Who do we play? We have 14 injuries at both senior and VFL level, what's left that is even close to ready to play seniors.

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We are the maybe blues

The future. What do rebuilding clubs do? Play kids when they're aren't ready to help fast track there development. What harm will it cause? They can learn how to get flogged at AfL level or vFL level. Same shit different standard.

Agree, not happy about the way things are right now, but there are 13-14 blokes on the injured list right now and a few blokes tha could do with a run in the VFL, Garlett, Gibbs, Joseph, that is effectively 16-17 blokes that aren't up to playing seniors for whatever reason, this creates a massive problem as it restricts options for team changes, you can't just swap blokes around willy nilly there needs to be some structure in the changes or we just end up whinging that the MC have no idea and Ratten should be sacked.

What have we got in the VFL that can replace the non performing players and still remain competitive?

If we just throw kids in for the sake of it and they get the living shit bashed out of them, does that not

(A) potentially destroy the kids development and future a la Luke Livingstone

(B) concede that the season is gone and that the rest of the year is development

I am not happy with the situation and I hate seeing blokes playing that don't deserve to wear the jumper, but I am struggling to see any other options until we can get the injury list under control

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We are the maybe blues

That's a bit harsh on a couple of kids who have under 10 games between them, but it does show where our stocks are at the moment.

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We are the maybe blues

A surprisingly clear-headed post traumatic thread.
The current situation is a complex impact of many things and who could definitively assert how accurate each element is, even if you are connected inside the club? But...
- injuries clearly a factor
- lack of real leaders on field (apart from Judd whose influence is declining, who would the players really be in awe of and therefore wanting to impress and play for? [thinking J Brown as example here])
- mentally immature club
- reactive coaching
- trust and confidence in teammates nearly all gone
- players confidence in coaches dimishing (ie Thornton kicks 3 early in season then dropped, leading to drop in own confidence; ie 2 Bower to full forward - could anyone who has ever watched him think he as any capacity to play that role so what would his teammates be thinking?!?)
- couldn't comment on admin/board side of things
- coaching panel obviously not on getting it right, even with injuries (Bower forward, Tuohy/Betts not put on ball for a go)
Normally a fan of Ratts overall but presser last night really disappointing.
Final comment:
Too early yet to write off season as with best team playing confidently could do damage if we make September; but after next 3 rounds will know if any chance and if lose them all then start looking to next year by getting games into Watson, Bootsma, Dale, O'Keeffe, Mitchell, Bell, maybe Buckley and some of the returnees such as Casboult.

Just listened to the Ratts post match interview.

Not once did he take any responsibility.

Says it all. And do you think anyone is listening?

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

You are right that the kids are the future, are you prepared to accept that we have gone back into development phase by playing these kids, because they are not going to solve the current problems, ideally we would bring one or two in around a solid core to allow them to ease themselves into senior footy, unfortunately we don't have that option at the moment for obvious reasons and in hindsight maybe that should have already been happening but maybe these kids have not even been ready for that to happen as our VFL side has been consistently flogged all year and the MC couldn't see any benefit to the player or the club, but I will leave the answer to that question to the people on this board who regularly watch the VFL as I don't have enough knowledge on the kids coming through.

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We are the maybe blues

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Ratts tell the whole world we were going to slow the game down at qtr time?

Then this... The coach said that while the side's skill level was down, they also overused the ball, especially when the rain became a factor.

Overusing the ball is a byproduct of slowing the game down... but what do I know... injuries

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

The over use of the ball was refrred to by Judd. It was overuse in close, extraction type situations.

Slowing the play down refers more to holding the ball up to allow set ups and transitions to be more effective. Thats how I read it.

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Go BLues

Again it was noticeable how we were monstered physically around the ball even by a bottom side.

Broadbent, Brad Ebert, Stewart, Hartlett, Thomas,......even Pfeiffer

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"They're [REDACTED]'

The reason for all the commotion on here is not so much the losses, but the way we have been beaten - easily. The way we have been losing is like our dark years, except we supposedly have the talent this time round which makes our current predicament dire.

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For some silly reason, you people want to assassinate him, and it's just rubbish. You people. All of you, ALL of you!

perhaps we have re-embraced THE TANK !

I was talking about spirit. They haven't got it atm.
Got my spirits mixed up.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Where is Kouta and his eternal optimism???

All still ok with Ratts and the boys??

Up until the 15 minute mark of the 1st quarter we looked like we were going to smash port
Then we had curnow stream forward kick it out on the full
Garlett miss from 35 - ended up with Bower giving away 50 kicked forward and curnow high tackle goal
Next centre Judd wins the free - Kicks to Hammer who drops it - turnover straight down the wing goal to Port

So in the space of 2 minute we could have gone 2 goals up but instead we were a goal down and the entire game momentum shifted

then when is rained the whole lot of them looked disinterested

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

Yeah but in the players' defence they were getting wet.

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

Why do people so desperately want to see Ratts take responsibility for a loss in a press conference?

Everyone knows the buck stops with the coach so the only reason you would want to hear him take responsibility in a presser is so your heroes the players can get let off the hook again.

some of these players dont deserve to wear navy Blue ever again, but no choice as we have you guessed it, injuries.

More likely because it will give them some sense of satisfaction.

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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

Dear team, I know it seams like our opposition get themselves up for Carlton - but it's actually called a winning attitude.

Dear Ratts, not sure what to recommend at training this week - ball skills seams pretty irrelevant as we don't get the ball - maybe focus on tackling and smothering....or jumper punches / bumping / chesting just in case we want to look tough for the first 5mins...nah tackling and smothering is actually tougher.