Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Not alone Olisik. I also think there are times that he is too stationary, looking for options, trying to do to much with it, holding onto the footy for too long and gets caught. But I think we just have to cop that every now and then, as I think it happens to all players, even the best of them and Trac has the ability that most times he uses he uses it well or better than most with his vision and ability to hit up players in good positions. It's also something about the way he moves in those situations where he looks like he is just walking around players, looking like he'll get caught, but often evading them. Brett Lovett use to be a bit the same, but I think Trac has definitely got better leg speed.

Next one to be in Red and Blue (without any horrible white away/clash jumper rubbish).

I don't really disagree with any of this, like I think I aluded to, it's more of a romantic desire than something based in reality. He was bloody horrible against North, might as well have not been on the ground almost. I would say that Jack has good around football skills (a good strong mark and I'd suggest a pretty reliable if not close to an elite kick), is a hard inside type and good overall footy sense, but to have really elite footy smarts is where he would need to reinvent himself. I also reconise that is something probably more innate and instinctive that it's unlikely.

Not dismissing what you are saying here at all, but being slow hasn't held back some great AFL footballers in the past. I just wonder if someone can reinvent a role for him that rejuvenates his career. Not that I don't think that Goody and the MFC didn't try that, but whatever they did, it didn't come off. I don't think playing off a half back flank at AFL level really worked for Jack, I feel he's the sort of player that needs to be in the guts where the action is. ... I know I'm probably grasping at straws, but I'd just really like to think this guy still has a chance of becoming a sucessfull footballer again.

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2017-11-03/power-shock-delisted-demon-signs-on Super dodgy photo of him in his new Port jumper. Pumping out his guns with his fists cross armed, he looks stoned (I guess that's how they roll at Port) and the Port jumper really doesn't suit him (wish he still had a red and blue one on). But overall, I can't argue with the sentiment of others that have posted here in wishing this bloke all the best. Of all the players we have lost over to other AFL clubs the past ten years, I don't think there are are any that have gone with the same high praise and universal good will as Trenners.

Walker Texas Ranger - Leaver leaving for the money. Puss of Tex, he's no $cully $cum.

Absolutely. I'm sure that it's been said before, but where do Adelaide get off thinking that two first rounders for Lever is anything like market value? Two first rounders is what they parted with for Dangerfield and good as he may be, Lever is no Dangerfield. Granted the Crows had a weaker hand with Dangerfield being a FA, but with Lever being out of contract, they don't exactly have a strong hand either. Adelaide themselves were not prepared to part with two first round picks for that Carlton bloke (Bryce Gibbs was it) last year either. Get real Crows, take it or Lever leaves for nothing.

Generally agree, but $1M per season isn't what it use to be and won't be in 3 seasons time at the end of his contract. Lever waited until the new EBA was out for a good reason.

Assuming we get this deal done and Lever goes on to have a distinguished career with the MFC , it would be very sweet revenge for loosing Scott Tompson to them all thoset years ago.

This is the AFL you are talking abut Biff. Do you really expect consistency and reason? (Just look at the 'clash' jumper debacle).

Sorry to be a party pooper, but my hope is that we don't have one in the next 10 years, because our top group of players are all so good they pepetually taking and sharing votes between them, that we tally well Brownlow wise as a team, but not well enough individually to have a winner. More interested in having a Norm Smith medalist, along with breaking his curse.

Well, if it's good for Max. But seriously, the Demonland auto-censor is seriously lacking in intelegence on occasions. Admittedly, there are times when my intended curse words have been picked up as such, but there are also some pretty benign ones that seemed to get picked up, even in completely benign context. Eg: Was a good coin toss for Josey to win today; Or We gave Gold Coast an absolute flogging last year.

Here with you on this one Maxy and happy with the outcome against Port on Saturday: "We focused a little bit on our start this week especially because our starts have been - excuse my language - sh--house," Gawn told Fairfax Media. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/afl/afl-news/melbourne-focused-on-turning-around-shhouse-starts-says-ruckman-max-gawn-20170723-gxgv7n.html

I don't actually notice him that much in games compared to other players like Viney and Jetta, but he just goes about his game in a no nonsense, business like manner and gets the job done, week in, week out.

Surprised if he'd given us one prior anyways.

At 3:55 on Tommy Mac Donald "Yeah, he got drafted as a forward - I didn't see the potential myself...if he does it two weeks in a row I'll give him credit. Yeah if he kicks five again, I'll be the first to shake his hand" Lol cracks me up does big Maxy.

Another from same media conference: On the general closeness of the competition "you could be just about playing off for the wooden spoon and still have a chance of making finals"

Pleanty of good pickings from Max's latest media conference: http://m.melbournefc.com.au/video/2017-06-26/media-conference-max-gawn A personal favorite is, with reference to Jack Viney injury status "he'd just about have to have the shoulder hanging off the bone for him not to play Jack".

Have been super impressed with Hannan's continued improvement. He has some good tricks inside foward 50 and pleanty to offer around the ground as well. Thinking about some of the goals he kicks a fair few of them could be described as cheeky little cheap goals, but they all count for 6 points and previously we almost lacked for a player to kick those sort of goals and could dominate the inside 50s for little reward.

And the we ended up with Hibbard who has been huge for us, so I'm not that disappointed the Lever thung didn't work, you can't get them all.

I've never been an Oscar hater like some here, but in fairness, I haven't repeditively jumped to his defense either (pardon the pun). When you look at it though I think he has done a pretty reasonable job for someone of his experience all year and the claims he won't make it are hugely over the top. One thing which I think goes against defenders is that any error has potential to quickly end up as an opposition goal. When the side plays poorly and it's the backmans job which becomes so much harder. Nor does Oscar have the reputation to gloss over mistakes. Lewis kicked clanger of the year a few weeks back straight down the throat of Tom Lynch which resulted in a goal and at times Lewis can be a bit of a clanger king, but it doesn't get bleated about like Oscar. One thing which must also be helping Oscar at the moment is the presence of Hibbard and Frost (whom is becoming a great defender in his own right - did a great job on Tom Lynch a few weeks back, who is one of the best power forwards in the game). In fact our whole back six/eight is looking pretty tight at the moment and the continuity of personal must be doing wonders. But look back to the start oF the season and it's pretty much just T Mac and an O Mac with 14 or so games under his belt - I recon he actually did ok back then in the circumstances and the other question that begs is "What would we have done without him back then?"

Somewhat contradicting my previous statement, whilst I don't want to feel sympathetic to the EFC, my feeling is that the whole process was botched and mishandled by all parties including the AFP, the AFL, ASADA and WADA. I can't see any club ever self reporting and cooperating in the same wat the Bombers players did again. And where are the charges against Steven Dank ...or are those yet to come? I do wonder if there has been civil or criminal charges considered against him. That all said, I did watch a fairly convincing story from one of the investigative journalism programs (I think it was 4 corners) that layed out a pretty compelling case that many of the big players in the elite sports and athletics world are gaming the system with performance enhancing drugs by staying half a step ahead of the list of banned and detectable drugs, which did smell exactly like what Essendon were doing.

Will James Hird appeal the appeal?

One about Max, not by him: "He's all of seven foot tall and about ten kilos of beard" Some special comments from Alastair Lynch during game comentary. Long live the beard. Perhaps a few more of our players should do some beard work in the gym and put some weight on there like Maxy.

As an aside, the current Hawthorn coach is another that could be added to that list. Was not an out and out superstar, but a very serviceable player for us none the less.