Rightly or wrongly, love him or not, believe in him or otherwise, there's no denying the growing general feeling in the AFL community that Ratten is a dead man walking.

Be it perception or reality, it doesn't particularly matter, but for as long as this uncertainty remains, it's going to be difficult for the club to pull together as one and (dare I say it) 'move forward'.

Difficult and delicate times ahead off-field, until some semblance of short-to-mid term stability becomes clear. We're going to be hearing of Malthouse, Roos et al ad infinitum to the point of monotony throughout 2011. Batten down the hatches.

or we could do what Essendon* did, and listen to the masses and media, shit ourselves, and appoint him for three more years on the back of nothing.

the speculation, and rumour, is simply that, brewed by those who think ratten is poor, and the media who need something to write about.

mark my words. ratten will be under imense pressure next year, becuase everyone and everything will be wanting him either to be a massive success or a massive failure. why? becuase it will sell newspapers.

when the reality is. every year, he and the club has set a standard to which they have wanted to achieve the next year.

and here is the amazing thing. every year, both he and the club have achieved it. i honestly dont know what more supporters/media want from a coach/players

we have progressed every year under his tenure, and that includes what many thought would be a step backwards for us last year after losing fevola.

he has now set the standard for next year. a home final. if we achieve that, we have again made an improvement on this season past. we then raise the bar again next year, etc.. until we achieve the ultimate success. if we start to fall away, then he will be stood down, but until then, to date he has achieved everything asked of him, and has my full support (not that it means much in the scheme of things)

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Got to love the stare Down by Setanta on Llyod

Why not set the standard for top 4 next year?

why not set the standard, that anything but a grand final win is a failure?

we finished 8th this season, as it turned out, the finals also pretty much mimicked where sides are in relation to each other.

progress and moving forward is a combination of your side improving, whilst those around you fall away.

realistically, i think we could make the top 4, like this season passed, but alot would have to go right. for us to improve we need to finish between 3-6, and that i think is a reasonable expectation, in doing so, we would have reached the goal of a home final

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Got to love the stare Down by Setanta on Llyod

SS, i think with our list, we should be setting the standard higher than a home final. We could finish 8th and get a home final. It`s too much of a cop out for players and coach. What`s wrong with aiming for top 4? Sends a clear message to the players, not partial line in the sand stuff. Cornflakes Thomas had St Kilda playing Prelims` soon after taking over.

While it will not be bad when we compare it to where we have been - I think that 2011 will be seen as a year of under achievement.

But the frustration and unrest that results from this will result in correct decisions being made - and this will bring results in 2012 and beyond.

It would be foolish to consider established and older coaches to replace Ratten if it comes to that.

Malthouse is closing in on 60 and has his best achievements behind him.

His latest flag is serendipitous - there will be no era of Magpie domination to come from this result. I think that we will instead have more 'glum Eddie' pictures to add to our collection.

Roos is younger - but finds more in the past than the future as far as football is concerned.

Carltons best hopes lie in being bold - Looking at younger men that are burning with the desire to achieve as AFL coaches - not old hands that are recycled - and whose best days are behind them..

Youth is the best fit for our club - in players and also in coaching.

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My Blue Heaven

Even old people learn.

The two coaches in the NRL Grandfinal were about the oldest going around.

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I hope Essendon* folds.

Ratten down the hatch.

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"I had to eat"

When you say that you must have an audience in mind ... ie not happening fast enough for whom?

I reckon he's travelling along nicely. My main concern is when we trade away draft picks for re-treads,
although you'd have to say Judd was "reasonable" acquisition.

Shame about MM getting a flag, but lets not forget he's been there 11 years, (with a lot of prior experience too).

BK

As long as we improve on this years end result i.e. higher position on the ladder and AT LEAST win one final, then he should remain.

I'll admit I don't think he's a good coach, but he's got us in the finals for the past two years. Unfortunately, we've been bundled out in straight sets.

If we have another year of that, then he could be in trouble.

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Writer for SuperCoach Paige www.scpaige.com.au
Twitter - @johnfeeney24

3AW Sports Tonight still going with Malthouse to Carlton in 2012. Derwayne said it came from head of the coaches association.
Also remain heavily into Tarrant.

Danny Frawley

Danny Frawley

Any talk of malthouse to carlton is just a plan by his people to put pressure on Eddie to rearrange the buckley/malthouse deal.

He wont coach carlton.

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"I can't wait to win a premiership with this club" - Fev

Peter Sidwell isn't driving this. Caroline Wilson is. That's not to say Peter Sidwell hasn't fielded a call from Caro...I wouldn't know, but Caro reckons she's onto something and she's like a dog with a bone when she thinks she's right. Malthouse won't coach another AFL team after Collingwood. If I were a journo, I'd be writing about the influence that both Simon Lloyd (now Freo Development Coach) and Mark Neeld (Collingwood midfield coach 2010, Collingwood defensive coach 2009) have had on the playing group. Look for Neeld to be a leading candidate for the Geelong job within the week.

You don't think he's a good coach, but we should keep him premised on the fact he has got us into the finals for the past 2 years? Madness.

Keep Ratten but get him the right support. With the assistant coach positions available now is the time. We have the players and the facilities. Mark Thompson is even available now. Throw a squillion bucks at him but get him. Director of coaching no worries.

Then even Ratts will look good.

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"Get ready, Teddy - you're on": Ron Barassi half time 1970 Grand Final

The heart and soul have to be in the job - otherwise the necessary success will not be achieved,

So a younger coach will have more motivation and 'gas in the tank' than an older man will.

More motivation translates to more passion and desire for the job.

Mark Thonpson is not old - but he admitted that his heart wasn't in the job and he is burnt out.

One of the last times that money was thrown at an old coach was Malcolm Blight at St Kilda - which was a massive failure..

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My Blue Heaven

I was listening to Alan Richardson talk tonight at a football function I attended. Out of the coaches he's been involved with (Kennedy, Matthews, Shaw, Frawley, Eade, Rohde, Malthouse, Knights) he rates Matthews the best.
He also confirmed what I've heard from other assistant coaches that Malthouse is virtually a football director already. Buckley, Neeld, Brown and co do nearly all the training and strategic planning.

I'll give Malthouse credit, he's parked his ego to an extent and allowed the younger blokes to drive the club to a premiership. He's smart enough to take the credit when it comes along.

Why anyone would be naive enough to want him coaching Carlton is beyond me. Collingwood aren't moving him along for no reason. Past it. If you want a new coach, look to the future, not the past.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.