Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Would certainly consider purchasing a print Webber, without wanting to haggle, but pending price etc. Such a classic moment and I absolutely love it, particularly for the clear illustration that to me it dispells any significant animosity between Jack and Max regarding the captaincy, but also the moment of utter joy and celebration for two great and loyal servants to the MFC.

Is Bailey Fridge a relative of Ted Fidge I wounder? My old man always really rated old Fidge.

Granted I don't have time to watch too many non MFC games and I missed watch our second home and away matchup against the dogs, but I don't think I've seen Naughton play a b good game against us. Rightly or wrongly, I don't rate him on this basis.

Love Harmesy. I'm not sure he'll ever be in quite the same stratosphere are Trac or Clarry, but who are and I think Harmesy still has a a great place in the side as a half forward who can rotate onto the ball, provide great physicality, burst through and away from packs, kick handy goals (that one early against Geelong in the PF made something out of nothing amd help build momentum) jump on people's heads in occasions as well. His kicking is sometimes questioned, but as he showed when it counted, he is quite capable of executing damaging laces out passes deep into our forward line or kicking it through the big ones.

Just 'one of' the biggest plays in Harmesy career? Try the biggest play in his career and the turning point in 57 years of the history of the MFC. Unless he turns another grand final off his own boot, this will end up being the most played clip of Harmesy's highlight real. Probably not the most spectacular or absouute best of his work, but the most significant by a long way.

To expand a bit more on how bad the Wingard trade and list management decisions made by Hawthorn around that time has been for them: 2018 Port Adelaide has received Burton (2021, now 24 yo, from Hawthorn) Mayes, pick five and five 15 in the swap, giving up Wingard and pick six. Hawthorn netted Wingard, but gave up pick 15, pick 35 and Burton. I've never watched him closely enough to make a credible assement of him, but Burton must be a fair player, because he played something like 24 games for Port in a season they played in a prelim. Not exactly sure what pick swap Port might have done outside of the one with Hawthorn, but it's worth noting that in the same year as the Wingard swap, the picked up Rozzie, Butters and Duursma. There's a sliding door moment for you.

The best outcome for the rest of the league is if those average vets on thier list can help Hawthorn stay compeditive enough that they perennially occupy about the same ladder position they did at the end of this year, so they never quite get access to the absolute best talents that a top 1 - 4 pick brings. If being sufficiently non compeditive to also never be compeditive enough to be a credible finals threat also frustrates what quality youngish talent they do have on their list, who then exercise their rights as free agents, then again that's good for the competition. Really, when you look at it, this situation at Hawthorn has been building for a number of years when they chose to take a punt on guys like $culley (maybe not so $$$ for them) and Jonathan Pattern who just wasted a list spot for a couple of years without really providing anything for the future. Traded a quality young player to Adelaide or Port was it as part of the Wingard swap. Another 2 - 3 years of developing a few players who could have been the basis of their future there. Long may this mediocre list management by Hawthorn continue.

I have a real soft spot for Col. Great MFC player and personality. Had a Facebook memory pop up the other day from Colin signing on for another 3 years in 2015 till the end of 2018. To me this was a pretty important and committed signing at the time, when we were still very much building a credible team a still looked a fair way off finals. Colin was still playing decient footy at that point, would have had some currency at that stage and the talk was, would he go and join someone else to have a crack at a more immediate and likely chance of playing finals. While others on here at the time had their doubts about Cols footy credentials, wrongly or rightly, I rated what he did on the footy field and in particular his competitive spirit and toughness in the face of some of the adversity we faced at the time, so was very happy to see him reject potential imeediate sucess elsewhere and sign on for another 3 years. I saw it as a sign of both the guys loyalty and belief in where the club was going. As history would show, Colin never saw out his 3 year contract until 2018 and didn't get to share in even that early euphoria of making and winning finals as a player, instead retiring before his contract was up when it was clear his body and football no longer had what it took to contribute to the team in a meaningful way. From what I can recall, over his career, Colin had also built a bunch of respect within the playing group for the way he went about his training and leadership off the field. As a mere supporter from afar, I take all this on face value and I'm greatful for what Col bought to the MFC. He may not have been there on the field in that great last game in September a few weeks ago, but I think it's guys like Colin that were the genius and would fit in well with the teams current selfless ethos which has been credited with that sucess. In a similar respects 186 is also very much an important part of that story of the 4 quarters of shear brilliance that we whitenessed against the Bulldogs as this game and other similar woeful losses were experiences that built perspective and resilience within some of the teams leadership and young players at the time like Gawn and Viney. As a club we were down, but refused to lie down and kept getting up over and over again until we are now where we are. I'm prouder to support a club that's come from there to be where we are now than if we were one who has always had it realitively easy like Hawthorn, Essendon, West Coast, Adelaide, Collingwood, Carlton and Geelong to an extent.

I'd love to turn the tables and inflict better than 186 on the Cats in a few years. Still think we have plenty of scope to get better and that they will head on a downward spiral in the next few years. ...and to do it at a packed MCG in front of 80,000 screaming Melbourne supporters.

You're assuming they make finals.

Just make sure he has the teeth in for the Tinder profile - after all, he plays for the MFC, not Collingwood!!

Yeah, I'd like to think that we could have found another way to get May if we'd kept Hogan, but perhaps that's not realistic. Feel for Jessy, he was there for a fair period when we were pretty average, thought he was an important part of the rebuild and ascendancy back into relevance 2015 - 2018, but unfortunately things just fell apart for him on and off the field. Could still be a pretty solid player if he can get his body right and I get the feeling GWS could still be a contender in the seasons ahead, so I wouldn't resent him having some sucess (preferably not at our expense!!). Similarly, I don't really resent Hannan for leaving us. Howe's a different story and as it turns out $$$lly was better off taking the money and ending up at a struggling Hawthorn - got about what he deserved in footy karma in the end I think.

You ready

Ok, 17 and LD the cherry on top for next season then! 😜

He was an unrestricted FA wasn't he, so the moment the Saints let go all interest in him as a player, they really didn't deserve anything in return from him from anyone. Just another really shrewd list management move from the MFC, not to pay big for Cerra. Get LD and pick 17. If that's not what you call having your cake and eating it too, I don't know what is.

Don't let silly facts like that get in the way of downplaying and bagging out the MFC though!

He still had to play well to take votes off opposition players though. Just on this point, is interesting if you transfer LD's 11 Brownlow points from St Kilda ti Melbourne (I know it doesn't work like that, but anyways). Team Brownlow votes: Melbourne 31 – Clayton Oliver 23 – Christian Petracca 16 – Max Gawn 8 – Tom McDonald 5 – Jake Lever Total votes: 96 (first overall) Port Adelaide 36 – Ollie Wines 25 – Travis Boak 11 – Karl Amon 7 – Aliir Aliir 5 – Dan Houston Total votes: 91 (second overall) The other dimension that adding LD provides is another bonefied star that the opposition have to try to shut down, which should take some of the attention of guys like Trac and Clarry.

I think our young midfielders should see this for exactly what it is. The we are the premiers, trying to backup and go again and that just because they may potentially represent part of an ongoing sucessful future for us, it won't just be handed to them on a platter, they have to earn it. At this point, I think the acquisition of Luke could be such a boon for the club. Essentially he's replaced Jones and AVB on the list with a younger more reliable body. With no disrespects, those guys probably wouldn't have competed for spots next season and would have been somewhat of a downgrade as depth. Plenty of examples of quality players on the outer at their original club who became regular good contributors at another club. Tom Rockcliff is just one recient one that comes to mind. Brent Maloney to some extent is another. Having this depth across all lines is such a valuable asset to our team and if players really value playing in another premiership, then having to compete for spots, spending substantial time in the VFL is something that they will need to accept or else go chase the money and an easy ride somewhere else. How good was it being able to replace Tomlinson with a ready made near elite young talent in Petty early in the season. If we hadn't had Harry toiling away in the VFL learning his trade and ready to step up for action when Tommo went down, that could have put a serious dent in our finals, let alone premiership campaign. Similarly Bowey who barely got a look-in all year senior selection wise, in for Hunt. That's how all these up and commers like Jordon, Weid, Laurie, Bedford, Baker, Chandler etc need to be looking at it. At the end of the day the compeditive, selfless type of player we want values playing in a premiership team more than getting top dollar or easy game time. That appears to be the judgement call that Luke has made here, along with the reassurance from Richo, Goody and Co, that they have some belief in what he can bring to the team and a willingness to give him a go if he plays the way the team needs him to.

I like the above comment from their supporter forum. Reminds me of one I found on The Age Real Footy podcast comments this morning: phil lewis 3 HOURS AGO Melbourne were lucky on Grand Final day. Footscray were well in front and playing the best footy of the game, then fatigue from playing 7 straight games on the road finally caught up with them. If Melbourne want to take credit for that they are delusional. There last 1 and half quarters was the best footy played all year, against a team that had nothing more to give. That jealousy and envy is hard to comprehend all at once. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how these muppets rated us, if we got lucky etc. We did it all season FFS, finished on top of the ladder and wiped floor with the competition in finals. It doesn't get much more comprehensive than that. Suck it up lads.

Was a great gather at pace from Harmes and then classic line breaking Harmesy burst away from the pack and deliver deep into forward 50. Top reading of the play and timing from Fritta to get on the end of it as well.

Big Maxy Gawn was a mid range pick 34 and the four picks before him we had who we selected on-ballers were flops. Sometimes it's all a little bit luck of the draw, but I'll happily back Taylor with whatever type of player he thinks is best value at any pick, 17, 37 or anything.

It had been 24 years since we'd last played off in the big dance and 10 yo me though we were on the verge of being the premiers again or sometime in the next few years. Bombers are up to 21, so maybe if they make a grand final sometime in the next few years, perhaps it could be a case of history repeating?

The one that probably had the most emotional and memorable impact for me was that one of Gus's. Game was somewhat in the ballance for a good period without a score after those Fritta & BBB goals put us back in it. Huge pressure moment. Mixture of a sense of relief and gratification for me when he kicked it as I'd internally back Gus to kick the goal in a pressure situation like this. As it sailed towards goal, straight through the middle, I rose up out of my seat, with a long slow fist pumping YEEEAAAHHHHEEEESSSSS. Hitting the front at that moment was huge. By the time Oliver kicked his goal, that 3 minute run of goals had just become an unbelievable blur and I was in a place of absolute ecstasy. Reactions of the players after kicking those goals in the third and fourth quarters was awsome. Asides from the already much mentioned Tommy Sparrow, Claret and Salem goals, I really loved Dogga's reaction after kicking his goal. Over the past couple of months I think Dogga's confidence and competence in front of goal gas gone through the roof. Where-as I would get nervous and doubtful about any of his set shots from anything muc further than 25m out from goal, over the past few months, he's more reliably slotted them through from the 30m - 50m range, which I think bodes very well for his future. Seeing Langdon slot that goal after practically running the length of the ground was so well deserved. Lingers ran his guts out for us all day and was one of the ones I thought really shone through for us in that third quarter when we most needed that extra effort to get us back in it.

Those bogan yuppie types of the late 80s, early 90s were the worst. Guaranteed to get around in one of those trendy leather jackets, beer in one hand and telling everyone in earshot what a great team the mighty Hawkers were. These zealots and instant experts in footy would evaporate any time Hawthorn weren't in form and they almost went extinct in the early 2000s, before that 2008 revival bought them back in record numbers. That Jeff Kennett was their president says it all. Just thinking of these creatures is enough to supress any inner arrogance I might have.

Not sure if it would count as arogant behavior to be telling Joel Selwood to go suck a big juicy lemon when he had his dummy spit in the PF after giving away that 50m. Our players reaction to that was priceless, as was my satisfaction watching everything unfold.