Nobody directs the players to bomb it long to Fevola. Its just part of our thought processes as individuals and as a team,
For 3 and a half years we were drilled to bomb it long and be direct and efficient. Our instincts were honed this way.

Suddenly Denis and Ratts expect the players to lower their eyes and spot up passes. Unfortunately when players are under pressure, they will do what is instinctive. They are playing how their instincts were honed.
When we actually put time into developing the players decision making skills instead of squashing them like we did for 4 years, you might see some improvement.

Decision making is a skill, just like kicking on your non dominant foot. It needs to be developed. You have to practice it constantly to get the desired outcome.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

BV.....I was generalising there......but why aren't others peeling off to offer alternative targets for instance....it's all pretty basic stuff we learned at School.

Yes, I know we'll improve in that area with Fisher et al; but it is disappointing to see a lack of imagination in our attacking moves.....except of course when we win !............

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No ones listening till you make a mistake.

Pagan knows these players more than anyone and if we were to bring some new guy in it may send us back a few years, as well, it could be quite a gamble.

If we are approaching the stage where we should be in the Finals, Pagan has proved that he can keep a club up there for a reasonable period, inevitably winning a Premiership.

His coaching at times has been questionable, but I think he is right when he says that a whole bunch of them needs 50 plus games to learn top flight football before the team really starts showing what they are made and start playing as a team, hence my suggestion of at least keeping him till the end of next year.

Development stages of a team is always the most iffy, but once that stage is complete, the stage is yours...or theirs...or ours. Case in point, Andrew Walker, who was once struggling to keep up with the nature of AFL, but now is one player who is destined for success. I think this club is certainly destined for success (with Pagan).

Not sure I agree....I think Ratten, Bradley and Crosisca have pushed things along and had more to do with the development.
I wasnt a fan of getting Crosisca but I think he has proved me wrong so far and I'm happy to admit it.

As far as game planning, match day coaching goes we could do much better than Denis....not impressed..

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

Can the damage which has been done be repaired, and if so, how long will it take?

Lack of imagination? We hardly did a forward set up drill for 4 years!
We expect our opponents to do the right thing and come out and play man on man.
How can you expect our players to improvise and be imaginative? They play as they train.

As a rule, if you want to beat Carlton, force our players to face something other than the norm.
Take them out of their comfort zone and force them to make decisions.

If you look at our successes during the Wizzer Cups of 05 and 07, our opponents allowed us to play the games on our terms.
They allowed us to play one on one with 4 players each in our forward line.

Come the real stuff, our opponents suddenly focus on reducing our effectiveness instead of developing their own structures.
Round one of 05, Dean Laidley played 6 defenders to our 4 forwards and we kicked the ball to them. The same happened against Geelong.
Fevola is our key. What opposition analyst worth his salt wouldnt tell them to get numbers back, wait for us to kick the ball to them and run the ball out with the loose men?
We can ask why our players dont peel off and create options but until our players become competent and confident at making correct decisions, the problem will remain.

I've been pushing this point for 4 years now. If you dont allow players to be creative and make decisions, they lose the ability to do so.
The day Pagan walked in the door, he demanded players play to his gamestyle and direct gameplan. No holding the ball up, no lateral movement, no going out of the corridor, no making your own decisions.
Not negotiable.

You're seeing the results and effects of that now.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

We were doing this WAY before Ratts came along.

Look, i don't care WHO'S responsible for telling the players to just Bomb it inside 50 and hope for the best.....................the only thing i care about is WHO'S gonna STOP em doing it? It just keeps continuing.

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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

You've been watching a different team to me.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

I like this post!

I feel the very same way you do mate, i brought those points up with somebody late last year and i was promised that it would change!

I'm still waiting.

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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

Sorry................i'll re-word that.

We were doing this ALONG TIME before Ratts came along.

We've never done it well! But we keep doing it!

_________________
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

'Kin Oath!

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************************************************************
NOW YOU'RE JUST SOME CLUB THAT I USED TO KNOW.

Been a bug-bear of yours for ages BV, but unfortunately for our plethora of early draft picks, you were spot on from day one.

Contrast 1AW's first game at PP to his current style of play. No more giant leaps at the footy, no more risk taking. We've turned a creative midfielder into a defensive half-back, who's too scared to take a risk. Certainly not a reflection on andrew, I still reckon the kid's gonna be a superstar, but bloody hell. His first game was remarkable cos he was allowed to follow his instinct and JUST BLOODY PLAY FOOTY his way.

Look at how JK was performing last year in the Ants compared to his timid displays this year - he's scared to take a risk in case he gets sent back to the bench for the rest of the quarter. Bentick ditto, Gibbs ditto, etc etc.

Makes you wonder how Judd would cope at PP?.....no freewheeling allowed?.....what a tragedy that'd be!

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No ones listening till you make a mistake.

There will be 2008 because Pagan wont be there.

Our next coach will give Walker/Simpson/Gibbs/Murhy/Anderson/Bower/Hartlett/Kennedy

A licence to run and create.

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They coud'nt.....could they?

This is one of the funniest career sumaries I have ever seen:

Coach


Current coach of the Carlton Football Club.

Denis was twice 'sacked' as a player by Ron Barassi when at Carlton at the end of 1965 and at North Melbourne at the end of 1974. Denis in turn twice 'sacked' Lindsay Smith at North Melbourne (The Kangaroos) at the end of 2001 and at the end of 2002 at Carlton.

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They coud'nt.....could they?

Hit the nail square on the head there, Strangeblue.

Time and time again Pagan turns creative players into backman. If he wants a bloody backman recruit a backman with pick 40 or something.

Gibbs was regualary kicking bags in the SANFL seniors - were do we play him. In the back 50. WTF. Give the kid a chance to enjoy his football, he's obviously good enough to let the opposition worry about him, who gives a shit if he can play fullback, we never need to know.

Look at Dale Thomas for example - does Malthouse care who he picks up - NO - the opposition worry about who they will put on him.

The sooner Pagan is gone the better.

I would be perfectly happy to have Ratten, but even happier to have Voss.
as the new and young coach who is starting his afl coaching career at Carlton.

Pagan and North departed ways when he started paying too much attention to his racehorses and not enough to his role as the coach of the Kangaroos.

In addition to the other strategy and attitude related issues that have aroused the interest of supporters and others, focussing too much on his horse racing sideline would pretty much settle the issue in the minds of his employers.

The hourglass is looking rather empty for Denis.

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My Blue Heaven

Further to Redskin's post, I have heard the same thing.

Pagan will be gone in a matter of weeks.

Ratten will take over as care taker for the remainder of the year.

Voss has already signed the dotted line and will assume the position at the season's end.

I have my reservations about Voss, his coaching inexperience is a concern, but then again where has the experienced coach taken us?

We look like doing what St.Kilda did a few years back; appoint a new coach, recruit a gun player (Gehrig??????) and some solid 100 gamers or senior players with the addition of some very high picks.

If that eventuates I think the healing will finally begin.

If we get Voss for 2008 I will be a very happy camper.

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|♥♥♥♥♥♥| http://www.blueseum.org |♥♥♥♥♥♥|

As I have stated previously - the excuses will really run out by the end of round 7.

Pagan mightnt go straight afterwards but when he does, get ready for some excitement.

Ive been patiently waiting, expecting this to happen for a while now.

No one will rate him, but Ratten will do a very good job as caretaker coach and will impress.....

Whether it is Ratten or Voss, no one will really rate the new young coach of Carlton at the beginning of his first season either.

Voss would be an ideal choice as coach and may get the gig.

However, there could well be a contractual related issue that prevents him from taking the job. In that situation Ratten will become senior coach.

If a Voss deal falls throuigh, to many of you, not getting him will seem like a rather terrible loss. But it wont end up like that, we will have a very capable backup coach waiting in the wings.

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My Blue Heaven