I’m just as crushed as everyone and am genuinely starting to fear what Cripps will decide to do if things don’t change.

Just curious - when was the last time we got through a first half of footy without losing one or more players?

You lose all control if you play man on man defence. What would you do if you were Brisbane in that instance? Drag Jones, Thomas, Murphy etc out of the forward line by further blocking our forward half and isolate Rowe and Lamb in their forward half with Hipwood and Zorko. Or Taylor, or Beams, or Christensen. They would have kicked 30 goals.
The system works. It requires the personnel to play it out.

We just don't have the players on the park to play out any facets of the game at the moment. Our forward entries are abysmal, all of our midfield disposals are under pressure which continually gives the ball back to the opposition. We had more inside 50s than them yesterday (51? from memory)
They rebounded it 42 times. So 80% of our forward entries ended with their players bringing it out again. Often under little pressure. That creates loose players which results in them taking a mark every second time they go inside forward 50.
We're playing kids that aren't up to it and anyone who is capable of being midfield depth is filling holes in the backline.
Until we get players back, it cant get a lot better.

One thing I will give the coaches a tick for. The temptation must have been significant to play Dow, even though he needed a rest. I give them credit for doing the right thing by the kid and in turn, the longer term future of the club.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Exactly. A bunch of VFL level defenders and some forwards moved back, will never be any good at a zone defence. You need a midfield on top of that to support even the best defenders.

Marchbank played wing as well.

It doesn't work with a makeshift defense. It just confuses them.

Man on man with the most suitable matchups possible is our best option, IMO.

You're just pumping Brisbane players up to boost your argument. They're second last don't forget.

We have one A grade midfielder
We have no B or C grade midfielders
We have some D grade midfielders, some who are young, and have been thrown in the deep end, and will get much, much better (i.e. who have A or B grade qualities, further development will help their consistency)

Our list structure is flowered

Compare our list structure to other clubs

Our list is lacking at least 6-8 mids

We are lacking small forwards both in quantity/quality, small forwards that can also run through the midfield in spurts

This is not Bolton's fault, he has lost arguments regarding the list

Other clubs use late selections/rookie list to constantly try new talent

We fill our list spots with castoffs from other clubs

Out of the approx 15 players brought from other clubs, only two have been primarily mids... one is already gone (Palmer), and the other is a D grader, who will get much better (we gave up pick 28)

We made overtures to Smith, Saad, Stringer and Rockliff last trade period.... they all went elsewhere, why?

The opposition know if they limit Cripps we're cooked, Pies used Pendlebury early in the year, PA used Wines, so they're happy sacrificing their best player to do so... even if Cripps isn't stopped we're still cooked, we have no midfield, no defensive pressure out of our midfield or forward half, which can cripple our fragile defensive structures

Then add our injury list and the mismanagement of our injured players with our flowered medical department

Half of the team yesterday would not get a game elsewhere or be on any other list

Bolton has made mistakes, but he's severely handcuffed

Bolton isn't the problem

For me, the biggest issue for the blues is the losing culture that has now embedded itself in the club

Although important, no amount of changes to a list will resolve this

The approach taken to disregard the wins/losses and focus on "the little wins" has backfired

Nothing beats the development of a player when winning games

They are completely demoralised at the moment

That's why the balance between a good core of senior players was paramount to establishing a winning culture and development of the younger playrts

Agree, exactly why Bolton was against trading Gibbs

Bolton was told senior mid(s) would be brought in to replace Gibbs, otherwise Gibbs wouldn't be traded.

What's happening is no surprise...

Can't win games with no midfield

This captures my frustration as well. Bolton has shown every sign of being a fantastic manager of young men. Also we've been able to clearly see what the MC have been trying to do (game style, etc.) the last 2 years. But this year it's been an absolute dog's breakfast. I can get that they got it wrong at the start of the year, with being overattacking. But even since then we seem to wildly oscillate in what we're trying to do. We try and shut down the good sides. But then we play the average sides and we seem to try and play a completely different style of footy that simply hasn't and cannot work with our current stocks.

We were never going to win yesterday with the team we had in. But we were always going to be thrashed trying to play that kind of footy. And what possible benefit can that be for anyone?

We can be patient. But only if we can see what we're trying to do. Otherwise ...

Keeping Gibbs and attracting a Devon Smith would have been huge for our development

That's why we won't attract a good FA and fall further behind the rest of the league

Can't simply rely on draft in FA environment

The reason we don't have A graders is because we're losing......or not even competing. If we had a decent crack, but experience and skill held us back, then we'd say we've got A graders in-waiting and things will change. But those talented young kids that came into our club via the draft process are shells of their former selves. This losing culture is doing damage to their long-term viability at this club.

The 'structure' Bolts has them playing has removed any confidence and desire previously good players ever had.

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Bring back Ratts to take over Mark Rileys old job...
At least you then have a "Clarkson Academy" trained and head coach experienced Carlton man in our corner....
And if Bolts can't take the step up we all hope he will do we have Ratts ready to take charge.

Steve like i discussed with donstuie in the injury thread we are missing only 3 regular dependable players. Not up and coming, not potential.
Murphy, doc and Marchbank that's it.

Re: D Smith.

There are different versions of this rumour, but the core theme is that he wasn't considered "medically safe".

Since he's been at * he's not missed a game and playing career-best footy.

If this is true, it says to me that either
a) Our medicos got it wrong
b) Our medicos (or Smith) had no faith in their ability to manage him
c) * had better drugs (hardy har har)

We harp on injuries and player management, but you can't tell me potential FA's and trade targets wouldn't look at what's happened to the wellbeing of this team as a big factor in their decision to move across.

The coach is FAR from the only issue we're facing.

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WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

Agree, getting Rockliff would have been great too (as well as keeping Gibbs and getting Smith).

Lookout at how many quality mids PA have and they still went after Rockliff

Port Adelaide managed to attract multiple FAs

Bombers managed to get multiple players to commit

We need to get everything right, the draft, trades, rookie list, salary cap, FAs

Even priority picks... an additional decent player helps (assuming we get the selection right)

Alex Rance was a priority pick at pick 19 or 20

Smith chose the Bombers

Smith had 2 priorities, winning and rehab

You're all over the place.
Firstly the system doesn't work or haven't you been paying attention.
If they are there to defend then defend. They make a adjustment we make a adjustment. If we have defenders than teach them how to defend not just guard grass and look like chooks.
We had inefficient inside 50's which are irrelevant because of the entry and no support because of everyone is out of position or we give the opposition time to set up and then we are out of position o the rebound. How is that a game plan that works.
What players are you counting on coming back? Look at the injury thread and acquaint yourself with our injury stats. The only ones missing for some time that are not potential players have been doc, murphy and marchbank, so enough on our bleak injury plagued season.
You give them a tick for resting the kid who got a rising star last week and just came off a break instead of finally playing against another team full of kids. Do you give them a tick for having one kp forward and four others guarding grass.
Do you give them a tick for the protecting the wings and leaving tghe middle unprotected all year.
Do you give them a tick for playing under done players.
Do you give them a tick for playing players in positions that they can't manage and refusing to acknowledged it.

Lets simplify it. Bolton as we have been told is head coach/ teacher. He has a game plan that he sees as the way forward. That game plan would appear to be flawed.

OR
The majority of the players are dumbarses unable to follow instructions. That IMO would be a bit of stretch.

SO
Where does that leave us ? Back with the previously mentioned game plan. Which then leads us back to the Coach.....

Too simplistic ?

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The problem with Socialism is, you eventually run out of other people's money.

Nailed it!

We've taken players in recent years that everyone claimed would be drafted at or around that spot. We have a habit of turning chocolates into boiled lollies.

For delisting spuds to bring in potatoes, then use the excuse of 'synergy' as to why the group aren't doing what they've been told.

Bolts has cut way too hard and he's failed to bring in capable footballers to replace those he let go.

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So now Bolts is the list manager as well, so what does sos do nothing!! You are now talking absolute crap. Go away!!