Rodney (Balls) Grinter

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.

1 hour ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

Definition of the football department at the MFC:

• Goodwin – senior coach
• Richardson – GM of AFL Football Performance
• Yze – midfield coach
• Chaplin – backline coach
• Stafford – forward line coach
• Williams – head of development
• Whitford – VFL senior coach
• Radford - opposition strategy and education

Can someone who has real world knowledge and practical experience in such an environment please explain, in practice, how does a football department actually work? For example:

• What does the FD do during pre-season as a group?
• What does the FD do during a ‘normal’ week as a group during the season?
• How do the backline, midfield and forward line coaches work, in an integrative manner, during the year and on gameday?
• How is information passed between these coaches and then onto the players?
• Who reports to who?
• Who is in charge during the game of making moves and adjusting strategy and tactics?
• What does Simon actually do?

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.

5 hours ago, whatwhat say what said:

was playing on nick riewoldt at 19

he's been a warrior but his body is shot

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.

1 minute ago, David-Demon said:

Viney for mine had a good serviceable game. 

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.

2 hours ago, Gawndy the Great said:

It’s pathetic. I’m not have a crack at our mob but I was so disappointed the sheer difference in support. What is it that makes us have this little support? 

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. 

3 hours ago, Wodjathefirst said:

The umpiring was disturbingly bad, that is a fact. (The four umpire system was a complete failure all year and sadly, I think it is here to stay)

2 hours ago, Hatchman said:

I never say much about the umpiring but it was disgusting. The AFL has to improve the standard of umpiring, it is just not good enough. 

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.

3 hours ago, Demon Dynasty said:

Seriously should have kept Bedford.  Did we consider matching GWS's offer or were we just happy to let him go without a fight?

Gave away any speed we had in Baker (probably the right call), Hunt (fair enough to a degree as he had a shocking 2022) but to also seemingly  not fight all that hard for Bedford?  Our last really zippy small on the list outside of Kozzy & AMW that had showed he had potential with his few limited entries as sub, then straight back to Casey.

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.

12 minutes ago, DubDee said:

this is remarkable. never thought i would see this day

used to either get jeers or worse, pity when i was the only kid wearing a Dees jumper

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.

13 minutes ago, PaulRB said:

The Footy Gods were never going to let us have an easy comfortable finals, but I'm hoping the team have been hardened and motivated by the horror of the last week and are on for the first, of three, steps to redemption and the holy land.

I'm visualising a energised and prolific Demons coming out tonight and putting a collective shiver up the spines of both the Lions and the Pies, while putting the Blues to the sword.

Go Demons

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!!

6 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

The Jordon/Tomlinson selections are sensible and correct.

The Spargo selection I consider to be a major mistake. I do not like the look of our forward half when we have all of ANB, Chandler, Spargo and Pickett in it. When one of our "talls" is Joel Smith, we are severely undersized against a very good aerial backline.

Largely speaking I agree with those who say these selections aren't going to be the reason we win or lose the game. We will lose this game if we're -9 in CPs at quarter time. And we will not win this game if we continue to move the ball as poorly as we did last week. But, IMO the forward half selections aren't going to assist with the latter. 

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.

27 minutes ago, Garbo said:

I must be the only one here who didn’t rate Hibbos game last week, Elliott showed Hibbo was lacking in pace and  as a result we had to adjust our defence to stop pies exploiting it. I don’t think we will be seeing him again regardless of if we win this week

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.

20 hours ago, Kozzie4PM said:

These blokes sometimes aren't the cleanest going forward but I tell you what, they never bloody give up. They are the toughest, most talented, most big-hearted team I've ever seen wear red and blue. They are a credit to our club and we're lucky to have them.

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

4 hours ago, John Demonic said:

Me too. Just mocking the "need to beat a BIG4 club in a final" talk. We're only getting that opportunity now for the 2nd time, after many a year. It's quite obvious we need to win this week to dispense with the Spooked talk. No matter who is our opponent.

 

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.

1 hour ago, Die Hard Demon said:

Uninspiring ins.. although happy that Thommo gets to play a final for us. 

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.

2 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Werribee,??

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.

12 minutes ago, Dees_In_October said:

Can't speak for Katrina, but I know I get a bit twitchy at the idea of a women's game being a "curtain raiser" for the men's. I think that has a connotation of being less than though I know you don't mean it like that at all. Double headers for sure though. I really liked it when the AFLW practice matches last year were aligned with men's H&A games for double headers.  I think every team should play one double-header early in the season. The problem is that the overlap is with finals so can't be fixtured in advance or to match up teams. And it seems they're (finally) set down this time of year for the season, so they'll want to stick with that for a while.

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.

2 hours ago, Katrina Dee Fan said:

I could not disagree more.  The crowds that go to AFLW are a very different crowd to AFL.  Many fans attend AFLW over AFL because it is a totally different crowd.  Last Thursday's behaviour by Collingwood supporters is a clear cut example of the kind of behaviour that AFLW fans seek to avoid.  The players also don't want to play second fiddle to the men, they certainly do not want to be regarded as "the reserves" competition.  There are a lot of AFL supporters who treat AFLW as second rate, and still mock, degrade, etc the competition, fans and players. Why would you want to subject AFLW players and fans to that?

 

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.

1 minute ago, leave it to deever said:

There's a big difference bw Salos best and being solid. He is an elite player and your right he came back in such good form he stood out. Lately, not so much.

Agreed, but being the elite player that he is, soild for him is good form for your average player and then he still has that potential up side.

I think his reliable kicking out of defense is also probably something that it structurally pretty import to our backline, contributing tobthat element of stability.

2 hours ago, tiers said:

EJ Whitten's catch cry was "stick it up 'em".

Yeah, maybe, but from what I understand he also played like a thug, so I'm not sure he'd be of much use in the current circumstances.  He'd probably fall in behind the Jono Brown Neanderthal 'can't avoid these incidents in football' brigade.

But I agree with everything else in your other post tiers.

3 hours ago, deelusions from afar said:

Agree... although at the same time he's not performing at his best so it's fair to question whether he holds his spot.  A fit Salem is an absolute weapon!

Having said that, from the quotes it doesn't sound like there's any indication that he is at risk of being dropped so obviously the coaches are happy with his output.

It's disappointing in a lot of ways, because he looked red hot when he first came back in mid way through this season and I thought he made a real impact.

If he had have kicked that goal on the run against Carlton a few weeks back it would have made huge difference and it was the sort of kick you'd normally to expect him to nail, but I guess everyone is human.

I think he's been solid of late, but it could be a real boost to us if he can find that other gear we know he's got over the next few weeks and really tear some games apart.