Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Not sure if others have commented much on this already, but I was really pleased with Bowey's game last night. His form has been a bit up and down this season and over the past 12 months we've found that he is actually human, but I get the impression that he's returning to his best 2021 premiership finals era type tenacious, unflappable, unbeatable and undropable form.

Totally agree Sue. This issue grates on my immensely. I mean seriously. What you get is a series of disconnected statements about the game from the coaches and spend half your time trying to figure out what their answer relates to. You've got to feel for the coaches too as they've got to be aware of this, that one of their main chances to explain the story to the fans is massively compromised. The AFL are so very dum in alot of respects. This one also falls into the same basket of not having enough dedicated cameras and technology to do propper post goal review. They'll spend nearly a billion dollars on a new stadium that Tasmania 'must have' to make it suitable for AFL standard, but then won't fork out a few thousand dollars to have dedicated cameras setup in the best locations for goal line review, so we'll get a game that gets controversially decided on some blurry vision with the goal umpires butt three quarters blocking the view of the ball as it crosses.

Also pleasing that we are resting our bulls like Clarry and Trac for periods during games where we can afford to and using our midfield depth to wear down oppositions that don't bat as deep in the guts. I suspected we were doing this somewhat, but Goodwin more or less confirmed that again in his presser too. Where maybe last season Clarry and Trac battle it out all game in the guts to win the game from their brute strenght and capasity, they end up with 30+ possessions and we say how great they are and they're the difference between us and GC. But I think we've now arrived at a point where Clarry, Trac and co don't need that affirmation of their greatness every week and we have enough trust in others to go head to head with Rowel and Co, knowing that we may be conceding a little, but still doing enough to control the game, conserving our guns for when th heat is really on and developing the game of the next gen through the middle all at the same time. I think we've learnt from 2022 and what we are watching now is the next step in our evolution to being a great side over a sustained period and hopefully great crack at another flag this year.

Talk about an out if character brain fade from Mr.Reliable kicking out who always goes boundary and to the left. Kicking down the guts with 15 seconds left might have been the right play if we were 5 points down, but 5 points up? I was somewhat dumbfounded. Unless he shanked it off the wrong side of the boot or something but he's too good a kick for that. Don't want to crucify the MFC premiership full back and MFC full back of the century, meerly like to know "what the F were you thinking big fella" and I'm tipping he was asking himself the same question the moment it left his boot and would be very thankful when we got away with it and the 4 points.

Good work. Here on DL we hold ourselfs the highest of editorial and typesetting standards you know.

Add to that being in good form and a fit list hitting first week of finals so we get a repeat of 2021 and not 2022.

Out of all those current top 8 teams, I'd say Port probably have the toughest double ups. Could be bye bye Ken at the end of the season when they miss the 8. Alternatively if they make it, they could be either cooked through fighting so hard just to make it or one of the better sides in the bottom half of the 8.

My 2011 Neeld era scarf was a prized possession for me after we won in 2021 as it was proof I wasn't some cheap band wagon jumper. Think I actually lost it sometime last year and I'm devo. Also annoyed that I got rid of a whole bunch of others from that era as I couldn't justify having a whole draw full and got rid of them when my wife got up me one day about the room being a mess. Absolutely treasure my 2021 members scarfs and probably over the premiers ones, which I never bought. I'm hoping the 2023 one might become treasured in much the same way after September and it's a better more classic design too.

Another disadvantage of playing both Petty and JVR forward right now is that it's the blind leading the blind in terms of forward craft leadership. Say all you want against BBBs unwieldyness when the ball his the ground, but he is crafty and knows where to position himself and move if he misses a mark and often gets involved in scoring chains if he misses a mark. Whether he feeds it on through a handball / knock on or just running to the right spot to receive and kick an opporunistic goal, he's crafty as a forward where Petty frankly isn't on current evidence to date. We need someone like BBB to be mentoring and leading JVR in these aspects of playing forward that being an experienced forward at the MFC brings. If it's not BBB, the T Mac or Melksham would be just as good IMHO. T Mac is a leader and student of the game and has the presence that someone like JVR would respect. I'm not sure exactly what's up with T Mac at the moment as his practice match form looked pretty good to me as he has in patches at AFL level. Although he may not have taken that many contested marks in the season proper, I still think he'd contest and bring the ball to ground just as well as Petty up forward. And Tommy has good goal sense and forward craft in general.

II agree with McQueen. I think we are blooding JVR and Petty forward against some of the weaker teams early in the season. IMHO it's great that JVR is getting some time and exposure at the top level and while I see great potential in how he plays, he's not a mature player or finished product and I don't feel he's ready to take charge and carry the forward line just yet. He does a few good things in patches, but largely goes missing the rest of the game and against the stronger teams in the comp, I think he'd really struggle. My impression is that his contribution further up the ground is substantially less than T Mac or even Brown just at the moment. I do like the way he attacks the ball and is generally a pretty clean one grab mark. He's a tall, well toned and not as weedy as the Weid, but I feel he's not yet reached his physical maturity as a KPF and when he does, I think he'll be the better for it. I've found Petty's impact as a forward a little disappointing (perhaps because I had really high expectations of what he might be able to do). He's as tough and honest as they come and he competes well in the air, but doesn't actually take as many marks or kick enough goals as I think we need from a key forward. Also don't think he provides that link player leading up towards wing/half back as T Mac / BBB. We've clearly tried to be more attacking in our game style this year as well as try a few different players, which is great, but I think our defense has suffered as a result and missing Petty back there is part of that to me. For me Petty is currently a much better defender than forward and I'd like to see him back there sooner rather than later, to start consolidating our defensive game again and become that really miserly team to play against again, because that's what won us a flag and I think could win us another one. Incidentally, I thought it was a bad decision to sub Harmes in for Turner in the last quarter. Getting Harmes into the game was the right thing as he would have helped inject some extra run, but I thought Turner was just starting to find some confidence and a bit more of the ball in the second half, which would have been good to build on.

Would love to be up there as Metricon is a great relaxed venu to watch footy from. Great memories of watching of watching Harmes and Hunt play great break out games there in 2016. But alas, I'll be here in the Melbourne cold. Do many people get to the Sporting Globe venues for interstate games? My local is Chirnside Park.

Fixed

Bontenpelli at No.2, interesting. On a related note, if I recall correctly BT's famous line in the 2021 GF after kicking that 3rd quarter goal along the lines that if "the Bulldogs go on to win, he will be remembered as on of the greatest Dogs of all time" following which 'The Bont' was bearly sighted and we all know the rest of the story. Hopefully Kane's player ratings can have a similar kiss of death influence on those he's named? Interesting that he's not included every other Ch 7 comentators favorite for the Brownlow of Daicos. Guess that will get some more clicks and chatter for going against the grain. On the general Kane strategy, I'm not sure if any have read the below published reciently in The Guardian, but I think it generally hits the nail on the head: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/apr/20/the-rise-of-loud-and-opinionated-afl-media-is-reflective-of-a-wider-malaise

😊 I've tried to be pretty chill regarding Kossie's decision so far this season and tried not to be too scared by the Dogga Jackson experience, but I'll have to admit, that since the 'Gather Round' Kossie / family decision making and then the well founded rumors started that he'd made made his decision started a few weeks back, I've been visiting the MFC website in expection of good news on a semi-religious basis at least a few times a day (with a few morning and evening prayers then in for good measure). Mostly looking forward to enjoying us play out the season now as you suggest, but we've now got the Chin Chandler contract to worry about (dam, he shouldn't be playing so well and raising his contract value expctaions). In all seriousness though, I'd be highly surprised if Kade leaves. I think his management will fox about with their language and draw it out a bit to make sure that get him the best terms he can at the MFC (probably more though long tenure than $), but I sense that Kade himself is pretty emotionally committed and settled at the MFC to be actively seeking out options else where.

Peeeerrrrfect

Kane Cornes is an irrelevant leach who's life is feeding off this stuff. Now we can deny him the oxygen he craves and/or he can go suck the blood from Collingwood, Essendon or anyone other that the MIGHTY DEMONS.

The aplause that Kossie is going to get next time his name and number get called in the pre-game announcements is going to be huge. Max won't get the biggest one, but I'd love to see his reaction to the applause for Kossie, because I recon he'd have the biggest ear to ear grin like all the rest of us red and blue true believers. LOVE YOU KOSSIE ❤💙❤💙❤💙❤ forever!!

OOOOOOOOOHH YEAAAAAAAH

Perhaps it will be, but just for the Giants and not for us?

I've been pretty bullish on Chandler this year, but to be honest, to start with it was somewhat a case of hoping he could do it, because as good as he'd been at VFL level, it's a big step up and not all that dominate at the lower level do 'make it' in the big time, particularly in a team that's at or near the top of the comp. Listening to Max Gawn on his podcast last year, it was pretty clear he had some huge raps on Chandler the footballer and Chandler the person and I'd say that would have been a pretty big influence on why he stayed and to give him the confidence in what he's doing now.

Sounds odd to be saying this in a fairly 90 point win, but I (along with I suspect many others) thought that that at times our ball movement, forward entries and lack of a strong marking option up forward was at times horrible. We often overused the ball by hand and didn't use the clear options we had down the ground by foot. I like what I see with JVR in so many respects, but I don't think he's anything like ready to be our main goto option in big games. Schache did a few good things (his foot passing was exceptional), but overall didn't impact as much as I'd like. Anyone other than North or the other well at dwellers last night and I think these things could have become a big issue and the 4 points could have been at risk. That said, or small are burning. Chandler has and continues to be a revelation. Kossie was back to his best and his selfless pass to Chanler late in the game shows how he continues to mature and evolve. ANB continues to have a great season and Fritta is just Fritta and nearly every time he gets the ball around goals, you want him to be selfish and have a shot, because that's his role and his conversion is so elite. That all said, I like that we are daring to experiment and try to do things differently to go to that next level. ROOOO and Schache will likely get better with more exposure to the team at the top level. Getting back Petty and / or an in form T Mac / BBB up forward would help as well. If we'd played to our potential there was a 150+ point thrashing up for grabs.

I think ANB sums up 'Does Kade make the grade?' question pretty well in his post match (around the 1:10 mark): "Chandler the kid - for anyone there at home who was doubting him, I think it's time to stop doubting, because the kids a genuine gun" https://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/1319768/rd-7-alex-neal-bullen-post-match?videoId=1319768&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1682778394001 Is that a good full stop on this thread?

Keeps getting beter every week. Thought his contested marking was better than our key forwards tonight.

I was thinking before that I'd be happy with just a well controlled win that gets us the 4 points tonight, then I remembered how much pain North have caused me over the years and it's reminded me that I want us to pile drive them into the ground and rub their noses in it hard.

So, I hope the players are recoving well from the 5 day break, but personally, that umpiring at the Richmond game took it out of me as a supporter. My voice is only just getting back to normal and I'm really hoping for an easy game tonight, because I'm not really going to be able to backup to my usual vocal standard if things get tight.