Well said.

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I AM DISENFRANCHISED

IMO the biggest problem facing Ratts is The Fevola Show, Fevola's erratic performance on and off the field compounded by its effects on the rest of the team on and off the field.
None of Parko, Britts or Pago-Pago were able to deal with it when Fevola was a younger less influential player and the problems only get bigger over time. The mind boggles as to how things will go as Fevola slows down with age and we are already seeing the mounting effects of injuries. Fevola has been determined to play while manifestly unfit for a good part of this year.
Ratts has my full support.

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Bawditawaba

I think Greg Swann needs to conduct a thorough review of the football department from top to bottom. We need to beef up our football department and throw a bit of cash around if Brett Ratten is to continue as coach.

Im not calling for Ratten to be sacked. I think we need to strengthen up the team around him and bring in a Dean Laidley, Brenton Sanderson or a John Longmire who all been part of orchestrating premierships as assistants. Poach a figure like Neil Balme or Graeme Allan as football operations manager who have been part of a premiership winning formula.

No doubt changes need to be made and we need to surround our boys with the best and that includes our coach.

I would hope that all areas of Carlton are subject to a thorough review after every season, including the football department.

I would also like to strengthen the staff around Ratts, especially bringing in people with more experience.

I think Laidley would be a good addition in some capacity, but I wonder if would he accept a background role.

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I AM DISENFRANCHISED

That would have to be the best post you've ever made, Melvey.

I'm glad you're being a little more rational about things, too.

However, if Carlton ever hires a two-bit turd like Neil Balme, I'll go he.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

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STURDYISM!!

Thats one of the most sensible posts I have read on this forum. My thoughts exactly. I feel our coaching structure is weak. Teague and Lappin as development coaches don't fill me with excitement. I see promise with Teague as a teacher and a hard nut but not lappin. Its too important an area to appoint 2 novices
Dean laidley as a tactical coach will complement the coaching staff perfectly.

But a thorough review analysing the performances of each person and each department and suggestions on how to improve the structures is needed. I think Swann could head it but I would get some outside experts to give an unbiased view.

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T E A M

that's a must or it'd be a waste of time.

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There's so much I could say...

Really? last week wasn't one game' it was the FOURTH game we've been opened up by Essendon*. Those who don't learn from history are doomed... etc

If we can't get'it right in four cracks at a similar team then questions should be being asked. Have a review by all means. But let's not kid ourselves by saying this was a poor week in isolation. As a coaching staff it was ANOTHER poor week.

Good post. I think the review will take place as it does all years. I think this year Swann and Icke will be a bit more ruthless and i think a good modern assistant will come in. THe names you mention sound good to me.
We need to keep the list growing and improving for the next few years before going for the throat in 2012-213
When you look at the top teams most of their guns players were drafted before 2004. We have only one or two gun players from before 2004. our core of young good players drafted since 2004 need to be developed into guns over the next few seasons so that when they are all around 24-26 years old they are all firing . If supported by good young players yet to breakthrough (or be drafted ) and led by Judd we can be a great side.

Until then surround them by good people and enjoy the ups and downs that come with building a gun side.

Go Blues !

Yes it was the fourth, but very different matches, over two seasons.

It's like saying that we haven't beaten Sydney for 7 matches, or maybe more, so we're just as bad now as we were when that streak started. You're taking the losses out of context with the season.

Questions should not be asked just because we lose four matches to the same opposition. That's like Essendon* fans calling for Sheedy's head after their loss to the Bulldogs in 2000, and taking it out of context with the season.

Of course questions have to be asked, but not just because of one loss of this magnitude, especially given that this season has had some big wins over genuine top 8 teams (WB, Brisbane, Collingwood), failing to beat last year's premiers because of a coat of paint on the goalpost, and pushing an undefeated team to within 2 kicks.

People are accusing Ratten of making knee-jerk reactions in dropping Scotland etc, but the very same posters are being even more knee-jerk in going all Chicken Little over this last match.

Like I said, we're not travelling as well as anyone involved with the club would remotely like, but let's see how the reast of the season pans out. Reactionary changes of course would damage our season far worse now than correcting slightly. Think of it this way: When a plane takes off from Tullamarine and heads to Sydney, if it hits crosswinds and turbulence and gets blown off path, the pilot doesn't turn the plane around and start again. The pilot will correct and manage the issues at the time and end up back on track. Ratts is our pilot, the time to assess whether he's taken us too far off course to be able to safely correct is round 22, not round 13.

Remember the old joke about Collingwood, and not being able to tip them in June? I don't recall Collingwood fans slashing wrists or jumping off the West Gate bridge when they went through so many years dropping matches in June that they should have won.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

POW!

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I AM DISENFRANCHISED

A touch condescending...

I think a lot of criticism regarding the continous nature of Essendon* beating us over the last 2 years with their run through the middle and us not being able to counter that, is fair .

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There's so much I could say...

if questions werent being asked after last fridays debacle i would be concerned

the pressure is on and rightfully so

the noose should tighten if we see a few more efforts like last week

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

It's fair and not fair at the same time, IMO. It absolutely shits me to distraction that no matter how good our list, or how well we're playing that we come up against Essendon* and lose our mojo. Have they really beaten us every time doing the same thing? Moot point, I guess.

Contrary to that is that we've been the same to them in the past. And over Collingwood and WB over the last couple of years.

I think a partial explanation of this phenomenon is that the players are human. They make mistakes. Try too hard, and get the yips. It happens.

I didn't think I was being condescending, and I apologise if it came across that way to you, but I do see the reactions to last week's match as being overreactions in a lot of cases.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

QFT

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Fair enough to hold that opinion, no probs ..I just don't like the term 'chicken little' being directed at posters just because they form a certain opinion.


edit - this 2 quote maximum thingy is annoying!

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There's so much I could say...

Most of us that doubt (me included) Ratten's coaching ability have built that doubt over the whole season.

Therefore it's a simplistic point of view from those that claim an over reaction to one game.

I've been largely quiet on this topic mainly in the hope (pray) that things will come around by the end of the season but I do understand and support most of the criticism.

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

I suppose everyone's rationality has it's limits eh?

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.