Rodney (Balls) Grinter

...So if it pans out like this, how do you determine who is the higher rank side when we finish on identical win/loss points and % as St Kilda?

Something I've been wondering about this scratch match is were the potential inclusions for the Swans game managed to play lower minutes to keep them fresher for a potential call up? They would have had an extra days break on the AFL guys, but that's still not a huge break given we also need to backup against Freo and GWS in quick succession. Obviously guys like Harmes and Pruess didn't play at all, so it should put them in a really good position to come into the side fresh if required.

I agree that our media department have and can do a pretty good job on the behind the scenes stuff and the associated production to cut it all together in a really professional manner. Furthermore the behind the scenes stuff certainly isn't something you would want to farm out to well meaning amatures. But the video footage of our Casey games and practice matches usually leaves allot to be desired. Low zoom levels, make it almost impossible to work out who most players are etc. I'm not sure if this is intentional or not. I do feel the coverage of the seconds games could be greatly improved by having both a few more cameras at the ground and closing in on the shot a bit more a lot of the time. If there were as a team of volunteers who were willing to shoot and edit up some better vision of these games, that would be great.

I haven't thought too much about what actual changes should be made, but if Rivers doesn't play this week, I'll be spitting chips. I'm guessing probably Fristch should be one of the ins and I'd also like to see Hunt get a game, if only to give Kossie a break, but I also think Hunt has earnt his spot and would provide some good scoring power and pressure in our forward line. Kossie is also a bit of a tease and I'm not sure I can handle another game of that. His pressure acts are good and probably justify his place in the side, but he hasn't been holding his feet enough, finding enough footy and/or kicking enough goals to be truely dangerous in enough games for my liking. Still he's just in his first year and I'm sure the experience playing at the top level is doing him good and one day he will explode and start tearing games open on a regular basis.

Chill out Dazzle. It's wasn't like I'm advocating that we should go after him hard and pay overs. Yes it was rumored that he did have some poor off feild standards and recruiting him second time around would be contingent on those issues being rectified, along with reasonable confidence in his physical fitness. So what if he is 30 by next season. Not all players drop off a cliff at 30. Just look at the impact that Grant Birchall is having at Brisbane at age 32. Obviously you'll make the case that Jack Watts probably doesn't quite have the track record of Birchall, but the later spent most of his career as part of a pretty well oiled machine, where as Watts played most of his in a basket cases side. I'd also contend that the criticisms of Jack by our supporters are somewhat overblown at times and more a reflection on what he was hyped to be as a No.1 pick vs what he delivered, as opposed to a critique which would be applied to any other member of the 22.

If Watts was right in body and mind, he could be an import missing piece of the puzzle with his elite distribution by foot into forward 50 and also being a very accurate shot for goal. I think he'd do a lot better second time around with us, without the saviour level of expectation and us having build a fairly decient side which he could fit into. If he's available and our fitness guru gave it the ok, then I wouldn't be against it. The other interesting thing is that could all parties put the past behind them regarding his exit, which get the impression wasn't on the best of terms between Jack and Goody.

Somewhat surprised that the Weid is so far down the list. Is one of the form forwards of the comp and his contribution to team structure has been very important to us. Perhaps another case of awards voting not being a true reflection of player value.

Thought that Josh played a respectable game last night. Didn't star, but held his own and took some good intercept marks. There is a nice little moment in this pre-game video on the MFC website of Wagners inclusion being announced to the players. It think his selection really reinforces good team culture - you train hard and show some form and you will get picked. Combined with the Bailey Fristch non selection, it's a timely reminder of the standards now in place at the MFC. https://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/803423/rd-14-before-the-bounce?videoId=803423&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1598685351001

Goodwin's self control at that point was quite admirable.

Yep.

That one will take some real beating as an amazing victory in the history of the MFC. But I do think the 2018 win against WC came close. I was very happy to get the win last night, but it wasn't in the same league as those to drought breaking victories.

Rivers won the rising star award didn't he?

He's actually one of those players who's efforts often don't overly stand out and particularly when we have a big win, I often struggle to put him in our best. But I think his value and contribution to the side are immense and he his output is very consistent. Even in our losses, he never seems to go missing. Wouldn't surprise me if he finishes top 5 in our B&F.

If they want to start complaining, that 50m penalty paid against us for the protected zone infringement was total BS and I thought they generally got the better of the holding the ball decisions that might have been there, but generally I think the game was actually fairly well umpired.

Last night's win was sweet revenge for all the close losses we have endured to St Kilda over the years and that goal was the icing on the cake. Go suck my chocolate salty balls KC and Saints fans.

I think it's almost like Langdon is actually competing with May for recruit of the year status, as we are only now really seeing the best of May; it's like May is a virtual recruit this year given how little he played last season.

Despite winning, I wasn't particularly enthused to watch the replay last night as it wasn't a very attractive game. But there were probably some good highlights for us in the first quarter that I'd enjoy watching again. Just looking at the match highlights on the web, that goal from Patracca outside 50 in the first quarter was a bloody HUGE kick. Also enjoyed watching big Max nail a goal for us.

Fair point. Watching his post match interview with Ben Gibson I thought Steve gave a pretty frank and accountable self assessment of that criticism.

So, just curious - is there anyone who still questions the value of recruiting Steven May?

Big Maxy, what a great captain. When asked in an interview what does a big win like this mean, Max's response was that he was "I'm just proud that we can put a smile on some people's faces back in Melbourne". Maxy has such a great connection with us supporters with his down to earth, easy going approach. Love ya Maxy.

6 May 5 Trac 4 Langdon 3 Salem 2 Weid 1 Rivers

Will be interesting to see what big Maxy comming back into the side can bring. I think he will need to put in one of his gut busting inspirational captain's efforts to help get us over the line, but I wouldn't put that past him. I'm not as cut up about the selections as some are here. If anything, I think the inclusions will add some much needed despiration and effort to the team. Rivers should be better than Harmes, Wagner on a par with Sparrow, Max is a big upgrade on Pruess and Brown should give us as much as T Mac, but a bit more mobility. Whilst I rate Fritsch, he was burning a lot of opportunities in our forward line and wouldn't surprise me to see Hannan have a day out in his absence as I think Fritsch was somewhat robbing Hannan of being a second lead up target which I think Hannan can also do fairly well. Also feel like we need a big game from all our mids to win it at the source and go on with it from there. Patracca has had a pretty quite month or so and I think it's about time he smashes a game open. I certainly think we can get the job done, but I'm not particularly confident in it though.

While the above is somewhat true, St Kilda's win/loss record and percentage says they are around the same mark as us. If we beat them tonight, I think it will put us pretty close to level pegging with them when you consider we have a game in hand and they have WC next week (whom I'm glad were beaten by Richmond). While it's true that the beat Richmond and Port, they were also beaten by North & Collingwood (by 44 points) and Fremantle. Where we had a loss to Geelong within a few points, St Kilda were thrashed by around 60, similar to our pantsing by Port. I neither totally respect or disrespect St Kilda, but I don't think we should be scared or intimidated by any apparent strength of theirs either. Tonight will be the ultimate test of where the two teams are with respects to one another and I'm hoping we can turn around our game from last week and get the job done. They haven't earnt their spot in finals yet, neither have we, but both of us still have a pretty decient oppertunity to over what remains of the season.

Totally baffled by what we have done to Harmes. How James Harmes has been transformed from 3rd B&F in 2018 & 2019 to a fringe player is nothing short of a disgrace. It has been touted as a strength of the team that we have a multitude of players that can hold their own and be rotated through the midfield. I also hardley think it's disputed that Harmes is our best run-with tagger to shut down an opposition's dominant mid. However: 1. We have barely rotated our mids; and 2.. There have been numerous occasions this season when an opposition midfeild has got on top of us without a serious attempt to shut down their prime movers. (Lions, Power and Bulldogs the most obvious ones). To me, the second point reeks a bit of arrogance, like we think Oliver, Patracca, Viney and Brayshaw feeding off Gawn are better than anyone else's midfeild that we expect our guys to offensively get on top of the opposition every week and have no plan B for when the tables are turned. If there are any signs of an opposition side getting on top in the guts, Harmes and/or Viney should be sent to their most dangerous on baller. That we didn't tag Lachie Neale and others with Harmes is ridiculous. We probably beat Brisbane if we tagged Neale with Harmes. I also agree that trying to play Harmes as a defender is a dud move. He's hardley Jordan Lewis like in his abbility to read the play and position himself defensively. I really think we should be looking to rotate all of Harmes, Oliver, Viney, Brayshaw and Patracca through the forward line. They all have pretty good goal sense, kicking ability, tackling and marking attributes as forwards. None of them have particularly good attributes as permanent backman. I still also rate Harmes highly for his line breaking ability through the midfield. Asides from Patracca, I think he has the best ability within our team to break away from/through congestion in the middle of the ground with strength and speed. He may also deliver into the forward line with more accuracy than Patracca. Such a waste.

So just for a bit if a change of pace - a few interesting questions: 1. Will Adelaide win another game this season and/or when was the last time a team went through the entire season winless? (Even at our 2007 - 2016 decade of pain, the least games we won in a season was 2 and you need to go back to 1919 for a winless MFC season) 2. Which one of Hawthorn, Sydney, Adelaide or Freo is the team most likely to cause an upset which will shape the eight and which team other than us will it happen against? As an asides, they may be above us on the ladder right now, but I think Essendon's season is DonE. It will either be a game for pride just them or both the EFC and the MFC come rd 18. I actually suspect our season will be alive, but their's won't be.