Rodney (Balls) Grinter

I'm getting a nagging feeling we might just explode this season. Possibly in a bad way, but I think we could just as likely explode in a good way and not just be compeditive, but really dominate the competition on the way to that illusive flag at the G. Starting to get a little impatient with the off season too and thinking about counting down the days till Rd 1, oh - wait does that even work?!

Not sure I buy it. From what I can gather, Guss is a pretty good golfer, so surely someone off his kind of handicap can keep it on the fairway. Players have been aware of the need to protect the head in golf for years now, so I think he's got off lightly if he isn't sanctioned.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/melbourne-demons/promised-him-some-tickets-afl-stars-wayward-tee-shot-leaves-fellow-golfer-bloodied/news-story/de1cec9a00c77cb83fab9bc76ddc2aa6 He was attempting to smother - nothing to see here.

It would be great if Laurie makes it after all the past and future investment the club has made in time. While I know those who have seen him perform at VFL level have some raps on him, however I don't think he can be compared to McVee. One of the things that stood out to me about Judd, is that he looked at home at AFL level from day dot and hasn't looked back since. In my view, Laurie has gone MIA in too many of his appearances to date, to be Judd like. Even Wowey Jnr had a quietish first outing, but IMHO, then looked pretty comfortable and quickly got involved and looked the part at AFL level - yet to really see that from Laurie. Maybe Laurie will make that next step this year, after another preseason and the AFL game time exposure he got to last year, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Doesn't like Terry Wallace to me.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.news.com.au/sport/afl/melbourne-demons-forward-charlie-spargo-boasts-the-afls-best-mark-rate-from-kicks-inside-50/news-story/301768044e793a351428385997c595c6%3famp Melbourne Demons forward Charlie Spargo boasts the AFL’s best mark rate from kicks inside 50 Granted this was 2022, but Laurie and others will be doing well to better this. Charlie clearly showed what he's about in the final against Carlton, was one of our better players that night.

Agreed, much more mongrel than Laurie, who might as well not have been out there. In fact, at this point, I don't see that Laurie offers anything different from Spargo, but with less bite. Given the plethora of players we have around this size and skill set, I do think Laurie is going to find it difficult breaking into the team, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

They haven't called is zero Rd for no reason.

Merry Christmas to all. Not quite my favorite day of the year, but that's only happened 3 times in my lifetime and only delivered once. Hoping there is a bright shiny new one that Jack is holding in the stocking for next year.

Maybe this is another off field thing we can't talk about 🤷‍♂️

I think the Ch 7 comentators were willing him on to be a game changing influence again when he took that grab in the 3rd qrt of the 21 GF as well, but alas ... 😔 🤣

So for those that don't make it through the Hun paywall, is there an upshot to the article? Has Salo found an approach to managing his health issues that should set him up for career best form in 2024?

Jack has been bloody awsome for the MFC. The passion and heart and soul that he pours into his role is second to none. Chip off the old block in terms of hardness and professionalism to training. I think that's the real value in father son's, that loyalty and belonging that they have growing up around the club like Jack and the ethos being passed down from their parents. See the same things going on with Woey, Brown and White. Even though Billy and Wiz Jnr didn't ultimately make it, I feel there was alot of respect shown in hosting them at the club. Billy in particular was credited by many as leading the way in his professional approach to training and positively influencing our culture in that way.

Nope. I've seen dogs that are far hungrier for the ball than that. My old under 12s footy coach had a real see ball, get ball kind of dog. Was a whippett or something too, so had some good pace as well. It mostly just trained with us, but every now and then it got out on the park on game day and really tore it up a bit.

Congratulations to them both indeed. From the persona he exudes publicly, I'd imagine that Max would be all of an inspirational, caring and super cool dad. I'm sure Jess is a great mum as well.

It seems like baby birthing season is well underway at the MFC at the moment!

It's ok, big from what I recall, Max started his career as something forward / ruck if I recall and I think his forward craft goes all right having kicked multiple bags of 3+ goals in his career. That Geelong prelim a and last Rd game in 2021 Vs Geelong ...

The third thing I think the club needs to change is for our supporter base to get louder and more vocal at games. Our chants are week as [censored] and for too infrequent compared to the other Melbourne power clubs like Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon/Hawthorn (if they had anything to cheer about).

Like others I do feel we need to get better at taking the game on, when attacking from situations where the ball gets bottled up in our back half. So often our front half game makes it almost impossible to score due to the congestion (and I get that retaining it in forward 50 is part of our defensive strategy). But too often, we wasted oppertities to torch the opposition, when we had an open forwardline, because we lacked the dare to move the ball quickly in those situations. We have players like Kossie, Joel Smith and Chandler that have pace to burn, or JVR, Petty and Fritsch who would love to contest just 2 out, but too often, we don't pull the trigger. One of the things that Melksham bought to the team when he came in, was an attacking mindset of taking the game on when there was open space out the back - we need to get him coaching our half forwards and wingers and even when injured, he can make a substantial contribution to the team. With players like Melksham, it's not only about taking the game on, but also quickly summing up a situation and kicking the ball to the right spots. How much would our forwards love to run onto open space and a ball that's bouncing towards goals 25m - 35m out - even if our forwards arn't leading the foot race, the pressure it puts on the defender to gather cleanly and then turn out of trouble, without getting caught in a tackle or deliberately disposing of the football out of bounds is immense. There were many whom under rate T Mac's contribution in 2021, but his ability to keep the ball moving by quickly turning, taking on his opponent and then kicking deep up the field with a reasonably well directed 50m pass was a key reason we were able to score in many situations.

I think something the club does need to change and get better still at, is giving the up and commers better exposure at AFL level. Playing that player that's on the frindge as the sub week after week isn't going to cut it. I understand the tendency that Goodwin has for stability in the team and that yes, we did blood more players in 2023 than 2022, but I feel we need to step up another notch. I concur with others that Bailey Laurie is not any kind of replacement for Jake Melksham. Guys like Joel Smith and Shane McAdam are the closest 'likes' we have for Melksham. It was a stupid quote by Superfooty really. It's not like Melksham really had any substantial continuity with his role in our structure over the past three years. I feel Bailey really does face an uncertain future over the next few years and I think he maybe something of a Toby Bedford problem - a player that's too good for VFL and may get a game in many other teams, but is currently on par or slightly below par with a bunch of others we have that play a similar role. His task will only get harder with the likes of Tholstrup, Winsor and Woewodin and AMW playing a similar role and style. As much as the club needs to step it up, so too do players like Bailey when they get oppertities. Still, I think Bailey may also be the sort of player we need to keep for the sustained sucess of the team and keeping him motivated and committed to the MFC, with modest exposure at AFL level is a challenge both he and the club need to rise to. I do feel that sustained sucess is assisted by being able to retain these types of players at modest to low salary cap costs. We need that next tier of young players comming through to fill the roles of ANB, Viney's age bracket as they retire out of the team. Loosing Toby Bedford and Jordon out of our team was a loss in that sense.

They had plenty to charge Maynard with, they just lacked the motivation to do so.

Well, if I was constantly surrounded by Collingwood filth, I'd be constantly and repeatedly checking my door was locked too. Seriously though, how does repeatedly checking your door is locked actually count as OCD? I do that sort of thing, but I'd hardly call it OCD.

Grandma migrated from Adelaide and had gone for Norwood over there. Dad has memories of attending the 64 GF and still tells me how the Neil Crompton the defender who wasn't suposed to be there kicked the winning goal. Growing up in the 80s, I a flirtation with Hawthorn (I now shudder at the thought). Went to a few MFC games in the 80s, but the one that really stands out was final Rd 1987 at the Western Oval. I liked Robbie Flower as a kid and the one royal blue second hand jumper I had as a kid had No.2 on the back. Dad had told me it was probably going to be Robbies last game, but if we won, there was a small chance we'd make the finals. Recall us standing up the back in the standing room behind the goals, right at the back, near a big corrugated iron fence. Even though I could hardly see the play through the crowd, it still goes down as one of my greatest footy experiences. Vividly remember us comming from behind to kit the front and take control, then dad listening to the other game and them hitting the front. The delirium when all the Melbourne supporters realised we'd be playing in our first finals series in 24 years is a feeling I'll never forget and I was sold on the mighty Demons ever since. Even in the 90s when we had relative sucess, it seemed difficult to come across Melbourne supporters my own age. Probably no coincidence that two of my best mates in high school were MFC supporters and that we are still close. Sat through us getting trashed at the G in 88 and 2000 GFs. Although 2021 was an amazing tonic at the time, it still stings that I couldn't get to the game and be there at the G when we won on the day. ...so the quest goes on in 2024!

I recently re-watched the last 45mins of that game in Geelong and James Harmes contribution to that win is somewhat underrated and unnoticed. He didn't do the most silky things, but he was in it everywhere contesting the ball, laying tackles, generally getting involved in the play in positive ways and not giving up when the game looked gone. He wasn't the only one, but seemed to me to be one of the main culprits, along with guys like Gus, Gawn, ANB, Oliver etc. Guys like that can be a pretty important part of the fabric of the team. It was sad seeing his deminished form this season. It would have been nice for him to be a one club player, but I wish him all the best at the Bulldogs. At least he racked up 100+ with us and hopefully we are still his spiritual home for a potential future father son/daughter.

Yeah, at the same time as putting in their token 'protect the head' effot in an attempt to legally indemnify them down the track.