Rodney (Balls) Grinter

So do I 😊

It's got a bunch more premiership players in it than any we fielded in 2019 😁

Easy up there Brock McLean! 😁

Yeah, but it wasn't declared, it was hidden and only came out years later. Like I say it was a grubby affair. The word slimy also comes to mind, with Sheedy also up to his eyeballs in it and I think it's a far reflection on him as well. I remember how smug Sheedy was announcing he'd just stolen $cully from us. Can't stand such clinical business analogies being applied to sport, the two arn't an equivalent. No one invests in shares simply because they like the company colours or corporate logo. Loyalty and the way players treat a supporter base are a valuable commodity in sport and $culley absolutely trashed that with his conduct at the time. To be fair, the AFL was also partly to blame with the way they set the rules up. To be honest, while I was disappointed to loose all of Farmer, Rivers, Frawley and Howe, I'm not as filthy on any of them as I am on $culley, because of the service they did give us amd way they conducted themselves about leaving us. As bitterly disappointed as I was about loosing Scott Tompson to Adelaide (particularly after watching the elite player he became), I can understand his desire to more closer to family and that was a considered risk Melbourne took when they recruited him. I could have gone much harder and cruder on $culley, but I somewhat refrained.

I even like what Eddy has to say in this video. His quote that the game became the "Slaughter in the last quarter" was great. Actually quite like Brad Johnson as a comentator. At times he says some 'dumb' sounding things, but generally I find that his analysis of footy is intelligent, knows when to lighten the mood and have a laugh, but the thing I like about him most is that he always seems to come across really humble, respectful and not full of himself.

...which is also a segue back to the Luke Jackson situation. In his captains diary, Max details quite alot how having both himself and LJ within the team is enhancing both their games and how Max himself has learnt from LJ to keep moving and stay involved after the ruck contest. Equally, I've only ever heard LJ say great things about working with and learning from Max and the respect he had for him was clearly evident. I remember at the time he was recruited how so many people were questioning why Melbourne would use such a high pick on another ruck, when we already had the best in the competition and how that might work out over the longer term. But it's worked out brilliantly. I almost pitty opposition teams comming up against us over the next few seasons if LJ and Gawn can take their games to another level. In seasons gone by I noticed a substantial drop off in our momentum in games when Max was rested on the bench for short periods, but now the opposite is true and how other teams will deal with how/when to rest their main ruck in this scenario is such an asset to our team. I'd be thinking that LJ will want to be a part of this kind of arrangement for years to come and I've got little doubt that the MFC will repay the deeds and faith that LJ has given the club, when the oppertunity to reward him financially arises.

Reminds me of what a grubby affair the whole Tom $cully defection was (literally and metaphorically, since Graeme 'Grubby' Allan was up to his eyeballs in it). Won't ever forget or forgive all that. Spare me the sob story about what a rabble we were off the feild and how $cully just wanted to be part of a sucessful culture, it was mostly just about the $$$$. Our current captain stayed and became an important cog in the rebuilding of sucessful, selfless team culture, hoisted the cup and has a premership medallion that's worth more than the millions $cully got paid and I think there's something in that.

It's legit where the Freo Dockers have their training base, which makes alot of sense, due to their reputation of having alot of top half back flankers. ...P.S. it's actually pronounced more Coburn, but don't let that stand in the way of having a good giggle!

Doing Chariots of Fire style beach runs with the Premership cup held high.

I'm starting to get a bit worried about all this. My sister's freinds brother Phil is in Cockburn (the suburb or Perth) works as an admin assistant to an estate agent was saying the other day that a they had a buyers agaent who was saying he worked for an AFL player of one of the successful East coast teams inquiring about property in the area.

As you point out above, it's not just about how a clanger is defined, it's about the situation and where on the ground the clanger occurs. Clarry and Trac probably have mostly forward half clangers, as opposed to back half clangers leading to turnovers that open you up and get you scored against. In that sense, our excellent team defence this season pretty much gave Oliver and Trac a licence to be attacking and turn it over more often in our forward half, without it really hurting us, because we were already so well setup down the line defensively that we'd more often than not win it back. Must also build pressure on the opposition when Trac and Clarry can be so attacking without suffering substantial consequences for turning it over. Eventually the dam wall breaks and you get the BANG, BANG, BANG!!

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.