If we lose to the Dons this week, this thread will go off the charts.

If such an event occurs, the odds of Ratts keeping his job will tilt below 50-50.

It will still come down to him winning us a final.

I dont think we will lose to the dons. I reckon we will smash them.

Not saying that Neeld is the man - because I dont know the identity of this person.

But yes, he is quite young, is relatively unknown, with has a good football pedigree.

he certainly ticks many esoteric boxes in this respect.

We need to remember the career pathway of other successful coaches in the past

I can recall a very successful coach that won three or four flags at Shepparton following a relatively insignificant football career. He certainly went on to great things.

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My Blue Heaven

He has to play Henderson upforward

Need to be patient, Ratts has the smarts is still learning the caper and developing into a stronger leader.

The one characteristic most successful sides posses is strong leadership. Paul Roo's at Sydney, Worsfold at West Coast, Cook & Costa at Geelong, Malthouse at Collingwood.

Once your team ethos is established, you need to be strong to maintain it. Zero tolerance to those who do not buy into it, and embrace and encourage those who accept it.

Ratts and Sticks need to be strong, If they believe they cannot maintain the charge, consider the services of Paul Roo's not as a coach but a mentor to the coaching staff. His people skills and understanding of what it takes to maximise players efforts will be the ingredient that sets our team into the success we all wish for.

Go Blues!!

Maybe ........ maybe not.

Personally it doesnt bother me where they play him as long as the team balance is right. I reckon Ratts and co came up with a plan before the Richmond game to get Henda settled in position where he is in the game and he capable of playing well. Waite was coming back so he was going to be squeezed out of the forward line where he was getting laughed at by everyone in the football world. Even some carlton idiot fans were giving him the bronx. I am sure when Waite got re injured they thought about abandoning the plan but it looks like they are sticking too it.
Id imagine they had day long meetings on the issue. In the end they look to have decided to stick to the plan and in the next two months it just may turn out to be great coaching by all involve.
Remember that Richardson is known for his player development.

I understand your point but don't agree.

Ratten I believe is strong character but I have doubts on him as a strong 'leader'. I just don't believe he has that characteristic. I see him as a great development or specialist coach.

I said at the time he was appointed that it is a great risk to appoint a new coach with limited experience to a young list! It rarely if ever works.

They are both learning on the spot and simple mistakes can cause a lot of damage and confusion.

Imagine what a Mathews, Malthouse, Roos, Williams, Clarkson may of done with our young list?

It is fine to have zero tolerance but if the 'group' doesn't support the direction it will fall apart very quickly.

Let me be clear I like Ratten and think he has a lot of positives but when you are in a team with high expectations in the top level of your sport you must strive for the best! Not make the best of what you have got.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Malthouse has categorically said he wont be coaching another club next year.

Thanks again, club, for explaining this one very well.

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

Henderson should play defense. Lacks intensity as a fwd and down back it forces him to be involved and anyway he's the height n size we need down back. The other big Qn is whether Kruezer in the future will be able to take strong marks and have an impact as a fwd. Reality is he's not much of a marker of the ball, not yet anyhow.

Henderson has conceded 11 goals in three games...

Is our optimism of him as a defender born out of desperation?

When will we say enough is enough and return him to his more natural position?

As it stands now, I cant see Bower leaking more than 4 goals a game...

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“I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” ― Richard Feynman

He has stood Jack Riewoldt (reigning coleman medalist), Barry Hall (700+ career goals) and Travis Cloke (currently the most dominant forward in the game). 11 goals given up yes, but those are 3 pretty damn fair key forwards. Let's see what happens the next 3 weeks. Born out of desperation or not, tell me who else you'd have in his place?

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Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.

Yep, if offered, reckon we would have taken him conceding 11 goals against Jack, Hall & Cloke

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"I had to eat"

Id say the aim would be to have him as a CHB option later this season when Jamo is back. At the moment he is virtually playing full back. A position we need him in while he learns the art of defending against the AFL's best forwards. Doing ok i reckon.

He will be a good forward in time. For now he is filling a role for the team that wont hurt his development as a forward.

I would always be careful how to rate assistant coaches from successful clubs. Once upon a time Sumich was all the rave and then he dropped off ... he may just come into the spotlight again. Who knows the next best coach to come from the assistants patch might be from Port Adelaide !

I have heard on the grapevine that after you take out Malthouse and Buckleys pay that Collingwood are in the bottom 3 for paying their assistants out of the 17 AFL clubs. Maybe the pies don't rate their assistants like football punters do.

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"You are being watched. The government has a secret system. A machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because I built it." - Finch

Not going to read that article because it's a Hun article and likely to be made up crap.

However, knowing Carltons history in jumping early to re-sign coaches, it may have some truth.

I don't think its too early... few people would have thought we would be where we are at this time in the season.

I think Ratts and the boys have done a very good job!

I reckon they will sign him for sure. He would have to stuff up the next month to lose his position.

It takes too long for a new coach to come in and get a team firing and i reckon they will role the dice on Ratts as next year will be peak year for the list. It would also be nice to avoid the 'must win a final' circus that could put extra pressure on the team come round one of the finals 2011. Having the whole team know that that isnt the case and they are going forward with a set plan will be advantagous for the Blues. If we fail in finals again and its the usual suspects that let us down then big changes to the list will surely be made.

Until our list of Young KPPs:

- Henderson
- Casboult
- Watson
- McCarthy
- Mitchell

get at another 2 years of pre-season and about 40 games into them – our list is still a fair way away from being “peak”.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill