Doesn't matter. We haven't shown a propensity to have more or less of one type or another through last year. They're essentially the 22nd man that will play depending on how the opposition match up on us, injuries, fitness loading, weather, or a million other variables.

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

Cripps, Curnow and Bell can easily fit into the one team.

Ellard and Cachia are more or less back-up for now.

No matter which way we swing things, 44 does not fit into 22

..i agree in regards to Ellard and Cachia being depth..

....Cripps will be his own sort, is miles off from being ready to actually play onball/center square so even if he's fit enough to get a senior game i'm not entirely sure it'd be more than just a cameo thru the middle.. ..and by the time Cripps stops growing and then filling out which i think will slow his ability to gain miles in the legs so in my opinion he'll be 3 or so pre-seasons off being able to play real onball time, i'm not sure he'll still be a midfielder type..

..not sure yet on Bell, he's a scratchy sort and i still think it's too early to 'lock him in' as a regular starter.. ..i also am not sure he's shown a particular strength in regards to extraction.. ..in general play maybe, but in stoppages i don't think he reads the tap very well..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..

I thought so to after watching him train but his efforts in the intra-club were apparently eye-catching.
Too tough a call to say who will come through and not just at this stage.

Bell has given himself every chance by dropping 4-5 kgs with his running ability only second to Curnow now.
Has some flaws to cut from his game but unfortunately his general awareness isn't terrific and I'm not sure just how quickly that may be "fixed"

You can/could play all 3 in the same side.

But with all being well on the injury front, there's 21 better options. I'm not sold on Robbo being there come round one either.

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

I've had Robbo out of our starting 22 but am changing my mind a little on what I'm hearing now.

I think we have 16-18 lock-downs but a lot will be decided over the next few weeks.

..Robbo is still well within my best 21.. ..always room for his 'sort' in a football team, he's actually a better player than it seems on the surface, and he can genuinely play as either a mid or HF, and i reckon he could play HB as well..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..

harks - you've been to a fair bit of preseason yes? Has there been any participation by Everitt or Watson in any of the ruck sessions?

Would like to see either of those become our second ruck option this year. Gives us a boost in acclimatizing to the new rotation rules, and gives us a bit more flexibility in considering guys like McInnes or White at the selection table each week, who may be surplus to needs, but have more to offer than Casboult or Warnock.

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

I've seen a lot less than previous years and it seems to me that a lot is being kept away from prying eyes.
All the real stuff is happening with the doors closed.

In answer to your question though, I haven't seen Everitt nor Watson participate in any ruck duties nor would I expect them to.
Ability aside they're just not built for it. Watson hasn't got much in the way of reach and Everitt not much in the way of body.

..if i can chime in..?..

..i don't think Watto has the miles in the legs to be able to have a stint in the ruck.. ..i also don't think he has the leap to compensate for his lack of height, and he doesn't have a long reach either..

..i don't think we should ignore the huge potential of playing knockers and krooz as a proper ruck combo.. ..they actually haven't played that many games as a rucking pair for all the time spent together on our list.... ..what they might lack in individual possession stats they more than make up for in ruck dominance, and krooz will mark I50 and get goal kicking opportunity, even if he did have an off year with goal kicking accuracy....

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..

No.

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

Agree that its not an ideal scenario for pretty much the same reasons you listed, but also think that there's not too many games won and lost by the output from the second ruckman (granted - few games where the other team's no#1 takes a hold of the relief ruck and turns the game in the square, but would like to be confident Kreuz or Warnock are capable of that also). I look at the Collingwood game in round 2 as an example of that - Lynch got monstered by Kreuzer, but had minimal effect on the result.

Lot to lose from putting Hendo in the ruck for 20 minutes a game also. Reckon there'll be a lot of teams experimenting at the start of the year with the interchange cap. Perhaps later in the year (especially given our good start to the year), time to play the two rucks, especially against younger sides who've fallen off the pace.

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

If magically you could choose one or the other, what would you take:

Levi Casbout who turns up to season 2014 with a kicking style or conversion that is of AFL standard
Levi Casboult who turns up to season 2014 able to play more than 3 quarters a game.

I'd take the latter. The flow on impact on choosing a best 22 as he can't run out games is huge.

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

Both would be good but.................

1. Levi won't magically come back with a wonderful new action and a Lockett-type strike rate. Not going to happen.
2. Levi's strength is his contested marking as we know. He doesn't always have to kick after that mark. There are other methods of ball disposal.
3. Levi was running exceptionally well, leading packs he would not have been leading last year.
I saw him cover a lot of ground through some VFL games and then stay virtually grounded playing seniors.
I tend to feel he hasn't got multiple weeks in him and if he has somehow built up the tank he looks to have done, then it may be hard to keep him out of the side

If you are 20 meters in front of goal and you hand pass the ball because you have terrible kicking skills then you should not be playing the game.

If you waste opportunities over and over again and turn the ball over, over and over again then maybe football is not the game for you.

The game is called football.

It is a big year for Levi. If his fitness doesn't improve and kicking skills do not improve then he is a list clogger.

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It is not as bad as you are lead to believe.......it is %$#^& worse!!!

Why does Levi have to be playing 20 meters in front of goal?

Casboult can kick goals but he's just not as efficient as he should be.
He's still slotting them through from outside 50 at training but it's real world that counts.

If Levi has indeed built up his tank though, as seems to have been the case, I'm just as happy him taking pack marks around the ground. He can do what he wants with the ball from there on.

Where do you see him playing if it is not forward? The forward arc is the best place to take a pack mark if that is your strength.

I wouldn't want to see Levi trying to take pack marks in the back like and knocking over our back line players.

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It is not as bad as you are lead to believe.......it is %$#^& worse!!!

Levi is more of a CHF than a FF for starters.

All I'm saying is that if he has built his tank and can cover ground now for 4 quarters, he may offer Malthouse some good options.

I know that Mick is going full-on versatility this year. He doesn't care for lock-down positions and wants the opposition guessing as to what they're going to confront minute to minute.

Its going to be an interesting start to the year for supporters and opposition alike.

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"Get ready, Teddy - you're on": Ron Barassi half time 1970 Grand Final

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Here you go Teddy. Just come upon Twitter............which I don't use.

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.@lutwyche_25 Levi Casboult and Tommy Bell have come back determined to increase their number of games played from 2013 #AskTheCoach