Exactly. You look at it far too simplistically.

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

It was the same old story... Same old culprits making the same old bad decisions and skill errors. We had no system coming out of defence, and no system going into the forward line.

We were shown up to be the 2nd rate team we are by a Premiership contender in Sydney, who really, were just toying with us all day.

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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

I agree.

We have 2 key position forwards and we have Eddie / Garlett as our only fowards deep?????
Our forward setup's and ball coming into inside 50 is disgracefull. Still not sure what Barker is doing.
We got smashed in clearances as well .... again.
We seem to struggle against teams with good contested footy setup's in the midfield - yet were supposed to be the best at it!

Should be playing both!

Thronton as the hard working CHF, Casboult deep in the square and Waite as a third option roaming around inside 50.

Surround them with Betts and maybe Robbo and it is a pretty good set up IMO.

Just kick the ball directly to them, not out wide!!!!!

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Surely at this stage of the season the brains trust has worked out the season is bust and we are getting games into the kids. T Bird isnt in the next premiership side, time to work out if any of the kids on the list might be, hence the game time for Casboult. Bell is a ripper, makes some mistakes but I'd rather we get games into him than we roll out more game time for the likes of Curnow, Ellard etc.

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"Who discovered we could get milk from cows, and what did he think he was doing at the time?" Billy Connolly

My Wife noticed that when Thornton plays; we win; and when he doesn't....we lose.....and I'm not about to argue with her.......

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No ones listening till you make a mistake.

probably the most sense thats been made around here in a long long time.



On both counts!

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Which of his changers impressed you the most?

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"I had to eat"

Even if by some miracle (or Sticks's lack of balls) Brett Ratten maintains his job for next year, our forwards coach in John Barker and Stopages coach in Paul Williams both HAVE TO GO! These are two areas we ve been qutie pathetic at all year.

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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

Casboult is more than a hopeless kick. I saw him at close range today and two of his shots on goal from within 30 looked like he'd never kicked a football in his life. I'm serious, most 10 year olds have a smoother run, better ball drop, straighter leg and more pointed toe. Absolutely basic stuff. It wasnt that he missed the shots by a mile. His technique is jaw droppingly bad. Surely if it is possible to teach Irish recruits and even Mike Pike to kick it should be possible to do something about this.

Don't get me wrong, we should persist with him as he has great hands and is menacing, tough and hard. He also straightens us up. But he can't play at this level unless this kicking is corrected.

Is it my imagination, that despite his marks and goals, our fwd structure looks ordinary when Waite plays?

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"I had to eat"

Agree. + Riley

Some positives
We didnt get blown away
McInnes can play. Pity he didnt play earlier in the year
Casboult could be ok
Like Gartlett in the middle. Again should have been tried earlier

Negatives
Poor forward structures
lack of midfield depth
too many guys make poor decisions
poor kicking skills
Not enough gut running when we dont have a ball. Swans are great at this. We are shit at this
poor selections. Curnow ahead of Ellard. Unbelievable
Thornton should have played


And last but not least shocking coaching.
Gibbs on an injured Goodes
Moved when the game is lost
Please get rid of this guy Ratten

Finally on Gibbs and Kreuzer

I will call it

Will go down as disappointing draft picks
Gibbs too slow too soft not as skilfull as people think he is
Panics under pressure

Kreuzer can only play ruck. He is a plodder. What makes him special compared to other ruckman in the league.

People get defensive when this comes up. But the evidence is there to see every week
Gibbs had 29 possessions but had little impact even when he went onto the ball

It doesnt help that he has a coach with such a defensive mindset, but I personally would have preferred a trade if we could get another key position player. Ratten should have played McInnes, White or Jamo on Goodes from the start with Reid out.

Anyway Swans are what we arnt. A well drilled structured team and good to see Jack have another good one.

Plonked $25 on him to win the Charlie at 250-1.

About the only interest I have in the AFL at the moment.

Yep we need to surround Ratts with another new set of assistants....

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

No, its because he is not a key forward. He is an athlete that can take a grab. I actually liken him to Walker as a third type option.

Watch Thornton & Henderson when they play, they lead to the right spots and create space behind them. You'll also notice Eddie plays better when either of them are around.

IMO I would have Thornton, Henderson & Casboult as our three key forwards and Waite at CHB. If we are ever struggling he can go forward. That's where he played his best and most consistent footy and where he is happiest.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

It doesn't seem like John Barker's had a positive impact on our forward line and for all I know he may be a complete fool but ultimately the structure of our forward line remains Ratten's responsibility.

If you're the head coach your forwards coach is not coaching at odds with you; he's doing what you, he and the rest of the coaching panel deem necessary to construct a well drilled, dangerous, high scoring, skilled and tough forward line.

Same goes for all the other assistants. If it's this bad after this long it's Ratten's fault.

And regardless of the players available at any given time it really is pretty bad and has been for a lot longer that just since we started losing more regularly.

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

Sydney had the spare man in defence all afternoon and even though Carlton won the inside count 51-46, we were unable to setup any structure in the forward line.

Sydney time and again were able to spread and hit up targets with ease.

McInnes and White are not forwards and it beggers belief that Ratten has used a defender as a forward all year when it clearly doesn't work.

Thronton doesn't work hard enough, if he did he'd play every week.

Cant have an underdone Waite, a slow CBoult and a no defensive pressure Thornton in the same side.

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I hope Essendon* folds.