bondiblue wrote:
aramari wrote:
bondiblue wrote:
We had a patchwork team out there.
We were right on the fence to give my kids a real close encounter and our guys weren't frothing from the mouth for the contest, meekness is a word that comes to mind.
Swans took the foot off the pedal in the 2nd half last week and had 8 days rest and whereas we used up every ounce of energy in the 2nd half last week to get us over the line.
Smashed in the midfield. The less I say about the midfield leaders of last week the better.
The Swans had system, strength and desire in the guts and surprisingly spread really well.
Structure was a real issue. That was coaching or strategy or what? We can't break lines look up and nothing there. Really sad.
Swans are a top 4 team and played as such. Gallant effort by our guys when we were making up the numbers.
The surface of the ground was pathetic. Looked like carpet but more like a skating rink. Really bad but both teams had the same challenge. Swans held their feet better. why?
Season over. Great way to finish the year albeit lucky.
We have a lot of gaps. Casboult was my weakest link and He needs to improve a lot because hes not AFL ready. Need to fix up tackling, shepherding, kicking and find new personnel in the midfield. kPs can wait...we have them if they stand up.
Well done, but expect top 4 next year....and to do that we do need to add 5 or so new really good players in the guts.
Missed Kreuzer
You expect top 4 next year? Sorry but who the flower are you to expect top four from this mob?
On what basis??? Seriously, make a reasoned case for "expecting top 4 next year"!
I hope we finish top four next year, and of course it's possible I suppose - but I have no right pretending that we aren't miles off the pace, and that our list isn't getting worse, not better.
Expectation is a personal thing aramari.
Who the @#$%&! am I? I'm just a supporter who has been waiting 10 years for a list to build up with a plethora of high picks and good development.
Everyone would expect Carlton to be a top 4 team with the picks they've had. Get it?And if my expectation is far fetched and leads to my personal disappointment and delussionment, well what's the difference with what I was feeling at the end of each year in the Ratts era? Same thing.
Furthermore, we are not a top 4 team and borderline top 8 team. Everyone including yourself can see we need more quality than we have. I am saying that with an addition of 5 very good players to fill gaps we will be a better team. Don't you think? With the addition of Kreuzer we'd be better than having Casboult. Dont you agree.
Well that's call improvement, and that what we all expect. Hence my expectation.
Now if we dont get the 5 or so new quality peronnel on our list next year, and we dont see improvement of the players who cost us high draft picks then I'm afraid we will be middle of the road.
I expect improvement.
We finished 6th, played shithouse and fatigued against a top 4 team. With a bit of improvement, we can move 2 spots higher.
Its all theoretical and based on hope, but I saw something special last weekend and so did you, and it gave us hope and promise. I can't pretend that didn't happen. Are you thinking I'm pretending?
Its a tough business footy, and tell me did you think Port would even come close to making the 8 this year?
There's a lot of luck, and changes which happen on a weekly basis in footy let alone over a preason, trade and draft period. Just like anyone, I'd like to see a bit of luck go our way. This year we got a bit of luck with Essendope. From that we saw what our players CAN do and DID do on a sunny day in September at the G...that's luck.
With a bit of luck, good trading, recruitment and development we can and should improve on 6th position. I'm sure everyone Carlton learned a lot about the team and how to improve it this year. Everyone.
I have good reason to expect a top 4 position let alone a 8 position in 2014. I hope you understand where I stand with my optimism aramari. The glass is half full.
You expect success because we had a few high draft picks a million years ago? Who are these high picks please?
Walker, Murphy, Gibbs, Kreuzer, Yarran, Lucas, Menzel are our remaining top 10 draft picks. Some good players, and 1 or 2 of them likely won't be there in 2014. But this is the cream of our recruitment efforts over 10 years, and you expect us to make top 4 next year on the back of this group?
Then you qualify your expectations:
1. "We need 5 new really good new players in the guts"
Oh, is that all? LOL. How many years did it take us to accumulate our 5 BEST new players in the guts? We got 4 really good new players in the guts in 2005-2007 (Murphy, Judd, Gibbs and Kreuzer). That took 3 years of bottom finishes, and they took us to 5th four years later. You expect 5 to come in by 2014 and have enough of an impact to take us to the top 4. And we can accomplish this with a free agent in Thomas, a late first round pick along with trading out previous high picks (I assume) in Lucas, Yarran and Hampson, plus some great late picks and development.
The above is possible, I suppose. Clubs have regenerated quickly in the past. But you EXPECT our midfield to be fixed overnight.
2. "With a bit of luck, good trading, recruitment and development we can and should improve on 6th position"
So if we nail absolutely everything in the off-season, and if we're lucky, we should be top 4 or 5 in 2014.
How is this a realistic EXPECTATION?
This assumes that our key position and ruck talent is top 4, that our skill and fitness level around the ground is top 4, that our existing midfield "stars" improve to a top 4 level of fitness, strength and team orientation, and that North, Richmond, Port, the Dogs, Gold Coast and Adelaide, most of whom have superior depth in young talent all stagnate and that at least 2 or 3 of the teams above us, all of whom have significantly better lists than us, fall off the perch. That's assuming Essendon* are, indeed [REDACTED].
It also assumes that MM can get the team (with 5 new stars somehow falling into our lap) playing as a well drilled, efficient team.
I certainly hope all of the above (plus a good run with injury) occurs, and yes it has happened to teams. You can even believe it will happen in a Blueman kind of way. But your response provides zero rational grounds to EXPECT it.
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