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Defining Success in 2020 - Is Just Making Finals Enough?

Rodney (Balls) Grinter
Rodney (Balls) Grinter
in Melbourne Demons

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45 minutes ago, BAMF said:

It's one of the small games within a game that I am really looking forward to this year.

Without a doubt his opponent this year will be aware of what he can do and find new ways of attempting to shut him out.

I still remember Howe coping this when he played forward at times. His opponents figured out to simply make body contact during his run at the ball (illegally but too soft to call) preventing him from making a decent jump. Howe was a one trick pony and had no answer.

Fritsch isn't a one trick pony. He is a natural forward. Lacks a bit of speed but has worked on his endurance. It will be great to see the battle each week. What will they do to stop him and how will he overcome their tactics? It's a great thing. Fritsch deserves the attention because he is that talented. But can he take it to the next level?

I think he can.

As you say a natural forward. Good hands, good leading patterns, times his leads well and takes advantage of chances. 

Will be really helped if we can sort our ball movement and get some nice clean entries inside 50.

 

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    1 hour ago, BAMF said:

    It's one of the small games within a game that I am really looking forward to this year.

    Without a doubt his opponent this year will be aware of what he can do and find new ways of attempting to shut him out.

    I still remember Howe coping this when he played forward at times. His opponents figured out to simply make body contact during his run at the ball (illegally but too soft to call) preventing him from making a decent jump. Howe was a one trick pony and had no answer.

    Fritsch isn't a one trick pony. He is a natural forward. Lacks a bit of speed but has worked on his endurance. It will be great to see the battle each week. What will they do to stop him and how will he overcome their tactics? It's a great thing. Fritsch deserves the attention because he is that talented. But can he take it to the next level?

    Have watched Fritsch a lot, even during his Casey days and he has an uncanny ability to get separation between himself and his direct opponent. This is what makes him such a "natural" forward. Some of it is pace (at the right time) and some of it is guile. The other forward you immediately see this in is Kozzie. Yes, some players and clubs will attempt to shut this out but I feel both players will adapt and overcome what is attempted.

    I have been trying to think of past players that remind me of these two and although they are different body sizes and shapes, Brian Wilson and Alan Jakovich do come to mind.

    Edited by dworship
    Addition

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    9 minutes ago, dworship said:

    Have watched Fritsch a lot, even during his Casey days and he has an uncanny ability to get separation between himself and his direct opponent. This is what makes him such a "natural" forward. Some of it is pace (at the right time) and some of it is guile. The other forward you immediately see this in is Kozzie. Yes, some players and clubs will attempt to shut this out but I feel both players will adapt and overcome what is attempted.

    I have been trying to think of past players that remind me of these two and although they are different body sizes and shapes, Brian Wilson and Alan Jakovich do come to mind.

    Robbo had that skill too

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    11 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

    So for me, just making the 8 in 2020 will be just - meh, now show us if this side is really something and finish top 4 in 2021.

    P.S. to contradictory to almost everything I have stated in this thread, I took out the G.F. gaurentee membership option early in 2018, because if we ever do make it again an win one, by F%#@, I'm going to be there at the G to remember it!

    The Blocks have been building for the last five years and a hand accidentally slipped and knocked some off in 2019.

    They are now back on with  with the help of steady hands and will continue to build in 2020. We are almost there no doubt.

    I have faith. We are not that far away. 

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    On 1/12/2020 at 5:54 PM, MyFavouriteMartian said:

    Yep

    It's time for both Fritta and Weide to pull their weight.   And play more robustly.

    Ur kidding?? Fritta was a revelation last year!! Weed tragic underperformer!

    If Weeds does not perform this year ( Unless injury is a factor) I would move him on!!

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    On 1/12/2020 at 10:02 PM, rjay said:

    The rebuild started at the end of 2013...it was never linear as I've stated elsewhere.

    You pick up, you lose, you win some, you lose some.

    Players come in, players go but over that period you build or should build a stronger list.

    ..I just think 7 years is long enough to build a contender.

    I'm not saying we will contend, just that we should be in that position now and I will see it as failure if we don't...

    Sorry RJ it was linear with 2019 the exception.

    2020 will determine how successful our build and 2018/19 draft and trade "top up" is to our long term future.

    Mytip is that we have greater depth potentially than 2018 and if 3 or 4 of our "top ups" rise to C/B graders and/or an A such as Fritta Lever Langdon Or May possibly  then We will be in even better shape. (Dare to dream about Harley).

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    47 minutes ago, 58er said:

    Sorry RJ it was linear with 2019 the exception.

    2020 will determine how successful our build and 2018/19 draft and trade "top up" is to our long term future.

    Mytip is that we have greater depth potentially than 2018 and if 3 or 4 of our "top ups" rise to C/B graders and/or an A such as Fritta Lever Langdon Or May possibly  then We will be in even better shape. (Dare to dream about Harley).

    Yep, it was until the 2019 season.

    We had made progress each year but the fall off was a bit dramatic.

    That drop off create a great opportunity to top up our young talent & may be seen as pivotal to success when we look back.

    Agree that our list is in better shape than 2018 & we should expect a strong 2020 season.

    I don't understand those who think just making the 8 is good enough.

    We should put 2019 aside & judge on the improvement up to & including 2018.

    We made the Prelim in 2018 but weren't competitive.

    We  need to at leat make it and put up a good show, maybe even win it for 2020 to be seen as successful.

     

    Edited by rjay

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    No. We mortgaged our future for Lever, May and Pickett, need to be pushing for a flag.

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    An interesting observation (well to me anyway). This thread has it all from wildly optimistic with little regard for the facts to wildly pessimistic with little regard for the facts and every shade inbetween. The optimists see anyone less so as pessimists and the pessimists see everyone else as deluded. IMO it shows the depth of opinion there is about the MFC and in the end most of us don't have a solid base to form our opinions. The majority it would seem are just quietly hoping 2020 will be a good year.

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    1 hour ago, old dee said:

    An interesting observation (well to me anyway). This thread has it all from wildly optimistic with little regard for the facts to wildly pessimistic with little regard for the facts and every shade inbetween. The optimists see anyone less so as pessimists and the pessimists see everyone else as deluded. IMO it shows the depth of opinion there is about the MFC and in the end most of us don't have a solid base to form our opinions. The majority it would seem are just quietly hoping 2020 will be a good year.

    A good year is about September participation, particularly for the Club where the game began. 
    anything less is total rubbish and shameful 

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    On 1/13/2020 at 11:43 PM, picket fence said:

    Ur kidding?? Fritta was a revelation last year!! Weed tragic underperformer!

    If Weeds does not perform this year ( Unless injury is a factor) I would move him on!!

    You don't want him to improve further.?  Do you think he has topped off on his best?   I think he's got more in him, another level. and he has this year to raise his level again.

     

    Many think Petracca is good enough, as well.  I think he needs to get more professional and ruthless as a player.  And, so far he seems to be at another level, going purely on appearances of his physique.

     

    Weide is only now starting to fill out, and at 97kgs, is starting to get stronger.   This will hopefully show in his games.

    Time will tell on all these youngish players.

    Edited by MyFavouriteMartian

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    8 hours ago, MyFavouriteMartian said:

    You don't want him to improve further.?  Do you think he has topped off on his best?   I think he's got more in him, another level. and he has this year to raise his level again.

     

    Many think Petracca is good enough, as well.  I think he needs to get more professional and ruthless as a player.  And, so far he seems to be at another level, going purely on appearances of his physique.

     

    Weide is only now starting to fill out, and at 97kgs, is starting to get stronger.   This will hopefully show in his games.

    Time will tell on all these youngish players.

    He reminds me of Gunstan ... Jack, not Norman.

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    On 1/12/2020 at 10:12 PM, rjay said:

    You're playing with words here mate...

    We started a rebuild at the end of 2013 when we brought in Roos...part of the process was bringing in Goodwin.

    That means by the end of 2020 we will have had 7 years to bring in players, trade out players, basically build a club/team that will seriously contest for the flag.

    I think that is probably long enough.

    Just making up the numbers will not be a successful season.

    We weren’t even the slops on a butcher’s floor when Roos came in.

    It’s remarkable how he turned us around within such a short period of time.

    It wasn’t a rebuild designed to win us a flag in the next 3 years though - it was a rebuild to help us move from the VFL to a consistently competitive standard in the AFL, from which we would then have a base to launch for finals and hopefully a flag.

    I suspect we slightly over-performed in 2018, prior to the Greek tragedy that was last year.

    We’re now in the zone though. Flag aspirations prior to this season was just dreamin’. 

     

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