Rodney (Balls) Grinter

As they say - draft based on best available and trade based on needs. Given how long it takes to develop rucks, it would almost seem crazy to draft guys for that position. Asides from Gawn, I can't actually recall anyone we've plucked out of the draft as an 18yo that has actually gone on to regularly play the position.

Welcome to the big Moose indeed. Perhaps I'm calling this a bit early, but this is the highlight of the trade period so far for me. Can't wait to see JvR clunk one and pass off to Heath who's pushed forward, then the crowd can all yell "ROOOOOOOOOOOO", then "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE" Will simply things around the club too. The ruck department can now just be know as the Max department. Going by the previous clip, it looks like he doesn't Sh T the bed in front of goal like Gawny either, which is a bonus. Based on "the play kids" type mantra we've heard with respects to big Adams being preferenced over May etc, then there's a great opportunity for this guy to break into the side at some point as you'd think that Tom Campbell becomes a playing VFL ruck coach, role model and break glass in emergency type of option for us in the ruck, although maybe with 5 on the interchange bench, there's an opportunity to bring him is to tag team with The Moose and rest Gawny completely in a few games this season.

Check out the highlight at 2:20 Or if you have Facebook, there's a better clip of the same tackle in the below: https://share.google/h7Xd5z25PsrSv9zKx Get us "THE MOOSE". Looks like a ripper.

Didn't really want to loose Clarry, but feel with his words in recent days, restarting with a clean slate is no longer feasible. Haven't really followed or bought into any of the rumours surrounding him, but feel he's just letting his personality all hang out now in the worst way possible. There's being honest, then there's being disrespectful to those that were once close to you. I actually liked that he told whatever reporters it was where to go at the airport. Think he was within his rights to tell them to get out of his face. But the way he's spoken about the MFC in recent days in public has lost my respect for where he's at. Still loosing him to Collingwood would have made my blood boil and absolutely hate the bloke (not entirely rationally, but that how it is). If he plays foe GWS, it will still leave a bad taste, but definitely more tolerable than the alternative.

The Geeeeeelong equivalent of doing a Brock McLean. Lol.

Less than $100k? $40k of it suspended, total fine being $77.5k so less than $40k of actual fine if we want to talk round numbers. Their players don't even get out of their Cotten-on sheeted beds for that!

Got to talk about what Brisbane are doing this trade and draft period: Signed Draper as a FA Expected to sign Oscar Alan as a FA Will pick up academy prospect Dan Annable, who is projected to go inside the top 10. This is all after back to back premierships and top four finishes the preceding two years and picking up the Ashcroft boys as F/S in the past few seasons, who went as the equivalents of pick 2 and pick 5. I like Brisbane and I'm happy that they've won the flag the past two seasons. The sucess of the Lions is great for the expansion of the game in Northern states. But the level of concessions they are getting in the way of free agents, F/S and academy picks is an absolute disgrace, totally undermines any sense of equalisation within the league as it's likely they're being set up to become a powerhouse for the next 3 - 5 years. It's a bloody joke. Just winding back F/S and accademey concessions isn't enough. What really needs to occur is for the AFL to look back over the past 3 - 10 years at those clubs like Brisbane, who have benefited from those concessions in a lob sided way and exclude those clubs from accessing them for the next 3 - 10 years, while allowing other clubs that access. Just cancelling them for everyone overnight will lead to situations like the Mac Andrew scenario where clubs that haven't had access to premium talent through those rules in recent history loose out on the opportunity to achieve equalisation with those like Brisbane and Collingwood that have.

Going to change your user name in few weeks to keep up to date?

Wounder if that was the point of the camping trip all along?

I think the AFLPA do drive this to an extent, but these guys are what 20 - 22yo as well. They should have enough brains and life direction about them to work it out for themselves as well. I'd say alot of these guys on the frindges do have a plan B and are also well served by being well displined motivated individuals to make it to AFL level. It's probably more the ones that have got more of taste of superstardom and might take it for granted, but then somehow fall off the list that could struggle a bit more. Still most would be earning a sufficient wage as an 18-22 yo that they should have enough surplus to have saved enough to go back and re-train. I wish I'd earnt the sort of cash these guys do straight out of high school.

Agree with all the above. If old mate Silvani is worth pick 19, then Judd is worth 12. We'd actually be better off if he was a free agent. But he isn't, so pay up Freo or F off.

Yeah, but is an average 18yo you draft this year going to help you win a premiership any more than a great one is next year? If they were dealing with just picks for Hawthorn and Collingwood that is. Perhaps it might need to be a combo of picks and players from those clubs if they were to trade for Humphrey's. Plus also, I think alot of clubs these days take the view of playing a long game as well while going for a premiership. They want to start contending for one now, but it might not come for another 3 or 4, so that 18yo you draft next season might be starting to peak when you're in the window. Asides from that, I think clubs are just always looking to bring in young talent if it's available to have a sustainable, balanced list, like us getting top round picks for Dogga when he left. Gold Coasts preference is probably not to loose Humphrey's, but if they figure he's gone in a few maybe getting the best deal might look like a few first and/or second rounders or something in next seasons draft as opposed to Trac now.

What about the future picks that Hawthorn and Collingwood could offer? With everyone suggesting this is a weak draft, future picks may actually be more valuable.

I'm interested in how the negotiation on this would go with Collingwood. I'm assuming they'd be in a similar / inverse position to us with respects to free agents in and out, so I'd think we'd need to offer them something more than what they think they'd receive as a compensation for Mihoceck, unless of course they are already linked to multiple in-bound free agents. Otherwise why would they want to trade compared to just receiving the free agency compensation like us?

It can be entertaining when you get a close high stakes game like that, but it's a once in a blue moon that occurs OMHO. Mind you I only ever watch it once in a blue moon for either an origin game of GF like that too. Watched it a couple of times at the ground and that's even worse. I can see why their attendances are so poor.

Honestly, I don't think we're very far off competing for a flag again right now. Finished with one of the best % outside the 8, we beat the premiers Brisbane on their home deck, came close and should have beaten Collingwood twice - when they were playing well the first time and even late season they showed they could turn it around and beat Adelaide and push Brisbane for a while. If we can do all that while being handicapped by not being on top of our ball movement, lacking in confidence and with the aura of negativity that's haunted our past two seasons, then just watch us go in 2026. If we loose Trac, while it will have something of an impact, I'm not convinced it will be catastrophic (we was nowhere near 2nd B&F type good this season IMHO) and if we've lost him, it should also mean we've secured something pretty good in return. If that eventuates, then I really do hope we secure someone like Humphrey's in return, otherwise the pressure on a 2nd year Langford is going to be huge, although maybe it also creates the space for someone like Rivers and/or maybe even Sparrow to step up and take the reins. I think the real lessons that the club has learnt from that post 2006 era is that tanking and bottoming out just to access the low draft picks isn’t the pathway to success, rather keeping a ballanced list profile and striving to always to be competitive is the way to go. Keeping a ballanced list profile is something think we have acheived ever since 2021, by participating ways with the likes of Harmes, ANB etc and natural retirements of guys like Hibbo, BBB and the untimely retirement of Gus as evidenced by the post of @biggestred.

Richmond were down and struggling in a similar position to us when the expansion teams came in. They went on to win 3 flags while we struggled for a few years longer before coming away with one ourselves. History shows, it's not like Tassie will come in and me super competitive right away and that other existing teams will still be the ones competing for the flag. Although Tassie will likely starve the competition of new talent and steal some of the existing talent, that could actually represent an opportunity if we can be one of the good teams at the time, by creating greater stratification in tallent throughout the league. I'd like it if we could be more like Richmond 2017 - 2020 era when Tassie comes in.

Being reported here as a free agency move rather than a trade at this point: https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/collingwood-magpies/afl-trade-news-2025-brody-mihocek-to-leave-collingwood-magpies-for-melbourne-demons-free-agency-deal-latest-news/news-story/c2ea08f4c58c5b0743d50c3f2d7c4487

I actually think we could get more value from Melksham playing further up the ground and being a player the drives the ball inside 50 to the advantage of the deep forwards. Probably still opportunities for him to play deep inside too on occations and should add a few more dimensions and less predictability to our forwardline. The other aspect is in line with your suggestion, perhaps like T Mac, Melksham might be destined to spend more time at Casey in a mentoring role this coming season developing players than producing in the seniors. He might actually be better value to the club in the long run playing that role. Overall, I think Brody gives us much better options and flexibility to shape our forward looks and plays for the next few seasons.

And I don't think Brody has the chronic knee issues either (althoug like you I still think we got good value out of Brown).

Lol, yeah. Maybe not the Spargo part and he's not actually named after him exactly. He's also actually a Brisbane Lions supporter, who's favourite player is Charlie Cameron, but I won't hold that against him. Watching the Lions and Charlie Cameron over the years has been alot of fun also, particularly this past few when we've been such 💩. Did have that awsome Jake Melksham inspired comeback we had at the MCG a few years back which was alot of fun to get one back over him!

I thought he was pretty good for us when he first started with us as an 18yo and burst onto the scene with his tenacious tackling pressure and attack on the footy, at a time when we were really struggling as a team and lacking players with those attributes. Will have some fond memories of Charlie. Not only because he's got the same name as my oldest son, but because I genuinely think he made a good contribution to the Melbourne footy club over the years. His last couple of seasons have been poor by his standards (mainly due to injury), but I felt he played some really good seasons for us as well, including but not limited to our premiership. Was some of that manic Spargo pressure that resulted in one of our early grand final goals to Pickett if I recall correctly. All the best Charlie sad to see you go, but thanks for your contribution.

When Carlton get pick 19 for Jack Silvani (reportedly the about the same Hawthorn got for Lance Franklin) after he played 0 and 13 games for Calton in the past 2 seasons, then I think we should also expect realitive overs for Spargo. Perhaps the AFL are finally waking up to the corrosive impact of free agency on equalisation and giving more reasonable compensation as a result. ... or maybe they are just favouring Carlton - we'll soon see I guess.

Lol. Ease up Mr.Fence. I don't want to trade him out, but if we do, I'm just wanting a developing young player with potential, as opposed to a spud that never makes it. Many on this forum have been talking up Derksen for the past few seasons. Konestly don't know if he's the best that we could get out of GWS, but on face value if the reports are right that we're prepared to pay $700k of his salary, our own club itself doesn't seem to think Clarry has that much currency. I'd rather a semi developed key back where we have a bit of a potential gap, than taking a pot on a run if the mill mid where we probably have more options in-house.

Two great humans and what a great moment in the history of the MFC. Would love it if they were both still here with us today. Saw Austin play for the Northern Territory Stars (or whatever they were) in Souuthport a few years after he finished with the MFC - what a tallent. Still spewing he didn't play more games for us.