Rodney (Balls) Grinter

20 hours ago, Hopeful Demon said:

I reckon he is just about our most clutch player. Here are some games/moments where has stood up and has allowed us win important matches:

-Round 22 2018: Kicks 4 goals and gets 20 touches, helping us break our 12 year finals drought.

-2018 semi final: Kicks a goal from outside 50 in the last quarter, putting a massive halt to the momentum which Hawthorn had been gaining. The crowd went absolutely insane after that goal.

-Round 22 2022: Kicks 4 goals to help us win a total scrapfest against Carlton, who at the time were playing for their season. That game was mostly known for Pickett's goal right before the siren but Melksham was the definitely the main catalyst.

Round 18 2023: Kicks a goal right before the siren to give us a 1 point win over Brisbane, who happened to be 5 goals ahead 10 minutes beforehand. We probably wouldn't have made top 4 if it wasn't for his performance that night.

Round 10 2025: Kicks 4 goals straight to help us win another close game against the Lions. We wouldn't have won that match without his accuracy given how wayward our goalkicking was, especially in the final quarter.

I just can't be convinced that his injury late in 2023 didn't cost us a preliminary finals spot at minimum. He's the perfect player to have in close matches.

All absolutely magic moments.

Was there for those comebacks against Carlton and Brisbane and particularly the Brisbane one are up there with some of my favourite days at the footy - Melky was huge that game.

13 hours ago, Dees_In_October said:

There certainly is a bit of cream on top of our Milkshake.

Love his work. These days players can't help where they are drafted to, so that he started with Essendon is a stain we can't blame him for, but in the time since he's proved that he's red and blue through and through.

For mine, his peak season was 2018, when he was in his physical prime, but the form he's produced in the last few years is impressive. While I think he's lost a touch of speed and power to blast them from well outside 50 like he had in the past, his ability to out smart and out position his opponents allows him to maintain potency. He also hasn't lost that ability to have great vision and pin point a low dart to a team mate in a great position - the boys must love playing with him for that.

5 minutes ago, Tarax Club said:

RBG you're suggesting a Gold Coast fairy tale ending?

Lol. Maybe.

5 hours ago, Webber said:

I’ve been waiting years for this opportunity @Demonstone! It’s Johnston Street. No ‘e’ required. I’ve no doubt you understand my joy. 😜. Excellent story, btw (I hope the bus wasn’t going to Windy Hill).

Correcting the Correcta 😉 - I love it!

8 hours ago, Roost it far said:

Give Salem a rest and play him??

The player I think we are more likely to rest at some stage is Melksham. Shuffle a few positions around and maybe Sestan gets a game or othwise maybe Jai Culley seems to be next in line as a forward given his nomination on the extended bench last week's game.

Could we not play him back instead of Windsor and release Windsor to play on the wing again?

Really feel Caleb is a wasted talent in the backline at the moment.

Perhaps another who could be released further up the ground is Lindsay. Although I've really liked his work in his current position, I do wonder what damage he could do further up the ground.

5 hours ago, Tarax Club said:

Noah Yze in racing parlance is an outside chance, perhaps the Tiggers recruiting people will rate his outstanding performance in the amateurs.

I'd be surprised if the Tigers take home. Don't think the link to Adam would look very good.

The Suns are the nepo babies of the comp.

On 21/05/2025 at 11:13, daisycutter said:

yeah, if he comes to melbourne with kalani the club need to find him a job

Would actually be more legit than the $cully GWS package deal, buy I think that saga would have the club and the AFL seeing red.

Although not totally without precedence aka, Todd and Jack Viney, Silvangni at Carlton; difference being that those guys where already successfully employed at other clubs prior to comming together at the same club as their sons and eventually they also left due to perceptions of and/or real conflicts of interest that became distractions. I still can't help but think that Todd was a net positive for the MFC revival, particularly when he first came on board with Roos etc.

31 minutes ago, Wrecker45 said:

Great to see the wiz goal of the year again.

Kozzie was a bit shy but I didn't like it when he was asked about his old man designing the jumper this week and he responded by saying it was great honour / gesture from "the team I play for". Would have loved him to say the Dees or Melbourne football club.

Kudos for putting himself out their completely outside his comfort zone but it would have been nice if he mentioned his love for Melbourne when given the opportunity like Petracca did today.

Hopefully I am overacting to it. Their media skills are about as far as apart as their kicking efficiency.

I haven't seen this week's episode of the front bar yet, but from the previous footage I've seen of Kozzie, it rings true that he came across as a bit shy. Not sure he's exactly the polished media performer, but then again, neither is Cayton Oliver and I'm not sure I'd perform that well in front of a camera either, even if I could play footy as fraction as well as those guys.

I wouldn't be getting too hung up about words of love for the MFC. I'd personally just put that down as an extension of the same shyness and lack of full expressiveness in English/in the media spotlight. ...by the way, I mean no condescension by saying a lack of expressiveness in English - as I say to others in similar situations that they "speak a second language far better than I do".

17 hours ago, Adam The God said:

Hawthorn, because they're the smarmiest supporters in the league.

The past 7 years were glorious, and we should have continued the streak against those pretenders.

That was Essendon supporters as well back in Sheedy's day, but the past 20 years has wiped that out of them.

5 hours ago, Its Time for Another said:

It's a very good question. The original purpose of the Northern Academies in NSW and Qld was to get a greater pool of players for the expanding competition who otherwise wouldn't be playing AFL. To make that happen they incentivised the teams in those states to make an investment in finding junior players and developing them in return for getting to have the rights to them.

Isaac Heeney is the ultimate poster boy for this strategy. He was I think 11 years old and playing Rugby League in country NSW and went along to a Swans Academy recruiting camp I believe inspired by the lots of freebies they were giving out and an interest in trying something completely different. Nick Blakey on the other hand like Kalani was a son of an elite AFL champion who was always going to play AFL but because he lived in the Swans area was able to train at their Academy and therefore be eligible to be picked by them even though that was not the intention of the set up of the Academies but it's probably too hard to differentiate those junior players. Kalani grew up in the Suns Academy area and has trained with them from a young age. That's why he can go there if he and they want him to.

I think it is quite reasonable that some of the father sons and others already in the footy system end up in the accademey system. To a certain extent having more elite players together enhances their development through feeding off each other.

It does in alot of ways make you wounder why have the elite U18 competition (whatever they call it these day) and the undermining of the draft and equalisation measures is highly regrettable, although when we are talking father/sons generally, that’s somewhat of a non issue - except that in Kalani's case, it gives another club the opportunity to poach them off us at a discounted draft price which they wouldn't otherwise have access to. The constant changing of the rules is also disgraceful ...Mac Andrew 🤬🤬

Maybe another reason Kalani might choose the MFC is to get tutored under the best ruckman this century in Max Gawn.

On 25/11/2018 at 20:02, Adzman said:

As asides gee I miss this bloke in our side.

On 05/05/2025 at 22:46, monoccular said:

Matthew Lloyd may beg to differ.

Good lord, how many times did that bloke need to pull up his socks and throw bits of grass around before taking a shot. Unfortunately, it seemed to work for him, though, if I recall correctly.

9 hours ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

• Brian Taylor was Barge before he was BT, Bristle and now %^&*head.

• Gary Crazy Horse Cowton. (Mostly a backman that could be swung forward in a crisis).

• Slamming Sam Kekovich.

• Rene The Incredible Hulk Kink.

The greatest football nickname of all, in my view, belongs to the former brilliant rugby league player Phil Sigsworth, who was known as Whatsapacketa.

Not quite the same I know, but some of the Demonland faithful refer to Havey The Bison Lanford

On 30/04/2025 at 17:42, DEE fence said:

it's a good question, I feel Sharp has the ability to perform the ANB role better than Spargo. I had Chandler penned in for that but the lad seem intent on being more. (I think Chandler deserves a medal for getting the most out of himself in the team - dude is committed).

I think Chandler is playing the ANB role and doing it brilliantly. Not sure what more you're talking about as ANB was a regular goal kicker and play maker in his past few years with us. Huge fan of Chandler and there are few other players I'd rather see having a set shot on goal than him - his accuracy and reliability are awsome right up to 40 to 50m out.

My kids always love the indigenous jumpers. Will be buying one for oldest son this year.

14 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Hmm I actually still think this is untrue.

Dive back to 2012 onwards on here and you'll see that many Melbournesupporters had a huge amount of respect for Tom considering earlier on his career he was shutting down the likes of Nick Reiwoldt during those dark times.

It a time where there wasn't many shining lights, Tom was one of few who continue to hold their head up high because how much he stood tall during a time we were constantly getting flogged on the scoreboard.

Yes many would cringe at his disposal but it wasn't as bad as you're making it out to the point where supporters were actually calling for him to be delisted..

That's my recollection also. T Mac was and still is to an extent an awsome athlete. One of the few that could keep up with Reiwolt athletically and often kept him from impacting in games against us. T Mac was viewed as one of the elite defenders in the competition at that time, with his kicking being perhaps his only real weakness. Around that time, when we were struggling as a team on the feild, he could have walked into so many other teams, but chose to stick fat with the MFC and I have alot of respect for him for that (and I think Max and Vines would also, amoung many other things). He probably still finishes top 10 in preseason endurance time trials.

In the years since, I only think he has added more strings to his bow as a footballer. While he might have lost a bit of agility, I think he has significantly increased his physical strength from his younger years and become an excellent contested mark an, even better reader of the play and enhanced leadership presance. Although he may lack the agility to play as a full time forward, I feel he could still impact down their by pinch hitting and giving us a marking option deep if we needed a circuit breaker as he did a few times late last year.

Persoally, I have soo much love for Tommy as a MFC footballer and he'll go down as one of my all time favourites.

Also worth remembering the amazing year he had last season as well came off the back of his personal family tragedy of loosing a baby - would take amazing inner strength and resilience.

Give him a contract as long as he wants to be at the club.

2 hours ago, chook fowler said:

as good as TMac has been I think Bowser has been our best defender.

Have both been outstanding at their respective roles. Bowser couldn'tplay on the monster key forwards and take the big contested marks the same way T Mac does.

1 hour ago, spirit of norm smith said:

No love for Tmcd or for Viney!! They again showed renewed vitality

Both were better than Salem in my view, but I'd probably gave given them to T Mac - he's been a powerhouse down back this season. Sure his aging body catches him out occasionally and he gets beaten, but on the whole, his defensive play has been first rate and saved us numerous times. Has been a realitive saviour in the absences of May and Lever, which make his performances even more impressive IMHO. That all said, I think May's game against Richmond was also first rate. Got beaten a few times by a quality opponent in Lynch, but generally held him pretty well when it counted. Felt they got off the chain a bit more when he had to go off. His presence down there is also such an influence on the whole back 6, demanding high standards - his rip at Rivers case in point.

All of this not to say that I thought Salem played badly. To the contrary, I'm very glad that he seems to be improving his form and having more of an impact on games again.

5 hours ago, Swooper1987 said:

We've been very fortunate with quality rucks in my time supporting the Demons. I first remember Big Carl, then Garry Baker and Crackers Keenan; into Peter Moore; then Steve O'Dwyer and Jim Stynes; Jeff White; Darren Jolly and then Mark Jamar and now the greatest of them all in Max Gawn. The ruck has never been a position we've had to worry too much about. We seem to be good at finding them.

I'd definitely add Steff Martin to that group as well.

To think that at one point we had all of Mark Jamar, Steff Martin, Max Gawn, Jake Spencer and Jack Fitzpatrick at the club at the same time. Although Fitzpatrick never quite made it, he wasn't that far off the mark and did have some good football qualities about him. Spencer was the kind of solid backup option that we'd love to have now.

And if only we could re-recurit another young Cam Pederson. Was a great forward/ruck on his day and very handy backup. If AJ can produce the sort of career with us that Peddo had, I think we've done well.

The other recent also rans of quality that we never really got the best out of of course are Brodie Grundy and Majak Daw.

23 minutes ago, BLWNBA said:

Is Max playing his final years out elsewhere?

Not a chance in hell.

30 minutes ago, Deestroye said:

Yeh.. cos that works against Max.. oh wait it doesn’t.

Trying to find another Max would be like trying to find another Gary Ablett senior or another Wayne Carey. Every club would love to have one, but the reality is that very few ever will, so they just work with someone who is competent enough at that position.

Hawthorn one a bunch of premierships with Ben McEvoy as their main ruck. He was an above average ruckman, but nothing as good as Max.

Is such a dichotomy:

We want a team that puts itself in a position to compete in finals every year;

Vs

Let's take it one week at a time.

Personally I think we have way underachieved the season to date and have more upside than alot of the teams above us. The V12 firing on 7 cylinders is a reasonable analogy. Trac and Clarry are better than current form. The past few weeks we have seen what happens when Kossie, Max and Vines start to fire.

We will need things to go right injury wise from here and a few young players like JVR etc to stand up and take the next step, but if that happens, I think we are better than alot of the teams currently above us.

Who knows.

Asides from the 2021 Geelong examples, Max has kicked numerous clutch goals for us in the past. Fortunately his shots in the past few weeks haven't cost us games, so let's just hope that he starts kicking them when we really need one next time.