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Awarded the rising star nomination for round 18. Demons' quiet achiever earns Rising Star nod - https://www.afl.com.au/news/981905

We get to talk about top picks AND top 4 finals! What bat [censored] crazy world is this?

More certain is that Nathan Buckley is not a premiership player or coach and he never will be.

Some info on the game gleaned through the social media • The game between Melbourne and St Kilda was played at Casey Fields. • It was 15 a side and a couple of Demons were loaned to the Saints to help make up numbers. • Brodie Grundy was stationed at deep forward but roamed the ground as the game went on. He kicked one goal, had nine kicks, seven handballs and six marks. • Kade Chandler was the star of the game, Michael Hibberd showed no signs of discomfort as he returns from a kidney injury and James Harmes worked hard through the midfield.

Fortunately for dees fans, his confident prediction a few weeks back that freo would take our spot in the top four is unlikely to prove accurate.

As best I can glean, they’ve determined he’s got a tear at the Musculo-tendinous junction, or M-T junction (where the ‘white’ tissue meets the ‘red’) of 2 (of his 3) hamstrings. These are more complicated than a simple mid-belly tear (3 week rule) and not as bad as a tear in the tendon pure (3 month +). Hence the time taken. Why they couldn’t determine this at first diagnosis, who knows (imaging isn’t perfect by any means), but it just means a longer timeframe, and longer still the more ‘tendon’ than ‘muscle’. This far into his rehab though, it’s now all about his symptom reportage, whether he can repeat sprint, accelerate, jump and land without pain, so we’ll just have to wait. Cherry ripe for finals I’m thinking.

And if we'd kicked straight against the Pies, the margin would have been comprehensive What came out of that performance (that King conveniently forgets) is how we shut down Collingwood's offense They couldn't get past our 3 or 4 lines of defence coupled with our defensive zones which seemed to confuse them It was the way we beat them that sticks in the memory Easily our best performance since the finals of 2021 ... our issue is that we've dropped games against a few lesser lights that we should have won But against the top 3 ... 2 narrow losses and 2 narrow wins (one if which could have been comprehensive) We're right in amongst it but we need Oliver & Fritsch back and 1 of our 2 KPF's to fire ... if 2 of our KPF'S fire we're winning it all!

May shoved Daniher in the side and tried to turn him. Daniher dived for his life. And if you think the umpiring was good go watch Petracca be molested by Starcevich every time there was a stoppage. Disgraceful

Congratulations Judd McVee so glad that you have finally been recognised by the wider AFL world, us Dee supporters have been admiring your immense efforts all year a real diamond in the rough.!!!

Here are the top 20 players with 15+ defensive 1v1 contests. McVee is ranked 9th, Quaynor 6th. Melbourne rank second at 19.6% and the league average is 24.9%. Defensive 1v1 contests, 15+ contests, 2023 Rank Player Team 1v1s Losses % 1 Jimmy Webster St Kilda 17 1 5.9 2 Ryan Lester Brisbane 16 1 6.2 3 Ben Long Gold Coast 16 1 6.2 4 Ed Richards Western Bulldogs 15 1 6.7 5 Sam Taylor Greater Western Sydney 38 3 7.9 6 Isaac Quaynor Collingwood 20 2 10.0 7 Jacob Weitering Carlton 60 6 10.0 8 Aidan Corr North Melbourne 29 3 10.3 9 Judd McVee Melbourne 17 2 11.8 10 Jake Bowey Melbourne 16 2 12.5 11 Jack Henry Geelong 15 2 13.3 12 Brodie Smith Adelaide 15 2 13.3 13 Ethan Hughes Fremantle 15 2 13.3 14 Max Gawn Melbourne 22 3 13.6 15 James Sicily Hawthorn 36 5 13.9 16 Tylar Young Richmond 49 7 14.3 17 Nathan Broad Richmond 21 3 14.3 18 Jack Payne Brisbane 40 6 15.0 19 Connor Idun Greater Western Sydney 38 6 15.8 20 Darcy Moore Collingwood 44 7 15.9 https://www.wheeloratings.com/afl_stats.html Defensive 1v1 contests, 10+ contests, Melbourne 2023 Rank Player Team 1v1s Losses % 1 Brodie Grundy Melbourne 13 0 0.0 2 Judd McVee Melbourne 17 2 11.8 3 Jake Bowey Melbourne 16 2 12.5 4 Max Gawn Melbourne 22 3 13.6 5 Adam Tomlinson Melbourne 14 2 14.3 6 Steven May Melbourne 56 10 17.9 7 Trent Rivers Melbourne 20 4 20.0 8 Jake Lever Melbourne 35 8 22.9 9 Harrison Petty Melbourne 26 8 30.8 10 Michael Hibberd Melbourne 18 6 33.3

Yeah I like how the club is trying to be creative with Grundy. I think it's bold by Goodwin and shows that we're not set on same system compared to last year where I felt we were too rigid set on what made us great in 2021.

Also, that AFL article on his rising star nod notes nothing about the sorts of opponents he's had this year. Choco and Chaplin should get great credit for their development of our young backs. How Judd's so seamlessly fitted into the system back there is so exciting.

Well done Juddy. One of the highlights of 2023 so far!

Macca I class myself as one who doesn't go round blaming umpires and if I could be bothered to look I think you'd find posts where I've defended them. I also had an excellent view of the incident and I thought it was a terrible decision. I thought May put his hands on Daniher, one in the side and the other on the side of his back, to hold him out, not to push him. As far as I'm aware that's quite legal. When Daniher flung himself forward May's hand held their position, they didn't push him. Daniher has form. Earlier in the match he tried to milk a 50m penalty. May was unset with the decision because he knew he didn't push him. Daniher had misjudged the ball and May was peeling back to take the mark. As you and I would agree, it's an impossible game to umpire and my explanation above is full of judgement's I can't be sure of. You saw the same thing and have a completely different interpretation, just as valid as mine, but I think you're very wrong. Let people have their opinions. Oh, and for the record, the only time I've ever wondered if the umpires cheat was the 2016 GF where the Dogs (everyone's favourites) got a dream run that was hard to explain and was a continuation of their "good fortune in the PF the week before.

I can't see a premiership where Max has to shoulder primary ruck duties for 9-10 more games. Sure he was great on Friday night but that's because he's been rested. Brodie will be back.

Pretty dark analysis there, mate…

One of the grounds I played on in junior footy was literally a paddock with goal posts at each end. We had to shoo the sheep off the ground before we could start the game, but evidence of their existence was obvious wherever you looked. The coach didn't need to remind us to keep our feet when we played there.

Best motivation you can get, someone telling you that you can’t do something.

Dean Chiron on Platten…geeeez you are going back in time Macca. Aaron Naughton puts his hands in his opponents back at every marking contest and is rarely paid against. May had a hand on Danihers stomach and one on his back, and Daniher sprung forward in a diving motion…it was simulation at its finest. You might appreciate the umpiring and all, but those are facts and if they keep paying them then more players will continue to to dive as soon as they feel any contact on their back. It’s a blight on the game

Webber, I appreciate that you need time away but F C S. The best player we have ever had was yelling at the high performance bloke his hammy was that bad. And you were living it up in rural France without suitable wifi? WE NEEDED YOU.

The media is out in full meltdown arseclown mode. Grundy will be traded. We will have to pay his contract. This is a disaster. The world is ending. Nathan Buckley knows what he’s talking about because he won so many flags. Damien Barrett is a real man and not in fact a cockroach. Sigh

The only advantage of Geelong playing finals is the prospect of Essendon going into an elimination final already knowing they're doomed. The 'Essendon to be immediately knocked out of finals for a seventh time' death ride is almost as tantalising as the Freo death ride, but more pure because it is a strictly spiritual calling.

Not sure it would be wise to go into a final, with only 1 ruckman and a 19 year old kid who isn’t quite AFL ready, as your main ruck backup. What a disaster it would be if Max went off in the first quarter. Also, imagine how the opposition would target Max if we had no recognised ruckman as a backup.

Sounds great to me. Grundy plays the game of his life, kicking 4 goals and assisting in many more, in a winning GF.

These journos will forever be plotting and predicting our down fall. Our forward line was on 'life support' until it wasn't. We were at risk of dropping out of the top 4, until we weren't. I see no reason why he couldn't produce a game like JVR did against Brisbane. Follow leading patterns, bring the ball to ground, and ruck in the forward line and the occasional centre bounce. I also see him being able to lead up the ground and link up from forward 50, leaving space and opportunity for other forwards, just like TMAC did in past years. I don't think he will ever become a great contested mark, or develop crafty forward skills but that doesn't mean he can't work in a forward 50 role. Barret is a slug and I will enjoy seeing these journos dumbfounded when we hold up another cup this year.

I want that composure to stay in the backline. He’s a natural defender I think. Happy with this nom, it’s a great bit of acknowledgment of his efforts this year.

A Covid special...there was always going to be a player or two who slipped through. Some good recruiting and a bit of luck see us with a very good player.

Love it. How good is Bowser as well! And Grundy is impressive. Thanks Wheelo!

I dont think the umps are nearly as much to blame as the AFL itself and its continual mucking around and rolling agendas. Used to be a fairly straightforward game....one most 7 yo in the school yard could fathom.... Now...who the f knows the rules from one week to another...

Surprised that Beaumaris Secondary School's deck isnt considered. The MCC have some sort of arrangement with the school and government to have facilities out there. Was there a few months back doing a school tour for my son - i recall it had been really wet and soggy for a number of days and the surface was pristine. Reminded me of the G during GF day.

I was considering doing the ladder predictions on the AFL app, then looked how well I’ve been doing in picking winners in the footy tipping competition, then decided I shouldn’t bother…

I think having Adelaide straight after Brisbane is good, two of the highest scoring, attacking teams. Hopefully we can take "learnings" from Q2 & 3 vs Brisbane.

I hope Brisbane crush them, and that Port and Pies do the same. I have had just about enough of that walking retirement village.

The Cats got a few back this week.....they're a big watch for me. I absolutely hate them more than any other club.

What all these commentators seem to be missing is the fact Gawn probably only has a good year or 2 left in him as the primary ruck, at which point Brody will take the helm while Gawn spends his twilight years up forward.

Death Riders Returning from a Successful Weekend of Death Riding

I agree and I reckon we made the right move in giving Brown & JVR a chance to prove themselves as a pair and as individuals But by doing that, there wasn't a spot for Grundy (for now) ... he gets to get a rest from being first ruck in the seniors whilst hopefully playing well as a forward at a lower level It's a bold experiment but it might work If we can somehow sort it all out before the finals, we'll be doing well

Whether it works or not is yet to be seen, but the media are acting like we think Grundy will suddenly become Tom Hawkins and win a coleman. The club obviously just want him to slightly improve his forward craft, so he can do an adequate job down there and then take relief ruck for the remainder of the season. There is absolutely no reason he can't learn the basic running patterns etc. and then create a contest, which is essentially what JVR is doing right now as a forward in his infancy. Grundy is an intelligent person, so one would think he can pick up the basic requirements pretty easily.

Look, I don't think it's impossible, but you do need to understand that he's been programmed his whole AFL career as a genuine number 1 ruckman. Its going to take a while for him to adjust to being a full time forward. He'll need to learn about certain leading patterns, timing of when to lead and not too, body on body position etc. It's those little things that'll take time to adjust. I like how the club is being bold about this. They've identified that it hasn't worked so let's assess other options and instead not let if fester away until the seasons done. Still think they'll find a way to fit Grundy coming in towards the finals.

I agree but my point is that Clarrie not playing has allowed us to move the chess pieces around I'm not for one minute rejoicing in the fact that Oliver is out. Just noting that we've had to adjust and get on with it In real terms we have adjusted in a positive way and kudos to the MC for finding a way to cover his absence Of course when Clarrie returns, we're a better team

Just as a discussion point, how can we say absolutely that Grundy can’t play forward, when he has played mainly as a ruckman and hasn’t been tried in that role? It may not work, but it might. He would be a hard matchup for the opposition. My Pies’ mates who have seen him play for 10 years, say he is more a ruck rover than a ruckman. Remember someone else described that way? We have seen him pick up the ground ball, run and bounce, take marks up forward and kick about 10 goals so far this year. JVR is smaller than Grundy, less experienced and not dominating yet. BBB has lost some of the little mobility he had and goes out of the game and has kicked only a few goals in the last few games. Tom Mac is injured and Schache is obviously not being considered. BBB and JVR kicked one goal between them against the Lions. I can’t believe that Grundy can’t offer similar up forward atm, or at least the same as BBB or JVR. He is strong, fit and experienced. He is a fair kick for goal. He is also the perfect chop out for Max and a better forward ruck than our two forwards. Him playing there saves JVR being belted and exhausted and affecting his main role as a forward. All I am saying is this can work for a while. It is not an impossibility like some pundits in the media are saying.

The AFL have said the Tasmanian team must be competitive year one, they'll make sure they go back to Tassie year one 2028, year 5 with us, just when we've done all the development.

Geeze, can David King have a bigger hard on for Collingwood? Made worse listening to him talking about the size of gap between us and them. We did beat them a few weeks ago, right? It felt pretty real. Maybe I dreamt it. Nope, I just checked the score. We definitely beat them.

Why on earth is the Hipwood non-mark being discussed as a controversial moment? It hit Lever in the chest and if he didn't think we could have marked it he would have gone the punch. In my view Lever marked it then Hipwood ripped it out, it was not even a 50-50 with Lever in front. Hipwood tried to con the umpire and it's understandable in that moment.

I waited for today to share any real thoughts on how this game went down and after one full replay and two 4th quarter replays and I still can't quite figure out how the we did it but we did. That first 10 minutes was the best football we've played this year. We led the clearance count 6-0 and were torching contested but the Lions found a way back and we were in for a big game. It seemed like it was getting out of hand and for the life of me I don't know how we came back in that last quarter, but I had long made peace with the fact that we were going to be losing this game. The lead kept reducing and when Viney kicked that beauty and we entered the forward line again, I just felt it was going to happen. Feel so good for Melk, I haven definitely been a critic and I'm not saying he's the answer up forward every week but this game suited him and he showed a physical side early that was really helpful. Good on you Melk! What? Paywall? For the rest of layzie's post you will need to be subscriber. $6 a week just 2 cups of coffee...

Watched the replay. We dominated the last quarter, those saying we got lucky or stole it, are wrong I reckon. Four misses early on, continued pushing, played desperate, and had belief. We opened the forward area well, and that gave us the ability to compete and score. What I would like to see us develop, is the ability to clear the ball out of the backline. The Saints held it in and Brissy did it for those two quarters that we lost. They forced multiple entries on us, as we struggled to get the ball past the centre. We fell off their players and our zone got picked because we didn't have time to set it. We need to either find a boundary, a releasing mark, a corridor or maintain possession, when exiting. Can't let the oppo put that much pressure on our backs.

He’s a [censored]. A slug. A worm. A stale fart in an elevator. Sits there with that permanently smug look on his face amongst the ex players like he’s part of the boys club and understands the ins and outs of playing footy. The filter on this site won’t let me go further 😛 He’s always very negative about Melbourne. A few weeks back he was downplaying our 2021 premiership saying we only played a few good minutes of footy and got lucky to win it etc. So disrespectful and completely false. We finished top of the ladder and statistically had the most dominant finals series in over 20 years… but yeah we only played a few good minutes. He’s such a lying piece of tish and a key part of the footy media being trash. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him hiding in Clayton Oliver’s rubbish bin out front of his house in hopes of getting a scoop the waste of skin.

Cats are the only animals to domesticate themselves. Subsequently they are always looking for a better option. They are the Tom Scully of the animal kingdom.