Rodney (Balls) Grinter

I haven't really got that much of an aversion to Trac's planking grumbles, but I must say that the more of them I see, I'm really not a fan of these 'miked-up' video snippets the club does. I think they come across a bit cocky and arrogant in the videos. To be clear, I don't really have any issues with the players behaving the way they do at training as shown in the videos, as it's good for camaraderie and team spirits to have a good sense of humor and fun at training at the appropriate moments. It's just that I think it's quite different to have a bit of a private joke and laugh with your mates than to broadcast it to the world. No doubt the club wants some content for the website and fan engagement, but personally I think there are better ways.

I wouldn't mind seeing that at all, but Geelong were rubbish last week against the Lions and if they dish up the same again tonight, it could well be a 15 goal Bombers win tonight too. A win win situation an alot of ways really.

I'd like to see that too. Mumford is a dog. Doesn't give a rats about playing footy, just out to plod around the park, collect his pay check and hurt blokes. If he's a chance of playing I'd actually rather that we rest Gawn and let Majak loose on him. Could be more beneficial for us, for where our season is at. Get Majak a taste of the game at AFL level again and preserve Max for the pointy end.

Sean was a family favorite player in our house growing up as kids in the 90s. Had a few of those Demon plush toy things, which mum stitched home made numbers onto the backs of, one of which proudly wore the number 27. Was one of the few players in the league who could 'do a job on' Garry Ablett and keep him quite when both players were in their prime. Mind you I think Ablett kicked a few bags playing on Sean as well. Life was so cruel to the MFC through that era, taking some of the nicest guys in footy like Stynes, Wight, Broadbridge, Bailey... but it hasn't got the Reverend yet!

I feel Jonesy's value to the team has been fairly undervalued at times on this forum. Yeah he hadn't been kicking many goals off his own boot or racking up huge numbers, but I feel he often played an important hand in our attacking chains that resulted in goals. He has both that strength, experience and skill to hold onto the ball longer and dispose of it to a good option in space that I'm not sure I've seen in Sparrows game just yet. I've been happy to get games into Sparrow as I think he's both earnt it and needs some more games at the top level for the sake of his development. But I'm just not sure that he is damaging enough to help take our forward line to the next level. Feel like we need to get one of Jones, AVB or Melksham back in there soon to start embedding some better forward connection for finals.

What all this shows is that Essendon had to rely on sensational, low % goals and every marginal umpiring free kick to keep them competitively in the game. We controlled the game through our superior defense when they had the ascendancy (thanks to May, Lever, Hunt, Hibbo & Co) and were able to break down their defense and punish them on the scoreboard when we had the ascendancy, despite the lack of a clearly dominant permanent forward on the night - it's what good teams do and marginal ones can't do consistently. That's the lay of the land right now Bombers supporters. Suck it up and shut up.

6. Clary 5. May 4. Lever 3. Gawn 2. Hunt 1. Salem

Sure some of Petty's decision making and disposal have been a bit iffy. No question aboy that from me either. But this is a guy who isn't an experienced player and so that's to be expected. I'd much rather give him the experiance and exposure now than in the burning lights of finals. Would we prefer Oscar Mc Donald be our third tall down back?

Welcome back Jack Viney - captain ruthless.

Providing the opportunity to get more games into Harry is the silver lining to Tomilinson's ACL injury.

I would have said it was the other way around actually, but the it's kind of like picking which is the better dog terd isn't it.

"Random teal intruder" - lol, I love it! Tell your boys that you have Rodney's support in your fight against Eddie McGuire to wear the prison bars jumper in any freaking game you want to wear it (it's better than Collingwood's anyway). Depending on the result, you may or may not be so welcome around her in another 4 weeks time, but thanks for your interesting insights into Burgo.

To me the BBB vs Weid comparison at VFL level performance somewhat distorts the picture. I think it's far more representative to look at their respective performances at senior level. Weid: 5 games, 3 goals. Drops marks all over the shop, doesn't get to the right places and sprays his set shots. Limited track record of producing it at the top level. BBB: 3 games, 5 goals. Doesn't look 100% with the pace of the game or to have found chemistry within the team, but still holds marks and gets to the right spots. Hardly looks like missing a set shot with signature cartoon style 100m run-up and set shot routine. During the 2017, 2018 and 2019 home and away seasons Brown finished 3rd, 2nd and 2nd in the Coleman medal and kicked a combined total of 188 goals across 66 games, the most of any player in the AFL over that time period. Best individual effort in a game 10 goals. I known some of his VFL form has been underwhelming, but there are some players that don't perform as well at VFL level, compared to the seniors and perhaps BBB is one of those. If there is a player we would want to be getting right and embedding into the team over the back half of the season for a serious run at finals the pointy end of the season it's BBB.

Year, but that Clarry bloke we recruited with pick 4 - I think he goes all right. It's pretty hard, even with the best recruiters to get it right 100% of the time. I'm also so very greatful that St Kilda picked McCatin at 1.

Not only was he lost and basically nowhere near the footy, but when he was near it, I hardly sensed any despiration from him to get his hands on the pill and do something with it. That's pretty basic stuff for a footballer and KPF 101. At very few occations in Weid's career with us as a player have I sensed him having that basic want, compeditiveness and despiration for the footy that is such a requirement of a key forward. Show some bloody mongrel FFS. Potentially he had a wiff of it in finals 2018 and in patches last season, but asides from that he's really never impressed me much with that part of his game. Confidence and playing to team structures only explains and excuses so much for me. Personally, I'm not quite ready to write the Weid off just yet, but the longer time goes on and he doesn't deliver, I really do wounder that a) if he wasn't pick 9, would we have invested so much in him and b) do we keep playing him, because we've invested so much in him over the years and don't know when to cut our losses. He actually reminds me quite a bit of that Tim O'Brien that plays for Hawthorn - a player that shows some nice skillls and can do some nice stuff every now and then, but doesn't deliver on a regular or reliable enough basis to really live up to their expected potential. Really hope he clicks sometime soon and proves some people wrong.

Whatever tickles your fancy. Will just be great to see him back on the field dismembering opposition players and dismantling their midfields.

In the form he's in I'm sure there isn't anyone here trying cancel Hibbo, but at his age, that cliff can come quickly (think Nev) and I think it would be better to bring in quality replacement options before we have a hole in the armor. If we get him and Hibbo's still going strong, then perhaps that provides an oppertunity to play someone like Rivers or Salem further up the ground?

Maybe they are trying to put together a list for the new 35+ veteran men's AFL competition mooted to come into play ...like never.

Latest training photos on the MFC website show Jack running around and kicking the footy. Must be getting pretty close if that's the case. My bet is that the club are both playing it ultra safe with Jack making sure he doesn't risk re-injury, but probably also getting him back to as close as possible to full match fittness, so that when he does get put into the senior side, he's cherry ripe, ready to smash some heads and make pleanty of opposition on-ballers cry. Dangerfield, Selwood, Bont, Zorko, his old mate Wines all need to feel the full force of Jack 'The Human Cannonball' Viney come the back half and pointy end of the season.

I think he's actually been available for a few weeks, but there's been no VFL footy in that time.

Guessing that if he's that 9 - 11 weeks away, then that could equate to him being in the zone of playing games for Casey around finals time. Would be handy to have as depth around then and must also be giving the man himself some motivation to play either AFL or VFL finals.

...but yes I get where you are comming from. I did read an article on Pendelbery in the past few months that was stating he was looking to step down from their captaincy and looking forward to mentoring the next captain comming through, so yes that would suggest he's pretty invested. Mind you this was all before the Collingwood board erupted in civil war and Buckley pulled the pin too. But he'll be pretty old at the end of the season and Collingwood will be looking to fee up.list spaces and probably cap space etc for rebuilding and also with a new coach, new board, new list manager and new club direction overall, who knows, he may change his tune all of a sudden.

I guess Jordan Lewis would never leave Hawthorn either.

From my own observations on game days, I agree with your statement that his disposal let him down at times, but I also believe he was highly rated for his kicking within the playing/coaching group. From recollection there was that pearler of a goal he kicked from 50m on the run to put us in the position of stealing the win/draw we scraped against GC in 2019, which would support high quality kicking ability. Our kicking as a team has improved out of sight this season as a team and I do wounder if playing in the current environment Hore would similaly benifit from the increased confidence and/or lesser pressure on the ball carrier that our improvement in systems and structures seem to be delivering?

Yeah, I get where you are going with this, as I do see some potential in their respective footballing abilities, but do wounder if their bodies will ever really allow them to be the sort of reliable contributor to the side that Hibbo has been. My impression is Maynard has been pretty sound over the journey in terms of getting out on the park.