Rodney (Balls) Grinter

On 29/11/2025 at 21:55, monoccular said:

I a not quite old enough to have seen Norm Smith or Fred Fanning play, but Ox pre knee was absolutely the most exciting tall forward I have ever seen at Melbourne.

So sad for all concerned that he had multiple knee injuries.

I'd have to say very closely followed by Allan Jackovic.

201 goals in 47 games would be unheard-of these days and certainly not by a MFC player.

Came as close as any MFC player in the modern era to matching Fred's record of most goals in a game.

To think that in this same period in the 90s, we also had Garry Lyon and Darren Bennett, Martin Pike as key forwards and later David Neitz and Shaun Smith, Jeff Farmer and Russell Robertson as talls smalls and mid sized forwards. Was such an exciting era. If only we could boast that sort of forward line over the past few years.

32 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

Never forget the prelim in 2018. They were beyond obnoxious

They we pretty obnoxious throughout most of the 90s when they were a force as well.

17 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

The optimal result long term for Australian football is that West Coast win a majority of their home games to keep the fans entertained,

Imagine all those booing fests. I think it's tonned down since their expectation is they will loose any week anyways.

5 minutes ago, GawnOfTheDead said:

Crazy to think they have so many fans and still pull better crowds than we do sometimes.

Give them another decade or so of irrelevance and hopefully that changes. Maybe even more so if Freo can actually be half decent in that time.

38 minutes ago, FrothiesLiam said:

I found this article quite funny to read.

This Eagles member/supporter wanted 7 & 8 from Gold Coast for West Coast’s word that they wouldn't bid on Uwland and Patterson.

https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/11/28/the-eagles-botched-the-2025-national-draft-heres-how/

And so what if one of these clubs that did a trade for better picks on the premis of not bidding on the club they were dealing withs player then double crosses them and bids on them anyways? I know it's unlikely and that club would never receive that same sort of trust in a deal again, but it it could set your club up better and seriously push back a close rivals recruitment, then surely you'd actually have to consider it right?

Similarly, I think the AFL should be holding players that nominate for the draft and then nominate a club or their terms to account. I'd also love to see a rival club draft someone like a Luke Ball or Jack Martin, then just offer them a contract of whatever they could afford and say, don't like it, don't play for us and get nothing for a season.

33 minutes ago, FrothiesLiam said:

I found this article quite funny to read.

This Eagles member/supporter wanted 7 & 8 from Gold Coast for West Coast’s word that they wouldn't bid on Uwland and Patterson.

https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/11/28/the-eagles-botched-the-2025-national-draft-heres-how/

"...man it sucks to be an Egales fan right now".

I think it just sucks to be an Eagles fan full stop.

We were red hot going into that finals series. If only we'd won a few more games earlier in the season and got ourselves a top 4 spot. Travelling to Perth to play a rested, well drilled West Coast in the prelim killed us, just like it did in 2018.

2 hours ago, Go Ds said:

Yep, Schwarz barely played for the next two and a half years. Sean Charles and Pike kicked bags in the Carlton win and I'm sure we expected the rampaging Jakovich to be back early 95. So 3 rising stars and a missing star and the future looked so bright. But as well as Schwarz Charles played few games for the next two years plus Jako never played for us again, and Pike didn't either (but won flags at two other clubs.) So much bad luck.

Yep, those guys were great, Pike and Jacko were definitely also personal favourites of mine, but to also have stars like Lyon, Stynes, Wight, Tingay, Viney, Neitz and also some really serviceable depth and quality role players beneath them. Just check out the team list from that season. I had to search it up as my memory was somewhat letting be down beyond Lyon, Schwatz:

5 hours ago, Go Ds said:

I have such great memories of late '94. Apart from our winning GF that final against Carlton might be my favourite ever Melbourne game ( live or on TV). Weeks earlier Melbourne had managed maybe 0.7 in the third quarter in their Carlton game only to see Carlton kick two late opportune goals and win running away in the last. We went into the final as 7th vs 2nd placed Carlton. They were maybe 4 goals up early in the second quarter. Then something clicked and some of our younger players stepped up and in a jiffy we scrubbed their lead and (almost like a mini version of the 21 GF) took over in the second half. Schwarz, especially, was amazing that days. The highlights of him at the time had our fans suddenly dreaming that with this Carey-like up and comer a flag might finally not be far off. There is overlap in these clips but my, at the time every time Schwarz went near the ball you'd get excited. Just look at the midair blind turn Ox did agsinst the Bulldogs about 11.25 in the long "before knee"...video! What might have been.

(BTW it sounds like Schwarz was so deep in gambling debt on the day of the Carlton game he had to confront the coaches and confess all... maybe even ask for a loan. Maybe he could've barely touched the ball that day and have been forgiven.)

(FWIW Gary Lyon broke records in the Dogs game with 9 goals in a final)

Two of my favourite games of footy. That team was good enough to win a grand final, if only we could have kept them all on the park.

23 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Meanwhile, I'm not shocked he hasn't thanked the fans on social media. The bloke was ostensibly sacked from his workplace and presumably wants to see the back of us.

I think most people could reasonably differentiate the fans and their team mates from management. There were alot of fans that had nothing but love for Clarry, similarly Max and I really think he should have been able to compose himself to at least thank them - surely that's something a half decent player manager would also have a bit of a word to him about. Who knows maybe he'll acknowledge the MFC faithful at some point, but if he doesn't, then I think that would be pretty poor form.

10 hours ago, Go Ds said:

Hmm, there's a lot of faith in Culley and Pickett #2 given theyre about 4 and 0 for games. I sure hope you're right.

Agreed. I'm not saying they won't be best 23 at some stage soon, but I'd be looking for at least some kind of stand-out performance in practice matches against other teams to say that the new recruits are seniors ready. To me this goes for L.Pickett and Taylor.

Based on his AFL/senior level performances to date and a good preseason, I'd be quite happy to have Culley in the 23, but honestly I think he's got to put in a string of consistent high quality, high output games before he replaced Langdon in the starting 18.

@Demonland updated the title to: 2025 Player Reviews: #4 Harvey Langford

On 24/11/2025 at 20:09, stinga said:

If Onley is 197 then White is well over 200.

And then you have 'The Moose'

On 24/11/2025 at 14:07, dice said:

Still can't believe the mad King (Aerys II) got rid of him for nothing 🤬

Hey Clarry - the orange looks good on you. Dare I say it; it matches your hair.

Maybe you can go get a tan on Manly, Bondi or Coogee, but perhaps Cronulla is more your style 😉.

Keep keeping on Tiger, but I hope the Kings Demons smash the Giants next season.

P.S. give 'The Brand' a good uppercut if you come up against him.

8 hours ago, John Crow Batty said:

Clarrie showing off his potty mouth again.

Was the other player hanging out and laughing with him Toby Bedford?

14 hours ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

I certainly, even particularly, meant that cohort, Rodney, for what they bring from the Club's history. 'History' in this discussion does them an injustice; they are very much 'present'. Their potential and actual contribution is tangible. The older cohorts, infirm or departed, can still provide models of attitudes to the Club and to life, though, for our cohorts current and yet to come, as they make, then go on to represent, history* for the Club.

(*...and now, into the spotlight, herstory)

14 hours ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

Don't worry about this, Rodney. The discussion was about the value of the Club's history (vs looking to its future) to the Club. not to the 'outside world'. It seems to be in good hands in the former.

I can only really associate with the legends of the likes of Hassa Mann, Brian Dixon, Ron Brassi, Bluey Adams and that era through the stories and respect that my dad always speaks of them because they are not really of my era. But that their names are still know and spoken about so passionately and favourably all these years on really does say something of the character and manner in which they served the club as players and then in later years as past players.

I think I somewhat yearn for the time when in a somewhat less professional era more players seemed to care more for loyalty and service to their club than picking up the next $8M, 5 year contract that they might or might not have the commitment to see out.

I guess a few others that I see as loyal respected recent past players that have held onto a strong association with and/or service to the MFC would be the likes of Aaron Davey, Matthew Wheelan, David Neitz, Adam Yze (to an extent) as well as (though not a player) The Reverend, The Great Neale Daniher. I feel even Bryon Pickett to an extent has contributed in this space through his support for Kozzie to remain at the club and perhaps in future years we may well look at Kozzie himself as a great all-round contributor to the fabric of the club.

I guess within the most recent crop, it would also be pretty hard to find someone who bleeds more Red & Blue than Jack Viney and it will be interesting to see what others might also step up post career - perhaps the Jake Melksham, Tom McDonald types will. It's so sad what happened with Gus Brayshaw as I think he also played that club ambassador role so well, but now understandably would prefer to stay somewhat more detached (at least for now).

To me it's this kind of service and characters that make following a footy team seem more meaningful and worth while. For all the talk of the ruthless professional era that football is today, I think all the clubs, players and powers at the AFL would do well to think about that 50,000 to 100,000 people don't go down to the local stock agents to cheer on the NAB Vs the ANZ or CBA.

19 hours ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

The Club's history is also represented by a large cohort of past players, whose actual or potential contribution in myriad ways towards the Club's future needs to be recognised and fostered.

I look to more recient times and there is that past players co-hort lead by Rod Grinter & Paul Hopgood, represented in the media by Garry Lyon, Todd Viney and Jimmy Stynes before his passing. The next batch I would say includes guys like Robbo (love him or loath him for his match day 'entertainment' role), Brad Green, the Wizz (to an extent) and increasing Jeff White.

I think it has become a fair bit more stratified in the professional era, but I can see Gawny being a MFC ambassador for many years to come as well as Jonesy, but I'm not really too sure who else at this point.

24 minutes ago, BigBadBustling said:

Hey there Boo Boo

Smarter than your avERAge bear 🐻

Proper official now.

Really looking forward to see what this kid can do.

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1933115/afl-draft-white-continues-fathers-legacy

21 minutes ago, BigBadBustling said:

How about the nickname 'Boo', as in 'Boo Boo'. Yogi Bear's smaller best mate.....

Must have played in some impressive performances in South Australia.

4 hours ago, layzie said:

JT putting in the work early for next year. If it gets us Humphries then it's a home run.

Seriously though, happy to add new dimension to the small forward stocks. Faster version of Spargo?

And hopefully a version of Laurie that can actually perform at AFL level.

4 minutes ago, Redleg said:

That is funny.

They are becoming the kings of the off field sledge.

Agreed. I think some of it is actually pretty rude and disrespectful to other clubs, when the GWS official club Web site is posting / trolling about players that are still contracted at competitors clubs, but when they take the mickey out of their own Re Stinger and St Kilda based on their poor form with Leek Aleer, then it's fair game.

...also this:

Had to laugh at the Giants socials page.

In the comments, someone suggested to give him the locker next to Clayton. Lol.

I laugh, but it's so likely those two will be very damaging for GWS together. If the Giants arn't pushing for top 4 and seriously contending next year, there is something very wrong. Watching them dismember Sydney in a half a quarter after being well behind bought back memories of the 2021 GF for me and showed what GWS can do. It makes me cry when I see Jesse and Toby Bedford line up for them and probably will with Clayton as well.