Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Spot on. And the club should make Jayden shadow Jordan Lewis around the whole of preseason and make sure he gets some extra kicking tuition from him after every training session until he is an elite feild kick just like him. ...would love to see Jayden pull out a few more of those barrel goals like he did end of the third quarter against the Crows last year. Don't know where that one came out of.

So much has been made of the go home to WA and going back to family thing with Jessy, that I really wonder if those has been way overstated as motivating factors. Whilst it's difficult to fully know people's personal/family situations, I really do wonder what influence his family would be at this time. At the end of the day, it's only 5-8 or so more years out of his life that he would be living in Melbourne. I guess it is a personal thing, but I'd take the opertunity to play in a potential premiership team over more money (let's face it Jessy should retire with millions either way) and I'd be telling my kids to follow their own dream rather than feel like they need to stay close to home forever. I'm not sure it's a forgone conclusion that Jessy will even express an intention that he wants out. Probably fair enough to some extent that he weighs up the options in front of him and to some extent, there is no rush for him to make his intentions clear until it becomes an imperative within trade week.

Agree, but I'don't rather go after Gus's little bro. Regardless, I think we should go after Andrew and any other Victorian worth pursuing, to destabilize Freo the way they have consitanly done over the past period with Jessy. I really don't think first round draft picks are fair trade for Jessy and I'm not convinced May will deliver what we need either. All will become evident in the fullness of time, but personally I've still got a really bitter taste from loosing Scott Thompson to the Crows and also feel really duded loosing Howe to the Pies. I would absolutely spew if we lost Jessy and in the next few years he delivers on regularly being that Johnathan Brown dominant game changer type of player.

I recon that's a big part of the problem. I think Jessy needs to make up his mind and be fully committed one way or the other. I don't think there can be any half heartedness where we are going. Really looking for key players to form that tight knit take no prisoners and team is bigger than individual attitude like Geelong did at the start of their reign of sucess. By fueling this continous speculation, I think Jessy is actually presently an impediment t that kind of commitment moving forward.

True to a point, but I also think it would be the bitter taste of Scully that set the scene and lingers in tempting us to trade whist we have the capital. Ironically we pretty much used the Scully compensation picks to get Jessy, so that pretty much highlights the futility of the situation should he leave to some extent. I have been thinking that we could find out in the next little while, what matters more to Jessy - money or sucess. That is a good outcome in it's self to some extent and in my view is that he needs to make this a clear turning point. He can't continue to go on shopping himself around every time there is an opportunity to get back to WA or elsewhere, he will loose the respect of his teammates petty quickly and become corrosive to team cohesion if that's the way he continues to behave. I could understand if he did leave for genuine family reasons, but I'd also struggle to believe that if he was moving on a hugely inflated contract. IF he leaves for ridiculous money, then good riddance as I think that would mean he's not really the kind of player we want on our list going forward anyway.

Sorry, this talk of him being totally finished is such utter rubbish. Yeah he was bloody ordanary in the prelim, but so was half the side. Lewis was a stand out performer in the Rd 22 game against West Coast and also the Crows game at the Adelaide oval, for just two clutch games that I can think of. And how many of the younger guys say how invaluable his finals experience was for the Elimination and Semi finals. It's true, as Bernie somewhat showed this year, that we don't know when his body and mind will fall completely off a cliff, but even if we only get the equivalent of half a season out of him, he'll provide a much better return and investment than anything we would likely replace him with on the list, given we have already have 7 delisted/retired players.

Will always remember the great game he played in that breakthrough win we had against the Hawks in 2016, when they were still regarded as being in their prime. The way we won that day, we shattered that illusion of them being unbeatable, at the same time building huge beleif in the side. After beating West Coast in Rd 22 this year, that Hawks win was a huge building block in the beleif of the team and Pedo provided a great focal point and contest in the forward line in the absence of Jessy that day was a big part of us winning that game. As mentioned his ability to fill in for Max last year was also so valuable. Really liked the big strong pack marks he took and the hard physical presence he provided at ground level as well. Was also a pretty decient set shot on goal. I think there would be few frindge players as well loved as Pedo and I would love to see him get a regular gig at a club like Gold Coast, Brisbane or someone similar if the opportunity arose and he was so motivated. All the best for the future Cameron.

I agree it was partially symbolic, but sometimes you can tell a fair bit from body language and more importantly, it was also backed up by the way they played. It's also really evident when you hear guys like Nathan Jones, Max Gawn, Jack Viney and most of the team speak just how invested they are in the club. To a certain extent the journey the team has been on, having guys like Jones who could have left, but stayed the course has built a strength from adversity and togetherness that many players at the more reciently successfull clubs who were 'born into privilege' just probably do not experience and can not manufacturer. I also don't think the pressure and physicality that we have witnessed over the past month has come from nowhere. The first half we played against Richmond the physical pressure on the Tigs was manic, we were pretty had at it against Port in Adelaide also and the stats would show we have dominated contested ball all year, it's just that we are now bringing together the other parts of our game better as well.

Well, we certainly shat all over the Cats in the first quarter and most of the rest of the game.

Loved the sight of us standing arms linked as a tight knit group during the anthem before Friday's game. http://m.melbournefc.com.au/news/2018-09-10/in-pictures-melbourne-v-geelong If I recall correctly, Geelong by contrast stood spaced a bit apart, arms by their sides without contacting each other. I looked at it at the time and thought that body language really told a story and so it played out with the pressure we applied and how hard we worked for each other as a team. This kind of comradery is so important to sucess, can't just be manufactured and turned on at will and I'm hoping it gives us some extra edge going forward this finals series and beyond.

I thought Gus was pretty good first quarter. Has such good connection with Maxy and I think he has become a big part of us winning so many clearances in general, but that was a key part of that first quarter. Also seem to recall hI'm providing some pretty good run through the guts, but I don't recall specificly which quarter.

Without checking the record books, I think Nev and Hibbard are getting on a bit in years as well, so positions in the backline will open up over time (Jones in future seasons also). The other thing is that apart from Hunt, Lever and Smith, we have had a pretty reasonable season injury wise for backline players. Hunt has wepons that are rare to come by. Interesting to see North dump Hartung, but I think Hunt also has excellent defensive intent and execution, which I understand were Hartung's shortcomings. I think the reality is that players often take a number of years to fully develop and play their best footy, but many on here seem to think that if they haven't made it in their first 2 or 3 sesons, they will never make it. Similarly, I love it how some will claim players to have inherent deficiencies that will prevent them from keeping a spot on a list in the long run. Many here put Frost and to some extent Harmes in that category.

Jessy is a gun, just about to come into his prime in a team well and truly on the way up. After coming out of contract a few years back when we were ordanary, he signed a pretty decient medium term contract with us. As far as I'm concerned he is one of ours and no MFC supporter should be speculating over his future at another club. Can someone close down this thread? It really doesn't deserve any oxygen.

Some were saying he was past it a few months back and whilst he is no longer our most dominant mid (too much competition), I think Jonesy's last month has been awsome. Just keeps going about it in a tough, uncompromising, workman like manner and has been bobbing up and ramming home some important goals. Recon guys like Harmes, Brayshaw and Olivet walk taller with him around.

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.

Well the boot studder and the orange boy have also resigned in disgust, so must be something to this suposed rumor.

Hence my comment "from the limited exposure I've had to him)" i.e. O'Brian. But O'Brien wasn't even clucking his grabs when we played the 2016 (granted it was a shiity wet game). Also I get how the mode game needs pretty reasonable mobility (which Weid actually seems to have in spades for a guy his size), but I really still think you want your key forwards taking a good contested mark, otherwise you would just have a team of Jeff Garlets. Think you are missing my main point about big guys typically taking longer.

Have great faith in Pedo, he crunches packs like few of our other players do. I actually think he is a better pack mark than Hogan at this stage. Still I get your point about him seeming to perform better when given ruck duties. In this regard, I think the team should actually be looking to use that to best effect in the circumstances. I see a huge potential for Gawn to be targeted by opposition rucks this year, so I think it would be more than handy for Pedo to come in and give Gawn a bit of a chop out and take some of the pressure off him at times. Will keep the oppositions resting ruck more honest and possibly also mean that they will need to keep their main ruck on Pedo at times. Gawn can be pretty handy resting and drifting into the forwardline in his own right.

I've certainly been critical of the club playing the Weid over other players at times last year, when I didn't see him as being anything like ready and it costing us games. Still think we would have beaten Geelong and Richmond last year if Pedersen had played instead of the Weid. That said, it's more a criticism of our coaching and selection than anything directed at Weiderman so much. Like most big guys, I think this guy needs time to develop and establish his game. Tom Hawkins is the classic, but the more recient example I can think of is Tim O'Brian for Hawthorn. When we played Hawthorn for the first time in 2016, I thought O'Brain looked like a passenger in their side, failing to make much of an impact (ironically, asides from one late goal which helped sink us that day), but watching him last year, I think he started to look much more imposing as a player and gave me the impression (from the limited exposure I've had to him) that he looked like he might have a good future as an AFL player. O'Brain is 3 years older and longer in the system than Weid. If we can pick up guys with gammy hamstrings from GWS and keep them on our list for a few years on the basis of potential, then I think it's well worth continued perseverance and patience with the Weid.

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.