Been very hard to judge our recruiting over recent times as I believe our development has been crap!

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Do you think there has been noticeable development improvement thus far 2013 with R.Wiley's / MM's influence?

I think the signs are extremely positive at this stage.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

It's probably a bit hard to tell Birdman but I think there has been a definate improvement in the output of some players. Walks, Jeffy and Yaz seem to be playing a lot better. Lucas has improved, Touhy is growing in confidence each week after a slowish start. Whether this could be classed as development or not I don't know but there is definate improvement. Murph's defensive side has been fantastic the last couple of weeks, something that many of us were critical of. I for one are very pleased with the progress thus far.

Yes i hope we one day move away from being average and we do grow ourselves some balls.
Lucas improving is good if you get excited about average footballers.
You see when you have done nothing and now do the minimum required on the field it's an improvement.
Now compare him to the better players in his fraft and subsequent drafts even...
To p twelve picks need to be shooting more than average.
Watson is showing nothing at all.

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Yes i hope we one day move away from being average and we do grow ourselves some balls.
Lucas improving is good if you get excited about average footballers.
You see when you have done nothing and now do the minimum required on the field it's an improvement.
Now compare him to the better players in his fraft and subsequent drafts even...
To p twelve picks need to be shooting more than average.
Watson is showing nothing at all.

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I think we need to recruit some more flankers./...

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TC suffers from the social media illness - the death of respect and constructive discourse by keyboard.

Too early to say Lucas is a bad pick. Sure if he only ends up being a fringe player he will be washed up at 25.

But if he improves further, he could have another 8-10 seasons.

Now at this stage we don't know, he has shown he can play but needs areas to work on.

Watson is far more concerning in my view.

I share the same concern re Watson, would it be unjustifiably negative of me to also be as equally concerned about Mitchell? because i am..

Technicality: Seasoned muscle, unless you're Essendon*, then it's a pre-season of muscle.

Adulation happens in any job, perform and you're the best thing since sliced bread, make a mistake and someone will make you aware if it, doesn't matter if you're a footballer or part of the corporate workforce. Also doesn't matter time of day or your age.

Living away from home isn't that difficult either unless you're very dependant on your support network.

In fact it tends to toughen you up a bit by learning how to survive, make your own meals, do your own household chores, make $100 last a fortnight, paying bills etc.

Young Interstate/Country Footballers have it easier IMO. All they have to do is train hard and work on weaknesses, put their beat foot forward. Clubs give them every opportunity to succeed by taking away life challengers as best they can, that's the life training they are missing.

You get a hammy injury .. u cant do leg work... you have to do some kind of work... maybe upper body??
Ok you didnt do that ... so ur into your second season... ... still nothing.. and then begins your third..youre on the outter... you dont get stronger youre not doing the work....... then into your fourth... you have a new coach.. you want to impress him... season starts you get brushed off like a first season player.. opposition players see u when they have the ball and they back thsemselves to run over the top of you...your tackles dont stick..you ahve a reputation for soft tackles

Plus youre a shit kick for a pick in the top dozen .....your floaters are the same as in your first season...


What the @#$%&! have you been doing all that time should be the question asked???

No sense of urgency about this guy...... its a common theme with alot of our players...

Do they wanna make it?
Do they want success?
Or are they happy to cruise from one season into the next....and get the support of supporters who "see improvent"

Never win flags with that lack of urgency and crappy attitude!!!

There is no way Lucas would be honest if he says he works hard for his game.. and teammates and club

But yeah we cant bag the guy... or the recruiters who continue to drag in guys who dont have what it takes

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Good to here from you Cazz. Thought the only time you visited this site to tell us all the great bands you have seen.

Our recruiting and development of players have been below par.
the evidence is the last 8 years proves this.
one finals win

there is the evidence cazzman.


As for Lucas he should be better than he is now.
You dont get on with Ratten doesnt excuse you from playing like a wimp like he did last year.
His core strength is pathetic for a guy in the system for 4 years.

Watson, McCarthy, Mitchell all are still young but the signs are not good. Mitchell is very slow as is Watson and McCarthy simply doesnt get involved enough at contests at VFL level. I just hope these guys make it to some degree because we really need key targets up forward and still need a big mother down back.

I know picking 18 yearolds is not an exact science but somehow Steven Wells delivers time and time again.


Sometimes we are wrong Cazz
Sometimes we are right
You defended Jordan Russell to the hilt.
Who was right in the end there.


As I have said before its about having more hits and misses.
Our top picks have overall been disappointing in IMO

You must have had the same maths teacher as Synbad. It 3 years and 5 games. Surely as a teacher you can count to 10.

And I thought you and the Badman blamed Ratts for the problem with development. Now with him gone that should all be fixed so I guess you have nothing to fear now in that area.

Regards Cazzesman

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Ricky Gervais - “Everyone has the right to hold whatever beliefs they want. And everyone else has the right to find those beliefs f***ing ridiculous.”

We pinched the recruiting guy from Geelong, I think we should have pinched the Development guy.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

That's shit recruiting

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#DonTheStash

Kane has been among our most improved in 2013

But in saying that he still has a long way to go and seriously needs to improve his kicking and tackling/hardness. These two aspects are well below the level required LT

But he can run and has shown in 2013 he can find he ball

Remember Sydney's Jack was recruited for one main reason. Workrate. Roos didn't think he'd make it. Now a gun.

Similar to Watson from Essendon* workrate > talent

not everyone makes 100 games Cazzesman.
The trick of getting to 100 games is playing 99 good ones.... and better than 20 others all the way through...
But unless youre not planning on recruiting too many more pushing through... say.. you believe we should be recruiting more half back flankers.. and talls that cant run.. and guys that cant kick..or body up in games and tackle... hes a chance of making it to 100 games.
But he wouldnt get a game for Geelong or HAwthorn.!!!

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