Rodney (Balls) Grinter

So I think Brad Green sent flowers to Trac's mumma and they're doing full exploratory surgery with Australia's best truma doctors tomorrow, to make sure he hasn't pulled a heart mussel as well. Personally I'm a Trac fan in many ways, but that [censored] show around him last year at the end of the season was a disgrace. He could have shut it down way earlier. Think he actually has to build back some trust with the supporter base. The team winning and planting ourselves back up top of the ladder off the back of a few bogs from him and Clarry will probably do it!

Nup. No woundering - man is a beast. I think he'll be running for the role as the black knight after he retires from football.

Agree with that. He has that innate forwards sense of where the ball is likely to drop, where the dangerous space is and awareness of other players around him. He may drop the mark, skirt the contest and seem out of the play, but next thing you know, he's out the other side of the pack and having a shot on goal. On the down side for him I think that when he pulls it off, he makes it look easy and opportunist and when it doesn't fall his way, it probably makes him look lazy and undefensive. BBB also had a similar sense as a forward, although I think he may also have been better at times of bringing other forwards into the play, by providing a well directed tap on to advantage of our other forwards out of nowhere when he looked out of position, that often created scoring opportunities, even though he wasn't pulling down that many marks and having direct shots himself. I'm not sure we could have all our forwards play this role of Fritta, but I think you at least need a few with the ability to create and provide attacking scoring opportunities - if everyone is just looking to takle the defender, who is actually being the attacker? Also think that it soaks up alot of the opposition defenders attention checking him and fees up other players to get out in space within our forward line. I personally think playing as a defender on someone like Fritsch would be a nightmare, because players like him are just so 'slippery' that you can't easily out position them around a contest, they are always two steps ahead of you with respect where the ball is going and where to position themselves.

I grew up in Box Hill and really wished dad had taken us out to Sportsco to meet Robbie. I did get out to the Western Oval last round in 87 though and standing up the back against the fence behind the goals is memory that will be etched in my memory forever and probably solidified my passion for being a MFC supporter and I have Robbie to tank for that. The elation of MFC supporters that day when we realised we'd made it through to the top 5 was amazing and that Robbie would get to play finals was frequently mentioned, not just that it was our first finals appearance in over 20 years

Shows what a joke the award is. But maybe some if it is down to the bad luck of Robbie having his best years the same as those of other absolute champions of the game like Bernie Quinlan, Malcolm Blight or a Ross Glendinning played a blinder of a season? What year(s) do you think were Robbie's best that went unnoticed by the men in white?

A bit of an asides, but back in the day, I had a mate with a beat up old 70s/80s Carona or something, who used a cricket bat to hold up the vinyl interior roof lining on that car, which had become somehow detached and would sag down without the presence of the bat!

Does a good Dr.Eggman impression in those

At various times Demonland has has some excellent podcasts guests that are/were current members of the club administration and coaching pannel. Peter Jackson was one of the most prominent and insightful that imeediatley come to mind. I'm only going off memory here, but I think the timing of his appearance was probably in the Paul Roos days or perhaps around 2018 when he was very much relevant to the club. I think there should be plenty of scope for perhaps more current serving club personnel to appear on the pod cast and answer interview questions from Andy, Binny and the general forum without compromising any sense of independence from the club. Maybe Brad could appear on the forum himself (again possibly), to kick off the open communication channels. Incidentally, one of the quotes that stuck with me from that Peter Jackson interview is that "sometimes development is always linear" and then we had seasons 2019, 2020, followed by 2021!

Could probably also tick off the "nothing good happens at the Sorrento Hotel" for MFC players! (except crappy media stories).

It's a big punt on Johnson I agree. But if we do run with the angle that as he's mature enough and offers that physical edge and can receive JVR from pinch hitting in the ruck, I could accept that. Personally, I haven't seen quite enough out of the Kolt yet to suggest that he should have a place in the side ahead of Disco, who can and does play very mobile for his size. I'd have Disco in as well, as I think he could be about to really hit his straps next year, take his game that bit further and give us some real potency up forward. Was definitely one of our best forwards last season.

I'm not sure the tribunal and MRO being Pies supporters was the factor in the Maynard case though, because if my memory those people actually initially handed down a reasonable (yet possibly still slightly lenient in hindsight) penalty. I lay the blame more so with Collingwood for taking it to court to challenge what was clear to everyone else in the game an action that shouldn't be accepted and the AFL for not having the gumption to counter challenge Collingwoods legal action or threaten Collingwood into submission before it went to court in the first place by whatever means. The fact the AFL changed rule in the off season was an admission of guilt that they had essentially Fffed up. As for the McGuire behaviour after Maynard got off - don't even get me started. AFL Power club politics at its best.

That's rubbish. The players that can actually get elevation to take screamers do so because they get most of there momentum going up and not forward into the players back. If you can't do that, don't go for the mark in that way and don't raise your knees into their back. What Moore did was like an unrealistic attempt with neglect for the players welfare. Similarly poorly executed attempts like Chol on May should be looked at. Again massive knee raise. From memory it was Chol or someone similar that almost took out someone's head/kneck in the next week. Can't have the head being sacrosanct whe you bump, but then have it being OK to make full contact with a knee during a controlled action. People also say that Maynard was within the rules and do you want to take out players committing to the contest. I think it's all about players playing with an extent more control and being aware that they can't just be human wrecking balls out on the field, but that that still leaves plenty of room to play the game it should be played. It use to be more of the 6' and less athletic types that could actually jump they flew for this sort of mark and now they have given licence to every man and his dog to go for them. Similarly, I don't think players would have got away with jumping straight into someone's back like Chol and Moore way back when, because there would have been an even-upper.

If only they'd seriously investigate Darcy Moore's role in it too. Understand that sometimes incidents/accidents will occur and/or are technically within the rules, but when huge blokes like more through their whole body weight at other players knee first, what do we expect the outcomes to be? I guess the words duty of care and Collingwood players are a but of an oxymoron at best within the AFL.

Further to the Disco getting Gus's number thing, in the Disco video up on the club website, he does mention how honoured her is getting it and how he was quite close with Gus, having stayed with him and his parents when he first came to the club (as I understand many others have also).

I'd also say that Bolten, Kelly and Grundy grossly overpaid for their respective contributions. Grundy somewhat at the expense of Collingwood I hope/assume. Also says to me, how fortunate we are having Max as someone who could have demanded top dollar, but accepted a more modest salary for the benifit of team success. His consistent output justifies a bigger pay day than so many others on that list.

Yeah, also know as the WTF emoji

Lol. Oh, please bring back the faceplam emoji.

So interested in what you see as Chandler's weaknesses and/or if you see him as best 22 long term material? Personally I do rate Chandler for his general tenacity, workrate, ability to find the goals on a fairly regular basis and his reliability in nailing the set shots opportunities he gets. If you're suggesting he's a good overhead mark for his size, then I'd agree with that too. I also get the feeling that he's well liked around the club for his good character and willingness to do the team things.

And the worst haircut at the MFC.

Add Chandler, Woey Jnr and Doggy Brown Jnr to that list IMHO. Sharp is also one that could be in the mix if he can take then next step, secure a regular spot in the team and leverage his great athletisim to fill the ANB role - be it in a younger body, so again more generational rebuild.

Agreed. Biggest problem I see here though, is that Goody is almost always unwilling to throw the magnets around in any significant way, until the match is pretty much lost and there's little to no value in that. Incidently, I can also see the counter argument Goody and the coaches might have as there have also been some great wins we had where we had issues scoring, but persevered with players in their more tried and tested roles and ended up with great comeback wins like 2021 final H&A Vs Geelong and to some extent the 2021 GF. But as a whole I think I've seen far to many games where we have struggled to take marks in our forward 50 and lost the game, despite having forward half dominance and a key back who could clunk big marks like T Mac or Maysie and we went on to loose the game. I'd love to see him have a bit more dare in this respect in seasons ahead.

Great kudos for @Demonland! I'm assuming someone from this forum was the photographer with the scoop?

🤦 improvised.

Party time! Got big rapps on this kid. Think he's hot alot of tricks and alot of heart. Good choice for Gus's old jumper I think. I don't think retiring it for years is nessacery if you've got a worthy recipient good to go.