Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Congrats to Jed. Haven't seen alot of his VFL form, but unless he plays an absolute mare on Sunday (which I don't think he will), I hope we find a way to play him until the end of the season.

Other notable owners in my time were Greg Doyle and Jack's uncle Jay.

Good lord "Howe contributed to this himself more than Evans" It's pretty much pot luck how these incidents turn out in both those circumstances. May could have just as easily copped a slightly erant elbow to the head, would Evans have been suspended then? Honestly think they need to have some of these AFL muppets role play all of this out at full pace to show how the players should act and maybe get an actual appreciation of what's reasonable.

Read in interesting article quoting Paul Roos earlier this week how seeing Nev Jetta play one of the final games of the season before he took over as coach gave Roosy enough of an impression that Nev was worth persevering with and keeping a list spot (probably just a rookie lost one from memory). But Laurie has shown nothing like what Nev did up to that point.

Laurie was given numerous opportunities last season and in previous seasons. Pretty much every time he plays, he doesn't have the composure to execute basic football skills at AFL level. Given Laurie had the somewhat unjustified luxury of another preseason and year on our list, I'd be against him being given opportunities to prove he's got what it takes at the top level for the remainder of this season. Give those to Adams, Taj and Pup instead as I think they have shown themselves to be far closer to AFL standard when given opportunities than Laurie. Glad that Culley is being given a decent crack. Would even prefer guys like Henderson and Sestan be given opportunities ahead of Laurie. If Laurie has an outstanding pre-season, then he should get some good gametime during practice matches etc. Honestly though, personally, if we could I'd rather trade him as maybe a change of scenery might do him good; perhaps a change of senior coach might have the same effect for us. I doubt anyone else will be interested though and think he'll end up playing out his career as a solid VFL player.

On a related topic, it was reported by the MFC that Steve May only just came out of concussion protocols this week, so the 3 week suspension was probably somewhat inconsequential in that respect. I guess De Koning "only gave him a concussion" and everyone loves a good specky, so we should just move on. The other thing that I take away from that is that next time players realise that they need to enter a foot race in which they might arrive at the ball at the same time, they should just try to take a specky on them and knee them in the head instead, because that's a football act that provides total immunity from suspension.

No doubt they will come up with some BS rationale that insults all intelegence and logic.

Looking at Grand Final win / loss results paints a bit of a different picture though. Buckly 1, 0 - 1 Longmire 5, 1 - 4 Goodwin 1, 1 - 0 Voss 0, 0 - 0 Simpson 2, 1 - 1

In answer to the basic question of "how are you doing ?" - to be honest when this was first announced earlier in the week, I had a real sinking feeling and almost embarrasment like "oh no, here we go again". Melbourne are a basket case, sack the coach, ra ra ra. But after riding all the bumps over the past 40 odd years of following our team the past 20 in particular) I've learnt not to get quite so emotional about this stuff and just switched off footy for a few days. Putting things into perspective a bit too while its certainly not the season we'd have hoped for, our season hasn't actually been all that bad either. Yeah we've copped a couple of 60 point losses, but nothing worse than that and handed out a couple back the other way. We've been pretty compeditive against some of the higher ranked sides too and our percentage is getting close to 100%. I don't actually read all that much into the St Kilda loss - Hawthorn had just as bad a quarter against Adelaide the other week, which took them from a dominant position to loosing the game as well. GWS had a bigger turn around against Sydney in a quarter too. If anything, St Kilda got pretty lucky to be gifted a 50m penalty and a free kick out of the centre in the dying minutes and seconds, without which we win the game and it's pretty much a non story. Big turn arounds happen in quarters these days - just look at the last 45mins of our 2021 GF. What happened this week was nothing compared to some of the bad old days era 2008-2013. As an asides, I reinstated my MFC membership while living interstate in 2012 after a thumping loss to West Coast by 108 points that had many baying for blood. This past weeks have been nothing like that.

Not sure how many concessions King got as a player, but both these guys are brain dead when it comes to any sensible, objective critical thinking.

The players that miss out on premierships is always hard and something of a regret. In that year, I also somewhat feel for guys like Melksham who I felt was a huge part of our revival in 2017 / 2018 and has been great in the last few years, but was unfortunately either injured and/or out of form in 2021. Adam Tomlinson was also another so unlucky to get injured mid season after putting together some great form and helping hold the backline together for a number of weeks in the absence of May and Hibbo. Similarly Aaron vandenBerg was a personal favorite of mine with the way he played the game and played an awsome late season cameo role in 2021 from recollection, but didn't make the final cut. Joel Smith another to play well late season, including a great qualifying final playing on Charlie Cameron a his peak. Would also have been great to have seen Majak Daw played at least one senior game during the season if not for being struck down by injury at just the time he might have got a game. Like I say, it is a typical thing with premierships, but hopefully all those guys really did feel valued in their contributions to bringing home the trophy.

I'm with Max. Wasn't that happy with the decision at the time. I think it's fairly clear from what Ed said (and many others along the journey) that Goody still had the confidence of the playing group, so the sacking wasn't on that basis. I was personally a fan of Goody's based on his cool measured approach and relationships with the players - having players happy to play for a coach is pretty important. One of my favourite footy quotes came from a Demonland podcast of Peter Jackson era 2019ish being along the lines that improvement isn't always linear. If it was up to the press and popular oppinion, how many would have sacked Goody after 2019 / 2020. With the young talent we've bought in over the last 2 - 3 years, I think we have been doing a pretty reasonable job of rebuilding the list at the same time as trying to complete and not bottom out and as much as I'd hope it not be the case, perhaps it's unrealistic that we could have made finals every year though that transition. I'm also not happy with the decision from the perspective that I feel there was a concerted effort from some in the media and ex administrators to white ant out Goody and sacking him hands them something of a victory. Neither do I think we should underrate how good our 2022 and 2023 seasons were. In 2021, we spent most of our season going under the radar and performed above expectations. In 2022 and 2023, we were the hunted and still performed and finished top 4. Our start to 2022 was outstanding, I think the conditioning team let us down by not keeping the group fresh enough going into finals. In 2023, I think we were dealt a hugely cruel (and grossely unfair) blow with Gus. As Leigh Mathew's has often said, there is a big element if luck in winning a premiership. That all said, what's done is done. There's no use crying over spilt milk and I really do hope this creates a fresh environment where we can move forward without asking "Is the next coach the right guy" in both the broader media, but particularly here on Demonland and the MFC faithful. In this respects I'm happy the board did make its call at this point of the season and not post season, to give ourselves the best opportunity to bring in the best coaching talent moving forward. Personally I am bullish about our current list and potential in the seasons ahead, but also do realise that with a new coach there could be hard decisions regarding some of my favourite players to be made at the end of the season. More than anything, I'm excited by the prospect of watch another MFC premiership sometime in the years ahead and being there to watch it at the G this time.

From what I can work out, minimum wage for a non-rookie list player is $145k this year. If you earn this kind of coin as a kid out of high school for a few years, then need to go back and get an apprenticeship or higher education I don't think you have too many problems. Assuming they don't let it all go to their head and spend it on frivolous things, they'd be well ahead of most of their peers financially.

His words in the media I've seen is that he thinks we've got a good mix of experience and young talent

And wouldn't it be ironic if that premiership were to come against Collingwood. They'd absolutely hate it after all the years he couldn't bring one home there as player or coach. Would be worth giving him the job just for that prospect.

Agreed, what do people expect him to say? As well as that, then there's also the matter that he's still contracted in an off-field capacity at the Swans - hardly going to be giving away his intentions in the press until things are well on the way to being stitched up in that circumstance. Far easier for Buckley to speak more freely and candidly from his role in the media.

Took me a while to warm to the Goody pressers, which were and probably almost even to the end pretty dry and unemotive, but over time, I came to appreciate his cool, calm and collected approach and outward persona. I think the players also welcomed that and he seemed genuinely loved by all the playing group as backed by Ed's words in the past few days. Let's also remember that Goody played a big part in bringing Melksham and Hibbo to the club, which I do think we're important steps to bringing home the flag. I also feel he was important in retaining Kossie. Roosy and Goody always had the mantra of putting us in a position to compete and play a brand that stood up in big finals and I think that was achieved. The 2018 finals series was sensational. Beating Hawthorn and Geelong in consecutive finals was something I would have dreamed of as a supporter growing up in the late 80s, 90s. Going to WA to play a comparatively well rested West Coast on their home deck in a prelim was always a huge ask for a young inexperienced side. The whole 2021 finals series was an absolute blast. Even though we went out in strait sets in 22 and 23, losses by 22, 13, 7 and 2 points is being pretty bloody competitive. Thanks for ride Goody. Personally I'm sorry that you won't be there if the list can make it to another premership, but hope you do take something out of laying the foundations. Massive gratitude to the only MFC premiership coach in my lifetime.

On a related theme, I'm looking ahead to the Rd 24 fixture and woundering how the AFL are proposing to get themselves out ot the Rd 0 pickle with Gold Coast needing to catch-up two games in Rd 24. Rd 23, they have been scheduled to play on the Saturday, so that doesn't leave the AFL alot of space to spread out their last 3 games over the next week. Guessing maybes they play a Wednesday /Thursday game, then a Sunday, Monday or possibly even Tuesday game? Gold Coast have a fair chance to make up the final 8 starting positions and then possibly a good chance of shaping the finals, depending on the form they can carry in and possibly also if they can lock in a home final. For all the Rd 0 aspirations of the AFL trying to enhance the promotion of the game in Northern markets, having the Suns finishing in a position to have a home final would be worth way more than the Rd 0 rubbish. Add that to the wish list for Greg Swan for 2025 - no more Rd 0. BTW, Gather Rd also adds another inequity for the Adelaide sides by gifting them an additional home game as the absence of power teams from Cat Park, with us almost garrenteed an away fixture to Geelong every season.

Similar pedigree to Max working at Domino's Has he ever got caught smoking durries on the way to training too?

Conveniently

I'll use the word - it's B-LLSH-T ...and the AFL is full of it.

Not to mention that the AFL couldn't give a stuff about the numerous and most recent concussions inflicted on May by others - they really need to go ask the AFL about where was Tom De Koning's responsibility and duty of care towards May. The AFL are a [censored] joke.

"MAY NOT MAYNARD" Saw a clever post on FB that suggested if Steve had "nard" on the end of his last name, he wouldn't have been suspended.

Maybe, and I do like Disco, but I think he could have some tough competition form the likes of Bowser and Langford of that generation of players.

Not exactly sure when this was first published, but rings very true today: HAMISH BRAYSHAW'S OPEN LETTER TO THE AFL ON BACKCHAT PODCAST Dear AFL, I normally swear on here and act like an [censored], however there will be no profanity or hyperbole in this letter. These are my honest and bewildered thoughts as a current player and lifetime fan of the greatest game in the world. The tribunal and match review panel are single-handedly destroying the game. You are making it impossible to play in good spirit, you’re making it impossible to adjudicate and you’re not far off making it impossible to support. Over the past 12 months, this is my interpretation of the rules of the game based on what I am hearing and seeing coming directly from the AFL; Protect the head at all costs, obviously unless a head knock is as a result of a football act, but then it depends on how hard you get hit in that football act and if the player had any other alternatives, but also the player needs to take into account the potential to cause harm, but of course it shouldn’t depend on the outcome of the opponent, unless of course it does result in a concussion, but even then it depends on the intent, but of course a player is entitled to attack the ball with good technique, but it doesn’t matter if the opposition runs in head first like how every kid playing the game growing up gets taught not to do, but then of course it depends on the state of the game and the time of the year, it depends on whether or not we need to make an example out of someone, but then don’t forget if they have had a clean record in the past and do charity work, but then obviously that can only matter once and never again because from now on that doesn’t count, and it depends on the player, and the team they’re on, but really it all boils down to protecting the head because we’re seeing more players retire from concussion than ever before, but we will still let a guy play next week after punching someone in the face in the goal square because it wasn’t hard enough to hurt them. I have grown up all my life surrounded by football. Playing football, watching football, my family has been engrossed in the AFL system for decades and I have absolutely no idea what is going on anymore. My brother is never going to play football again in his whole life because of a jumping smother that turned into a bump that collided with his head. As much as it killed me to watch that, I can put my feelings for Angus aside and say that down to the nuts and bolts of it, Maynard was trying to smother the ball in a qualifying final so technically it was a football act. You certainly didn’t care all for the outcome there and Brayden went on to win a premiership. That is precedence. That was as big a defining moment for the tribunal as I can remember, and you went with protecting the sanctity of the game over the protection of the player. I’m not agreeing or disagreeing with that, but it is breaking me that you are constantly backflipping on that stance. Peter Wright and Toby Green, 4 weeks and 1 week respectively for football acts with not a whole lot of difference. Jeremy Finlayson got less than Peter Wright for a homophobic slur which once again highlights that nobody at the AFL really knows what’s happening at the tribunal, you just make it up as you see fit. Matt Crouch has been given a week for picking the ball up the way every single kid playing football is taught to do it. There is goal square footage of Jesse Hogan punching his defender in the face, and he has admitted to swinging with force to try and push his opponent. The AFL’s response “We are not clearly satisfied that was anything more than negligible.” He was swung a fist at a bloke's face and because it didn’t hurt you haven’t given him a week. Punish the action, not the outcome unless the outcome is they’re okay. Ask my little brother Andrew if an intentional swing to the face has the potential to cause harm. Incredible. We’ve heard enough about Charlie Cameron being let off for being a nice guy but Tom Barrass can’t escape a week for the same thing. The get-out-of-jail-free card only appears once in the deck apparently. This is my last point and I am going to swear so beep this out if you want. Tom Barrass is staying in Perth and missing one game for a dangerous tackle. I don’t think there was much more he could’ve done differently. Walters played the game out and isn’t concussed but sure, still give Barrass a week if that’s the stance, protect the head at all costs. I can’t physically watch the Melbourne Demons play football anymore because my brother’s brain is going to be [censored]ed for the rest of his life and you didn’t think that was enough for a week off. AFL you are the greatest game in the world, but right now you’re a joke. Your systems for protecting the player and maintaining the integrity of the game are broken and desperately need to be fixed. Before they can be fixed you need to actually understand the criteria you want to govern the game by. It needs to be understandable for the public and it needs to be followed. You can’t pick and choose when to dismiss certain things and when to change your views on others. It has to change otherwise this game is going to turn into something unrecognisable and it’s going to happen very quickly. Yours Sincerely, Hamish Brayshaw