Went backwards. Fewer wins than 2009 and poorer ladder position. Only had 2 wins for whole year against top 9 teams on ladder. All this despite new fwdline being good. Can we really use Fevs absense as an excuse? Why haven't we developed a defensive edge like the better sides? Why can we develop younguns like the pies do for beams, wellingham etc? Which players have developed in 2010?

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It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

went forwards

Instead of Fevcentricity with Betts and Fisher as backups and Kruise to kick a few

we have

Hendo Waite Garlett Betts Yazz

we have introduced Lucas White Davies

We have Warnock and Jacobs - so Kruise can be used as a weapon next year.

Better spread this year and more games into the younger players

Defence is still a weakness - shame about White and Austin (need him fit) but glad Ratts stuck with Davies.

List is not there yet but it is better than last year.

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

Forwards.

Finished same spot as last year while managing to offload and phase out/replace senior players of questionable value in the long term.
In the eight all season except for one week.

Shatterred we didnt win today but in my eyes we went forward in 2010 and i am looking forward to watching us improve yet again in 2011.

Essendon* have gone forwards this year because they're less Loydcentric and have introduced young players.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

and finished well lower than 2009??????

And sacked their coach along the way too....... yeah sure they went forward.
Understand you're trying to make a poimt, but don't make yourself look ignorant & foolish

The only people who look foolish are you clowns

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

I think we should stamp our feet and maybe hold our breath.

maybe shed some tears.

fall to the ground.

get angry.

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

Who's angry? I'm shattered like the rest of you but I'm not gonna pretend that I think we're going places because I seriously don't. Next year's slogan should be "They all know what we're cooking"

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

Essendon* played in a final last year. They got smashed. They got rid of their full-forward over summer and played 'kids'. Most pundits expected them to make the 8 in 2010. They sacked their coach instead.

We got rid of our full-forward over summer, and put games into kids. Pundits expected us to tumble down the ladder. We didn't. We finished where we finished last year and lost another close final.

The Western Bulldogs recruited a full-forward over summer. They started the season Premiership favourites. They limped into the finals and will, in all likelihood, play one more game than us for the season. However, 1/3 of their best players are perilously close to retirement.

What's the definition of going forward? This year has been, by any measure, a success. We did as well as we did last year with a developing side. A side that learnt how to play without the most dominant full-forward / personality at our club over the past 10 years.

I'm disappointed we lost today, but I'm not crushed. We're on the up.

Kids, kids everyone plays kids in case you haven't noticed.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

Not losing to every team above 13th position on the ladder from round 12.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

we definetly improved this year but so did the competition as a result we were unable to ever string 3 wins together and we could only manage 11 instead of 13 wins

even though we have only won 1 of 4 is the last month we actually played good football and should give us some confidence next year BUT

as I posted else where and VB alluded to we are still defensively inferior to probably 8 other teams and this is where we really need to improve to make a quantum leap up the ladder. Ratts know this, stated it as an aim for the year and we did improve but marginally. Ratts has stated his desire to get a kpb so he is under no illussion this is where we need to improve. His challenge of course is to get that improvement. A change to the assistant coaching panel with an injection of someone who can bring defensive improvement would be my number 1 priority.

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The glass is neither half full nor half empty. Rather the glass is twice as big than required.

I am not shattered about the club just today's game and that is only because we did play well and were coached well enough and have enough chances to win interstate against a more seasoned finals outfit in front of their home crowd and that I really think we would have beaten the dogs next week.

If we had have been smashed. if we had not have given a yelp. If it looked as if we should not have played finals. if we had looked a bit like the bulldogs the other night, then, then I might think Ratts and the club are wrong and the list is crap and the skills are shit and the...and the...and...

Its about perspective.

Its about seeing what is shown not what you want to see. I saw a young side give it a fair crack today, a side that had its chances but missed a couple it should have kicked. I saw two sides go at it all day, no quarter asked or given. I saw player after player go in when they had to.

I think we still have some gaps but we are coming from a long way back - we are getting there. I expect more next year if we have a settled, productive summer and if Kruise gets back okay and we can get two or 3 of our backmen fit - say White and Austin and Bower.

But even then I hate to say it but I think we need to still be patient with games into players like Austin and White and Davies and maybe Dare or Touhy and so on.\
Top 4/5 next year and win some finals.

Then a further step the year after hopefully.

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

it was certainly a year of reflection for everyone. Before the start of the season, all many people were really looking for was for the team to not have any more off field problems, coming off the brownlow, booze cruise etc etc. As far as we are aware the boys have achieved that, and won back some respect there. We were also looking for the team to kick more than 10 goals a game , the fear we would be embarrased. Another win there.

The coaches are also still trying to work out the best 22, as seen with the exclusion of Thornton, Fisher, Setanta, Browne and others, and the question mark with Walker etc. Sorry to say, but this business doesnt happen overnight, whether we like it or not. Im as peeved as anyone, but we have taken reasonable steps, and left a bigger platform standing. After next year the platform will hopefully be bigger again . Its called reality .

I was proud of the effort today - infact the last 4 weeks have been excellent. the players have put in, the coaching (in general) has been good. We had enough chances today and we should have won but we didn't kick goals early in the 4th and apply scoreboard pressure.

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The glass is neither half full nor half empty. Rather the glass is twice as big than required.

And thank God for Dannyboy

one area that our defence has improved is our forward 50 pressure - thought Waite has been outstanding in the later half of the year and he along with the Garlett, Betts and improving Henderson we getting much better at trapping the ball in

time to focus on the midfield and back 50 defensive efforts/structures

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The glass is neither half full nor half empty. Rather the glass is twice as big than required.

Do we go with draft or bite bullet and trade? I favour the latter though think we keep pick 18. Trade tbird, walks, hammer n try to bring in 2 top class defenders. Really think we need to fill holes n strike while iron hot with Judd 27 now

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It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

So the first half of the season doesn't count?

Let me see what that implies...yeah...nah... take away 7 wins and we have 4 wins for the season....yeah that's a loss.

I hate accountants and economists and their assumptions because they make statistics do what they want.
Lucky for me I am always suspicious of these foes. As a result I rarely have employees/ collegues dancin' their jig with the numbers they want me to hear.

The Game...you're down atm...and I feel for you.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue