Rodney (Balls) Grinter

I pretty much have to be honest Dr. It's not that I've lost faith in the team, but more just that I give so much more credence to what happens on the park than any of this talk as you put it. When we were flying, I thought it was overhyped (though it was still nice to hear goof things about our team for a while) and now that we've lost a few on the trot, my veiw is that the doom and gloom is also way over the top. Still alot of season left to see if the team can really progress from last season. For the most of the first half, I thought we did generally progress with our ability to put away all the he poor the heads we should beat and also to really smash teams once we got on top. The challenge and area that I'd like to see improvement in the second half of the season is the season is to win enough games to position ourselves for finals, but also build form as theheeamshatheohe rest of the season plays out, not tire and drop our bundle like we did last year.

Personally I'd to see Bernie bought in for Trac and for him to be played as a forward. Bernie is both such a smart footballer with good foward instincts and always gives 110%, that I think he could be a bit of a forward line general and help straighten out some of our issues down there. Also a good way to break up the congestion in our forward line when he can kick them from 50m - 55m out. We've liked the idea of having experience in our backline with both Lewis and Bernie down there, but I think the forward line could do with the same principle. Bring back Jeffy in place of Hannan to balance up the pace side of things. Definitely like Frost for Petty and would consider Pedo for Weid. Not the Tyson hater like some here, but I could also stomach dropping him for Stretch. I'm still not convinced by Joel Smith down back, but he would be one I'd keep preserving with as I think he has shown glimpses of being a really good footballer and with more support around him could really flourish. So much critisim has been leveled at O Mac, but I think it is pretty hard on him when he has been either the only genuine tall or the only 'experienced' one down there since Lever got injured. Hibberd's form has also been down I feel and for much the same reason, yet he doesn't cop anywhere near the same level of criticism. I think our present coaching team has developed something of a bad habit of totally crueling players - thinking of Dunn, Frost, Pedersen, Jeffy and to some degree guys like Stretch and JKH. Sure we want guys to follow coaches orders, play to the team plan and select the players that best fit that plan, but sometimes I really think that can go too far and the coaches need to be a bit more flexible, to fit in more of the natural game of guys like Jeffy within that plan and reconise that perhaps someone like a Frost may always have those 1 or 2 absolute clangers per game, but is probably still better than a first gamer. From what I recall watching of him, Frost's defensive acts can be first class due to his elite closing speed (some of his diving spoils remind me of Sean Wight at times). In this context, I find it odd and somewhat hypocritical that Trac seems to be something of a protected species. Without counting up all the changes beng here, I'm not sure that I'd make them all in one week, but would definitely bring in Bernie, Frost and Jeffy for those mentioned. I don't think it's panic stations just yet. Narrow loss to Port on their home deck and St Kilda are a better side than their results have shown for most of the year. But I really want to see us get back on the winners list and building some better form capable of winning upcoming games against Sydney, GWS and West Coast. Also really need our players to flick a switch somewhere against the top sides and start grabbing those games by the scruff of the neck. Thinking primarily of Viney, Jones, Oliver, Hibbard and Jessy (a few others like Gawn and T Mac do it just about every week as it is).

16th yes, 16th I get the point. We are also 1st in the competition for scoring . I say that again 1st and have the 2nd best percentage in the competition, so I think some of it comes down to game style and a deliberate decision that we will allow more scoring against us than some teams, to enable a more attacking game style. Clearly it's all about ballance and the stat I really care about is the wins Vs losses columns, which admittedly has taken a bit of a pounding over the past few weeks. To suggest that we are no good one on one is flawed thinking though when more than ever, it's a team game. I actually think the area of our game which has lost us the past two games particularly is the inability to make the most of our scoring opportunities, but that's a whole other discussion. We are not that far off the pace at the moment, but we do need to get back onto the winners list and start racking up the four points. Yes tightening up and few things defensively will help that, but it's no where near and dire as is being made out to be there case by some at the moment.

You don't rate Jetta or Hibbard? Say what you will about his lack of pace, but Lewis is pretty decient one on one as well. Salem is hard as nails an always brings tackle pressure. Oscar had a brilliant start to the season, but has obviously gone to [censored].

Why not pay in the back when that's what it is? Balling it up just causes more stagnant play. If a player wants to tackle a player in that situation, they should stay on their feet and lift the player so the actually have a chance to get it out, or the other alternatives are that they let the ball get handballed out or let the player stand up again giving them an actual opertunity to dispose of it. I didn't think Port deserved to win the game last week either, yet they did (more poor umpiring a contribution there), if we are to become a good team and finish top 4, then we need to win more of these games we don't really deserve to and rack up the 4 points. Not many teams bring their A game every week, but the best ones find a way to win regardless. We should have done that round 1 against Geelong and probably against Port and the Saints too.

I liked Dunn, thought he was pretty hard done by in his last year for us. For his sake, I hope it's not an ACL. But looking back is a pointless hypothetical, if he has done his ACL, then we probably did offload him at the right time. I'm more interested in them giving Frost a go now as I think he is the answer to some of our issues down back with his height and pace. Smith does a few good gutsy and hard things, but overall, I haven't been overly impressed with his performances to date (though everyones performance look worse in a loosing side). Oscar's form was excellent earlier in the season, but has probably slumped in recient weeks and I don't think is helped by him being about the only genuine tall down there. When we let go Dunn, we were also still using T Mac as our number 1 key defender.

Sorry, you lost me a bit there Wil, but talking about holding the ball, I get so anoyed with some of the ones that get paid when players are on the ground trying to pick up the ball and distribute it out. Fair enough to pay holding the ball for someone dragging it in and making no attempt to get rid of it, but when someone goes to pick it up, ends up on the bottom of the pack and then getting ridden like a bull on their back like the Lewis one yesterday, then I think it should be paid in the back.

Not that it was the issue with this decision, but one of my chief beefs these days is when a free kick is called and 99% of play stops, ball carrier keeps running (but only really in a half hearted way, expecting the free kick to be called back) and then the ump decides to call play on advantage, with the player 20m further down the feild and in miles more space than would normally be the case. ALWAYS happens more against us than for us!

Great photo KC. How's Kent gone in his first game back?

Gutless comentators won't acknowledge or even discuss the roll that a number of shocking free kicks effectively cost us the game tonight: Non mark to Wingard; Crazy Melksham free kick against; Mark to us that was twice the mark of Wingards in the last; They would have got multiple goals from frees, I don't remember one to us. We didn't play our best game tonight, but in the circumstances, I thought we fought hard: O Mac against half a dozen other talls; Jetta - say no more; Tommy gets absolutely polaxed (Port would have go a free for that); Viney; Melk (was absolutely molested after half/ 3/4 time and got got complety shafted) Harms, Jones, Freitch, Hannan, Lewis Ugly game, we battled hard, so pissssed not to have come away with a win tonight.

Slaughtered by the umpires. How many goals did port get from frees? We got absolutely molested in forward 50 and got sweet F all. Still can't believe the free paid against Melk.

The whole exercise has that kind of feel about it, but if it's what has led to the performances we have seen over the past 5 weeks they can play all the board games they like. Heck if it would help us win a flag, the can start a crochet club and make tea cosies for all I care.

Thakfully that cap exists, otherwise, Eddy, Jeff and the big end of the footy town would be throwing around money like confetti to poach these guys. If Jennings and Co. are smart (which I'm thinking the are), then they will stick around, finish what they have started and hopefully deliver the ultimate success. That will add more to their future value than going to some hack club willing to immediately pay them more but missing the building blocks for success. It would also give them the credit in the bank the new club administration to stay the course should things take a bit of a bumpy road, like they have for Brendon Bolton at Carlton. Furthermore just as onfeild success is about being part of a champion team, I think the same would also apply off feild, would any one of these guys (Jennings, Taylor, McCarthy etc) be able to turn around a clubs fortunes on their own? Don't think so. I hope team sucess means more to the off feild team than a bit of quick coin and furthermore, they'd also be weighing up long term stability over a short term high risk, high reward (hopefully Jennings financial strategy isn't the same as his on feild tactics!). The impression I get is that Josh Mahoney is also a pretty good operator and one thing, the Peter Jackson, Paul Roos leadership has certainly created in their time at the club seems to be good off feild management and stability. Let's hope that continues as history shows it's such a vital ingredient to onfeild sucess. Whilst I haven't been able to read the article, I think Roos and Goody deserve their due credit for the way we are presently playing. Their role in all this cannot be underrated either and as good as Jennings may be tactically, their are other dimensions to coaching where he would also need to deliver and without knowing the guy, it's hard to understand if he has those skill sets and experience. Interperonal skills/people management and temperament seem to be fairly high on the list of attributes required by successful coaches - even more so these days than in years gone by. Where Jennings would be starting from a position of disadvantage were he to become a senior coach in his own right, is the inherent respect that playing the game at the elite level would bring with the playing group and I think this is another of the strengths thay Roos and Goodwin bought to their coaching.

Indeed. The link worked for me and without taking anything away from LH, I think he really just summarised the highlight. It was quite a well constructed rambling from Max, in which he also goes over in his own way the now fairly well trodden story and widely acknowledged admiration for Neale and the life lessons that can be taken from his battle with MND and the positive way he carries himself. Also touches on the Melb Vs Pie Queens birthday tradition and the meaning of that as a player as well as Rd 23 last year and it's apparent thay remains a motivator for the playing group.

Do like the selection of Pedo. Not only because of the way that he crunches packs and presents, but I think it will be important to support Gawn in the ruck and help keep our dominance in the guts when Gawn has a spell. Will be a great contest between the two No.1 ruckman and Gawn does have a good habit of rising to the occasion for games and key opponents like this. If I recall correctly in the corresponding clash a few years back, Gawn was up against Collingwoods two ruckman (both Grundy and Jessy White?) and dominated them both. Gawn was cooked in the end and could only manage jogging to position at times in the last quarter, but not before the damage was done, he had a couple of goals to his name and Melbourne had the game in the bag. I don't expect it to go quite that way this time as I think Grundy has continued to improve, but do expect Gawn to go hard - he is just such a compeditor beneath the laid back persona. The only problem I have with the Queens Birthday game is having to wait out the entire weekend for it ...oh and it's not a public holiday up here in Brisbane, that's another problem.

So with Joel Smith and Jeremy Howe both named, will we get a game of dualing speckies.

F that, I want a crack at 2nd spot.

Just saw No.4 for Port febly drop a contested mark on their forward 50 in the last seconds of the quarter ...then realized 4 is Rider and noticed Jack clapping in encouragement in front of the pack.

The best 25 AFL players under 25: Carlton’s Patrick Cripps ahead of GWS jet Josh Kelly https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/the-best-25-afl-players-under-25-carltons-patrick-cripps-ahead-of-gws-jet-josh-kelly/news-story/93d9f6ae59654be8ff8e645ab1a586c0 ...and Jack Viney doesn't even get a mention. Criteria was " They have to be under 25 right now" and " it is based on what they have produced this year and in recent seasons, not what they might produce in the future." How Jack Viney doesn't make this list I can only think is an oversight. My view is that he sits quite comfortably top five, if not top three. Whilst Jack hasn't yet again reached his pulsating best again in 2018, I've actually been impressed with the level of output and impact he has made in his handful of games to date off the back of an interrupted, injury plagued preseason. Think he is building nicely and full expect him explode in comming weeks. ...come on Jack - tear the Pies a new one!

Might just stick that one.

...Probably also expected Trenners to be a hard run all day inside player for us as well.

Ok, makes sense. As you say, Toumpas looked like a good pickup to me at the time. Standing up as an under 18 and playing well in a senior SANFL grand final spoke volumes to me that he was made of the right stuff... just went down hill from there. I guess it's a pretty big jump playing SANFL to AFL and different playing in the best team in the comp to slogging it our trying to make your way in the game with the wooden spooner. The other reasonable defense for picking up Toumpas over Wines in my mind would be that we already had three on ball bulls in the bag at that point with Jones, Vince and Viney, so some outside polish to complement that also made sense from a ballance perspective.

For real? And if so, how far back was this?

But the stats don't exactly support what you are saying: http://m.afl.com.au/stats/stats-pro#/Compare?playerIds=CD_I294675,CD_I298281&comparisonTab=h2h From what I saw of our first four or five games, Lever's disposal was pretty ordanary. He hacked quite a few of his disposals completely and alot of the ones he didn't were down the line to a 50/50 or worse contest, which resulted in either turnovers or stoppages. But in fairness I think this was true of alot of our players over the first five weeks, when we were playing without great confidence and system. I think the manner in which players hack kicks and turn it over influences people opinions of them. Players that play conservatively and turn it over in more conspicuous ways don't stick in people's heads like ones who try to do too much, get caught and/or turn it over with absolute clangers. Just look at the career stats of Hibberd Vs Frost if you want an example of this. I was even suprised myself how good Frosts stats were in this respect. http://m.afl.com.au/stats/stats-pro#/Compare?playerIds=CD_I290160,CD_I293738&comparisonTab=h2h To be honest, I don't think loosing Lever will make that much difference to our team performance. From what I've seen, his best is good, but I don't think he has provided that much of his best for us in games this year that we will miss that. His absence will provide an opportunity for someone else to step up and personally I'm looking forward to see who that is and how they go. Guys like Frost, Wagner, Hunt and Smith all have some attributes which have the potential to make them a real asset to our side and in some way, I almost think we needed an injury to give one of them a go and keep them motivated to compete, perform and improve at VFL level, it's just a pitty that it's an ACL that puts Lever out for such an extended period.

On the basis of my understanding of his form over the past 3 or so weeks, I would think Bugg would be the other that would be well in contention.