchemy formed towards the end of that season carried through into '88 as I recall.

Heady days they were. Amazing to think a quarter of a century has passed.

Edited November 26, 201212 yr by NoMoreMrNiceGuy

Actually you might not be far off Rog. That might be the way to go giving it that 'Demon' angle. It'll help bring back a hard edge to the name, make it the feared emblem that it should be.

Other possibilities:

The 'Lucifer'

The '666 Award'

The 'Triple Six Award'

The 'Satan'

The Devil's Advocate

I guess the first nominee would be for Jack Viney and his assault on the man mountain Leigh Brown at training?

Is the award for acts of bravery or stupid [censored] that gets you rubbed out?

Edited November 27, 201212 yr by dandeeman

The Devil's Advocate

^Like this.

Acts of on field brutality or bravery that hurt the opposition and/or lift the Dees, and don't get you rubbed out.

Edited November 27, 201212 yr by PaulRB

It could be called just "The Bruise-Free Award"?

This is the name of the award^^ superb. Take a bow.

LOL.Thank You Thank You.

I gotta admit I'm happy with it, but lets see what everyone else has got to be fair.

I remodelled the Grinter Award system a few years back, so that voting worked by allocating as many as 12 votes to as few or multiple players depending on how you weighted their performances and who (if any) deserved votes at all. It also took into account EVERYONE's votes. If you were a traditionalist you could give 3-2-1 and it would simply count as 6-4-2 in the 12 vote system.

So far my preseason award goes to 1 Viney. 2. Rodan. 3. Toumpas