Provided you have the capacity to consistently win the ball. If you're slow and get smashed at the stoppages then you're in rather a spot of bother no matter how good your disposal is for the minority of the game that you have the ball.

He has got to play him first ...

How many years did Pagan spend 'molding' Wiggo, AFTER Ratts made that comment?

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“It is a state of mind, a system of belief, a way of seeing the world, a deep faith that, because you are Carlton, you belong to something great.” - Mike Fitzpatrick articulating what Out of the Blue means.

Was it Bentick or Davies that Rats handed #7 down to?

Think it may have been both. Davies definitely.

crikey!! thats even worse

It was Davies. Pagan handed the 7 to Bentick to stick it up Ratts as he knew he didn't rate him.

tipo

come round 12 and our season is kaput (hope not) me thinks Ratts needs to make a decision who to persist with. Not many will like this but it's time we move on. Here's what i'm thinking

B: Browne Jammo Bowser
HB: T-bird Setanta Walks
C: Carazzo Gibbs Juddy
HF: Fish Waitey Simmo
F: Betts Fevola Benjamin
FOL: Hammo Stevo Murph

INT: Kruez Grigg Pfeiffer Hadley

Browne, bowser and Walks to create run out of back. Jammo, T-bird & Setanta our talls. Walks we so desperately need right now

The new dynamic Indigenous duo of B1 and B2, Betts and Benjamin causing havoc up forward. Waitey served best up at CHF Fev deep with B1 and B2 sitting under neath him

The next six or so weeks the likes of Browne, Benjamin, Anderson, Armfield and Grigg should be played consistently in the two's and played and drilled in positions they most likely to play. Drill them, hammer it into there heads. By then, hopefully the senior team will have a few wins, confidence is growing we ease these boys in

Come years end delist the o's Saddo, Wiggo, Banno along with ackland and blackwell

Try and trade Scotto, Houlahan and Bentick. Me thinks Bentick would look good in a swans jumper. Freo will be dumb enough to give us something for Scottland a late 2nd rounder (dreaming) or 3rd in a draft thats being tipped to be deep again.

I like most of that. Would be good to see Ando get a game, IF he is ever injury free that is !!. Clokey a bit stiff to miss the line up....but there will always be injuries, and he's a good back up.

Sorry Keogh couldn't resist....and just trying to add some lightness ...besides I got a nice mental image

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“Every single element of the Club has to be the best in the league, meticulously and methodically, and only by doing this will we be elite and challenge for number 17.”
Greg Lee

There's a lot of things I would like to change, but can't; that's history now.
There's a few things I would like Ratts to change, but that's just an opinion.

One thing for certain is that Ratts didn't inherit a super developed team and for this reason expecting one to show up in 2008 is unreasonable and unrealistic.

Wanting a super team to show up in 2008 is fair enough, expecting one, well I should know the pain of such a position; looking through my rose coloured glasses. It only leads to disappointment.

Ratts should be given time to develop the kids and time to turn things around. How much time? At least his contract term, unless he loses his players (but I doubt that he would). Getting rid of Ratts, or not supporting him through this period is downright anti Carlton.

Why would Roos or Matthews want to come to a club whereby the expectations are unreasonable, or where the coach is treated with contempt?

We have a good list of players, but we need more.
We need to fast track the development of our kids, but that takes time.
Let Ratts do his job and develop the list and get us up the ladder and we should do our bit and support our team.

There's a lot we don't know that's going on behind the scenes, so there's a lot of supporter opinions which should remain and considered as such.

I think we have a good spread of players to develop who will serve us well and take us to finals. It's the depth which is a concern just at the moment. That's not Ratts' doing, it's just where we're at in this moment of time. There's no doubting the potential of the list, but in reality 15 or so will probably not make it past the next 3 years; that's not Ratts' fault, that's what Ratts has inherited.

I believe we have a list with quality players who will stand the test of time:

Backmen...Jamison, Waite, Thornton, Walker who will be supported by 2 who will stand up from Anderson, Grigg, Bower and Benjamin

Ruckmen...Kreuzer, Hampson...supported by 1 who will stand up from Aisake and Jacobs

Midfielders...Judd, Murphy, Gibbs, Simpson, Stevens, Hadley who will be supported by 4 who will stand up from Scotland, Carrazzo, Jackson, Armfild, Bentick, and Joseph and some of the forwards listed below.

Fowards...Fevola, Waite, Fisher and Betts, who will be supported by 2 who stand up from Houlihan, Pfieffer, Ellard, Browne and Hartlett.

Of the rookies. I'm expecting Aisake, Armfield, Browne, Anderson, Bower and Pfieffer to step up over time. I'm sure as sure that we'll snag a gun or two come season's end too!

Let Ratts do what he has to do.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

He needs at least two years...but we need to see solid results pretty fast.

IMO, we ARE seeing some solid results. Not wins, but solid foundations which future successful seasons will be built on.

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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.

I think that's a half-truth if taken as a reality (naturally your opinion is your opinion; can't exactly dispute that).

Different players are running about, which is always a plus because it indicates re-birth and growth, but in terms of game plan... it ain't much different and it ain't much chop with a young and inexperienced personnel, at least from where I sit.

I know it's early days but I think our style is too basic in terms of instruction and lacks clearly laid out (or drilled) defensive structures. It doesn't particularly upset me this year, but I'm not expecting big things from this season.

Part of me is hoping Justin Cordy has been training the boys to hit form in the coming weeks along with players like Stevens and Judd... but part of me is thinking it's just Ratts trying the 'slowly slowly' approach either because he's not sure in how to impose himself tactically with his playing list, or because he's just no good.

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

Fair point, but my point was more about individual results and the players themselves rather than overall game plan. We are seeing some of the younger players starting to develop and prove themselves in the senior side, IMO, and this year is as much about separating the wheat from the chaff. In previous years, it was more a case of "who's the least retarded one of you people in the special class?"

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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.

Good post Bondiblue. Ireckon you are almost spot on. We have to be prepared to give it the time to make it work. In the meantime we should pick the best available. Regardless of age ,experience or whether someone is going to be here next season. We need some wins . Our young blokes get more playing in a winning team than a losing one. Also it keeps members, supporters, sponsors, happier.

I hope Ratts works out...............but if he doesnt throw the bank at Bucks.

There is a nice interview with Ratts in the Hun today with Mark Robinson.

I can't find the link but in the artcle he mentions that he is trying to make contact with an AFL coach who started his career at a young age, but wouldn't mention his name.

It was good to read that he doesn't think he has all the answers because even though all the armchair coaches on this site, think they know everything and can't be told otherwise, Ratts isn't afraid to say he doesn't know everything.

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“It is a state of mind, a system of belief, a way of seeing the world, a deep faith that, because you are Carlton, you belong to something great.” - Mike Fitzpatrick articulating what Out of the Blue means.

I don't know much about strategic insight, but I'll never understand how players out of form get picked ahead of those in form. Russell remains in the team, Shaun Grigg and to a lesser extent O'hAilpin promoted after average Preston performances.
Pagan had many failings in his time at Carlton but at least made then earn a spot, ask Kade Simpson.
As for recruiting do we have to take only lobotomised players? I know we can live without blokes pissing on cafe windows but FFS at least they can play with spirit, Jacko seems out of favour because he is a character. Some of our young blokes (and veterans) are like robots on the field absolutely no passion. I pay to see passion not nice grammar boys giving the old school try and getting politely smashed each week. What happended to Murphy last year was a disgrace. People compare Hawthorn's rise as a model, I look at Hodge, Lewis, Brown and co and see blokes with real hard arse attitude not wearing a friggin wristband to remind them, that has a major say in setting examples and susequent success for mine.

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Green Shooter