Rodney (Balls) Grinter

The

29 minutes ago, 4_Kent_Watts said:

Okay I stand corrected and apologise for not knowing that but doesn't that happen every time a player is having a shot on goal after the siren at the end of a quarter. Can't remember it being paid against anyone else. 

It's an obscure new rule that many of us plebs knew nothing of before now.  Listing to Mathew Richardson's cometary, he obviously didn't understand it either as his comment was that "but he's behind the mark".  Now I want to see it paid consistently across all games??!

The timing and position of this free really rubbed salt into the wounds of me as a Melbourne supporter.  Richmond shouldn't have been having the shot on goal in the first place as the free kick after the May mark was so bloody marginal and they then proceeded to shepard our players out of marking contests all over the place for the rest of the night.

The Gus Brashaw deliberate out of bound and non paid 50m penalty for talking the player from the man on the mark were diabolical.

I understand the umpires have a tough job, but despite being non fully professional, they still get paid pretty good coin for what they do and I'm so tired of them being beyond scrutiny in the AFLs eyes.

2 hours ago, cantstandyasam said:

What Petty gives us that Brown doesn't is second efforts and strength in the contests.

I think you are being harsh on Brown their.   He gives more second efforts at ground level than many realise and he has much better sense as a forward on how to best position himself and move the ball on in those situations and as a result is often a pretty important part of scoring chains for us.

I think what Petty gives us in terms of contests, the occasional strong contested mark as a forward and fairly reliable set shot kicking once he has it are admirable and have their place, but personally I think he's much better contributor for us down back doing similar things IMHO.  Not a knock on Petty at all, just how I see our best fit.

I also think that when we have JVR down there still trying to find his feet, we need an established forward to take more of the heat and contribute more to goal scoring opportunities.  I'm not quite sure who's our best option to fit into that role right now when T Mac and BBB arn't exactly setting the world on fire and Max plays a good resting rucks forward, but not really a dedicated forward either.  Freitch to get on a lead as a focal point more often?  Maybe playing Josh Schache and giving him a crack as he'd be hungry as f#$k by now and can play.

Also think we need Petty to shore up our defense as that part of our game has slipped from the elite level that it's been in the past two seasons and think we do need to rebalance our game plan in that respect.

9 hours ago, Demonland said:

 

Love that he so proudly wears the red and blue and hopefully he'll join those two as team mates and wear it for real one day.

He does look tall next to Roo, but not quite so tall next to Max.

The world seems right again this morning with us back in the top 4.  If only we'd not dropped that game to Essendon last week, we'd be well intrentched. 

But overall quite happy to come away with the win last night, when for a little bit in the 2nd quarter it looked like the Tigers might get their tail up and take the game away from us.

Though the 3rd and 4th quarters we played a really mature game of a side that knew it was better, but just had to keep on working harder and not loose it's head to get the 4 points.

2 hours ago, rpfc said:

Kozzie round one was amazing. Also Chandler allows Kozzie to get up the ground more and give us pace around the footy. Comparing and contrasting the pair isn’t helpful IMO.

Chandler also provides a second dynamic small forward option that the opposition will struggle to contain both him and Kossie.  I'd suspect that Kossie usually gets the best small defender, but that may change and Kossie will have a day out.

9 hours ago, David-Demon said:

Surely Dunstan must be a chance next week if we are thinking of dropping Chandler ? ( who I really like for all the reasons above)

Nice attempt at sarcasm David 🤣.

But if you're serious, I think you've been watching different games to the rest of us!

2 minutes ago, Melb16 said:

GWS has Richmond’s 1st pick 

Oh yeah.  I was just reading about that last night too.  It was the thought that counts though 😂🤣😂

In all seriousness, I was rapped with how sedated the Richmond fans near us were all game.  A few started to get a bit extravagant when they got that run-on (umpire assisted) in the second quarter.  But overall, they weren't the most feral obnoxious supporter group I've come across.  Guessing they're pretty content with their three flags and are resided to knowing the time of thier current list is up.

Incidentally my feeling was that MFC supporters significantly out numbered RFC ones last night and / or were alot more vocal in support of their team.  Could make for a massive crowd at the Kings birthday clash against the Pies in a months time.

What the Tigers fans should be talking about now is how good the top draft pick is, but that they are going to get out tanked by Hawthorn.  At least they might be able to get ahead of Freo in the draft race - "oh wait, maybe we can beat Melbourne on that one!" Pitty the second and third best players in the draft are a crow eater and a sandgroper who love their mummies.

3 hours ago, Pennant St Dee said:

Strength is front and centre ground ball inside 50s which was poor tonight. Needs to stop flying with the big KPFs

One day he'll pull one down, then every time there after he'll do the same.  The one skill he hasn't yet mastered, but watch out if he does as I think it will make him pretty much a complete player.

On another note, I didn't notice him much on the ball tonight, which I thought was disappointing, because the games he's played significant time there, I've thought he's looked really good.

So only just pretty much got home at 12:40am after some great decisions by the geniuses at Public Transport Victoria.

No only is there already replacement buses galore from Camberwell to Box Hill, but the nuckle heads decided to also shut down the Glen Waverley line on the way home and couldn't organise replacement buses better than a bunch of kindergarten kids.  Give yourselfs an upper cut whatever manager was responsible for organising and supervising all that chaos tonight.  You bloody peanut.

And to the bus driver who sat in the way of other busses that could have taken some of the hundreds of passengers who'd been left waiting nearly an hour while you sat there and picked your nose - time to get a new day job.

Between this crazy drama and the rubbish the umpires dished up tonight, you managed to take 'some' of the shine what was generally a satisfying win by the mighty Demons.

53 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

I’m sure Peter Bell is already living in JVR’s bin hoping to convince him to come home🙄

Perhaps Peter Bell might end up in the dust bin of football administrators first.

Absolutely rapt for Chin again tonight.

Was bloody excellent.

The boy from the bush just keeps producing the goods.

Skills tenacity and poise under pressure in front of goal.

Thought he made a very valuable contribution tonight and kicked goals when we needed them most pegging back the Tigers lead in the 2nd and third quarters and linked up brilliantly around the ground.

He's definitely earnt his place in the best 22 so far this season.

22 hours ago, Sydney_Demon said:

I think you're a bit tough on James Frawley. Played 8 seasons and 139 games for Melbourne and did not get to play a final. He was a great contributor for Melbourne in what were almost universally poor sides. He deserved the opportunity to have success at Hawthorn and I was happy for him that that happened in 2015. I feel the same about Jared Rivers although at least Melbourne were a good side in his early years. Personally I can't understand either all the anamosity towards Jeremy Howe. And players aren't supposed to go to successful clubs. Why not? Would you also also criticise Stan Alves & Greg Wells for leaving the Club?

I get annoyed with this whole disloyalty argument. These guys are professionals who are playing for a limited period of time and their first loyalty should be to their nearest and dearest. We are fans which is an entirely different thing. Supporters are naive if they think players have the same irrational attachment to a Club as we do. 

If people want to boo, I guess they will. Not much point calling for rational mature behaviour because there's always going to be a significant part of any crowd that isn't going to be nicely-behaved, regardless of appeals to their (probably non-existent) better natures.

I can understand it from a players perspective, but from a supporters perspective, I think we have every right to despise it and disrespect it on game day.  Equally there is good reason why guys like Flower, Jones and Gawn are revered buy fans.  BTW, I don't have quite the same level of distain for Frawley as I do some others.   He's Max's brother in law after all isn't he.

This professional / corporate view of sport also borders on a disease.  It's the sort of thinking that is why the AFL permits wall to wall sports betting adds on every telecast and at games.  The number of seats sold and given away to corporates at Grand Finals makes me sick.

Sport is not pure business, people hardly head out in crowds to cheer on Coles, Qantas, Commonwealth Bank etc.

23 minutes ago, deanox said:

booing players who were cut/delisted/traded out (such as a Mitch Hannan or Weid) makes no sense either

Agree with most of your post here Deanox and particularly this last bit.

During the Dogs game first round this year, their supporters started booing Lauchie Hunter - to which I yelled back "You didn't want him you idiots" .  On cue, nuffy MFC supporters boo Sauce Baker when he got a possession soon after 🤦‍♂️.

I personally think players that leave for big money or to play at a more immediately successful club such as Tom $cully, Jerremy Howe, James Frawley etc deserve to be booed by supporters of their former clubs.  There's an old notion of disloyalty, greed, selfishness about that, which shouldn't go unrewarded and unrecognised.  However personally I'm a bit more neutral towards players that have given good service and/or just genuinely want to return to their home state like Jeff Farmer, Jessie Hogan, Scott Thomson and Jacko.

My biggest beef with this rule is when a player who's on the ground goes to gather the ball to distribute it out subsequently gets pushed in the back and then basically sat on.

If players are just holding the ball in to attempt to create a ball up (as was the old interpretation of the rule) - fair enough, pay holding the ball.  But if players are stacked on top of said player, in my view, should be paid push in the back.  If they want a free kick for a player that drags the ball in, they should have to lift the player up by the back of the jumper etc.

Players picking the ball up off the ground and feeding it out (in the absence of being sat on) would actually keep play moving and result in a faster moving game IMHO.

5 hours ago, daisycutter said:

your first mistake was trying to explain afl rules

Full stop

20 hours ago, Rod Grinter Riot Squad said:

Think you will find that the good people of Santa Teresa would vehemently disagree with you on this, as would many others out here that have seen the club’s work over the years.

20 hours ago, Rod Grinter Riot Squad said:

It’s an event here that’s very popular, it hasn’t had problems that certain community games have had.

 

if it’s removed it will be a kick in the guts to a community that’s had to put up with more than most.

And on a similar note, I get the impression that our indigenous players in particular really love the opportunity to get out into the area and then play in front of so many of thier people.

Not sure if it was related or just something of a coincidence, but Kossie cut loose at Alice last year, had an absolute day out and kicked a bag.  Would love to see that again (and again and again!).

21 hours ago, DeelightfulPlay said:

Regardless we definitely messed up with our prep between Adelaide and Perth.  I'd assumed we would have stayed and flown direct and was surprised when watching the press conference!

Agree with this and similar to what @YesitwasaWin4theAges post, thatmy recollection was that our 2021 experience was that living and training in the hubs created great team bonding opportunities.  I'm sure that partners etc would rather spend more time with the players, but perhaps a few in-season mini hub experiences could help us get that edge that helps us win another flag.

In some ways though, it's not the end of the world for us to have dropped these early season games if it keeps us humble and hungry.  I'd just rather have not dropped 8 point games to teams that are up there at the moment.  Would have been better to drop a game to North or the Sun's as at least that would have been something of benifit to the Freo death rude.

On 4/21/2023 at 8:41 PM, Monbon said:

Backs: Walsh   Frawley   Hughes

Half Backs: McLean   Rivers  Spalding

Centres: Alves   Wells  Lovell

Half Forwards: Pyke  Hogan  Watts

Forwards: Farmer    Jakovich    Healey

Rucks: Jolly, Barassi, Elshaugh

Bench: Thompson, Dyson, Keenan, Byrne, Charles

 

Love the topic Monbon but:

Scott Thompson was far better than a bench player in this side.

I think Spalding was a better CFH than Hogan and if memory serves me correctly, Earl played in 2 Grand Final sides, including a premership with Carlton in a dominant year.  I like Jessy, but I don't think he's delivered on his potential.  Conversely, while he was arguably a less talented player, Earl squeezed every bit of potential out of himself and was a valuable contributor and performer for two teams right up there at the pointy end of team performance.

Again nothing particularly against Walsh, but Nathan Bassett was a better player.

Always loved Martin Pike.  What a beast.  And how many players around in the modern era could claim to have played in 3 different teams and 4 premerships.  If the chips had fallen differently, he could possibly have played in Premierships with the MFC in the early/mid 90s, which was bursting with talent, but just couldn't put it together consistently enough and/or keep it all out on the park long enough to capitalize on it.

Regardless of them being amoung the elites or not, I'm actually generally really enjoying see some of our recient departures like Sauce, Hunt and Jessie in particular get a game and oppertunity to perform at the top level.  I've no real love or hate for Jackson and who knows if he'll be another that got away, but I'll never view him with the same kind of distain as that rat $cully, who despite all the tickets he had on himself, never really justified the huge price he accepted from that scum Sheedy and the goons at the AFL.

1 minute ago, Roger Mellie said:

Furphy sponsors a number of clubs too

As well as 'The Front Bar'.

Loved having the big V plastered everywhere during their live from Adelaide Gather Round special 😂.

...and so little known 'fact':

"Harmes was raised as a horse in Devon Meadows, Victoria"

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Harmes

8 hours ago, Engorged Onion said:

Always one to read into things... it's a nice vote of confidence for the value of James Harmes to the team when marketing are acknowledging him in the VFL...would that be driven via the FD?

Or is it more around his personal circumstances?

Either or both options to read into are highly worthy IMHO.

Love Harmesy in so many ways:

*  Loyal Red and Blue to the core and living the dream of any die hard MFC supporter  (read this if you need any reminding https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/south-east/lifelong-melbourne-football-club-fan-james-harmes-fulfils-his-demon-dream-through-draft/news-story/687a68a12ad631327bea0b0842a4c69f )

*  Might not be the most talented player on our list, but always has a red hot crack.  I think this would put him in good regard with Goody and Max.

*  Plus I think his skills and athletic ability are better than many give him credit for.

I think there's still plenty more to come in the James Harmes story, but amoung other things, I'll always remember him as the player that gathered cleanly at pace, burst clear and nailed the pass to Fritsch that turned the 2021 Grand Final into the first MFC premiership in my lifetime.

I get the impression from afar, that he's also a pretty solid character that's elevated himself to achieve within his best abilities from the outer burbs in Melbourne.

If he's been through something personal sufficient to keep him play for 2 weeks, then it must have been something pretty significant to hims, so I just think it the perfect time for the MFC faithful to get around him and show him some love.  34 touches for your first game back in a few weeks is a pretty decient effort and I'm personally backing him to show that kind of form and determination when he gets his chance again soon at AFL level.

On 3/6/2023 at 10:22 AM, Palace Dees said:

The only beer I drink is Furphies Crisp ale

Have definitely given them preference since being a MFC sponsor and a bloody nice drop at that.

5 hours ago, DemonWA said:

I had 6 bottles of that wine and it was terrible (probably should have cellared them....).  In comparison the Emblem and Team of the Century Shiraz that Tyrrel's did close to a decade ago was pretty good!

 

Perhaps we have different taste in wines, but any wine that celebrates a MFC premiership is like the wine of the footy gods and one to be savored IMHO 😊.