Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Quite true and I don't know the answer, other than to say, that it's a good problem to have.

Out of all the recient 'dynasty' teams, at this point, Richmond are dropping off the biggest cliff. They could become pretty irrelevant again quite quickly if it continues at the present rate.

...while we're on topic of umpires critique, has anyone else noticed that the 'protected areas rule is either being officiated differently / significantly relaxed? Has there actually been a rule change or is it just something that's being let go until an umpire finds an inopportune time to decide to pay one and artificially change the momentum of a game. To some extent I think I've also noticed a shift in what actions players take from a mark/free kick situation that could also be influencing things - less handball to a runner going past and more of just playing on taking on the man on the mark directly and why effectively waste a number at the source of the ball when they are better positioned to advantage elsewhere, but while the rule is there, it needs to be played consistently or else it has the potential to randomly create chaos and unfairness at some point.

On a bit of a tangent, I still can't believe how that Tom Hawkins mark last week was allowed to stand. While I wouldn't want to turn the AFL into a NRL style video review system that continuously interrupts play and disrupts the flow of play, but that Hawkins push in the back was so obvious and given the standard 30 seconds he had to go back and take his kick, there was soo much time and oppertunity for a third/video umpire to make the correct decision and overturn the mark. The difficulty does somewhat become when to and not to over turn line ball infringements, but I don't think there was any risk of that in the Hawkins case. It's this kind of stubbornness and sloth like inaction from the AFL to make sensible rule changes to improve the officiating of the game that infuriates players and fans alike and makes the umpires jobs harder. Plus there's that old chestnut the AFL likes to go on about, regarding the integrity of the game - what if a final or finals place hinged on that goal to Hawkins?

Getting some Saturday arvo games in the next part of the fixture to be released would be nice too. Can play our interstate games during prime time, but live games at the G should be there to maximise crowd attendance, not TV ratings.

Get that it was GWS Easter, etc, but as a club, we can't afford to throw away our moment in the sun either. Games that draw just 20K are deflating and don't build that atmosphere that keep bringing people back to the footy to get on board the Demon train. How much more impressive and intimidating would it have been if we had 40k supporters there last night to their 200. Low attendance numbers become a self fulfilling prophecy. If we are to build our membership and supporter base to be something which will sustain us through the long winters of being middle of the pack which will come somewhere down the track, we really need to make the most of the on feild sucess we are having now. I actually feel that the club should be making a concerted effort in its marketing and messaging from players, coaches etc during the week to get supporters turning up to games, GWS or not.

Spot on Jaded. For all those years we've been going along being crapp or just mediocre, how good is it to go and be dominant and in control. My youngest son hasn't seen us loose a game live at the MCG yet and long may it continue ... the kid doesn't know how good he's got it!!

Salem and Hunt both coexisted in the same team for most of last season as they both bring something quite different to the team. With a near full fitness list there's probably half the side that will be need to right on their game and fighting to keep their spots. The real beauty of how we are playing is that all those players see playing team first footy as the way to keep their spot, not being the superstar.

I actually supported this rule when it was first bought in and made something of a pledge to go easy on the umps as a supporter, but the mind blowing free kick differential and then these crazy 50m that so consistently seem to exclusively go against us have seen me throw that pledge to the wind in games this season to date. I recall in an interview he did with Robbo that Razor Ray noted the MFC as being one of the most disiplined teams in terms of arguing with the umps, so I really strughle to understand how it is we're so consistently on the wrong end.

I thought Hunt turned on his B+ game last night. Not quite back to his best, but was running through lines a bit better and taking the game on with his dash a bit. His delivery was much better and I didn't notice any sprayed turnovers or shanks out on the full. I'm guessing the added run goes together hand in glove with better kicking, the later giving confidence in the former. I also don't think it's any coincidence that this uplift in perfornance has occurred with the return of all our A team key defenders of May, Lever and Petty.

Couldn't agree more Picket. There's a difference between disapointment, dissent and abuse. Gee GWS are lucky Tobby Green has been suspended this season so far, he would have given away 5 x 50m penalties before half time, were he on the field, but then again, GWS are one of the AFL's golden love child's, so maybe not.

I also feel as premiers, the MFC are being made examples of.

Ok, cool, thanks, I get it now. Let's be the first to 5-0 in consecutive seasons that goes back to back! 😊

Don't disagree with the above either. I guess when the team is working so well as such and supporting it's hard to pick out the best from the rest. In particular, I feel like Harmes has got off to a good start to the year, putting himself in good positions to win the ball and taking some of the heat off others like Clarry and Trac.

Yeah, each to their own. I thought he was easily our best key forward. Probably could have ended up with 3 goals if he kick straight the way he is capable of. Dished off that great team first goal to Fritsch and was probably involved in several others. It's T Mac and BBB all the way next week for me. In retrospect, I don't know how I missed giving votes to Clarry though. Guess he just goes about his work in such a reliable, workman like way, he just blends into the woodwork. Per usual he was everywhere, winning and distributing out the ball to advantage. I've increasing noticed how that kicking follow through he does when he drives the ball forward is Barassi like. Such a weapon.

Joined? We would have joined them in doing that last year except, Geelong were premiers in 2007 and Hawthorn in 2008 and Geelong again in 2011, so you might have to explain the above to me a bit more 🤔 .

6. Max 5. Trac 4. May 3. Kosie 2. Fritta 1. T Mac

The GWS cheer squad just came and sat in front of where we are. ...all three of them.

Remember I use to write in these threads that I thought we might be a chance of winning today. Seems surreal, that now the expectation is winning and it's more a case of when that first upset loss might come against us. Not totally confident that we're in smashing form right now, but not sure I see this as a big danger game either.

Is that Nathan Doggy Brown's son?

I think Brisbane are right up there and are the side that worries me most at the moment. If they weren't shafted again down at the cattery, they would probably be on top of the ladder right now. I also think they will be alot better with Hipwood back in their side, assuming he can come back from injury and find his best form again. I watched them demolish Geelong at the Gabba mid season last year and the were impressive. I really do hope Geelong fall apart at the seams again come finals time. It's a long season and I think that will really hurt and start to bite their fossilised main stars like Selwood, Dangerfield, Smithd, Toohey etc. As well as Cameron seems to be playing at the moment, if Hawkins ever gets injured, I think they would be totally stuffed. In theory, the Bulldogs should be there abouts, but their very poor start to the season will make it very hard for them to stay in touch and just make finals from here and they won't have any luxuries that we do to rest or take their time bringing back injured players like we have. If they do make finals, they could be totally stuffed by the time they get there, unless they can find good form fast, finish in a flurry and win it from 5th again like 2017...but I can't see it. It's a long season and there's still pleanty of opportunities for us to get injuries and have a form slump, but the great start we have had to the season has put us in a really good position already. Particularly considering we haven't really hit our straps form wise yet and with the injuries we've had to our back six, we could really go from strength to strength from here. I think our exceptional depth is already proving to be of great value in the COVID iso interrupted season we are having. I'm also hoping that some of the sides who have been injury depleted and/or had poor starts like Port, Essendon and the Bulldogs can win some games against top 8/top 4 sides in the next half a season and help us put more of a buffer on the rest of the top 4. In theory we should have had a much harder start to the season with the opponents we've had, but we've either got lucky and played them when they're down or we've been good enough to make them look quite ordinary or a bit of both.

Dixson made that same statement on the Fox post match game the other night after our game. I don't want to get cocky and finals are usually hard to win, but it's really nice to hear the footy world talk about us that way, rather than saying how we are pusss.

Yep. Loving how this Rd is panning out. It one of those weekends when we find out "who the contenders are and who the pretenders are!"

It's T Mac and BBB for me next week. T Mac didn't exactly start, but I feel like he gave so much more effort and contest than Weid. With Weid, it's seems to be that either he'll get amoungst it and kick a few goals or he'll be well held and be an almost invisable non contributor. At the moment, I think Weid lacks the nous of how to get involved with the play if he's not able to pull down the big marks, where as T Mac at least leads further up the ground, presents an outlet option nullifies the contest at worst. T Mac also seems to be much better at scrapping out the ball on the ground, tackling and uses his big body to take on the takler alot more to clear a path and keep the ball going our way when he hasn't marked. I actually feel that Weid has to show something with the remainder of this season just to remain on an AFL list, not just ours. Really hope I'm over reacting based on a small sample size this season on this one, because I hope the Weid can turn it on and make it, but I feel like his mediocre effort against Port will probably cost him his spot in the side and make him have to fight for it at Casey some more. Not sure if others see it differently or not.

The way he finds the ball and generates play for us out of defense, I wounder if sides will start playing a defensive forward on him, although I guess the problem would be that if that were to occur, we'd probably direct play through another player like Bowey.