Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Obviously not playing for sheep stations as a team, but I always hope to see signs from those battling for a spot in the starting 22 that they have further developed and give us some good options to pick from. Particularly looking at a few favourites like Kynan Brown, Woey Jnr, AMW, AJ and perhaps Sharp. If Jefferson does walk away with a bag, that could certainly make forwardline selection very interesting. Will also be good to see all of JvR, Jefferson, Disco and AJ all working in the same forward line in various combinations at times perhaps.

With no May playing in this match, it will be interesting to see what Maxy's breakout boy Jed Adams can do. Really hope he gets some good gametime and opptunitiy to get a taste at the higher level. Not sure what is keeping Maysie from playing in this game, but I'm assuming the fitness department are just keeping him on ice a bit to save him getting banged up before the season proper, which I'd support (noting he also played the indigenous all stars game a week or so ago). It's not like experienced campaigners like him, Maxy and Vines really need that much match practice to hit their straps. It's a pity that McVee pulled that hammy, because our defence was starting to look solid as a rock like with the line-up we will play down there this season. I'd love to see us find a player the equivalent of Hibbo, but I guess some guys are almost one of a kind and hard to replace.

I still recall that Brad Johnson was about the only journo after 2020 that thought we could go anywhere in 2021 and make finals. IMHO, he's one of the few comentators I can respect from the perspective of being all of a bit of a clown, but doesn't take himself too seriously and have too many tickets on himself, but also seems like a genuine good bloke, who knows a thing or two about footy. I think it's cheap and easy for comentators these days to predict that we get back up there, because, let's face it, we've been up there as top 4 finishes for 3 seasons in a row previous to a horror season last year. Personally until we perform again throughout the season like we did in 21, then it's all fugazi https://youtu.be/IiTfnpgNkmI?si=zfIUE8IPN0s15zDh

Forget sound proof rooms, let's face it, following this team, we should all probably be watching from a padded cell!

At first I read Longmuire as Longmire - that blokes valve has already gone pop!

Choco is the gift that keeps on giving. Will be great for Hendo to have that connection already in place at the club, as well as AJ to help his development in taking the next step in his carer.

Can't wait to see how he goes when he gets his chance the real stuff starts, but going off all indications so far, I recon The Bull would be a great nickname for him. Just as a side note, yeah the players might have their own nicknames for what they call their team mates, but doesn't mean us supporters can't have our own for them as well. If the two align, then great, but who's to say if supporters and the media start referring to them as a particular nickname the players wouldn't adopt that themselves too, if it's a good one.

Has grown to match the metaphorical stature of Todd over the years, so might as well take on the look as well. I'm not sure it will eventuate, but I'd love to see Jack captain the team in his own right for a season or two.

What a great highlights package. Numerous things I like: * Ability to hold his nerve, perform on the big stage and nail key passes and goals * Great range, with numerous goals nailed from the 50m + line * Great take takling technique for the modern game * Looks the complete package with his range of skills including marking and good decisions by hand and foot Perhaps it's putting too much pressure and expectations on a guy that's only just got a spot as a supplementary player, but all the above and the way he appears to go about his game actually reminds me alot of Gus.

I think we've got a good 2 or 3 player earmarked for that ANB role now - might take all three to replace him. Congrdulations to Jack, what a great oppertunity he's earnt himself and look forward to seeing how he performs if he gets his chance on the big stage.

Yeah, don't disagree with you there Mono. Having guys like Tomo etc to capably plug holes for us when required was key to us finishing top and winning the flag on 21. Just that there was a time I think Harmes was probably on the right side of the 22 between best 22 and fringe though and probably played more like 18 - 22 games of the regular season in a premiership team. That he only played 9 games last year suggests he's probably not quite at that level any more.

Understand. So probably frindge, not best 22 (similar to where he ended up with us). The thing being, we could have done with a findge mid to provide depth last season, as I'm fairly sure he would have given us way more than Laurie Vs GWS and say maybe a game we lost by a few points against Brisbane etc and might have tipped us into playing finals contention... not that we might have had that much impact with the way our season ended. In some respects I think it was actually better for us not to make finals last year. Few better draft picks and extended presason for Oliver and whoever else was carrying injuries and tires from x3 intense seasons running right to the pointy end.

Comming through as a rookie / secondary list type player like Harmes too. Still dispointed that things went somewhat south between Harmes and the club in the end. Though I haven't really watched many of his games for the Dogs, he still seems to be getting a senior game there and thought we could have used the depth and his hard edge and attacking dare in our team last season. All the same, I think it's also good (perhaps for all involved) that we let him go, even just from the perspective if list balance age profile wise.

If I recall right, he was one of the top finishers in the 3km time trial, so perhaps he's in the mix for the ANB type role.

If we are looking for a small forward who puts on pressure, then I'd be looking at Pup Brown. From the limited times I've seen him play, I think he's also got great goal sense and ability to execute. Love to see this guy given a good opportunity play at senior level.

Or it gives us the option to be rotating one of those 4 off the bench some of the time. May and Lever play best when they don't have a lock down role, so always having someone there to take that role frees them up in that sense and we'd never be caught out being short in defence height wise. Probably want them all playing more than 75% game time, so perhaps the remaining time could be spent in the ruck and up forward for bursts.

Tommy was thrown forward on a few occasions for 5 or 10mins in games we were struggling to take marks in that part of the ground and cluncked some good ones. He's well got the ability to finish it on the scoreboard when he takes them. Would love to see him used more in that sort of capacity. Particularly if we also have Petty in defence and/or as a similar swing man, I think it gives us a great oppertunity to create a mismatch and catch sides out. Even if it isn't T Mac or Petty going for the grab directly has the potential to create confusion and doubt for the opposition defenders and maybe its Roo, Disco or Fritta that comes over the top and takes the grab (certainly makes it harder to double or tripple man them to take them out of the contest) Sometimes all it takes is one goal against the flow to break a game open or get you back in it.

Sorry for the mulit post (pardon the pun) - Demonland got glitchy on me. Appeared not to post a few times, then out spits 3 of the same post.

While I don't think I'm totally sold on the concept, I think you'd have Trac in the mix wouldn't you, maybe Salo and would big Maxy qualify for having some kind of NZ ties? Roo? Kolt in a few years perhaps. Indigenous all stars - yes, bring back state of origin - yes, but multicultural game would be just a bridge too far for me. There's already multicultural Rd and I think the league acknowledges, respects and promotes the game sufficiently to all backgrounds to not require a stand alone game.

Wow, there's some highly imaginative ones in there hey! Mainly thinking of one's like Jed, Will, Marty, Luker. I had TC as one of my nicknames back in the day and another good mate of nine was an AJ. Also played with a Spaz and I'm betting there are a few of them getting around. Must say, I like Tom Fullarton's one and Ricky Mentha's one isn't bad either and love the subtle nod to Kynan's old man. I did play with a few good ones like Captain Bilko, a couple of Turtles a Dumbo and a bloke we referred to as Car City (had a bit of a lazy eye) a few more like that would be good.

Maybe this is what the transition game is all about, but can we master the ability to swap between game styles with the season and within games to conserve and defend when we need to and attack when the opportunity is there, so we arrive at finals in both good ladder position and injury/fitness wise?

Sorry, but I can see Richmond getting belted in quite a few games and generally uncompetitive for the next year or two. I know they've drafted a bunch of talent, but I think history has shown that putting a bunch of talented kids up against men week in, week out that they can't bridge the gap between youth and experience, developing and age hardened mature bodies. Thinking of examples like North in recent times, but even Gold Coast and GWS, who had ridiculous draft riches and priority talent at their disposal. Then, there's always one or two sides that either fall away and/or have a horid season with injuries and drop way down in competitiveness. As much as the draft, salary cap etc even things up, I think having only 40 odd players per team on a list means that beyond best 22, there can be a relative shallowness of ready to play talent on most lists which will provide a spectrum of competitiveness across the league given age profiles and injuries etc.

Yeah, but quality players don't grow on trees and until he's either sufficiently out of form and out of contract and/or deemed medically beyond repair, I'd rather be optimistic that he can return to his best. A few players of late that we've had have been almost given up for dead, but then turned around their injuries/fitness and fortunes on the feild and made some very valuable contributions. Thinking of guys like Melksham and TMac in particular, but possibly even Disco to an extent.

A fit Salo is A grade, end of story. His contribution to our premiership season was very important.

Agree with this 100% Personally I'm fairly loath to see him moved off the wing, because he added another dimension to us in that area that complmented Ed Langdon as seen by the great year that he also had. I don't see anyone else really having the same skill set as Windsor to do what he did for us on the wing, but maybe he can still use that to greater benefit of the team off half back, so I'll reserve full judgement until whatever transpires does. Also, surely another focus for the team/individual development has to be to stop Ed kicking it out on the full so often. I do think it's not all Ed's fault, because I think the role we have him play, he's so often collecting the ball and disposing it so close to the boundary. But I do wonder if we'd be better off either changing our game style a bit, so he's not so often in positions where he's hard up against the boundary or if we do see that as a critical part of how we use the ground, try to use a player who's a better kick than Ed to be in those positions more often. Personally I'd like us to play a more direct game style that sees us move the ball through the centre of the ground more, so we almost eliminate the issue anyway.