Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Check out the highlight at 2:20

Or if you have Facebook, there's a better clip of the same tackle in the below:

https://share.google/h7Xd5z25PsrSv9zKx

Get us "THE MOOSE". Looks like a ripper.

Didn't really want to loose Clarry, but feel with his words in recent days, restarting with a clean slate is no longer feasible. Haven't really followed or bought into any of the rumours surrounding him, but feel he's just letting his personality all hang out now in the worst way possible. There's being honest, then there's being disrespectful to those that were once close to you.

I actually liked that he told whatever reporters it was where to go at the airport. Think he was within his rights to tell them to get out of his face. But the way he's spoken about the MFC in recent days in public has lost my respect for where he's at.

Still loosing him to Collingwood would have made my blood boil and absolutely hate the bloke (not entirely rationally, but that how it is). If he plays foe GWS, it will still leave a bad taste, but definitely more tolerable than the alternative.

1 hour ago, Adam The God said:

We just need Bailey Smith to come out and talk about his Cotton On deal and farm deal. He doesn't seem the brightest spark, so fingers crossed.

The Geeeeeelong equivalent of doing a Brock McLean. Lol.

1 hour ago, Adam The God said:

I just saw a ZeroHanger headline saying they have a massive fine and went on there to find it's less than 100k and has no draft or trade sanctions. Pathetic. But we knew that would happen.

Less than $100k?

$40k of it suspended, total fine being $77.5k so less than $40k of actual fine if we want to talk round numbers.

Their players don't even get out of their Cotten-on sheeted beds for that!

Got to talk about what Brisbane are doing this trade and draft period:

• Signed Draper as a FA

• Expected to sign Oscar Alan as a FA

• Will pick up academy prospect Dan Annable, who is projected to go inside the top 10.

• This is all after back to back premierships and top four finishes the preceding two years and picking up the Ashcroft boys as F/S in the past few seasons, who went as the equivalents of pick 2 and pick 5.

I like Brisbane and I'm happy that they've won the flag the past two seasons. The sucess of the Lions is great for the expansion of the game in Northern states. But the level of concessions they are getting in the way of free agents, F/S and academy picks is an absolute disgrace, totally undermines any sense of equalisation within the league as it's likely they're being set up to become a powerhouse for the next 3 - 5 years. It's a bloody joke.

Just winding back F/S and accademey concessions isn't enough. What really needs to occur is for the AFL to look back over the past 3 - 10 years at those clubs like Brisbane, who have benefited from those concessions in a lob sided way and exclude those clubs from accessing them for the next 3 - 10 years, while allowing other clubs that access. Just cancelling them for everyone overnight will lead to situations like the Mac Andrew scenario where clubs that haven't had access to premium talent through those rules in recent history loose out on the opportunity to achieve equalisation with those like Brisbane and Collingwood that have.

On 06/10/2025 at 17:18, Dees_In_October said:

Sunday 11th of October

5.05pm AEDT

Fremantle Oval

The Dees are looking for their first interstate win of the season.

Going to change your user name in few weeks to keep up to date?

4 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

True story.. A player's father told me that a manager did a deal to trade him to Melbourne but as the player was bush camping (early mobile days) he couldn't be contacted to sign and fax the papers. So we missed and the player went on to play in a premiership with his existing club.

Wounder if that was the point of the camping trip all along?

1 hour ago, GawnOfTheDead said:

I feel the AFL should and maybe they are and I’m not aware, be teaching players things along the way, such as assisting with online learning etc. At least if they don’t make it then they have a skill or degree etc they can fall back on.

I think the AFLPA do drive this to an extent, but these guys are what 20 - 22yo as well. They should have enough brains and life direction about them to work it out for themselves as well. I'd say alot of these guys on the frindges do have a plan B and are also well served by being well displined motivated individuals to make it to AFL level.

It's probably more the ones that have got more of taste of superstardom and might take it for granted, but then somehow fall off the list that could struggle a bit more. Still most would be earning a sufficient wage as an 18-22 yo that they should have enough surplus to have saved enough to go back and re-train. I wish I'd earnt the sort of cash these guys do straight out of high school.

13 hours ago, GS_1905 said:

1. Given how worthless 38 is, walking him to the PSD would amount to the same outcome. So in our case may just be an option.

   This is where the AFL needs to provide some type of compensation I can’t believe this loophole has not been covered already. Nevertheless we make sure Freo don’t get him and that is worth the sacrifice.

2. If WC didn’t take him, Richmond or North might and McVee would probably want to avoid that outcome and hence chose to say with us.

3. Even getting pick 12 doesn’t feel like a victory. I’d rather Freo offer a F1 - I quite enjoyed the Freo death ride in 2024.

Agree with all the above. If old mate Silvani is worth pick 19, then Judd is worth 12. We'd actually be better off if he was a free agent. But he isn't, so pay up Freo or F off.

2 hours ago, Oxdee said:

Gold Coast are trying to go for a premiership. They want players with immediate impact not potential 18yo in future drafts.

Yeah, but is an average 18yo you draft this year going to help you win a premiership any more than a great one is next year?

If they were dealing with just picks for Hawthorn and Collingwood that is. Perhaps it might need to be a combo of picks and players from those clubs if they were to trade for Humphrey's.

Plus also, I think alot of clubs these days take the view of playing a long game as well while going for a premiership. They want to start contending for one now, but it might not come for another 3 or 4, so that 18yo you draft next season might be starting to peak when you're in the window. Asides from that, I think clubs are just always looking to bring in young talent if it's available to have a sustainable, balanced list, like us getting top round picks for Dogga when he left.

Gold Coasts preference is probably not to loose Humphrey's, but if they figure he's gone in a few maybe getting the best deal might look like a few first and/or second rounders or something in next seasons draft as opposed to Trac now.

19 minutes ago, SthSea22 said:

What can these teams offer GC that is far better than us?

• Melbourne - Petracca

• Hawthorn - Picks 8 (To Ess for Merritt), 30, 41, 60, 75

• Collingwood - Picks 38, 57, 69, 76

Ball is in Humphrey's court, either he comes to us or sits at GC until Hawthorn and Collingwood gain better picks for him in 2027 or 2028.

What about the future picks that Hawthorn and Collingwood could offer?

With everyone suggesting this is a weak draft, future picks may actually be more valuable.

I'm interested in how the negotiation on this would go with Collingwood. I'm assuming they'd be in a similar / inverse position to us with respects to free agents in and out, so I'd think we'd need to offer them something more than what they think they'd receive as a compensation for Mihoceck, unless of course they are already linked to multiple in-bound free agents. Otherwise why would they want to trade compared to just receiving the free agency compensation like us?

8 hours ago, DubDee said:

Rugby is a tough watch

It can be entertaining when you get a close high stakes game like that, but it's a once in a blue moon that occurs OMHO. Mind you I only ever watch it once in a blue moon for either an origin game of GF like that too.

Watched it a couple of times at the ground and that's even worse. I can see why their attendances are so poor.

Honestly, I don't think we're very far off competing for a flag again right now. Finished with one of the best % outside the 8, we beat the premiers Brisbane on their home deck, came close and should have beaten Collingwood twice - when they were playing well the first time and even late season they showed they could turn it around and beat Adelaide and push Brisbane for a while.

If we can do all that while being handicapped by not being on top of our ball movement, lacking in confidence and with the aura of negativity that's haunted our past two seasons, then just watch us go in 2026.

If we loose Trac, while it will have something of an impact, I'm not convinced it will be catastrophic (we was nowhere near 2nd B&F type good this season IMHO) and if we've lost him, it should also mean we've secured something pretty good in return. If that eventuates, then I really do hope we secure someone like Humphrey's in return, otherwise the pressure on a 2nd year Langford is going to be huge, although maybe it also creates the space for someone like Rivers and/or maybe even Sparrow to step up and take the reins.

I think the real lessons that the club has learnt from that post 2006 era is that tanking and bottoming out just to access the low draft picks isn’t the pathway to success, rather keeping a ballanced list profile and striving to always to be competitive is the way to go. Keeping a ballanced list profile is something think we have acheived ever since 2021, by participating ways with the likes of Harmes, ANB etc and natural retirements of guys like Hibbo, BBB and the untimely retirement of Gus as evidenced by the post of @biggestred.

On 03/10/2025 at 11:41, roy11 said:

I jokingly said I'd turn off the GFG, which I have done for now.
But you never know, we saw Adelaide jump from 15th to minor premiers (they did fizzle out though)
Last time an expansion team came in it set us back a little, hoping we've learnt a bit from

On 03/10/2025 at 12:35, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I think our own decisions set us back. I wouldn't blame the expansion teams.

Richmond were down and struggling in a similar position to us when the expansion teams came in. They went on to win 3 flags while we struggled for a few years longer before coming away with one ourselves.

History shows, it's not like Tassie will come in and me super competitive right away and that other existing teams will still be the ones competing for the flag. Although Tassie will likely starve the competition of new talent and steal some of the existing talent, that could actually represent an opportunity if we can be one of the good teams at the time, by creating greater stratification in tallent throughout the league.

I'd like it if we could be more like Richmond 2017 - 2020 era when Tassie comes in.

Being reported here as a free agency move rather than a trade at this point:

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/collingwood-magpies/afl-trade-news-2025-brody-mihocek-to-leave-collingwood-magpies-for-melbourne-demons-free-agency-deal-latest-news/news-story/c2ea08f4c58c5b0743d50c3f2d7c4487

1 hour ago, Travy14 said:

I can't see a fwd line of JVR, Fritta, Mihoceck and Melksham. Maybe Melky misses out, which is tough after his 2025 season.

I actually think we could get more value from Melksham playing further up the ground and being a player the drives the ball inside 50 to the advantage of the deep forwards. Probably still opportunities for him to play deep inside too on occations and should add a few more dimensions and less predictability to our forwardline.

The other aspect is in line with your suggestion, perhaps like T Mac, Melksham might be destined to spend more time at Casey in a mentoring role this coming season developing players than producing in the seniors. He might actually be better value to the club in the long run playing that role.

Overall, I think Brody gives us much better options and flexibility to shape our forward looks and plays for the next few seasons.

51 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

I remember the bitchin when we got Ben Brown. Worked out alright.

Welcome Brody

And I don't think Brody has the chronic knee issues either (althoug like you I still think we got good value out of Brown).

4 hours ago, Outside 50 said:

Agree! Also the fact you called your eldest son Charlie Spargo is impressive!!

Lol, yeah. Maybe not the Spargo part and he's not actually named after him exactly.

He's also actually a Brisbane Lions supporter, who's favourite player is Charlie Cameron, but I won't hold that against him. Watching the Lions and Charlie Cameron over the years has been alot of fun also, particularly this past few when we've been such 💩. Did have that awsome Jake Melksham inspired comeback we had at the MCG a few years back which was alot of fun to get one back over him!

On 12/09/2025 at 10:47, Supermercado said:

Wish him well, but feels like somebody who does their best work as part of a good team rather than being a difference-maker.

I thought he was pretty good for us when he first started with us as an 18yo and burst onto the scene with his tenacious tackling pressure and attack on the footy, at a time when we were really struggling as a team and lacking players with those attributes.

Will have some fond memories of Charlie.  Not only because he's got the same name as my oldest son, but because I genuinely think he made a good contribution to the Melbourne footy club over the years.  His last couple of seasons have been poor by his standards (mainly due to injury), but I felt he played some really good seasons for us as well, including but not limited to our premiership.  Was some of that manic Spargo pressure that resulted in one of our early grand final goals to Pickett if I recall correctly.

All the best Charlie sad to see you go, but thanks for your contribution.

On 17/09/2025 at 13:33, Lucifers Hero said:

Hope Barrett reads that.

Last week he insultingly said Charlie's transfer didn't warrant any compensation pick.

On 17/09/2025 at 15:56, Demon Jack said:

A late second rounder would be a great result considering Spargo's recent history with injury.

When Carlton get pick 19 for Jack Silvani (reportedly the about the same Hawthorn got for Lance Franklin) after he played 0 and 13 games for Calton in the past 2 seasons, then I think we should also expect realitive overs for Spargo.

Perhaps the AFL are finally waking up to the corrosive impact of free agency on equalisation and giving more reasonable compensation as a result. ... or maybe they are just favouring Carlton - we'll soon see I guess.

29 minutes ago, picket fence said:

U must be on a Snoop Dawg Reefer!?? U want to trade out a magnificent player that will go down as one of the BEST PLAYERS for MFC of all time to a player Wade Derkson who has the C.V of a 4th grade suburban player in the magoos??? Yeah right!

Lol. Ease up Mr.Fence. I don't want to trade him out, but if we do, I'm just wanting a developing young player with potential, as opposed to a spud that never makes it.

Many on this forum have been talking up Derksen for the past few seasons. Konestly don't know if he's the best that we could get out of GWS, but on face value if the reports are right that we're prepared to pay $700k of his salary, our own club itself doesn't seem to think Clarry has that much currency. I'd rather a semi developed key back where we have a bit of a potential gap, than taking a pot on a run if the mill mid where we probably have more options in-house.

3 hours ago, FarNorthernD said:

Remember Jim Stynes when he was crook, sitting in the crowd behind the goals with Mr. Wonaeamirri. That was brilliant

Two great humans and what a great moment in the history of the MFC. Would love it if they were both still here with us today.

Saw Austin play for the Northern Territory Stars (or whatever they were) in Souuthport a few years after he finished with the MFC - what a tallent. Still spewing he didn't play more games for us.

26 minutes ago, BigBadBustling said:

Lily Johnson, and I'd even heard a rumour they'd broken up - before he was there tonight in a Dees scarf cheering her on.

Sorry, at this point I see that gesture as a show of support for his partner than for the club. Fair enough too, in that sense, but it also equally irks me as a club supporter.

4 minutes ago, Fork 'em said:

He aint perfect but he's ours.

If only that was a sentiment more reciprocally expressed in modern day footy, although I do think Clayton is one of the more genuine and loyal players going around.