Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Meh. Next season we are going to have to battle all of the pressure of exectation, being 'The Hunted' and complacency to an even greater extent than towards the back half of season 2021. Wearing a little gold AFL symbol or not isn't going to make a shred of difference to any of that. Will be interesting to see how our boys handle the challenge, as I think we'll be somewhat breaking for our team since the 60s.

The other players who I think should be somewhat discussed in the conversation are: Joel Smith - showed alot when he came in for a few games at the end of the season and I think with that little bit more experience at the top level could be a genuinely good defensive option. Trent Rivers - liked his season generally, but think he needs to be able to go to another level in order to hold his place, otherwise I think without substantial injuries, the intense pressure for spots could see him make way to give someone else an opertuity. In general, it wouldn't surprise me if Goody and the coaches are more open to regularly changing players in and out of the team in season 2022. Last year, while we perfected our game style and built confidence, predictably and stability were order of the day. Now that we've acheived that, I think we will need to further evolve to make sure we give others a chance at the top level, to build all of depth, flexibility and unpredictability to our opponents.

Personally I think there is still a place in the side for Hunt. His pace in an asset and in season 2021, I think his intensity, pressure and hardness were also excellent. Hunt is also one of the long haulers that has been through some leaner times, battled injury, form/lack of selection, but has persevered, fought for a place in the side and for most of 2021 I think had re-established a position for himself in the side, which I think says something about the strength of his character. He was just so unfortunate to get injured at the time he did. Along with others, I would love to see him up there on the stage with a premership medallion around his neck. I think Hibbo may struggle to get a regular game next season over the entire season, but who knows what his ultimate longevity will be. With a good preseason and management of his body, who knows, some players just keep going and going. Worst case, I think he'd be a great leader/mentor to our next gen of developing backs at Casey.

That is true and I don't diagree, but Salem has both. While Salem hasn't had quite the same longevity as a footballer yet, he does have the claim of being a premership player and brilliant performance over that season overall and the GF when it really counts.

I agree Brett was a bloody good footballer, I just think Salem is better or at least an equal. I mean, Brett pulled on the Big V a number of times and that's a pretty decient endorsement. And yes he was a footballer's footballer but he was also suuupppeeer sloooooww, something which Salem definitely isn't. I also think Salem is the modern equivalent of a footballers footballer as well. I was also a huge B.Lovett (and G.Lovett) fan back in the day. My sister actually went to girl guides with one of Brett's nieces who's parents ran the family plant nursery (where I believe Brett also worked sometimes?) in Box Hill.

Slim pickings? Nah, I don't agree with that. The MFC has had some great individual players over the same period that I recon would have matched the Hawks equivalent on ability, Lyon Vs Dunstall, Schwartz Vs Dermi, Bennett, Pike, Jackovic, Wizzard, Stynes, Wight ... the talent we've had at our disposal at times is almost embarrassing how we have never won a flag until now (actually it's [censored] embarrassing and the cause of much MFCSS). The key difference was that over that same period the Hawks were able to a) keep most of their stars on the park most of the time and b) have them consistently play as a well disiplined team first unit - that's the key difference Demons 2021 Vs any other year since 1987 in my time watching them.

Lingers is up there. Guy is an absolute machine. His GF performance was bloody brilliant. Might not have quite the same polish as some of the others, but his whole game repeated running efforts are elite. It's hard to compare Saprrow, Petty and Jackson, because they are just in the infancy of thier careers really. Jackson in particular could definitely be all time best 22 material by the end of his career.

Nice work again @Deespicable. Been hanging out for this one. I like the bold move of the Jack Watts inclusion, but he's way too high IMHO. I'd have him there on tallent, but not the overall package. Jack's kicking skills were elite. Both his passing delivery inside forward 50 and shots on goal were pretty much the best we had for most of the period he was at the club. Problem was most of the time he didn't go hard enough and/or get enough of it to be tbe lynchpin type player the club recruited and built him up to become before he'd really had the chance to establish his role in the team. I actually do wounder if he'd been recruited with a pick in the 20s without the external expectations thrust upon him, would he have turned into a different player and or been viewed differently. I always thought Anthony Ingerson was more a CHB than full back, but a bloody good CHB at that in my book. I remember watching Brett Lovett play, but no way was he better than Salem. Salem has every bit the skill that Lovett had, but has twice the athletic traits compared to B.Lovett. Salem will go down as one of the all time greats of the MFC, absolute gun of a player.

The prelim moment where Viney hugs and lifts up Max is also pretty darn iconic, but I'm with you on the Clarry photo, it's the moment where we ripped the heart out of Bulldogs supporters and the look in Clarry's eyes and on his face says this is our premiership from here on.

I've actually been woundering if Kayo keeps stats on the number of times the GF has been re-watched?

Thanks for the education, but stolen, whatever, doesn't compare to the MFC GF "BANG, BANG, BANG" for impact and iconic moment in sport in my eyes. Love him or loath him as a comentator in general (personally, I think he's ok), but Brayshaw's call has immortalised him as far as I'm concerned.

I've never really had any dramas on my Android phone or Chromecast dongle I us with my TV. Since I'm having issue with my Chromecast remote not pairing at the moment, I cast directly to the TV from my phone and that works fine also. My only minor gripe with Kayo is I sometimes find it's to easy to accidentally escape out of the program your watching, but it doesn't remember to resume where you left off, but asides from that I find its brilliant.

Agree. Go back 12 months and everyone was saying T Mac is finished and Weid is da man. I think there's a lesson in that. I'm not totally confident that he'll do it (I don't think anyone can be), but I do think it's important for the medium term depth of the side that Weid makes it in some capasity. Our team ethos and game style means he doesn't nessacerilly have to be the superstar, but if he can be a solid contributor in the years between BBB and T Mac dropping off and/or retiring, while we develop other young KPFs, then I think that is important. Sure we could try to aquire a ready made mature KPF from elsewhere, but there are no gaurentees there either. I think BBB would be a great player for Weid to be an understudy to. Lead up forward that can also crumb and do smart stuff and kick goals once the ball hits the deck. The general demeanor of BBB is also such that I think he'll also be a great mentor and developer of our next batch of forwards.

LMFAO. Happy New year BBO and keep it comming in 2022. While I love talking Demons footy anytime, anywhere, the interspersed quality comic releif here on D'land is generally superior to that found elsewhere.

Some light reading there WJ. I might need more than the 5% battery I currently have to get through all that, but looks like a great read as always.

Nice work @Deespicable. Love some of your selections. Sean Charles was definitely a favorite of mine and like Jurrah, it's just such a shame we never got to see them over a more sustained period. If rating on tallent alone, I'm sure Charles would have pushed far higher than he is in your list, but I'm assuming you've taken the players overall impact and contribution to the team within the era that they played, and that's fine. Also like the inclusion of Col Garland. He was much berated here by some, but I always thought he did a pretty solid job in an era where where our backline was constantly under pressure and copping a hammering. Was also possibly under sized for the role he was often asked to play, but would often stand up and perform above his weight IMHO. The other notable performance he put in as a forward was kicking multiple goals (was it 4 or 5?) in one if our few wins for the season against Essendon (whom I often thought were our bunnies in that era). Quite impressed overall by the detail you've put in and you have either a great memory, have done a fair bit of research or a bit of both. Keep them comming and I'm looking forward as it gets towards the pointy end.

I'd be rapped if he was. Jesse could play footy a bit. Practically carried our forwardline as an 18 yo, playing against the best backman every week. I'd love to see how Jesse could have turned out if he walked into the premership side we have now, instead of the rabble we were then and not had all the family and personal tragedy to contend with. I recon he would have been an absolute champion.

My tribute to Troy and our other Demons that passed away before their time, when flying the flag for our GF appearance. At the time Troy was in his prime (so sadly cut short) as a footballer for the MFC, my interests in life were focused on other things, so I don't have much of a personal memory of his time as a player. However from all the great things I've heard from others, his name and memory has a well respected place amoung those others I remembered as we played off in the big one in September. Again, just from others accounts, outside of footy, Troy and Tricia were also great contributors to Jimmy's Reach Youth organisation, which has positively impacted on the lives of many young people. RIP Troy - hope you partied hard and enjoyed the premership win with our other great past players up there.

Merry Christmas to you and your family's. What a year on Demonland and as many have stated already our Christmas celebration has really come early and the celebrations long already. Would love this to become an annual tradition. I think that premiership cup had better watch out if there's any mistletoe around, I'd be all over it.

I know where you are comming from, but I think the better statement would be "lack of another young ruckman". We had Jackson who is both young and learning from the best. I'm guessing that we are making the assessment that being within the premership window, we are better off having the mature ruck depth of Daw and/Or there wasn't another young ruck still available in the available pool worth us investing in right at the present. I think hoefully we've still got a few years before ruck depth becomes a burning issue for us.

Some big calls in there Werridee, but I find it hard to argue with your best 22 on paper. A few things jump out to me: * Who would have put T Mac and Nibbler as best 22 ahead of season 2021; * Premerships player and hulking young gun Tommy Sparrow stiff to miss out, but such is the fierce competition for spots. Will he have a breakout 2022 and stamp his place in the best 22, along with JJ? * Baker starts on the wing IMHO. SOW might be a gun in the making, but I think sauce Baker is better than a two's bench player (Not that it's really a bench per-say anymore); * Our 2nd 22 would push some of the 1st 22s going around I feel. Would love to see Daw get a senior game at some point in 2022, although I think that would take either a huge show of form from him or conversely injuries or drop of form from others, so preferably the former.

Couldn't disagree more with this. It was early 2021 when Kate stepped into the role, in the difficult circumstances of Glen Bartlett's surprise departure. At that time the pressure was on the MFC big time as we didn't have any runs on the board. My view is that in being able to handle that transition in the almost seamless way that it appeared to the outside world and provide that off feild stability over the season was an important factor (obviously not that only factor) in our sucess this season. Contrast that somooth leadership handover with the chaos at clubs like Collingwood, Hawthorn and Carlton this season and the correlation to on feild performance as well. It's long been understood that on feild sucess also requires strong and compedent off feild management/leadership. My observations as a realitive outsider is that we have finally got the offeild stuff right. Sure Kate can't take all the credit, but it looks to me that she's a pretty important ingredient. As much as I never overly warmed to him, I personally acknowledge and give credit to a job well done by Glen Bartlett. Glen was rarely in the headlines and his background as a West Coast man, never particularly inspired me, but during his tenure, there was realitive stability, some good off field decision making and appointments and the gracious way which Glen appeared to step down was a testament to that. Quite conversely, one of the things I really like about Kate as a president is the way she wears her passion for the club on her sleave and the more public approach she takes putting the MFC on the map, but not in the OTT totally one eyed way of an Eddie. I think she could just have the right approach for the era we are beginning.

When Christian Patracca can't win your B&F, because he gets pipped by another mid and you have a ruckman who places 3rd behind him, you know you have a good midfield.

Fair enough, I probably wasn't following those issues that much/closely at the time. Was just going off what he's publicly stated on the record.

Martin Pike and his x4 premership medallions also say hello. Beast of a player, on (and off) the field. I seem to recall from his Open Mike interview, that by the time he got to Brisbane, he'd realised that he had to pull his head in amd Leigh Mathews certainly wouldn't have put up with any crap, which might also have had something to do with it.