Rodney (Balls) Grinter

We are actually the No.1 team for contested possessions over the first 7 Rds from what I understand, so I don't think our poorer performances have been so much about lack of intensity or desire as they have been about defensive positioning, system and ball movement. At times (Richmond and Hawks in particular) we've actually had too many trying to apply the defensive/pressure acts and not enough clear of the contest to make use of or defend the ball movement clear of the congestion.

Until it's a done deal it's not and then these days, it's still not completely binding if one of the parties looses faith or goes shopping, i.e. Jack Watts, Tom Boyd. Right now he's with us and playing good footy and the team is starting to win and perform, so let's see where that takes us.

What player would be?

We are presently playing far below our best, but starting to find some form again after loosing our way against the Hawks and Tigers. I recon Viney back will be huge tipping point once he's up and back in full flight. If we can't beat most of the sides presently above us in the remainder of the home and away, I don't want to make finals.

Haven't seen the Hun article, but I suspect the content in the below is either the same or makes similar point. https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-tipping-experts-round-7-afl-teams-fox-footy-commentators-blowtorch-questions/news-story/07763614389e8928927a90aef92ce9de This is what I've been saying for weeks. Despite a crap game against the Hawks and average-poor game Vs the Tigers, that we are playing far below our best, but still getting the job done and racking up the four points (be it mostly against poor teams) is a good sign for when we start playing well. Though I don't take too much away from wins against teams like the Bombers and the Saints, at least we are getting the four points, which we might not have in seasons past and they all count the same at the end of the season. I also think based on the form of the respective teams the wins against North and the Lions now look much better than they did at the time.

Lol, an oversight/mistake surely. I recon Tom makes the starting 22 of any team in the comp.

Agreed. And I think this is where Viney is comming from. I dare say I don't think there is a side in the comp that has a 'best 22', such is the nature of things. Would probably be better to talk about which players are a lock in the side and then the present next most likely to fill the remaining spots. Amongst the later group you could probably categorise as fringe battlers, vets hanging on and developing players on the up. In reality, I think any side needs a mix of all three groups and I've got no problems with us having a few fringe players that help get us across the line... so long as the mix is right.

My take is more that our team was crap and Howe was too good a talent to waste being starved of supply and that he was moved back by Collingwood for similar reasons. With our present back six and lack of forward marking power and conversion, I'd be playing Howe as a forward in our team any day of the week.Could take a mark out of nowhere and his set shot conversation rate for shots on goal and feild kicking in general is elite. Still rate Howe as the best player we lost through free agency and received next to nothing for in return.

Agree with what you are saying here. AFL/VFL is littered with players who had a few break out games but couldn't maintain it over the long run. Only time will really tell, but I think the fundamentals of Bailey are pretty good in terms of his attack on the ball and skill using it by foot that I think he will stand up to the test, but only time will really tell. He also needs to remain injury free unlike the other recient mature age player with real potenial we have on our list that has fallen by the wayside in Vandenberg.

Though I didn't see the Collingwood Richmond game, to me, I think it's more about how compeditive Collingwood were perveived for the first three quarters compared to us. Vs Richmond we played with great intent and ferocity at the man and ball for the first quarter, but failed to convert and capitalise up forward. Second quarter we were incipid totally lacking in confidence and dare with our ball movement and we somewhat lucky to be in the game at half time. We clawed things back a little after half time in the third quarter, but again were less than convincing, playing without great system and confidence in a period when I think they had Cotchin off the ground and Martin somewhat hobbling around. Our fourth quarter needs no further mention. Conversely, I get the impression that Collingwood played with better system and confidence intensity over the whole first three quarters. None of this negative comparison bothers me overly to be honest. The premiship isn't won in April. That we are still managing to be generally compeditive and put a few wins on the board when we are down on form and several of our best players I think bodes well for when we get Viney back and start playing with better system, confidence and conviction over a full 4 quarters on a consistent basis. Despite the retortric, I think the presence or absence of your best players still makes a huge difference, particularly to lesser and experienced sides like Melbourne and I would even say Richmond. Richmond have had a dream run with injuries and if you were to take say Cotchin and Reiwolt or Martin out of their side, I think they would struggle. I also don't buy too much into the shorter break side of things either. Whilst I don't know the exact physiology of how significant it might be for recovery, both Richmond and Melbourne only had about 18 hrs more rest than Essendon and Collingwood respectively and so I think it's about as good as they can fixture it, if they are going to have these ANZAC Rd clashes between the respective clubs.

On a bit of a tangent, but related note - you know, for all the money that gets put into regurgitated crap footy shows these days, you would think that a half decient rap-up and analysis of what's going on at state league level would make for good viewing wouldn't you. I use to love watching the seconds before the main game, to have a better look at who was comming through, but don't really get that chance much these days.

Got to give some credit to you Drunken and the other punters on this forum who were singing the praises for this guy from early in the piece. Now that we've all had a chance to see what he can do for real, it's not hard to see where that confidence in him came from. Super impressive how well he has taken the step up to senior AFL level at this stage. He just has such great 'natural footballer attributes' about him, it's a thing of true beauty. Will be interesting to see if he can maintain his presence and good form as no doubt he will be targeted and start attracting even more close checking attention from the opposition with how well he is playing and what he is doing for the side.

Sorry, I am going to sick my neck out a bit and compare him a bit with the asertion that at this point I think he uses the ball better for is than Lever does. It's actually a bit more of a statement of non confidence in Lever at presemt as much as anything. Where I think Oscar makes sound, safe decisions and generally passes within his capability with good execution, I think Lever is the complete opposite and I would go as far as to say that I think Lever is the worst ball user in our backline right now. Whether it's because he is uncertain of our system of ball movement and his teammates positioning and that he will get rapidly better once he finds his feet more, I couldn't say, because I didn't take much notice of him at Adelaide, but right now, I recon his ball use for us is rubbish.

He also seems to win pleanty of free kicks as a forward that so many of our other players seem not to. Probably become old, cunning and whilely having had so many paid against him as a backman - now he is getting it back the other way. I'd say that it's probably also because he's a pretty big and threatening unit in the air that backman also give away stupid free kicks trying to stop him. I'd actually go as far as saying that I think T Mac is a better, more effective forward/player than Hogan right at the moment (without intending it as any sort of criticism of Hogan).

N Jones M Hibbard M Gawn O Mac T Mac R Jackson

This was the main thing I thought the Carey article had right. Particulaly against Richmond at times, we looked like a deer in the headlights. Honestly I think people searching for some gross internal conflict and disharmony within the club are either grasping at straws or trying to stir up rubbish that isn't really there. My assessment is that we have lost our mojo at present and that's one of the main factors. That we are not playing with the best system/structure is also a contributor in a bad feedback loop with that lack of confidence as well as the lack if risk taking and poor/unconfident skill execution. Playing amature psychologist, I think there are pleanty of reasons why we are presently rattled, going back to the second quarter and our disapointing finish Vs Geelong, the team hasn't played with any great confidence and system since. Even our win agaist North we looked poor in parts with respect to the extent of wasted opertunities when we had the accendancy for most of the last 3 quarters. Need something to break us out of this rut. The team is much better than what they are presently playing and I don't think it's as bad as Neeld era by a long shot. But the team is certainly yet to establish the sort of beleif and temperament of a consistently high performing finals bound team. Comming back from 2 and 4 would be tough, but not undoable by any means. I'd much rather be finishing the year in good form than having the slump we had comming home last season. In this respects I'm hopeful that the lack of rushing back T Mac and Viney is a good sign that we are treating the season as a marthon not a sprint and hopefully we will be powering away when others are dropping off in the back half of the season.

Think you are spot on with respects to the lack of scoreboard pressure we have exerted in recient weeks (pretty much most of this year for that matter). Depends who gets named in the final side, but assuming T Mac does, then we have some significant tall forward options to hit-up inside 50. If T Mac gets set shots inside 50, I have more confidence he will actually convert than most of our team (particularly Gawn at present) and that would be a good start. Kent is a loss, but assuming Freitch comes in, I think that pretty much cancels out as asides from Kent, Freitch is about the only player that has looked like consistently kicking goals for us this year. Like you, if last years game is anything to go by, I'm certainlty expecting an ugly encounter, but who knows it could also be a complete blow out one way or another. Would be nice if we could turn it on and win back some percentage we have thrown out the window in recient weeks, but from where we are at present, I'd be more than happy just to get the 4 points in an ugly encounter and start getting some system and confidence back into the side.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/afl/it-s-d-day-already-for-the-dees-20180426-p4zbud.html Huge moan at bringing up the pre-season camp rubbish again and I think we still have ample opportunity to make finals even should we loose to Essendon, but asides from that, I actually think Carey has got alot right in this article.

He may not have the same tank as ANB, but I would have thought Hannan could be better than Harmes in present form. Hannan has pretty damn good pace and such great/mecurical goal sense, which when we have struggled to convert forward fifty entries, surely that offers something we need at present. Not sure I buy Hannan and Freitch not being able to be played in the same side off such a small sample size we have to date. Asides from that, I agree our proven stocks/depth all of a sudden looks pretty thin, which I think in part is due to the team as a whole being down on coheasion, form and confidence and that the form of Harmes and ANB are symptoms of this broader issue. In this respects I'm not really sure that making bulk changes is really the solution to our problem and that when the side as a whole gets up and about again, guys like Harmes and ANB will get on the end of it and start looking more like world beaters again. On a similar note, I would agree that ANB is down on form, but I do find it amazing how quickly the vibe of Demonland has turned on him from being 'the next big thing' at the end of last year, to being a talentless NQR bottom six player at present. Have faith people - ANB and the MFC will get back to playing bigger and better footy sooner or later.

What do you call what he did last year when Gawn went down? I think most people acknowledge that he was pretty damn good most games. Pehaps that's part of the problem being that he's just not quite good enough for his size and the position he plays compared to others we have that play the same position. Asides from that, I think he was one our better players against Geelong and also competed hard and setup some good goals through good field kicking against the Lions in Rd 2, was then dropped but seems to have been in pretty good VFL form since. As I have stated in another thread I thought there was also a case to get him into the side, just to get some fresh legs in to support Gawn and Hoges off a very short break - hope the fitness department have made the right call there. I still think he is getting dudded over by Weid. As much as I really want Weid to do well, he is really yet to have a break out game a senior level that is the equal of what Pedersen produces on a regular basis. The Weid's best at senior level is about Pedo's worst or average game IMHO and the Weid seems to be the exception to the us selecting based on performance and not gifting games to high draft picks anymore mantra. That said, now that the Weid has been picked in the senior team, I would also like to see him given a decient block of games there to help find his feet at the top level. Also acknowledge that T Mac probably has the inside running on Pedo on this occation also. Assuming T Mac does play, hope the selectors are making the right call here, because as much as I acknowledge T Mac as being an experienced and classy/capable A/B+ player in his position these days, it's a pretty big call to be stepping straight back in after not playing for the best part of 2 months (even then, off the back of an interrupted preseason) and produce at the highest level from the get go. I really hope he does though, because at his best T Mac is a gun that we have sorely missed.

5 goals and BOG in a loosing side. Seriously don't understand why he isn't in the side (or wasn't last game against the Tigs for that matter). Weid still offers way too little other that a hope that he will one day be great. Pedo is the Dean Jones of the MFC.

I'd assume it's partly reactionary atm to address the issue of teams getting a run on too easily and frequently against us. Also due to lack of confidence which has somewhat circumed the team in recient weeks.

Viney comes back into the side and we get Salem playing more of an outside mid role. His our best finisher and ball mover through the middle by far and we need to get him onto moving the ball forward more often.

No doubt, there are some contributing structural issues that need to be addressed, but alot of what I saw on Tuesday night was a Richmond chock full of confidence and a MFC bereft of it. Effort was there on our behalf. They are not that good, we are not that bad. We are also massively missing Viney. Would be great to think that we could take on and beat all comers without key players, but I presently don't think the depth and maturaty of our midfeild is there. I don't think many sides would cope very well having such a key cog out of their team missing either. My observation was that the key period when we got back into the game in the third quarter was when Cotchen had to go off the ground for a period injured. The wave of love and admiration for Dusty and Richmond somewhat astounds me and highights the fickle nature of people and the footy world in general. Go back 18 months or so and the view of much of the footy world was of the view that Dusty was a loose cannon, Richmond should punt him like the Dogs did to Stringer and we did to Watts. No one thought that Richmond were a good side as @Nasher proclaimed at the start of this thread (not having a go personally, but just a obvious example). To me the mission over the next month of footy is to eek out 2 or 3 wins, find some form, team coheasion and be in a good position to attack the back half of the season (which is well and truly not over - yet).

Probably just repeating much of the above again, but: 1. I thought Oscar was supurb. Particulaly that first quarter, he was not only solid defensively, but taking great intercept marks with poise and strength. Looks every bit like maturing into another version if his big brother in this sense. 2. Lever obviously much better. Was said at Adelaide as much of his good performance could be put down to having a strong back six with quality key backs like Talia playing around him. No surprises that good performances from O.Mac and Hibbard corresponds to an improved performance from Lever. 3. It's only Rd 6. With so much of the season left to play, there is still plenty of time to recover form, confidence and correct any tactical and mental issues we may have.