Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Slight change of toppic from all the Oscar bashing/selection bemoaning... I'm not much of a punter and don't really want to be seen to encouraging gambling, but IMHO the $5 being offered for a Melbourne win this week is pretty darn good based on respective form to date and I'm very tempted to put $50 on us. I know recient past record against would suggest I'm a fool, but Hawthorn weren't all that good against the lions and neither have we been the past two, so I think it will come down to who wants it more. I'm happy that we've selected a team of goers and we are about due for another breakthrough game like Geelong last year. Any thoughts?

I actually think Harmes is one of our better disposers of the footy. Seen him hit big Jessy and others with beautiful passes which hit them laces out a number of times this year. I think the thing is he needs to get better at doing it consistently (like many of our young players), but to me he has shown he has a good basic foot skills as something to work with... not sure that all of our players have that. Also one thing we need to be mindful of with the likes of Harmes, ANB, Billy, Gus, Trac and the like is that they are still only 1st to 2nd/3rd year players at best. In years gone by, these guys wouldn't even be getting games at Hawthorn or the Swans and not all players develop at the same rate, so way too early to put too much judgement into their ultimate potential at this point. Also worth noting that whilst the trend has been for players of all positions to have mid fielder type athletic ability, there is still room for players with good football ability to play a role (I.e. Nev Jetta). Whist all teams strive to fill their lists with A grade midfields, that is not to say that every player on their list is an A grader. The good teams also value solid, disiplined no frills players who can use their abilities to 'play a role' for the team. That all said, I think we have several talented young guys that should hopefully develop into A graders.

The main one we have let slip (and I can understand some of the reasoning) was big Steff Martin and to a small degree Cheeny. While in some respects I'd like to see him do well, I also hope that Fitzy isn't another who could yet burn us given the opportunity and if he can get his body right.