Rodney (Balls) Grinter

I might be going out on a limb here, but upon refeltion, (as someone born well post 1964) I think that has to be about the most complete season I've seen the MFC put together. This team might be going places, maybe even 'The One'!!

Yeah, but should you really be taking a ruckman with the 3rd pick in the draft 🤔?? 😉

Yet he still held his own. Took one great contested intercepting mark in the third quarter at a critical when we were under siege. Love Maysy. Tower of strength and determination.

In the wash up, we were what only 10-15 points off beating the Dogs by as much as we did the Cats. That goal after the siren to T Mac was kind of unnecessary, but also a really sweet full stop on an amazing performance by the team.

I honestly think the belief that the team built with that comeback and Gawn nailing that final kick of the game has propelled our finals campaign to the extent that we have witnessed. Having said that, the team's ability to hold their nerve and know what it takes to chalk up the wins from almost any position has been impressive pretty much all season. For most of the season once we got into a winning position of leading by 30 or so points, I thought we started to play a somewhat boring conservative game and just bank the 4 points. Since that Rd 23 game Vs Geelong it's like we broke the shackles, went up a gear and said we are going for the jugular here. For the first half of the season, the Bulldogs were credited with being the most attacking side in the comp, with the best %. Would be interesting if finals were included, I think we would have finished with the superior % as well as wins - not to mention winning the big ones that counted.

Built for finals. I've thought he looked like a solid player since he's played senior footy for us, but I thought some of his performances towards the back end of the home and away were a bit ordanary. But the coaches could obviously see something, because boy has he turned it on for finals.

How bloody good was that. Go the MIGHTY DEMONS!! GO you good thing. Go the MIGHTY DEMONS!! Enough words for now.

We love you Gus. Was awsome when the game was there to be won. Demon for life!

With all due respects, shove your lid where it doesn't fit Yeata

I recon he's due and looking primed to kick a bag.

I've been asking Santa for a MFC premiership for 30 years and he hasn't bought one on Christmas day yet. So if we win today, stuff that [censored], he can have his Christmas day, we'll celebrate MFC premiership day on September 25 every year in our household until we win one on another date in September.

We are all sick in some way to support this hellish club, so glad we are feeling it this morning. If we win tonight, I won't be feeling hung over tomorrow.

I want an extended version when we win!

After believing all year, I was having a bit of an MFCSS panic last night, because as good as we've been, on the day anything could happen. So I re-watched the first three quarters of the Geelong PF to calm my nerves. For the past 5 years I've wanted us to finish top 4, to set us up for a genuine crack at the big one. And now we are here. Plan to setup a TV in my outdoor entertaining space to watch pre game shows etc while having a few pre game beers to calm the nerves have a bbq and then head upstairs for the big game. Need to pace myself, because it could get kind of messy if I go too early. NRL neighbors arn't going need to watch the game to get a score update. Fellow Demonlanders in the word of Goody The Great - Lets just be us (not sure how that translates to Demonland, but anyways). Thanks for your comradery. Strangely, over the years, I have enjoyed the ride and hope to be back here sometime tomorrow morning posting in a delirious half drunk celebratory mood.

Got on the train yesterday wearing my retro Demons scarf and the train guard sees me and gives me a big GO DEMONS!! Get a few go Demons around town and I think 90% of neutral fans and even non AFL are behind us. Took a bunch of scarfs into the office today and made everyone in my team an honorary Melbourne supporter for the day, much to the disgust of my boss who's a Lions/Bears fan from day dot, but even he took it in good spirits. GO THE MIGHTY DEMONS!!!

Now 'flying the flag' 24/7 from my part of Brisbane, with a little tribute to the fallen Demons of my generation of supporting the MFC.

It's such a shame that s bit like Jonesy, Nev's best form is a few years behind him at the time the team has been most successful. Though like Jones he will almost certainly miss out on Saturday night, like Jonesy I'm sure he will revel in the sucess of the team as a whole and can be more than proud of the part he has played in the journey for us to get where we are. I think he'll also be particularly happy for Kossie as I get the sense that there is a strong bond between those two guys and that Nev has been quite influential with the mentoring and support he has provided for Kossie.

I must admit that it took me a while to warm to Goody's press conferences. To some extent it was because the standard had been set pretty high by Roos in this regards, but also because the different more simple, monotone and low-key approach of Goody in the way he communicates. But as the years have gone on even Goody's pressers have grown on me and he's probably also lifted his game in this area as he's built confidence in himself as senior coach. It's also much better and easier to hear from a coach of a successful, winning side.

Some credit for this needs to go to our administration that could have gone fully Carlton and sacked Goody before he got the oppertunity that he has had to build the level of trust and maturity in the playing group that has been so essential to our success this year. Also that we havr gone out and recruited some of the best for Goody and the team to work with (how much of a coup has it been recruiting Darren Burgess). I love that Goody has won this award and congratulations. But I'll really celebrate if he emulates what a select few of the past winners of this award did and go on to win the premiership. As I'm sure the man himself would say - "Jobs not done yet!"

Loved the way in which big Jimmy embraced the MFC and the inspirational way he played, conducted his life and encouraged personal growth others within and beyond the footy club to bring out the best in themselves. I probably may have only ever fleetingly met Jim in person at MFC after match functions at the Demons Club back in the day (I can't remember any particular encounter, but odds are I was probably momentarily there when he was as some point). However I read Jimmy's autobiography when I was around the 18 - 20 year age group myself and it left a lasting impression on me. In one chapter, he tells the story about a training run he did in Ireland soon after the 87 prelim debarkle. The story goes that it was typically Ireland, cold and windy as anything and here is big Jim doing this training run up some mountain in Ireland, wanting to stop and give up, but keeping on going by willing himself to the next bend in the track or next little rise or whatever, but never giving up and eventually making it to the top. I used that analogy as inspiration throughout my own humble amature sporting career and hard times in life - if Jimmy didn't give up climbing that huge mountain, surely I can overcome what's in front of me, I'd tell myself. My youngest sister attended a number of Jimmy's Reach Youth functions as a troubled young teenager and I know that left a huge positive impression on her. I know that Jimmy's time as a football administrator isn't necessarily looked on as favourably as some that followed him in the Roos, Jackson, Bartlett era, but as I understand it, he still achieved several great things like wiping a bunch of debt and getting the club moving forward with spirit and a sense of purpose after it lost it's way in those senses in the years that preceeeded his tenure. And let's not forget that the big man was battling cancer and still giving his time and energy to the club. From the way he talks, it's also clear he left a big impression on Max Gawn, so perhaps that's part of the genius of the team as it currently stands right there. Hearing and reading the things that the Stynes family have said in the press over the years and in recient weeks, it's clear their blood bleeds red and blue to the core as well. If we do pull off the win on Saturday, I hope it brings the Stynes family great joy and he and his contribution is acknowledged publicly and prominently amoung the jubilation (which I'm sure it would be).

And didn't Nick Riewoldt try hard to put words in his mouth to the extent of "yeah, but are you [censored] off" to try and get that negative sensationalist sound bite. I think Jonesy answered it about as well as anyone could, with great humility and diplomacy. He did admit an element of being [censored] off, but the overall tone of his take on the issue was so positive and happy for the team that I don't think we really gave them anything much to work with to put together their sensationalist spin. Didn't stop them from weaving like 2 seconds of semi dismissive reaction from Jones into a negative slanted click bait headline: He’s ‘p****d off’ about reaching the end. But Nathan Jones will ‘never regret’ his GF sacrifice https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/melbourne-demons/afl-2021-nathan-jones-on-retiring-before-melbourne-plays-in-grand-final-will-never-regret-flying-home-to-be-with-wife-jerri-on-the-couch-news/news-story/c2d842542332e7a5380178311a3e005f Anyways, overall great interview performance from Jones. I'm sure that Maxy will get a heap of praise for the way he's bought the team together and taken them to the next level this season, but listening to the clips from the players at the start of the interview and also big Maxy himself during his podcast with Nathan before his 300th, it's pretty clear that Nathan Jones has also played a pretty decient role in even our most recient of revivals over the last few seasons driven by solid team culture.

It's a combination of some cheepy Bunnings LED strips and Arlec RGB (should that be RBG - pun intended) smart globes for ambient flooding. Only set me back a few hundred. Not exactly perfect and probably looks better in the photo than real life, but generally gives the effect I was looking for.

So long as they don't turn me into a Collingwood supporter, I think I'll be ok. 😜 Lol!

Lockdowns do still work when you go early and go hard, which is exactly what Gladys didn't do. I agree that the long lockdowns no longer seem to be working to eliminate it, probably partly due to delta and partly due to lockdown fatigue, both of which are a good reason to have short sharp and effective lockdowns.

This image has taunted me on pretty much a daily basis since our victory over the Lion's. Footnote, as a consolation, I ended up in a pub in Stones Corner in Brisbane full of Brisbane supporters for that game and was somewhat enjoyable as one of the few Melbourne supporters amongst that hostility celebrating that win when the final siren went. Really feeling for all you Victorian folk in particular, enduring this second major lockdown in two years. Do hope like heck that we win next Saturday and that brings some joy to your current predicament.