Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Fritter - nice. Couldn't air brush him some bigger biceps? BTW great work on the caricatures again.

I recon bodies hitting the posts will produce a significantly different vibration signature compared to the ball hitting it, just like bat pad is able to be distinguished from the ball snicking the bat.

I actually can't believe that it has taken soo long to get to this point (pardon the pun). I would think that the ball brushing the post would setup a reasonable sound/vibration within the post, such that a microphone directly mounted to the post would have a reasonable chance of detecting the impact and screening it out from the surrounding crowd noise. The key difference here between cricket and AFL is that in cricket, the technology was developed and gained audience acceptance via the TV broadcasters before it was accepted as an umpiring adjudication tool. The AFL probably don't really want to go down that path, so it comes across as a little half baked to me to announce this tech before it's proven. Prove it up in private and then just actually introduce it. I'm glad they are investing something into it though as the present goal line tech is a bit embarrassing at times. I still don't understand why with the near zero price of minature full HD cameras these days why there are not more cameras mounted at multiple heights/angles on each goal post that would garentee the required vision of the ball for every occasion.

I partially accept what you are saying here and I'm not going to be soo polarizing as to suggest that there are not instantaces of good intentions and mutual benifit, although it's also a bit presumptuous to assume that they wouldn't have nessasrily got a good education where they were [not that any of the rest of this conversation is based on any presumptions on my behalf ? ]. I still think you would find pleanty of examples of talented sportspeople being cherry picked off by the private school system to make themselves look good though. Anyways my original post was a simple statement said partly in jest and I don't intend it to clog the thread with the discussion any further.

A bit of a cheap shot, maybe, but I think the sterotypes fits pretty well for the players sighted. Obviously there will always be exceptions. I probably do have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about private schools. In a sporting context, they are forever poaching the cream of the tallent out of the local leagues to make themselves look good. Out of those mentioned by @FarNorthernD I'm tipping that May and perhaps Cyril were probably candidates for this kind of thing. Going through suburban junior footy, we would regularly lose a large numbers of team members to private school football duties. That and the general elitism of the private school system doesn't sit well with me in general. Anyways just my perspective.

@Macca, I don't think too many people would have had Harmes as one of the automatic selections at the start of last season - what difference a season makes and if more players can make that same next step in their development this year, we should be right up there in flag contention.

Watts is around 12kg heavier than Fritsch, yet the level of physicality they play with is the inverse of their respective weight, so I don't think it's such a huge issue -- Coldstream EDFL Vs Brighton Grammar private school boy mentality.

When he started with the MFC we were a crap team and he was expected to be the Messiah from about age 17. ...and he did a pretty good job of doing just that for a number of years. A few doses of humility and empathy would be good virtues in this situation.

I think it was a common problem for footballers back in the day too, it's just that it wasn't as openly spoken about back then. North Melbourne great Wayne Schwass is someone who has acknowledged that and tried to make a positive change in how mental health is perceived and managed in the AFL.

Had been tracking this one and had we made the GF, Maxy would have played his 100th in the big one. I'm tipping that secretly, Max is happy that he is playing his 100th this week, so that in his words it can be "all about me" ? . Just joking as I know big Maxy is all about the MFC before himself. Along with his superstar ruckman abilities and sharp, querky humor the thing I really love about Max is how passionately he has embraced the MFC and our suporters. Hope the fans get out in numbers, we get the win and make it a really memorable day for Max.

If Viney can stay fit and find his best form again this season, that would be huge. That our on-ball brigade was so good without him for most of the season last year shows how far the others have developed. I'd almost forgotten how good Viney was, we saw so little of him in 2018. Along with AVB, the impact that Viney made for us in finals last year shouldn't be underestimated. He wasn't brilliant with the ball, but his tackling efforts were sensational. It's that kind of leadership which will take us places.

I hope you are right. I have a soft spot for Billy. Party because his old man is such a legend of the MFC, but also I think because of the faith and loyalty that Billy showed in us by nominating the MFC as his preferred destination via the father/son rule when we were total puss of a side. Love the effort, comittment and professionalism that others always talk about him with too.

I recon Nathan Jones impact on games has been on the wane in the last few seasons, but I'm wondering if he can defy the doubters and put in a few more big seasons to take us to the next level.

Vanders is an automatic selection, he just needs his body to jump out of the ruck as you put it and stay fit for a whole season. Was instrumental in our late season surge. Some were suggesting before he played "what if he makes it back, he could be our finals X factor" and beyond expectations - he did.

He was a Pies supporter as a kid too yeah? Had filth in his heart. Was probably also making a bit of a call on us not developing - love to make him pay on that one. Of all the guys we have lost to free agency, I think Howe was the best footballer.

Malthouse has never been much of a fan favorite and his time as a coach in the modern world of AFL are clearly past him evidenced by his Carlton days. But I fully respect his record as a 3 time premiership coach and always admired the way West Coast just diligently got on with the job, consistently finishing top 4/top 2, the flags they won in that time and wanted the MFC to clinically go about winning in a similar fashion.

He's overrated sooky la la and we have got his measure. Probably the key thing about Geelong is that they don't have many the quality players around to support him any more. Too many frount runners and they aren't a frount running team any more.

He did always have that X factor, could take a big grab and was very coordinated for a guy his size. Was only ever a question if he could get over his injuries and I thought he had a pretty good chance of becoming a good player, but didn't quite see the absolute superstar he has become right from back then.

No worries. I couldn't remember his name when I wrote the original post, but do now - it was Viv Mitchie.

Furthermore, if we had have beaten Geelong and Hawthorn like we should have during the home and away season, then we probably wouldn't have even played them in finals. Geelong wouldn't have made the top 8 and Hawthorn wouldn't have made the top 4 and probably would have been bundled out in the fist week, whilst we would have benifited from having finished top 4. Our performances last year were quite understandable for a youngish side making it's way and establishing experience in big games and establishing beleif in themselves. Looking for us to be that next step further along in our development this year, to start off where we left off towards the end of last year, but to be solid as rock, ruthless, and professionally/mechanically asert our dominance on the competition. I think this is the Goodwin way and hoping it will become know as the Melbourne way sooner rather than later.

My recollection was that the Hawthorn game they had the better of the play, just failed to convert in front of goal. Thus I wasn't surprised at all when a fresh West Coast did the job on us they did. Geelong and Hawthorn are both puss football sides these days. Dangerfield and Selwood are past it. Hawthorn have (had) one good onballer and a bunch of old geriatrics. Game against Geelong should have been over at half time with the gap we put on them in the first quarter, but then we choked up and barely kicked a goal for a quarter and a half and let them back in a game they should never have been in. Need to put sides to the sword in these situations.

Last year we were generally very good at beating the sides below us that we should and stepping on the throat of them. I think we need to do it against good sides and consistently over the whole season. We simply must stand up and win the big games against good teams more consistently than not. Would like to see us beat Richmond, Collingwood and West Coast in our home and away games this year. Call me a harsh critic, but I was disappointed that we didn't totally put Geelong and Hawthorn to the sword in finals much earlier in those games. We did make some big statements with those games, but we also kept them in the game far longer than they deserved to be. I don't care if we loose a few in a upsets this year, so long as we have enough buffer on our ladder position and are able to flick the switch against the sides we really need to beat.

The club should try and broker a personal sponsorship for Harmes from Colgate, Oral-B ...or perhaps Racing Victoria.

And that scum bucket $cully right at the other end. Perhaps he was scared Max was going to vomit on him again. Actually just the thought of that little turd makes me want to vomit, so I completely understand why Max reportly did it.

Yep, no room for scum Collingwood supporters around here unless they see the light and start looking one eyed red and blue