Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Double speak a plenty in all this talk over the value of rucks. Apparently you don't need a good ruck, but if all you have are under developed kids to play the role, who would get smashed then maybe you need at least a solid performer with height and a developed body - turns out they arn't that easy to come by and if you've got one that is, then they're worth something. Add to all this is that Grundy isn't your average second string ruck and has put in a solid comeback season after having an injury cloud hanging over him when we picked him up. Hicky was a solid contender, who had Max's respect. I've no doubt the Sawns would appreciate that he bought that to their side and would this value the contribution a player like Grundy could make. Collingwood desperately needed to offload salary cap space and valued that more than anything. I don't think we're in that same position and think we certainly won't want to accept unders for Grundy. As an asides, while I don't think it's what is driving the Grundy trade, I'm woundering what our plans are for the cap space that we free up from Grundy? Does that help retain a player like Jordon or give us greater barging power to attract a mature key forward?

Couldn't agree more EO. When you look at what the MFC and it's leaders have been through over the past 15 years, nothing about that says 'fragility' to me. Being though isn't about not being knocked down, it's about the getting up again. We bomb out of finals contention in 2020 and the AFL media were sinking the boots into us and had almost completely written us off in 2021 (Brad Johnson if I remember correctly was one of the few who thought we could be up there, but most wrote us off). Many of the core group from 2021 had been there and suffered through years of getting thrashed and being the laughing stock of the AFL, yet found a way to persevere and build themselves and the team around them into a team that has a premiership and 3 top 4 finishes in the past 3 years. Despite all the injuries and setbacks we copped in the back half of the season and during finals, that we lost both games by around a goal or less, shows that the team had grit and spirit to fight out games and not drop our bundle and get thrashed on the way out as many others have in finals. There were stages in the second and third quarters against Carlton when they really looked like they had the ascendancy and were going to run away with it, but we held in there and got ourselves into a winning position. Similar Collingwood where despite being short Angus and a fresh substitute player we could bring on in the back half of the game, we fought our way back and nearly snatched it. In the 2021 GF, we came back from being 18 points down midway through the third and hardly kicked a point after that. Forward line efficiency and consistency is something we need to rectify. If we do that we will be THE dominant force within the AFL and no one will get near us.

Lions and the Giants either or will do.

In summary, in response to the question of disfunction, I'd say neither of our management or players are. To the contrary, you don't get where we have over the past 3 years if your dysfunctional. The results of our past two seasons do say there is room for improvement though and I think our track record says that we'll critically review seek that improvement out to give ourselves the beat shot at it again in future years.

Well reasoned post Queanbeyan, but the title of the thread is over negative click bait garbage. I'm really interested in the response to the questions you've posed, but my summary is that we did pretty well this season with the chips we were dealt. So Grundy won't be viewed as a sucess in retrospect, but the opportunity was there and worth a try. All up, I think Goody has the right approach and is always looking for ways to get better, without throwing the baby out with the bath water, but also prepared to make tough calls and changes when things clearly arn't working. Few saw us even making finals at the end of 2020, let alone making a premiership in 2021, so people can continue to write us off, I say. We'll be competing with a pretty good chance next year and I have confidence in the bulk of the players and coaching staff to do whatever is required to get there.

Really not liking some of the negativity and criticism of our coaching staff and players on here this morning. If we'd won, by 5 points there would have been some very different reviews. Thought we learned a lot of lessons from 2022 this year, but just got smashed by injury upon injuries to our forward half. Yey the players played their guts out and kept us in games when we were dealt some rubbish hands on game day as well. In 2021, everything clicked for us in our attacking game in the last 5 or 6 games of the home and away, but this season, every time we got close in that regard we had another injury to a key part of that forward setup that put us backwards. In retrospect, I wished we'd appealed JVR's suspension, because he might have been the difference against Carlton and what he did was a whole 3 levels less severe than what Maynard did. But next week, we probably would be smashed by Brisbane, like I hope Carton are and in all, I think we just didn't quite have enough go our way in the back 3rd of the season to be a truely dominant contender hitting the finals full of confidence like we did in 2021. Three top four finishes in as many years says we have the troops, the coaches and the culture to take us to another premiership with a few more tweaks and a bit more luck go our way. Max, Viney and Goodie are great leaders, with quality around them on that next level as well.

If only we had that version of T Mac now. His best years were wasted when we were putrid or not quite there yet. Tommy was an absolute athletic weapon when he was younger.

Maybe, but if we'd had the Jack Viney that rises to the occation, plays out of his skin and carries the team on his shoulders version of Jack, we'd probably have won. I'm not being hard on Jack, because the reality is it's neigh impossible to do that every week, but it would have been nice. We got smashed at centre clearances at times tonight and some better performances out of our mids might have just got us over the line.

Let's face it, we somewhat fluked it in 2021 when the key forwards we had in T Mac and Brown were able to stay out on the park enough and contribute at a level that ment we had a functional forward line. Dogga was a reasonable contributor who's marking capasity we've somewhat replaced with JVR. But until that point our forward line was a weakness up until 2021 and unfortunately, they were only able to hold it together physically injury wise for that one year. BBB was an absolute asset in 2021 when fit, but he's body has fallen apart since then, likewise T Mac. To a certain extent I think we pinned too much hope or faith on Weid making it as a key forward and didn't draft enough supplementary talls to develop along side him. This season our forward line has just been smashed by injury at every turn. T Mac and BBB trough age, accumulated injuries, Petty, Melksham and Fritsch through bad luck. While Fritsch played tonight, I think he's struggled to get back his elite set shot accuracy in an injury interuped season. I'm hoping that JVR comes back next year physically more developed, has benifited from the exposure and development he has got this season and imposes himself on games more as he really looks the goods at times and his goal kicking accuracy is superb. Like @picket fence, I think Joel Smith needs to be played as a regular forward as he's got all the weapons on the lead, in the air, with his set shots and is also defensively excellent with his elite pace. I was equally as impressed with some of his substitute backline roles late this season, but forward is where our greatest need is. Needs to stay fit and on the park the whole season next year and really hit the start of the H&A running. Whether it's Petty down forward again or we recruit another mature key forward, I think we still short that third key forward. I was impressed with those 3 or 4 games that Petty did impose himself as a forward this season, but something really does make me feel we lack that third key defenders and or the player to take over Steve May's place in the side one day and I think Petty is that guy. I like Tomlinson's determination, but I'm comming (perhaps somewhat belatedly) to the conclusion that he's just that fraction off the elite key defender material that made us so great in 2021.

I think we do all right for attendance and passionate supporters, but our lack of co-ordinated vocal support is apaulling. I think it's great the Demon Army have supposedly created a fun, social atmosphere, but they need to tell whoever leads their chants to step asides, because they don't have a clue and they have killed the vocal support for the team. The pace of the chant they orchestrate is too fast and doesn't give the rest of the ground a chance to match the pace and join in. Location behind the goals is also wrong as it is only a pocket of our supporters that sit there and it's hard to get the rest of the crowd to join in from that location. I feel the only time we do get a decient chant going it doesn't originate with the cheer squad and that's a real disadvantage. That and that the MCC portion of the crowd actually need to get loud and support the team, rather than just be there to look pretty and socialise down in the bull pit or where ever. I actually think the MFC did themselves a huge disservice with turning the former 'red seat' area on level one of the Northern Stand into a reserve seat only area that is now only ever half full as our previous MFC members area was always full and full of passionate supporters and the chants were led from that location by the cheer squad. As for Carlton's crowd tonight, full credit for turning up and getting loud, but the degree of booing of every opposition shot on goal is an absolute disgrace and they've taken that mantle of bad sportsmanship from West Coast. I can understand the odd boo, when the shot is being taken from a rank free kick, but to boo each and every shot is poor form and shows them up as being a bunch of ferals.

The umpires tonight were putrid. Can say all everything that needs to be said about our poor goal kicking (which I think is actually more to do with our game style, which somewhat forced us into where we took our shots from where we did and results and more rushed behinds) but asides from that the guys tried their guts out and in reality I thought we dominated the second half. Feeling really bitter and cheated by the umpires last night though 26 free kicks to 19 and giving them 3 x 50m penalties (only 1 of which I could actually understand what was there for) to our zero absolutely shifted the momentum of the game and kept them in it. Some absolute shockers in the last quarter in this respects - giving them deliberate out of bounds when it hadn't been paid all night, that dubious free kick in our forward pocket, that to rub sault into the wounds they then paid 50 on top of and took the ball from deep in our 50 when we were applying the screws to 2 / 3rds the way down the feild, that rubbish free against Sparrow on their half forward flank when they got into him. Total bias BS. In a game of inches, they gave them a mile and helped them over the line last night. Freaking furious.

Great post overall DD, but this is the part that really got me. I didn't think Hunt was a complete loss in 2022 and if you look at it, he was a key component why we beat Carlton in our second last H&A last year. Still for our list profile his age wasn't something that went in his favour, so can understand why we let him go (I'd still rather have kept him in a way), similarly Baker. But Bedford always looked like being a quality player and like you I don't feel like we fought hard enough to keep him and got sweet FA in terms of trade compensation for him too. When Geelong had their period of sucess 2007 onwards, they created a culture of guys that were willing to hang around on less money and/or more limited oppertunity, in order to be part of a great side and this is something I don't think we've emulated as well as we could have.

The other beautiful thing is hardly a Hawthorn jumper in sight. I think I saw one Hawthorn scarf. They were everywhere in my day. Clearly the ĺack of sucess in the last 10 years that most primary school kids would have been around for is biting and long may it continue.

I've got the same feeling. While I wouldn't say I feel it's that likely, but gee I'd love it if we could actually get off to a flyer in the first quarter for once this year and control the game from start to finish. Getting a bit over most of our games comming down to the wire this season.

So it's last day of the school term today and instead of free dress, it's wear your footy gear day. MFC supporters out numbering every other team in the outer east. This is the future - I love it! GO THE MIGHTY DEMONS!!

Except Spargo is one of the best in the league at hitting a target inside 50 - totally sensible in that regard, trying to rectify the issue that we were so deficient in last week. I'm also hoping we can play Patracca forward more this week with Jordan in the side as I also think this will help both or goal scoring capasity and inside 50 connection.

I didn't quite read it that way, but I suspect that it could be that he's either struggling to fully run out games at the required level and/or finding it that much harder to back up every week that led him to the decision to call it quits. He was showing the signs of this earlier in the season when he needed to be rested/managed for a game here or there. Still if he's able to capably play out 3 quarters, or 2 games out of every 3, I think he's still more than handy as a substitute or backup depth, because the thing you know with the Pig is that he's a fierce competitor who won't shirk a contest or leave anything left in the tank doing his bit for the side.

Great call from random St Kilda supporter in a video shown on The Front Bar: "Please do something about the umpires, because we don't understand them and they're bloody [censored]" Couldn't agree more.

Add to that a defense that keeps us in games and gives us the opportunity to win games alot wouldn't still be in.

If I recall correctly, we were the team to knock off Collingwood mid season when they were riding high, everyone was suggesting they were undefeatable and we were struggling for consistent form. I think we're just as capable of beating Carlton now with our backs somewhat to the wall now as we were Collingwood mid season. This team has grit, determination and ability.

Uninsipiring maybe, but flags arn't won by superstars. All the ins are quality, solid players, more than capable of playing a role in my mind. Our depth is certainly being tested, but we're still in the flag race because we have it.

No, Bondi or Coogee beach if the rumors are right 😉

Like the selections and I've got a good feeling about this game. A key man down in Brayshaw, I don't think our forward line could have functioned any worse and or we have missed soo many gettable shots at goal. And yet we nearly still won it. Listening to the likes of Gawn and Patracca, I think there's a determination and confidence that we can turn our performance last week around, just like we did with our form from around the mid season point when the outside football World was writing us off. Jordan a no brainer. Hopefully he plays like a star and cements himself a spot for the rest of the finals series, but even the standard Jordan solid output and gut running is what's required. Tomlinson has shown enough that he's still more than capable on his day. Perhaps the retirement announcement from Hibbo during the week was a concession that he can't quite play out a full AFL game at his and/or own standard of intensity and Tommo still can? Also think Tommo will be playing out of his skin at this chance to play in big finals. While Spargo's form this season hasn't exactly set the world on fire at times, something that does need to be remembered is that he's amoung the elite in the league at hitting a target inside 50 - something we sorely lacked last week. I'd love to see Hibbo be the sub and it's a role he may still be well suited to, but equally I think we'd still get good returns out of Grundy or Schache if they get given the nod. I think it's highly unlikely we'd have Laurie as sub again based on his lack luster performance last week, but also as we've gone fairly small in the main 22.

Thanks that's a better way of expressing it. If you look at my original post I stated and/or after the men's game, because I did want to avoid the connotation of being just a 'curtain raiser' but probably didn't do that so well. To be honest, I'd like the opportunity to more conviently watch more the women's games live at the ground. Buying a club membership should get you membership to both teams. Getting more exposure via game attendances and hopefully corresponding rise in TV ratings should also booster the justification for more and/or equal pay for the women's players too.

Katrina I get where you are comming from but I think you have at least partly misinterpreted where I'm coming from and actually show some biases of your own. I don't think I stated that they should be regarded as the reserves teams. I've been a big supporter of the rise of the women's competition and my suggestion was more so based on them getting to play at venues and an audience equal to the men's competition. I look at the second tier ground and small crowds the AFLW play at and think they deserve better and to play on a stage equal to that of the men's team. There's a bit of elitism in the assertion of different crowds too and I also don't think it's the solution to the issue. If there unacceptable crowd behavior at the men's AFL games, then that's the issue that needs to be addressed, not insulating the AFLW games from the mass support they should get more exposure to. P.S. I've never been to watch a Casey game since they cut out the reserves competition, but I don't regard them as unequal or second rate and I'd also gladly have them play more of those games at the major AFL venues, but would prefer they gave that oppertunity to the AFLW comp.