Rodney (Balls) Grinter

10 hours ago, Jaded No More said:

Also don't forget our poor culture. It's why Clarry and Trac are top 5 for votes but no Brownlow to show for it. Poor poor culture. 

Yeah, we need some of what Brisbane are cooking up. 

Neale has two Brownlows!

...and a whole bunch of finals fails and a lost GF.

Give me the bang bang bang Trac, Tommy, Clarry any day thanks.

52 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Well done to him and complete respect for coming back and rehabbing a seriously horrific back injury.

The need to cut down ex players is really sad. He has worked his behind off to get a third opportunity and I wish him all the absolute best, even if I despise Freo and want to see them fail. 

Once a whipping boy, always a whipping boy I think.

Personally, I think alot was asked and expected of Oscar from very early on in his career at the MFC.  The hopes and expectations were somewhat that he'd develop into the sort of quality KPP that his big brother Tommy was before injuries hampered the latter's capacity and Oscar was somewhat judged in that light. 

Further Oscar always played in a struggling to mid level side at Melbourne and Carlton probably weren't much better when he went there.  If he played 3rd string tall defender to May, Lever and the backline we have now, Oscar might be solid enough backup, go somewhat unoticed and his abbilty not questioned to the extent it was when he played.  Good sides make average players look ok.   

As you suggest just being of AFL list standard is something most of us here haven't acheived.  Good on Oscar and I think when his footy days are over, he'll have a lot to be proud of.  Very glad he got this further oppertunity.

Would love to see the equivalent tally for the AFL coaches association votes.  Far better metric and Max, Clarry and Trac would be right up there on that one I recon, along with a few others like May, Lever and Viney that do the important stuff the coaches recognise, but the umpires are clueless on.

On 25/10/2023 at 22:43, DeelightfulPlay said:

Unfortunately a lot of the natural growth and interest in the game has been hampered by the AFL's strange decision making in respect of the AFLW.  The most obvious instance being last year's grand final, where they forgot to secure venues in various states and so then we ended up in Springfield...  

Scheduling games at suburban grounds is one thing (and has its own charm) but doing so at 5 pm or other strange times on a Thursday or Friday makes it difficult for a lot of working people to travel and attend.  That'll eat into crowd numbers...

It's important to make things accessible to the general public to grow interest - which is why we prefer to play our home games at Ikon Park (heart of the city and all that) over Casey Fields.  

There are a whole lot of double standards used to justify the lower pay of the women.  It sounds reasonable until the bigger picture is looked at.

As I've noted before, I think they should play on the same venue on the same day/time consecutively after one another.

I'd much rather watch our women play than the borish and garish pre-game entertainment we are currently left with.  Perhaps they could even alternate the women's or men's playing before or after each other?

3 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

No

highest home and away team hosts the GF

We now have to beat the Lions in Brisbane next week or Crows need to lose

Which ain't gona happen, since they are playing the 16th placed WC Eagles.

6 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Updated profile on Kynan.

https://central.rookieme.com/afl/player/kynan-brown/

That profile has MFC under Goodwin written all over it.

I don't think it matters that we already have many players cast from the same mold, as there's a fair age difference between he and them.  I'm getting quite wary that we need some quality young guys comming through to be in position to step up and take the place of our current stars in another 3 - 5 years and it can take that long for a fresh 18yo to reach their peak.

20 hours ago, daisycutter said:

omac's greatest moment

 

I'd also say it was one of Jack Watt's greatest moments too.  What a wasted talent.  In an alternate universe Jack would have been a MFC premership player in 2021. 

Asides from his elite goal kicking accuracy, he was also great at hitting target inside 50 - gee we could have done with that in the back end of 2023.

Fun fact Jack Watt's middle name is Redvers.

11 hours ago, monoccular said:

Yes but wouldn’t Carlton’s ARC officer be even better?  Please, can we have both?

Yeah, I guess there was no way Collingwood are trading Michael Christian though I guess.  Eddy said he is totally off the table.

3 hours ago, Hopeful Demon said:

Have you been living under a rock? May became the best key defender in the game after he got traded to us. Not to mention that Lever and Hibberd have had their career best years under us too.

Aside from maybe Jeremy Howe, I can't think of anyone in recent years who actually reached their potential after leaving Melbourne.

James Frawley played 100 games and won a flag with Hawthorn.

15 minutes ago, BDA said:

The interview was fine. He received a big money offer which turned his head. We've told him he's not going so that's that. He'll settle down again and be fine.

But if he does end up going in a year or two we should trade him to Port. [censored] the Crows.

We've probably also told him that if he bides his time, there will be a big or bigger money offer deal comming from us too.

6 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

The reason we got him is because he’s a very good forward at VFL level and the hope is he’s not awful forward at AFL level. Most forward/rucks are ordinary up forward so the bar is low. Contest, be mobile, don’t get in the way of your own markers.

Im as intrigued by whether he can hold up in the ruck. He’s never been tried as a starting ruck. He’ll likely struggle in hit outs and won’t be a dominant marking target around the ground but he could provide some much needed athleticism at stoppages.

Agree. 

Max Gawn spent his juniors as a fwd/ruck from what I recall and turned out a pretty decient ruck.

Granted Tom doesn't quite have as big a frame at this point and they are big boots to fill, but I'm more interested in Tom's potential to be a short term backup ruck and medium term full time ruck than a forward.   With Gawn's age compared to that of big O and Joey, I think he's got more chance of that happening than at Brisbane, which I'm guessing is why he asked to be traded.

2 hours ago, M_9 said:

Tommo says ‘Hi’.

So does Joel Smith

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

And the only reason they can think of is that it pits Brodie against us.

Sheesh.

If that's their only pitch to build it up, it seems pretty unfair on all parties really.

Gee wiz.

We've got a good rivalry with Sydney, but I don't see it as a huge one.

Don't know why the AFL are obsessed with needing to pitch these epic rematches in Rd 1.  Everyone is craving for any AFL action at all.  I'd actually rather play someone other than the Bulldogs in Rd 1 for a change, but asides from that, I don't really care who or where, so long as it isn't Geelong at Cat park - surely we can have a season we don't travel there away?

1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Spot on.

I think one of the biggest concerns through this trade period is not being able to address our midfield depth at all. It's very thin on paper.

We've just moved on Jordon and Harmes who were both the 23rd and 24th player that were ready to step in when either a Oliver, Brayshaw or Viney had to miss games. Even Luke Dunstan retiring leaves us further lacking in this department. 

Right now, the next best available option is Woewodin and that's it. Brayshaw is one hit away from potential retirement and Viney will be 30 next year. Then there is the obvious concerns with Oliver as well. 

I don't ever see Sparrow ever being a top line midfielder and I think at best he's just an honest battler who's happy to fill in gaps when Petracca and the likes need a breather.

Was hoping we'd go after a mature age ruck to at least just have in the background. If Gawn goes down then it's left to Fullarton who's not even a genuine ruckman but more a forward, and then a 19 year old Will Varrell. 

 

 

Jack Billings?

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/department-of-trade/afl-trade-news-rumours-whispers-2023-jack-billings-collingwood-st-kilda-contract-western-bulldogs-little-interest-in-player/news-story/cceb745d9702de954b4dfa0e8496cad2

Getting rather sick of Adelaide, Port (mainly via Corns) and Freo white anting at our stars from their states.

What is the list of all the best Victorian players from those clubs that can be prominently bandied about in the main stream media to destabilise those clubs?

Uncontracted or contracted, doesn't matter - can someone please make this happen?

34 minutes ago, deelusions from afar said:

If Petty played at another club and entered the national draft at his age with his level of experience, we would take him with our first pick - he's a young physically mature key position forward AND back that has proven ability to play at a high level in the AFL.

There are likely KPP in the draft that could have better careers than him - but they are less bankable than he is at this point in time and they are not ready to hold down a key position post like he is.

The idea of getting pick 10 for him is ludicrous. 

Considering North got pick 3 for Ben McKay.

The other reference point which Adelaide should be familiar with is Jake Lever.  Also had an injury history, but worth two first round picks.  I'd contest that Petty is different, but every bit as good as Lever.  Lever was also uncontracted, Petty is not.

Tell them they're dreaming.

16 hours ago, Little Goffy said:

Looks like a nice young man with an excellent head of hair.

The young folk call it a 'mullet' Goffy.

Kind of like a skinny Luke Jackson look alike.

14 hours ago, praha said:

Melbourne's media department is seriously amateur. 

They posted an Instagram story of a screenshot of their browser... without cropping out the browser.

Yeah and has 69 battery power - don't know if that's saying something. 

Sorry I'm such a juvenile.

35 minutes ago, KingDingAling said:

I’d like to see us wheel Gawn out in a moon boot in the next few days, just to put doubt in Sydney’s mind - that we might need I keep Grundy.

Or does Port actually want a ruck more?

Or for that kind of unders, maybe we'd just prefer to have a quality VFL ruck and insurance for Max.

4 minutes ago, Redbeard said:

Yep that's the one, round 12. 19 disposals, 44 hitouts, 1 goal 1 behind 

I think the game high 8 marks, with many of those contested that also really stamped him on the game.

12 minutes ago, monoccular said:

Asking for a friend - how old was Max in his breakout game at KP??  I would have thought 24 +/- 1

Pretty much.  I'd put it at that 2015 Vs Geelong at Kadinia Park win, where he dominated that he really started to stamp himself on the comp, which probably didn't really consistently get going until the following years 2016 / 2017 so that puts him precisely 23 - 25

Agree that it's probably a good age range to recruit a ready made ruck that still has some years ahead of them.  Probably also allows our 19/20yo developing rucks some time to develop their bodies and as players without being thrown in out of their depth.

On 10/6/2023 at 2:40 PM, Katrina Dee Fan said:

I know, that actually gave me a viseral reaction on Saturday, I felt actual nausea.

I turned the TV off the moment the siren went for that very reason 

7 hours ago, Little Goffy said:

Fair call to say each of them would be in 'arguably the best' range.

Personally I'd say Rozee (pick 5) has edged past Walsh now, though Walsh was an amazing early gun and remains elite.

Weitering has to compete with Oliver (4) and C Curnow (12), which might never be splittable given the totally different positions.

Hodge v Judd is an enduring debate, of course. But that 2001 draft produced multiple club champions, Brownlow and Norm Smith medallists - including the talent surge that turned Geelong from mediocre to decade-long dynasty.

The trades being talked about for Reid are greater than Geelong's entire 2001 draft hand!

 

Edit: Gary Ablett Jr was also in 2001, so the Hodge v Judd debate is slightly moot.

Add to that other list Christian Patracca, who would have gone pick 1 if St Kilda didn't hace a masive recruiting brain fade.

Matt Rowell also looks like being a pretty decient footballer.

I think the other lesson that should be learned out of this by the MFC is that delisting and relisting players as rookies etc may not be such a smart move if we think they might be decient players in the future.

Yes right now JJ was only depth, but in a few years he may not have been.  I'm beginning to think that we need to do more to keep players in his age demographic to sustain the team in the years we will be comming to soon when the Viney, Tracs and Brayshaw, Langdon, Hunter etc cohort start to fall away.  Similarly players like Bedford.  And great teams need good depth.

I partially understand Jordan's reason to move, but when he's going to a club where the midfield will be similarly strong to ours, that becomes a little less understandable.

I'd actually be inclined to boo him and Bedford in the future.