i dunno about all this business of playing the youth at all costs. From what I've heard Malty is dead set on sending out the best people for the job on the given day, no exceptions. Playing youth for the sake of some big league experience is probably not the road he would ever take when it comes to winning or losing a match. He's got his match plan and the best possible players to fit that plan in order to win the game - that's malty, I can't ever see him doing it any other way whilst there is a mathematical chance of us making the finals.

If and when finals hopes are shot completely ...?

Faulty.

Win tomorrow and we are 1 game out of the 8. Just hilarious.

Lose tomorrow and Faulty Malty can hand back his generous largess care of us ordinary members.

#bringbackourblues

Fawlty Malty would make an awesome coach

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#DonTheStash

People talk about players pace, or lack of.
Cripps and graham get criticised for their lack of pace, pace has nothing to
do with it, it's all about skill, being able to hit targets, that simple....
Jobe Watson
Sam Mitchell
Michael Barlow
Toby Greene
Rory Sloane
Joel Selwood
All these players above are not quick at all, but their skill is second to none..
Being able to hit targets, the team first..
Don't buy into the Cripps and Graham are to slow, we have quick players to cover
them, as long as their skills are meet and team comes first, pace has nothing....
I do however believe they lack in the keeping their feet, but if given constant games, we will
see improvement in the kids..
I can see Cripps and Graham taking over players like, McLean, Robinson, Ellard etc..
But with Docherty, Buckley and Menzel playing, you can't play all the kids at once, Holman is another
that will push sooner than later, all in good time though..

Mate if mine is a Coll fan and a serious football follower

He said Mick never played kids at Coll who weren't ready. These kids had a year or two in VFL before getting regular senior games.

If it looks like Coll always seem to have good kids coming through it is a pointer to the fact the club recruit well most years

Carlton on the other hand recruit terribly

On holidays and just watched the 2010 Monday night game for old times sake.

Just one game in isolation but we were pretty damn electric that night.

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We are on our way back...

That game & the one against Geelong @ the G a couple of weeks before were so promising. Looking at the stats, the teams we fielded for both those games were 3 years younger than the opposition on average. Should've been a sign of things to come - beating the previous 2 grand finalists with such a young list. But we managed to mess it up.

Ready is an interesting term. Psych 's post tends to contradict your mate's comment.
Anybody coming out of contract this season, especially, should be put into the cauldron. If they can't hold their own, no renewal. What we do is wonder if they'll be ready next year, give them a two year extension, watch them rot in the twos the entire time and then delist them.
There has to be a better way.

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Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

..better and more coaches, at afl and vfl level, with their own stand alone team focused on development..

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

Yet people are screaming for Mick to give up the season and 'play the kids'

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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

Of course! Because this list isn't going anywhere. That's pretty @#$%&! obvious for all to see. So start getting games into them. Particularly against developing sides such as St.Kilda!

So absolute best case scenario we sneak into the eight (won't happen). Then what? Huge benefit playing finals last year wasn't it?

This isn't about this week or this year this is about building the next great side and having sustained success.

It's that typical short term thinking that causes these problems.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

..I think we need to strike the balance though.. ..don't chase finals at all costs, likewise not kids at all costs either.. ..fast track their development yes, but not lambs to the slaughter, we don't have strong on field leaders and a good seasoned core to guide and protect them..

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

taken a while some of us were calling for Mick to renovate after second round - signs are obvious - list has let us down time after time - need to play all the list to determine who stays and who doesn't - beating an ordinary stkilda - will mean nothing( not a given we will win either) - not good enough in talent or mental toughness this list - need to find better skilled more mentally tough and players with greater leadership - disappointed in particular cripps isn't playing

I look at port adelaides list and l dont think those kids are better than the blues list at all. But, Hinkley has turned around that club within 1.5 years from 3rd bottom to contender. Mm has turned carlton around from top 8 team to bottom 6 team.

Im sick of hearing about the list, if carlton dont come out and smash saints tonight, then the coaching panel is bloody woeful. Malthouse is a good coach. Not a great coach. 30 years to win 3 premierships isnt that great. 2 with a WA team with an awesome list and shouldnt of won the 3rd if there was 30secs left in the game. If the team doesnt sharply improve, it is time to cut our losses and bring a coach in that will be around for next 4-5 years.

We're here to win a grand final. No more 'moral victories' of making the 8 and maybe stealing a game in the finals. Play our best 22 each week, injuries will happen with an ageing roster like we have and kids will need to step up and play.

Playing kids just to blood them before they're ready ruins them just as much as never playing/ rewarding them for good form in the reggies.

If we want a deep 30 man roster, a lot of that starts by filling their tanks up in the 2nds. Play guys based on merit and the rest will take care of itself, imo ...