Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Development. He's in effect only a second year senior AFL player, who from my recollection hasn't performed a full preseason as yet. In my view Wagner has weppons - his tackling and kicking are pretty good. Perhaps if he develops his tank a little more and is able to sneak up the ground more often and provide another goal kicking option? He may be one which fly's under the radar. I think in general apart from the obvious automatic selections, with whesre our team is at, picking a best 22 this far out is a bit like throwing darts at a dart board. So much is dependant on preason development, preseason match form and dare I say it who adapts most to Goodwin's updated game plan. From all reports Tommy Bugg has had a cracker of a preseason so far and may be amougst those whom get one of the last contestable spots, but I'm also very wary of preseason 'track' form (particularly this far out), although in retrospect it did provide a pretty good lead indicator on big Maxy last year. Further on Bugg, whilst many here rate him as only an average player, he is a competitive little [censored] and good sides can never have too many of them. He also has good goal sense. My only criticism would be he went missing too often at times last season, but perhaps higher fitness level is the answer to that and IMHO, he could a be best 22 option come round 1. On the other hand it wouldn't surprise me if either or both Milksham and Hibbard are not in the 22 from round 1.

I fully admit that I for one certainly questioned the Weid's inclusion in the side ahead of Pederson late last season (the Carlton game in particular). Whist don't think I take that back, I do think it's good that the exposure of the Weid to senior AFL beyond the Hawthorn game should have a positive medium term impact on the Weid's development: More than anything, the experience of playing senior footy made him realise that he needs to continually refine his game and find different ways to be more involved in the play. The 195cm forward kicked two goals (one with his first kick in the AFL) against the Hawks but kicked just one in his final two games of the season. "I did quite a bit of work last year and into this pre-season on finding different ways I can get the ball and improve my leading patterns," Weideman said. "I did find myself struggling with the lack of space but I've been doing a truckload of work with [defensive coordinator] Jade Rawlings and [offensive coordinator] Troy Chaplin this year on not letting my defender get set on me." What a great attitude from a young player and hopefully it pays dividends this season and beyond.

It would be interesting to see the breakdowns of Bernie's bomb it long turnovers by ground position. I suspect he is fairly calculated in when he executes the bomb it long option, as I don't doubt that Roos would have hesitated to drum bad habits our of even experienced players That said, I agree that Bernie's best position out of the midfield is up forward. In a number of our wins last year, he bobbled up and kick 2 or 3 telling goals. He has great goal sense as a snap shot and the ability to avoid inside 50 contests from his long hoofs from outside 50. The only downer that could be said about his goal kicking is my impression that he can have off days and miff up plenty of simple shots. Can also see why he would be used in defence as he reads the ball so well and positions him self well as a loose defender and is highly effective of getting under the skin of his opponent so it's handy to have that flexibility within the team.

Yes, Trac could be developing nicely in this area, though I think he is mainly hyperactive. There are some other characters left at other clubs - Bob Murphy would be one, but don't think we would lever him away from his beloved Dogs. Dane Swan struck me as being from a similar mold to big Maxy, but perhaps a little less overt. There must still be some others out there.

Will need to word up Jason Taylor and the team to test for characters at draft camp Jack, or is their one we could/should trade for. Apart from Maxy and to an extent Bernie it might be a bit of a list deficiency at the MFC and a rare commodity in the AFL in general these days.

Bring it on Jack. How about No.6 next?

Watched that game last night, along with Rd 15 Vs Collingwood. In fact the player fka O'Brien features in quite a few of the games and dispite some distain of said player on this forum, Harry (can't spell his new one) is actually quite serviceable in most of them. Back to da Gawn Dawg - contrast Rd 15 Vs Collingwood 2015 where he is out on his feet late in the third quarter (and much to the amusement of the commentators pretty much stuck hands on hips in the same spot at CHB for the last 5 mins of the qtr), compared to Rd 20 Vs Hawthorn 2016, where big Maxy just powers on with his dominant marking and ruck work full of running. What a difference a full preseason and further physical development makes - now multiply that out for a few more in our developing list and watch the positive match day results flow!!

From what has been reported, it would appear so.

Rubbish - GWS have had and continue to stockpile so many early picks and recruitment concessions that loss of a pick 15 is like a drop in the ocean to that side.

Speaking of the suspended Collingwood players, based on the lack of punishment handed out by the AFL, GWS and any future culprits would have to think that rolling the dice and avoiding a drug test is better than subjecting players to drug testing. The Collingwood boys got a full season for their positive drugs test, where as Whitfield, GWS got a slap on the wrist and less than half a season for their dishonest behaviour - well done AFL, massive opportunity to send the right message missed.

Get ready for some Max mainia in just a few hours fellow Demonlanders.

So effective goal kicking routine implemented over the preseason - like it. IMHO, there were games this that Jessie's wayward kicking was a big contributor to our loss. The Bulldogs game stands out to me. Simply must kick most of the most gettable set shots on goal.

The function y = 1/x. As x approaches 0 from the right, y approaches infinity. Anyway infinity seems like a good number of goals for Hogan to kick...just play along.

If we play the fast direct down the guts Goodwin style of footy, then that will give him every chance, combined with Jordan's Hawthorn pin point foot passing. The club should make Jack Watts his practical conjoined twin over the summer. Jack can learn more of Jessie's combative one on one skills and competitive moungrul and Jack can teach Jessie set shots on goal and perhaps how to better manage his body language.

Technically that's how many he's kicked per game already in season 2017, since anything divided by zero is infinite!

I just want to know when PJ is pulling on the boots and running out with the team - I recon he'd go alright.

Not totally sure I remember it, but was it the one where Col Garland played at FF and kicked a small bag? We had the wood on the Dons for a few years there, when they were on a competitive side and we were bloody hopeless - those tables have certainly turned in the last few years. If I recall correctly 2011 they were practically unbeaten until we played them at their drugged up peak.

So for Foxtel suscribers, next Friday is a good day to start you Christmas leave early or queue up some recordings on the iQ for some classic big Maxy (and MFC wins) showing on the Fox Footy channel. Eight whole games in total starting with Rd 11, 2011 Vs Essendon, cumulating with Rd 20, 2016 Vs Hawthorn. ...hanging out big time!

I know whereas you are comming from, but I disagree in principal. If we are going to become a successful side, then we need to develop ways of winning without a dominant ruckman. Very few sides have a ruckman close to the dominance of big Maxy, yet there were around 10 that finished above us this season. Even if he is fit and in form for the majority of the season, we will need to win games where Maxy is beaten/nutralised or has an off day.

Sorry, the point you were trying to make was...?

Yes, but Mitchie came to us with a number of years already under his belt at a senior AFL club, Hunt did not. I'm still bemused why Mitchie got such a run in the senior this year compared to Grimes, who showed far more potential at AFL level IMHO.

My expectation is that if we start to string together some good form and push up into the top 8, all the media will start talking us up as the next WB. Whilst I do think we will improve next year, I'm also one in the camp of being cautiously optermistic and realistic. I'm thinking if we do make finals, I'll be somewhere on the spectrum between releived and elated. If we don't make finals, I won't be totally supprised and so long as we don't completely capitulate or regress, I'm not sure I'll be all that concerned or dispondant. I think I've seen enough good signs this year to indicate that we have the core talent, work ethic and solid coaching/off field support to set us up to make a really decent crack of it in years to come. Sounds a bit cliche and perhaps I've been drinking a bit much of the Paul Roos bathwater, but I'm really more looking forward to a few years time, when we will find out if we have developed into just a good team capable of making finals or a great one that is capable of winning them and going all the way. Other than that I do expect us to finally beat North and St Kilda and I'll take those as my moments of joy for the footy year. They say that every game is worth 4 points, but I think there is a bit of a physiological victory to be had in winning those ones which is worth more than just the 4 points, similar to the Hawks win this year.

Interesting to note that jumper design has become a board level issue at the Tigers: The colour of Richmond's jumper has become a board election issue, with aspirants Simon Wallace and Peter Casey promising to get the guernsey right. The Tigers have also been working behind the scenes for at least six months to make sure their new apparel range would be a true reflection of their 'yellow and black' tradition. "Our jumper is who we are … yellow and black are not just our colours, they are the best line in the best (club) song," Wallace wrote in his campaign prospectus. "It should be yellow and black, not the charcoal and mustard that it now is." http://m.afl.com.au/news/2016-12-01/charcoal-and-mustard-to-yellow-and-black-tigers-hope-for-new-jumper

Wondering if any of that is attributable to the additional excitement generated by the J.Lewis and Hibbard signings?

I'm not against what the club is trying to do with the new logo and the whole marketing campaign to broaden the appeal of the club. Quite to the contrary. However we shouldn't sell out on our core identity to go chasing a few cheap tourist $. The new logo looks great on the all red polos the club has on sale and I think many tourists and members alike (including myself) are more likely to purchase a classy looking item like that, than the tacky looking clash jumper. Further the AFL has clearly accepted that the all white is not required for some and just need to accept that red can provide a sufficient colour contrast for the MFC as other non white colors such as yellow for the WCE.