Rodney (Balls) Grinter

I think we have a marginally better win loss record since 2000 compared to Carlton, but battling it out for least and second least sucessful team of the century is hardly something I'm going to do a jig about. ...it was bloody nice to beat the Blues by 100 odd points a few years back, but perhaps the Cats fans feel something similar about that fateful day down at Kardinia park Dean Bailey era.

I do like the thought of both Trac and Harmes in the guts. Try containing both of those two bulls. Trac probably is slightly stronger, but I do highly rate the bust through and burst ability of Harmes and he probably has the slight edge of pace on a lot of players as well.

Cocky little turd this one. It wasn't so long ago that Geelong were in a similar position.

If Brayshaw doesn't find some form, I'd be dropping him, giving Harmes the spot in the guts and using either Lockhart or Hibbard down back. Still, I'd rather see Brayshaw find form and perhaps Harmes will succeed down back. If over time, we can develop these players to sucessfully play multiple roles then, that could be a real asset. Perhaps Goodie sees potential for Harmes to read the play well and play a role similar to Hodge did for Hawthorn or Leiws for us down back, but with some pace? I also wounder if the rapid and somewhat exceptional ability that Rivers is demonstrating in playing as a damaging defender with pin point penetrating kicking off half back is stealing some of Harmes's thunder?

I actually think it's almost a strength of Bartlett's to be almost invisible. Not that I claim to have any inside insight into the actual state of play, but his being a low profile chairman seems to work from the perspective of providing a stable cohesive environment which lets our administrators and footy departments get on with the job.

Well, since he plays for them now, I guess it would be Frosty.

Thought Newman was a fair goer in previous seasons I've watched closely, though I admit that I didn't see a lot of season 2020.

I'm cool with Collingwood and Geelong playing home games over in WA, so long as any gate takings/profit end up in a big pool to share around the whole league. These are probably two of the clubs that least need finacial assistance. Similar for the other interstate sides where crowds are allowed.

I can see the MFC ending up at the Qld hub sooner or later. If so, they should try to comendeer the Maroochydore facilities and accomodation that we normally use, so at least it feels a little less foreign. Wouldn't mind us playing the Lyons and Suns up North - at least I might get to see us play live once this year.

Could set an awful precedent. ...and don't the AFL have a 1000 year agreement with the MCC/MCG trust that the grand final is always played at the G?

I think this is the key point. It's also been suggested that given the lack of junior development league competitions this year to evaluate players, it would be a good oppertunity to raise the draft age, along the lines of what Roos has been saying for years.

Agree that, we let our selves down in general play, let them get on top and that their kicking let them down to a fair extent as well. However 1 goal, 4 behinds is a shocking return from a player we are looking to be a top line forward. If Bailey kicks another one or two of those very gettable goals, it would have helped us put score board pressure back them and shift the momentum of the game a fair bit. If we are to become a good side we need forwards kicking at much better than 20% accuracy. I do feel that Bailey had somewhat of a bad game accuracy wise and that on other occasions he might have kicked 5 goals straight. But we do need better consistency from Bailey and others in the team like Melk, Trac and even Max in this respects, just can't cough up gettable goals.

Also interesting to see Hunt feature heavily in the intra club goals highlight. Thought he was good against Carlton, as he was up forward for a lot of last year as well. Really like the attributes of Hunt as a forward - he leads up well, kicks for goal well and runs himself into good positions to crumb and/or receive easy opportunitist goals, which is exactly what you would want from a player of his attributes to be getting into good spots to capitalize on the easy, high percentage goals that are there for the taking rather than having to battle for every goal. I do think his hardness and willingness to chase and harass and put on forward pressure are pretty good too. Will be interesting to see what he can produce in a forward line packed with other talented small-mid sized players like Kosi, Bennell, Freitch and Hannan.

From the looks of the pictures on the club web site, it looks like the boys spent some time doing goal kicking practice out on the MCG. Hoping that pays off. In particular Freitch needs to improve on his Rd.2 output in this area. We could have comfortably taken care of Carlton if he had kicked for goal more reliably.

So that it can be like a bowling green every week? I remember a time when a bit of mud and a few puddles here and there was considered quite acceptable on a footy ground.

The other key thing which should be investigated is if Essendon knew about his breaches before he was selected and/or trained with his teammates on the Friday or whatever.

It's being speculated that this bloke McKenna will receive a substantial suspension. Well that had better be served after he tests negative to COVID 19, otherwise it would be a pretty pathetic faux penalty. Seems like this guy didn't really care about playing footy that much in the first place, so I recon a more fitting penalty would be to apply the maximum finacial penalty possible.

Particularly since the MFC did the right thing and self reported players that breached the rules, without them testing positive.

Is the game plan flawed or is it that the execution of the game plan is flawed or maybe a bit of both? 2018 everyone said we were too much about attack, but leaked goals. Have we over correct in that respect personal wise? Maybe, but then we went to the draft and picked up Kosi and Jackson. We also dominated contested ball, but lacked outside finish - hence Langdon, Tomlinson and to some extent Kosi and Bennell. Until we win the flag, its always a work in progress. The way I see it is that 2020 is a chance for us to get the systems, personal and ballance right going forward. To truely develop something which stacks up, we need to be playing against real opposition, which is one of the reasons I'm so [censored] about us not playing the Bombers today. But that said, there are probably also some advantages to in playing a game against yourself in terms of being able to teach and manipulate the game more, so I just hope we make the best of what we have been left with.

Feel so cheated by this season. We finally get a full uninjured and super fit team team out on the park and then the season turns to total ssshiiit like this around us. It wasn't like I thought we were a certainty for the flag, but was keen that we at least put on a good show, somewhat atoned for last season and got the team back on track. Just really hope that we make the most of this as some kind of development year to set-up in the best was possible for next year, something like what Collingwood did in 2017. Doesn't need to be pretty every week, so long as it is all building to something.

Asterisk - more like a big red line though it.

Essendon's game next week could be in serious doubt though, particularly if another of their players were to test positive to either corona ... or peptides.

I've had that feeling ever since the season was disrupted, shortened games etc. I know other have said a flags a flag, but even if we somehow stumbled over the line and won the premiership, it would feel like a hollow rubbish one.

Ah, yeah, no. Unless you call an intraclub match where your seniors beat your reserves 'a win'. Not a win.

Part of me finds these "what they are saying over at ...." threads cringe worthy, but another part of me finds it somewhat interesting and amusing. The underlined comment is a pretty generous statement I feel. Would be interested in how they are dealing with the pre-game loss of Dyson Heppell. To me I've never really thought of him as being a particularly damaging player, so I'd be surprised if they are having kittens about it. I'd have to qualify that I haven't watched many non MFC games or paid much attention to other teams at all lately, so I'm probably waffling crap. Conversely people from either side could also make the case that Viney isn't particularly damaging, yet on his day he can be and if he were a withdrawal, he would leave something of a hole in our intensity around the ball.