Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Was a bit of a tongue in cheek comment from me Oz. Bowser hasn't lost a game in his senior career, he's not getting dropped any time soon.

Have really liked the start to the season that some of our second string mids/runners like Brayshaw, Viney, Harmes, Jordan, Sparrow are putting together. Clarry and Trac still the beasts, but good that they can have a slightly down game by their high standards and others have been standing up.

Fritta and Harmes about the only guys that looked really dangerous and in control down there.

I thought an undermanned Port gave good effort all game right until the end, didn't totally drop their bundle skills wise either, continued to take risks and took on the game to an exent. They were just out classed by a much better team. I'd be ok with that as a Port supporter as far as the players they put on the park.

Please pick another target to motivate into some form @Steamin Demon 😁.

Thought Bowey was ordinary tonight. Might be time to give him a rest.

Sorry to be a Negative Nelly on the above, but in my life time that stat is at 33% for us which puts us down towards the bottom of the list. The two losses were bloody abominable as well and as good a win as 2021 was, we'd still be well under 100% aggregate points for and against in GFs post 1964. Need to keep moving forward get that %W/L record since 1964 looking as impressive as our all time GF %. There's a new target to aim for. To end on something of a +'ve, we have the best AFL GF record ever at Perth stadium or whatever the non corporate name is for that ground over there.

Most possessions in a grand final - 39 Christian Pertracca (equal with Simon Black)

Just realising that Port will be comming off the same 6 day break as us, which is a good leveler in that sense. Although they have been playing like puss and we really should take care of them, I'm concerned they'll be super desperate and turn it into a dog fight like the Dons. Though I've been impressed that the players we've bought in four our injured premiership players, it really would be good to get back some key defenders like Petty and Lever over the next few weeks to a month. Conversely, will be interesting to see how Dunstan goes this week as well, as if Trac I sufficiently injured and needs a spell I'd like to see how he goes in our outfit.

Just thinking back to some of the comments and claims in the Casey thread last week that "he'll never make it" etc, gee, there must be some really tasty humble pie being eaten this morning regarding the Weid's performance. Yeah it's only one game, but I thought there were some really positive signs from the Weid last night. Must admit that I was quite surprised when he got named as an emergency ahead of Mitch Brown, but really glad for the guy that he was able to repay the faith and really turn it on last night. Thought the way he was moving and marking the ball was really good.

I've noticed Gus does get most of his possessions in the ways described above. Makes me wounder why the opposition don't put more effort into manning him up at times. Though he doesn't gain huge territory with some of the dinky little 20m passes that he chips back and forth almost in a 1-2 get back your own ball type fashion, it does let us walk the ball away from the oppositions dangerous space and towards the wing/forward area for us in a pretty low risk way, which I think relieves pressure for us and helps us control the game on our terms more.

I've got no problem with them being called the Devils. I think it's by far the most natural and logical thing for them to be called and one that their population down there could all rally behind, which is important, because as a lover of the game more broadly, I think Aussie Rules needs Tassie to have a team and for it to succeed as a club. If the league is big enough to have Crows, Magpies, Eagles and Hawks, Lions, Tigers, Cats and Dogs, then I think it would be fine to have Demons and Devils. In fact I'd look forward to having an evil battle of the underworld against a potential Tassie team.

To a certain extent, just winning consistently by the modest, but comfortable 20 - 30 point margins we do builds a healthy %, particularly when we restrict the oppositions scoring to such low levels, but agree it's much more important to be walking away with the 4 points every week and solidifying out spot towards the top of the ladder. The systematic, almost clinical way we have developed over the last season or so to bank the wins has been somewhat of a revolution for me in my time watching the might Melbourne Demons.

Great post. I also love how Joel Smith has stepped up and added to our defensive capabilities. My take is that he's probably our second best key defender in the side so far this year. Smith playing the Petty one on one lockdown defender type role, but with a bit more flair. Some of those come from nowhere diving spoils are almost Sean Wight like. With Lever back, I think it will be Hunt or Tomlinson out on current form. Will be good to see what Smith can do with Lever around to take off some of the heat and control the troops bit.

Once we get our accuracy right, that's when we blow them away Premership 3rd quarter+ style. Mind you, I don't think our on ball, centre clearance game was quite as on tonight. Gee that game against the Dogs was one 'out of the box'.

Sometimes Brayshaw's value to the team gets questioned, because he's been squeezed out of an elite midfield and could have become a bit of a third wheel. When we are winning well, he is often quiet stats wise, which reinforces that. But the way he has embraced his new role and the team first attitude he embodies are second to none. Further when the chips are down and we're under fire, I find it's when he seems to most rise to the challenge, dig deep and keep us in the game. Lingers Langdon is similar in this respects. Core part of the team and great to see him getting the recognition he deserves for his hard work. Doesn't play second fiddle to Clarry, Trac and Viney at all, just plays diferntly and plays a different role.

Bedford and Chandler have played that few games because guys like Kossie, Nibbler and Spargo have maintained their form, we haven't had any injuries to that type of player and they have been deprived of opportunities that might have got elsewhere. I'm not saying I want the club to push Charlie out the door by any means, as he brings a hardness and aggression that some of those other smalls may not be quite up to as you are perhaps suggesting, but if we do have a cap squeeze on, perhaps he's one of the second tier / B grade players in our best 22 that we would be prepared to let go for the benefit of the team?

I totally rate Charlie and his contribution to the side, but I do also wounder if he is the sort of player that we see as replaceable with other similar players we have comming through like Bedford, Kade Chandler, Bailey Laurie etc. Another article I read reciently put the case that if we are to keep other higher profile, more unique out of contract players like Brayshaw and Jackson, we might need to sacrifice a few mid tier players to keep the salary cap space available. At this point in the big picture, you would home that the respective players recognise what a rare and unique oppertunity they have have sucess and to win multiple premierships and do place more value on that than more imeediate finacial rewards, but I'd also understand if a player like Charlie prioritised their long term finacial future, though that he is still realitively young should temper that a little you would hope.

Thought Lewis was a good player for the MFC and certainly added to our team at the time. I used to hate the guy at Hawthorn, but these days I quite like him after playing for us and enjoy his commentary on Fox Footy. I think that partly because I've almost erased any memories of him playing from Hawthorn from my mind and just remember him in a red and blue jumper.

Bernie was a star for a few seasons and I love the larrakin attitude, energy and hardness he bought to the team when he arrived. It's just a shame he dropped off at the end and didn't make the team for finals in 2018

The giant bronze beard would be a great addition to Yarra Park. Could situate it somewhere on the periphery of the paths they park the food vans next to, of which I'm sure Max would approve. Come to think if it, perhaps the statue could be of him with pizza in one hand and a durry in the other, with a huge grin from ear to ear.

I really think the two bits in bold are the most significant points out of all this. He hasn't exactly got off to the flying start to the season that Trac has, but few do. I'll be concerned if his form isn't there by mid season, but until then, I think the challenge of Dogga / Gawn will test alot of teams and either one or the other or both will get off the chain at some point.

Nailed pretty important goals in both games. Max has the runs on the board as both an individual player and as captain. I think we've got so use to him dominating each week that it's become an expectation that isn't exactly normal for most players. If Max can pace himself, really turn it on in the games he has too and share, duties with Dogga when the opportunities are there, I think that's great for the medium to long term development of the team and both Max and Dogga as individuals.

Yeah, that Rd 1 night game was somewhat warm and humid, but from my recient experience somewhat the exception to the rule. My regular 20min walk from home to the station would usually result in beads of sweat rolling down my back at 6am in the morning in SEQ, due largely to the humidity and secondly due to it being near enough degrees even at that early part of the day.

I think that's largely the mentality we took in a number of games in the middle of last season until the pre-finals killing spree. I'm not sure if it was just conserving for next week once the games in the bag, or more of a focus and emphasis on making sure our defensive game is well tuned, but it seemed like a number of games last year that we effectively shut down the opposition in the last quarter, without attempting to put them to the sword when we probably could have.