Rodney (Balls) Grinter

1 minute ago, america de cali said:

Reviewed the Hurn/Viney incident several times and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Both players were courageous and going for the ball. Hurn just got there a fraction quicker with his hand. If Viney gets suspended then time for the mob to descend on AFL House and burn it down. 

Well, a sequal is always there for the making "Free Jack Viney ....Again"

7 minutes ago, Unleash Hell said:

Agree

Hogan who..... hahaha

With 6 or whatever minutes to go I honestly thought the game was over and we really missed a key forward target (Ie Hogan/Watts)

But up stepped T Mac... Might be the best 5 mins of his career to date

I was actually worried about how we might need to restructure our foward play around a strong focal point for Hogan when he comes back, but last night proves we can do it.  I think Hogan will also be pretty happy with some of the delivery into the forwardline at the moment.

7 minutes ago, Unleash Hell said:

 

When you realise T Mac kicked the last 3 goals of the game!!

 

Take McGovern for example. I reckon 99/100 (including myself) would rate McGovern as the better defender. The interesting thing about this game is neither of them played KPD for the majority of the game.

Who had a better game??? I think that's obvious.... because if McGovern kicked straight the game was over...

 

Kudos where Kudos is due - Well done T Mac

 

Was as an impressive an effort from a key forward as I have seen in the red and blue for a while.  Lead well, kicked clutch goals and provided a presence up the ground as well.

17 minutes ago, Ted Fidge said:

I hope Tommy frames that and keeps it on his lounge room wall.

Hopefully he has a preimership photo one to add to it one day as well.

5 minutes ago, shorty said:

I survived , I was behind the goals the as the ball sailed through I stood up double fisted pump the air  and yelled out a very long Yesssssssss that you may have heard on the east coast surrounded by some of the most one eyed supporters I have everseen. Back to the game

1. We are the most competitive Melb  side in my 45yrs watching.

2. Jack Viney is the toughest captain since Voss and without him we would have lost.

3. Max Gawn is a class act

4.We are never beaten

5. Our Premiership window is open and we could do this in 2017

6. I don't want to trade Tmac anymore.

 

Never ever wanted to trade T Mac and didn't really want to loose Frawley, but not sure the later would actually make it into our best 22 anymore.

2 hours ago, Wells 11 said:

I couldnt watch it ....could listen on the radio. On the replay Viney clearly playing the ball and eyes firmly on it so hopefully he'll be ok. But he may miss with his shoulder anyway.

At half time the idiot WA commentators were both sayng Oliver should get suspended for faking re the hit he took. Saying the league needed to crack down on players falling over for frees. Unbelievable. Why would you "fake" for a free AFTER the half time siren...then lie on the ground holding your chin. hmmmmm, crazy thought I know,  but maybe he got hit??? Then with 5 minutes to go they started gloating..remembering the way the world was in 2002 (the last tie we beat them there) Each trying to out do each other. Sooooooo satisfying to shut them up it really was. 

This whole business of players faking/exadurating a reaction to an striking incident off the ball is total BS.  WC player dosen't strike Oliver and there is no potential acting to be made for a free.  WC player (can't remember who it was) is in total control of the situation, was no need whatsoever for him to lash out at Oliver regardless of the force of the contact which did/didn't occur or was intended.

In retrospect, I think that Oliver getting that little strike was a bonus for us as it really fired him up and he played a great second half after being well held in the first.  Whilst Clayton works wonders with his handballs, his kicking is also pretty darn good and is a real weapon when he gets in a bit of space and can use it.

Acting for free kicks during general play is a different matter.

Just now, Maldonboy38 said:

How bl***y good was that?!?! Injuries from last week, injuries in the game, a huge crowd against us,  and one of the gutsiest wins in ghe last decade. Best win of the year for mine.

Jack Viney, I think I want to have your babies.

TMac - astonishing.

Pedo - you are a great late-game player.  

We need to have multiple clones made of Jack Viney, multiple father sons in the making.  Could clone a few more Mc Donalds and a couple of Gawn's while at it.

1 minute ago, titan_uranus said:

Pedersen's fourth quarter was insane, btw.

Just as well, because he was quite, without being discracsful before that.

Tommy Mactually - WHAT A GUN!!

GO DEMONS 

The way things are this season, being somewhere on the ladder means nothing until things progress and open out a bit more, such that there is a game or two break on where we are.

It's also a good year to have a healthy percentage, which thankfully at the moment we have.

I'd forgotten it was only pick 29 we traded for him.  What a total bargin.

Hadn't really taken much notice of him at Essendon, but can certainly see now why those on here who had were putting so many tickets on him and justifiably so.

47 minutes ago, Moonshadow said:

I'm liking Gawn and Stretch in already. Stretch gives us outside speed and run and Gawn, well... enough said. 

Keep up the relentless midfield pressure and we might just snag this one.

1 hour ago, PaulRB said:

Far as I can tell Billy went back to develop his inside game to compliment his outside skills and natural nouse... 

hopefully he has a cracker over in the West. 

Agree the selection of Stretch seems like a good move.  I'm actually surprised that it has taken so long for him to work his way back into the side, because I would have probably had just him above Bugg and Nibbler on skills/ability.  I guess the form of others when they have got them selves into the side has made it hard to select Stretch back into the side.

As much as I do actually rate Stretch for his hard edge, I'm not sure he has the bullocking power to be a direct replacement for Jones in the guts.  Guessing that others such perhaps Nibbler, Bugg, Trac and Bernie will spend more time rotating through the midfield.  A real pitty that Vanders is out injured, as he is one that would have been good to inject a bit more grunt into the guts in the absence of Jones.

On Monday, June 19, 2017 at 9:03 AM, jako13 said:

Hallelujah

 

they got it right finally against the dogs. the white one just enhances any clash with the dogs. Pretty bloody happy with the red back jumper

Red back clash I'd definitely the way to go over white and I'm certainly glad we wore it on Sunday Vs the dogs, but was watching the replay last night and whenever a Melbourne player faced the camera front on I was left thinking - where was the clash between our traditional jumper and the Bulldogs current home jumper in the first place.  There is a huge contrast between the royal and navy blue and I really think this shows the way for other dark jumpers against which our traditional jumper, it's either navy blue V on red or red V on royal blue ar la 80s retro, none of this white crap.  I fear we will wear our white jumper this comming week against the Method Coast and I will cringe and convolse at the sight of it.

3 minutes ago, PaulRB said:

Hilarious. You may want to listen to Jack Viney's thoughts on the value Max will bring and maybe contemplate recent hitout stats... and why they're useful.

Well, the post was written with my tongue firmly planted in cheek, so glad you got a giggle out of it.  Gawn's ability to put it down the throat of our on ball brigade will be most welcome and perhaps if Jones is 50/50, it may be a good motivation to get him over the line.

What I do think it provides us with is a good opertunity to ease Gawn back into the main role.  Perhaps it could also be used somewhat tacticly to wear down the opposition ruck and use Gawn to full effect when we need him most.

On Sunday, May 28, 2017 at 10:04 AM, Bobby Clark said:

Indeed we do. Mitch Hannan you little beauty

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.

On Sunday, April 02, 2017 at 10:00 AM, hells bells said:

I seem to recall that the pick we were hoping to get for the Trengove deal to the Tigers was earmarked for Jake Lever, who looks a very solid defensive player for Adelaide.

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.

All this talk of Gawn back this week.  He should go back to Casey and fight for his spot in the side like everyone else - his replacementson Pedo and T Mac are getting the job done at the moment:

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2017-06-20/gawn-replacements-starring-in-player-ratings

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?"

The media, including many of the exfootballer expert types are so fickle it's not funny.  Go back three or four weeks and they were talking up St Kilda as being ahead of where we are.

I think our ladder position is finally starting to reflect where we are at as a side this year.  Particulaly with the drop off of Hawthorn and Sydney, I'm with others here saying there is no team I fear in the comp.  We have either beaten or been very competitive against every team in the comp over the last two years and we have definitely moved forward this year, closing the gap between our best and worst, our percentage proves it - Roos was very right on that measure.

58 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

All of the Melbourne Open Mikes 

Unfortunately, this list doesn't actually provide the Martin Pike interview.  Probably one of the better ones Mike has done and oh, what a player.  Pike was a seriour talent and hard ass player that unfortunately was too much to handle for the MFC, but I bet Goody would love to have a Pike to turn to in our current team.

Thanks Jack.

May check out the few I haven't watched (or don't remember), but most I have seen, honestly I think I'd rather forget.  My name sakes, Febey's, Ward's and Roos were so dry, dull and retold/rehashed, that I really want those hours of my life back.  Please Mike hang up the mike completely and hand over to someone else (other than Robo), I've had enough.

4 minutes ago, Biffen said:

I'm disappointed he didn't follow through on a promising start.

Whether he quit or got sacked I couldn't say and it doesn't really matter.

 

 

Biff, disappointment is understandable.  I as I suspect were many MFC fans hugely diapointed that Aussie didn't make it completely, but as for the rest, your response totally lacks compassion and emapathy, which I actually find sad.

24 minutes ago, Biffen said:

Lovell was not Aboriginal to my knowledge.

Biff, I took my lead from here on Lovell.

http://demonwiki.org/Indigenous+Players

 He personally wasn't the first that leapt to my mind as one of our indigenous players but reading it on the demon wiki sight did jolt my memory that I'd heard he has some indigenous heritage,  so I'm not going to dispute it.  I don't think much was made of it during his playing days, in which sadly were not times indigenous players were encouraged to be as proud of their cultural/family heritage as they are in todays game, so I can well understand, assuming it is true that it wasn't brought up much.

You have more faith than I @low flying Robbo, at the time, I was getting the feeling that we could have been swamped by an avolanch of GC goals, they way they linked up and penitrated our defense for parts of the second quarter.  Probably also getting psyched out by the comentaters banging on about GC's bye the week before leaving them fresher and also somewhat scarred by our incipid third quarter against Norf the week previous.

So glad the players had more composure than I did.

Further to all the above @Petraccattack, one thing I have noticed about our play this season in particular is that while we have been very good at creating forward 50 entrys and keeping the game played in our forward half, at times we are woefully inefficient at actually scoring, which creates two problems 1.It leaves our defensive half very open for the opposition to get out the back and create quality scoring opportunities from limited entries and 2. We often don't have any score on the board for all our dominance and again letting  the opposition get back in the game when they have the rub of the green for 5 - 10mins.  

Obviously 1. Is somewhat an inherent consequence of playing a high press and very attacking game style, so if we are going to play that way it is somewhat inevitable, though having some very quick players like Frost/Hunt to cover the open ground will help as will players who read the play and position well lIke T Mac and Hibbard.

Once we can become consistly more efficient at picking off targets and scoring from our share of time forward half, we should really be able to put some teams to the sword early in games and set up some easier wins (assuming we don't then sit back and think it's just going to happen like somewhat like the Freo game).

Again balancing the all out attacking with defense, it is encouraging that sometimeswe are getting better at simply controlling the game in between forward thrusts and that was another thing we did well at times in the third quarter against GC (it's just a little hard to know how much of that was due to an incipid oppo on this occasion).