That is the most ridiculous thing i have ever heard.

So no matter what happens next year, if we dont make top 4 Ratten should walk?? First of all, you make it sound like we are a clear top 4 side when actually we finished bottom of top 8 last few years and are just fighting for a top 4 spot...there is still Geelong, Collingwood, St Kilda and possibly Bulldogs realistically above us. Could even throw in Fremantle and Hawthorn if they get back to form...such stiff competition and we MUST finish top 4? What if Judd, Murphy and Gibbs get injured in round 1?

By your reckoning, Mark Thompson should have walked at the end of 2006 before Geelongs reign and Mick Malthouse should have walked years ago...

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Carlton Premiers '10

I think Ratten has done a great job. Deserves lots of credit.

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I am as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!!!

How can you guess what I'm "reckoning" when you're struggling to grasp the actuality of the post?
Yes we were a lower top 8 side in 2009 but we finished 4 games ahead of 9th. In fact, we were 2 games off 3rd spot and at the half way mark of the season, we were in 4th position! So yes, 2 years down the track with 13 top 20 picks including 3 number ones, the best player in the competition, a fit Waite and Warnock back in the side and plenty more games of experience into our young side, I would expect top 4.

As for excuses like injuries, read the posts in context. The point being made is Ratten appears to have adopted a ruthless attitude with the players. No excuses, no shortcuts and no sentiment involved. I'm happy with that, as long as he sets the same standards for himself. Out of the top 4 and no finals wins is accepting the same results of 2 seasons previous. Nowhere near the standard required. Piss weak excuses or not.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Ratten has already publicly stated the standard expected for next season and that is a home final win.

I read it as "earn a home final", which is a bit different.

People are so ridiculous about how well we went this year. After losing the only guy who could kick our goals, or at worst take the key defenders we *STILL* won 11 games and played some great footy.. No one rated us, no one thought we could be a finalist but we did it and unearthed some talent in the process.. (Hendo, White, Garlett, Yarran, Ellard, Lucas, Davies).. I'd say there are plenty of positives to take into the new year

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#23: Lachlan Henderson

And yet after being 7 and 4 at the half way mark, we won 4 of our next 12 games. The "no one rated" argument is trash. Leave that to Ratten and his efforts to water down expectations.
I couldn't give a stuff who rates us. The fact is we performed very well for the first half of the season and poorly the second. All with a similar squad. No excuses.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Pretty good effort to finish 8th though you have to admit. Forget about where the wins come from. We were the 8th best team over the season.
I would have been happy to just phase out the blokes we did and finish wherever. To equal the year before is a good effort by the team, coaches and club.
11' i expect us to make a real push for the top. If we dont then i am sure Ratts will have questions to answer.

I dont think much of the "nobody expected us to finish in the eight" line either way. I dont think such comments would pull the wool over the eyes of the board and i dont think that were his intentions. I think he was just reminding the media of themselves. Shouldnt have said it really but no harm done. I didnt notice any less effort from any members of the team/club from then on.

Everyone looked pretty focused to me even when the results were not going our way.

The devil in the detail shouldn't be so lightly dismissed.



I recall Kernahan trotting out the "nobody expected us to finish in the eight" line on a couple of occasions as well so perhaps it was official club policy to dampen any potential 'flare ups'.

Agreed BV. Enough with these bullshit low expectations. At this rate we will be expecting to 'play' in a GF by 2015. Top 5 and make it to the PF

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If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!

Yeah i had that thought also. The point i was trying to make was that Ratts wasnt doing to pull the wool over the boards eyes to hold onto his job. I can see that perhaps it was a club thing to avoid flare ups as you say and to maybe put an end to some of those embarrassing talk back callers wanting to smash stuff up and start again.

This site was ordinary last summer with the Ratten/coach bashing. I think it is headed that way again.

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Delulio is a member of TISM

+1....and again - way off thread topic.

Not many teams won flags when aiming for fourth.

I don't really give a toss where we 'should' end up next year.

We should be aiming to WIN the flag every year.

If we don't achieve that then rate the coach's performance based on all extenuating circumstances then.

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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

As much as I hated Fev, himalong with Stevens left a bloody big hole in the side - That and the fact thchamp was missing the first 3 weeks - the end result was alet down but to stand back and look at it it wasn't as bad as we all felt.


Brown going down at Brissy sent them falling to the bottom
Tredrea was on fire early he went down ans so did Port
Hate to think of Richmonds results with out Jack
Rooy went down at the saints and they struggled for weeks
Buddy was struggling along with Roughhead and so were the Hawks
the bombers lost Lloyd and Lucas and ended up sacking the coach
the crows struggled to get their stars like birdman out there and went down with it
When the Swans lost Bradshaw they were down for several weeks until they restructured up


WE lost the colman medalist and the VC along with our No 1 ruck half way through and everyone expected things to continue as normal -

at 7 and 4 yes we should have but maybe they were spent by the time they got there

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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

I think the loss of Stevens is the one that many people (not just Carlton supporters) overlook. He wasn't perfect, but on his day, was still a very good, experienced AFL footballer whose kicking skills were among the best in the side. Not only did we lose our dominant full-forward, but one of our better midfielders.

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Formerly Blues-Back2003.

With the draft fast approaching, along with the PSD we move a step closer to our final list for 2011.

The delistings are done and we're expecting a dozen new names on our list; including the quality pick 18.
This is the exciting part.

Our biggest recruit for 2011 will be Kreuzer imo.
I also know that 20 of the kids on our list (including the 3 No 1's) will further develop over the preseason.

The delistings are done and dusted and most of us agree that this was the final clean out needed of a list that had been turned over completely in the last 5 years.

At the end of next year we will start to see the aging players at the end of their career considering retirement: Scotland (31) and Houlihan (29). The rest can compete for spots on the list. There will be genuine competition for spots on the Carlton list in 2011.

I also expect at least half a dozen fringe players to be looking for more opportunity with other clubs at the end of 2011 and it will have nothing to do with the coach or club culture.

I can't help but believe that whilst we are an outside chance for the flag in 2011, we are still a contender, just like a few others.

The 2011 Carlton will be better than the 2010 Carlton...no doubt. That alone tells me that when we make the top 4 and injuries are favourable for Carlton and unfavourable for our opponents we may just make the GF.

Doesn't take much more than luck from there on the day.

I agree we should be aiming for Top 4 with a view of giving ourselves the best chance at playing off in the GF next year.
Why not?

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Could someone please explain how the pre-listing of a player for the rookie draft works?

I think if the player makes it through the ND and PSD you can pre-list them so they don't have to go through the Rookie draft - but they've had the opportunity to have been picked up elsewhere before they go back on your RL

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Thanks for the info.

Can the player opt out of entering the ND and PSD?