Rodney (Balls) Grinter

I'm with Max. Wasn't that happy with the decision at the time. I think it's fairly clear from what Ed said (and many others along the journey) that Goody still had the confidence of the playing group, so the sacking wasn't on that basis. I was personally a fan of Goody's based on his cool measured approach and relationships with the players - having players happy to play for a coach is pretty important. One of my favourite footy quotes came from a Demonland podcast of Peter Jackson era 2019ish being along the lines that improvement isn't always linear. If it was up to the press and popular oppinion, how many would have sacked Goody after 2019 / 2020. With the young talent we've bought in over the last 2 - 3 years, I think we have been doing a pretty reasonable job of rebuilding the list at the same time as trying to complete and not bottom out and as much as I'd hope it not be the case, perhaps it's unrealistic that we could have made finals every year though that transition. I'm also not happy with the decision from the perspective that I feel there was a concerted effort from some in the media and ex administrators to white ant out Goody and sacking him hands them something of a victory. Neither do I think we should underrate how good our 2022 and 2023 seasons were. In 2021, we spent most of our season going under the radar and performed above expectations. In 2022 and 2023, we were the hunted and still performed and finished top 4. Our start to 2022 was outstanding, I think the conditioning team let us down by not keeping the group fresh enough going into finals. In 2023, I think we were dealt a hugely cruel (and grossely unfair) blow with Gus. As Leigh Mathew's has often said, there is a big element if luck in winning a premiership. That all said, what's done is done. There's no use crying over spilt milk and I really do hope this creates a fresh environment where we can move forward without asking "Is the next coach the right guy" in both the broader media, but particularly here on Demonland and the MFC faithful. In this respects I'm happy the board did make its call at this point of the season and not post season, to give ourselves the best opportunity to bring in the best coaching talent moving forward. Personally I am bullish about our current list and potential in the seasons ahead, but also do realise that with a new coach there could be hard decisions regarding some of my favourite players to be made at the end of the season. More than anything, I'm excited by the prospect of watch another MFC premiership sometime in the years ahead and being there to watch it at the G this time.

From what I can work out, minimum wage for a non-rookie list player is $145k this year. If you earn this kind of coin as a kid out of high school for a few years, then need to go back and get an apprenticeship or higher education I don't think you have too many problems. Assuming they don't let it all go to their head and spend it on frivolous things, they'd be well ahead of most of their peers financially.

His words in the media I've seen is that he thinks we've got a good mix of experience and young talent

And wouldn't it be ironic if that premiership were to come against Collingwood. They'd absolutely hate it after all the years he couldn't bring one home there as player or coach. Would be worth giving him the job just for that prospect.

Agreed, what do people expect him to say? As well as that, then there's also the matter that he's still contracted in an off-field capacity at the Swans - hardly going to be giving away his intentions in the press until things are well on the way to being stitched up in that circumstance. Far easier for Buckley to speak more freely and candidly from his role in the media.

Took me a while to warm to the Goody pressers, which were and probably almost even to the end pretty dry and unemotive, but over time, I came to appreciate his cool, calm and collected approach and outward persona. I think the players also welcomed that and he seemed genuinely loved by all the playing group as backed by Ed's words in the past few days. Let's also remember that Goody played a big part in bringing Melksham and Hibbo to the club, which I do think we're important steps to bringing home the flag. I also feel he was important in retaining Kossie. Roosy and Goody always had the mantra of putting us in a position to compete and play a brand that stood up in big finals and I think that was achieved. The 2018 finals series was sensational. Beating Hawthorn and Geelong in consecutive finals was something I would have dreamed of as a supporter growing up in the late 80s, 90s. Going to WA to play a comparatively well rested West Coast on their home deck in a prelim was always a huge ask for a young inexperienced side. The whole 2021 finals series was an absolute blast. Even though we went out in strait sets in 22 and 23, losses by 22, 13, 7 and 2 points is being pretty bloody competitive. Thanks for ride Goody. Personally I'm sorry that you won't be there if the list can make it to another premership, but hope you do take something out of laying the foundations. Massive gratitude to the only MFC premiership coach in my lifetime.

On a related theme, I'm looking ahead to the Rd 24 fixture and woundering how the AFL are proposing to get themselves out ot the Rd 0 pickle with Gold Coast needing to catch-up two games in Rd 24. Rd 23, they have been scheduled to play on the Saturday, so that doesn't leave the AFL alot of space to spread out their last 3 games over the next week. Guessing maybes they play a Wednesday /Thursday game, then a Sunday, Monday or possibly even Tuesday game? Gold Coast have a fair chance to make up the final 8 starting positions and then possibly a good chance of shaping the finals, depending on the form they can carry in and possibly also if they can lock in a home final. For all the Rd 0 aspirations of the AFL trying to enhance the promotion of the game in Northern markets, having the Suns finishing in a position to have a home final would be worth way more than the Rd 0 rubbish. Add that to the wish list for Greg Swan for 2025 - no more Rd 0. BTW, Gather Rd also adds another inequity for the Adelaide sides by gifting them an additional home game as the absence of power teams from Cat Park, with us almost garrenteed an away fixture to Geelong every season.

Similar pedigree to Max working at Domino's Has he ever got caught smoking durries on the way to training too?

Conveniently

I'll use the word - it's B-LLSH-T ...and the AFL is full of it.

Not to mention that the AFL couldn't give a stuff about the numerous and most recent concussions inflicted on May by others - they really need to go ask the AFL about where was Tom De Koning's responsibility and duty of care towards May. The AFL are a [censored] joke.

"MAY NOT MAYNARD" Saw a clever post on FB that suggested if Steve had "nard" on the end of his last name, he wouldn't have been suspended.

Maybe, and I do like Disco, but I think he could have some tough competition form the likes of Bowser and Langford of that generation of players.

Not exactly sure when this was first published, but rings very true today: HAMISH BRAYSHAW'S OPEN LETTER TO THE AFL ON BACKCHAT PODCAST Dear AFL, I normally swear on here and act like an [censored], however there will be no profanity or hyperbole in this letter. These are my honest and bewildered thoughts as a current player and lifetime fan of the greatest game in the world. The tribunal and match review panel are single-handedly destroying the game. You are making it impossible to play in good spirit, you’re making it impossible to adjudicate and you’re not far off making it impossible to support. Over the past 12 months, this is my interpretation of the rules of the game based on what I am hearing and seeing coming directly from the AFL; Protect the head at all costs, obviously unless a head knock is as a result of a football act, but then it depends on how hard you get hit in that football act and if the player had any other alternatives, but also the player needs to take into account the potential to cause harm, but of course it shouldn’t depend on the outcome of the opponent, unless of course it does result in a concussion, but even then it depends on the intent, but of course a player is entitled to attack the ball with good technique, but it doesn’t matter if the opposition runs in head first like how every kid playing the game growing up gets taught not to do, but then of course it depends on the state of the game and the time of the year, it depends on whether or not we need to make an example out of someone, but then don’t forget if they have had a clean record in the past and do charity work, but then obviously that can only matter once and never again because from now on that doesn’t count, and it depends on the player, and the team they’re on, but really it all boils down to protecting the head because we’re seeing more players retire from concussion than ever before, but we will still let a guy play next week after punching someone in the face in the goal square because it wasn’t hard enough to hurt them. I have grown up all my life surrounded by football. Playing football, watching football, my family has been engrossed in the AFL system for decades and I have absolutely no idea what is going on anymore. My brother is never going to play football again in his whole life because of a jumping smother that turned into a bump that collided with his head. As much as it killed me to watch that, I can put my feelings for Angus aside and say that down to the nuts and bolts of it, Maynard was trying to smother the ball in a qualifying final so technically it was a football act. You certainly didn’t care all for the outcome there and Brayden went on to win a premiership. That is precedence. That was as big a defining moment for the tribunal as I can remember, and you went with protecting the sanctity of the game over the protection of the player. I’m not agreeing or disagreeing with that, but it is breaking me that you are constantly backflipping on that stance. Peter Wright and Toby Green, 4 weeks and 1 week respectively for football acts with not a whole lot of difference. Jeremy Finlayson got less than Peter Wright for a homophobic slur which once again highlights that nobody at the AFL really knows what’s happening at the tribunal, you just make it up as you see fit. Matt Crouch has been given a week for picking the ball up the way every single kid playing football is taught to do it. There is goal square footage of Jesse Hogan punching his defender in the face, and he has admitted to swinging with force to try and push his opponent. The AFL’s response “We are not clearly satisfied that was anything more than negligible.” He was swung a fist at a bloke's face and because it didn’t hurt you haven’t given him a week. Punish the action, not the outcome unless the outcome is they’re okay. Ask my little brother Andrew if an intentional swing to the face has the potential to cause harm. Incredible. We’ve heard enough about Charlie Cameron being let off for being a nice guy but Tom Barrass can’t escape a week for the same thing. The get-out-of-jail-free card only appears once in the deck apparently. This is my last point and I am going to swear so beep this out if you want. Tom Barrass is staying in Perth and missing one game for a dangerous tackle. I don’t think there was much more he could’ve done differently. Walters played the game out and isn’t concussed but sure, still give Barrass a week if that’s the stance, protect the head at all costs. I can’t physically watch the Melbourne Demons play football anymore because my brother’s brain is going to be [censored]ed for the rest of his life and you didn’t think that was enough for a week off. AFL you are the greatest game in the world, but right now you’re a joke. Your systems for protecting the player and maintaining the integrity of the game are broken and desperately need to be fixed. Before they can be fixed you need to actually understand the criteria you want to govern the game by. It needs to be understandable for the public and it needs to be followed. You can’t pick and choose when to dismiss certain things and when to change your views on others. It has to change otherwise this game is going to turn into something unrecognisable and it’s going to happen very quickly. Yours Sincerely, Hamish Brayshaw

Can't tell me there isn't some serious favouritism going on here: https://aflratings.com.au/afl-suspensions/ 2024/25 MFC 10 Collingwood FC 3 MOST MATCHES MISSED THROUGH SUSPENSION SINCE 2010 ( till 2021, https://www.afl.com.au/news/568692/the-naughty-club-whos-been-banned-the-most-whose-players-behave ) 62 Geelong 57 Richmond 56 Hawthorn 53 West Coast 52 St Kilda 51 Essendon 50 Melbourne 46 Fremantle 43 North Melbourne 40 Brisbane, Port Adelaide 36 Carlton 35 Gold Coast 29 Greater Western Sydney 28 Collingwood 26 Western Bulldogs 22 Adelaide 18 Sydney Let's also just consider that several Collingwood players have caused career ending, life threatening, life changing injuries to opposition players within that time frame. Yes, the AFL is an impartial, facts based ruling body.

I don't care so much about appealing for the sake of the game, I think it should really be more about appealing for the sake of the MFC that we aren't the perennial soft target, scape goat for the AFL to make an example out of.

So let's just reflect on this. The AFL tribunal took 3hrs to analyse and provide a ruling on something Steve had 0.5 seconds to process and act on perfectlly , all within the laws of physics, all whilst doing pretty much everything right that the AFL had previously said was within a players duty of care. My gosh these people are imbeciles. There was a principle in cricket about giving the batsmen the benifit of the doubt and one in law about incenent until proven guilty that seem to have been violated here.

I can't imagine of a better look. Every MFC player should do it in protest and solidarity with May and call the AFL out to justify their absolute rubbish.

DO IT P.S. it's also an oxymoron to think that the AFL cares about facts or even knows what they are.

Don't blame Anderson. Shouldn't need some fancy lawyer to make a complicated leagal argument. The AFL should be capable of making a reasonable, sensible and unbiased judgement. It's the AFL that are the most at fault party here. They are also at fault for picking and choosing when players do and don't have a duty of care: Racing to contest a loose ball with both players front onto the contest and able to make decisions to attack or protect themselves - duty of care on the player that comes out uninjured. Standing in front of a high ball and having a player jump into the back of your head. Of course TDK had no other option and no duty of care. Steve May should have disappeared.

Or having their splean ripped in half.

And that he's Steve May and plays for the MFC, not Collingwood.

So May slows and attacks the ball at half pace, waits for the Carlton player to easily pick it up uncontested and walk it in for an easy goal. We'd have every comentator in the land saying Melbourne are playing 'bruse free football'. What's the other saying in footy - 'you've got to go when it's your turn to go'. Let's get serious every AFL coach and playing group would be expecting May to give that his best effort at winning the football. AFL - GET F [censored]. You have just proven what a biased rubbish joke of a ruling body you are. MFC has to use what ever means they can to appeal and/protest this ruling that they can - to start with they should be asking that Tom De Koning also be sighted for recklessly injuring Steve May.

I never saw Dixon play, but when I asked my dad about him, his recollection was that he wasn't a great kick, but always got lots of the ball.

Don't think Pig Dog was underrated really. I think the club put alot of priority into managing him to let him recover from injury properly and kept him on ice for the back end of season, precisely because they rated his value to our defence in big finals so highly. Also, did we really retire him or was it more of his call wanting to go out on a high and move onto other things in life?