Who the hell is responsible for recruiting Ackland

gerry atric · **Joined:** Tue Mar 01, 2005 9:35 am **Posts:** 2125

Anyone know who is actually responsible for recruiting Ackland? How can we have studied him in a lot of games, spoken to St Kilda people like Thomas and Rendall who were recently sacked and probably would've given us an honest opinion and still picked him up? Or did we just 'do a carlton' and recruit him because someone saw him play a good game once.

Is it Wayne Hughes, Kerna, Pagan? Anyone know? More deserving players will be cut because Ackland is on a 3 year deal. I would have rathered begin the season with Cloke and Mclaren as our ruckmen, at least they would give a contest. How can we make a decision to get a player on a 3 year deal, and then 6 weeks in we lose Cloke and McLaren but don't expect Ackland to step up, we use Santy as our main ruckman even tho his sum total of experience as a ruckman is a few minutes here and there in the Ants.

When Dick Pratt said yesterday that he leaves footy decisions up to Sticks I was almost ill. Surely we are not going to leave any footy decisions to Sticks. Love his passion but he doesn't know much about recruiting or coaching and has a hand in a string of bad decisions. Pratt as much as said DP will be gone by years end - there's no way we will win 10, I reckon 4 might be more realistic (and beneficial). When we get a new coach it can't be a mate of Sticks we need an independent panel. And whovever made the assessment and decision about Ackland - sack him!

The Tyrant · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 12:23 pm

drop Ackland and bring in Aisake

Duelling O'hAilpins in the ruck....

McIntosh is good but he's not a physical or intimidating player.... neither is Hale

bluehammer · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 12:25 pm

Yep was nervous about the deal then and now just plain confused.

Thought when Carlos was in the ruck yesterday we looked ok, the minute Ackland - a ruckman apparently - played there we looked toilet.

We actually looked toilet all day apart from about 20 mins in the first quarter.

Effes · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 12:32 pm

Always thought it was a pathetic decision to give him a three year contract and unfortunately it's looking like he will either continue to not contest in the seniors or go the same way as Dylan McLaren and play in the reserves

Pathetic recruiting using 2 number one picks in the pre season draft on two very substandard ruckmen who ARE NOT gap fillers, they are no better than French.

What makes the situation even worse is that WE DID NOT chase an out of contract Steven Salopek at the end of 2005 who was looking to come back to Victoria but re-signed with Port when it became apparent that we were going to pick McLaren

Barack Obama · **Joined:** Thu Nov 23, 2006 10:47 am **Posts:** 1162

Wayne Hughes is in charge of recruiting isn't he? I'm pretty sure he picks for us in both the National and Pre-Season drafts. While I am very happy with his national draft recruiting, you have to be a bit worried about his selections in the pre season draft. Then again, perhaps picking those players is not his choice, he is instructed to do that by someone else, Denis perhaps?

spf · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 1:10 pm

Quote:

Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2006 10:44 pm Post subject:

phoenix johnson wrote:
I played in a forum match along side Josh many moons ago and he isn't a board member.

Just a smart 19 year old who has connections to certain board members.

Good call on Ackland, Josh.

Quote:

Yes congratulations Josh I was REALLY hoping you were wrong. Cain Ackland?!?!? Well they're consistent I'll give them that but seriously folks what bloody difference is this bloke going to make to our side? I can only hope he's a Ben Hudson style defender that's just waiting to surprise the footballing world because I'd rather Deluca rucking than him and I've seen both first hand.

Believe me folks this is a mistake. We should have plodded on with Bryan, Deluca, McLaren and Setanta rather than go this route and take a chance on a robust 200cm plus ruck out of the WAFL, SANFL or alike.

Check the mail on Port with Ackland, they ditched him because they knew he didn't work hard enough to be a consistent AFL player and he's now to short for the modern game! St Kilda which has major ruck concerns would have moved heaven and earth to keep him IF he'd been even approaching middle of the road quality. I was very unimpressed with his rucking efforts last year and he's been just about unsighted this year in a side screaming out for rucks.

I really hope the 3 year deal thing is false.

As I posted last October in reply to phoenix and Josh, this was a seriously bad move I felt then and we're really paying for it now. We're not going to be able to on trade him to anyone so we'll end up having to either pay him out early or it's going to cost another player a spot on our list. We're effectively down a spot for at least 2 years with this guy.

I'd send him back to the Bullants with priority given to our younger rucks until he shows something. Filthy we're paying for him long term to effectively play reserves footy. I'd much rather persist with Wiggins on our list than this idiot.

I've NEVER rated Ackland since his Port days and really thought someone like Michael Griffiths (WAFL) would have been a better gamble with a bigger upside. Ruckman that aren't mobile but can at least hold their own in the centre square offer more than we're currently getting. You can after all work on fitness.

Barnesy · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 4:37 pm

The problem was he was selected as a security for us.

Bryan was leaving, Mclaren had pre season issues, French retired, the big picture at the time was we needed to spend more to ensure we had some sought of coverage.

Yep, I think I would like to the two Ohailpin boys going it in the ruck next week, Aisake to jump in for Cloke now he has decided to get season ending surgery.

budzy · **Joined:** Mon Feb 28, 2005 11:17 am **Posts:** 8128

A total embarrassment for those at the club who heralded his recruitment & arrival at Carlton.
We were just about free of the rediculous player contracts but have now another one added to the books.
:garthp:

keogh · **Joined:** Fri Jul 29, 2005 6:36 am **Posts:** 6408

In Aisake
Out Ackland

phninja · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 6:02 pm

Gerry, the extension to your question that I've always wanted an answer to is :

Who the hell signed up Ackland....for THREE years !

chubbyruss · **Joined:** Tue Sep 05, 2006 8:59 am **Posts:** 8631

I'll blame Pagan- I blame him for everything else

GAVROMAN · **Joined:** Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:29 pm **Posts:** 391

Isnt Aisake still on our rookie list??? If so, i dont think we can select him. Maybe he will get elevated for Cam Cloke?

camel · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 6:24 pm

phninja wrote:

Gerry, the extension to your question that I've always wanted an answer to is :

Who the hell signed up Ackland....for THREE years !

Yes, that is the worrying part.

Clearly a 3 year deal indicates he was more than a Plan B signing.

Wangers · **Joined:** Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:26 pm **Posts:** 1763

What I'd like to know is who's in charge of player development?

We need to get this area of the football department structured up so that our players are fast tracked in terms of readiness.

Steven Icke/Greg Swann, I hope your are doing something about this ASAP. Wonder if Stephen M or Mark H can advise us of this?

maxyblue · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 8:18 pm

spent the night having to listen to a bunch on sanctimonious filth supporters feeling good about themselves ... worse part is that much of what they said was on the money ...

our amateurish, dysfunctional admin allowed the madman (pagan) to trade for duds like longmuir, chambers ... he put together wonderful highlight clips of them, brought them over on 2 year contracts, then never played them ... can we find "the genius" a gig as a wedding video producer?

but then he went and wastes picks on mott, mclaren, Ackland ...

but one fine day we decide to join the 21st century and appoint a fair-dinkum manager of footy operations (icke) ...

so then what do we do? castrate him and leave footy matters to sticks ... :roll:

we will NEVER punch on equal terms with the big boys while we allow sticks to carry on as a (very) poor mans greg miller ... another of the never-ending legacies of buffoon jack's reign is the walk-on-water status afforded to sticks ...

ENOUGH IS FLOWER ENOUGH ...

where is our line in the sand moment?

where / when do we have the guts to enpower someone like icke with the responsibility for making / taking the HARD decisions?

sticks is the personification of our amateurish state ... wants to be mates with everyone AND be a director ... :roll:

... if he wants to be matey-matey then give him some bullshit club ambassadorial role and leave the hard decision making to those with the balls to get their hands dirty for the club ...

he cannot be trusted with the crucial decision re the future of carlton ... i'm appalled that pratt is seemingly going to defer this to sticks ... :evil:

bluehammer · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 9:09 pm

maxyblue wrote:

i'm appalled that pratt is seemingly going to defer this to sticks ... :evil:

I doubt he will.

Pratt is a do-er. Saying Sticks runs the football department is a good media line, but big Dick runs the club. He'll do what's right when the time is right I'm certain. Wasted no time in making administrative changes so i'm keeping the faith on this one...

Elwood Blues1 · **Joined:** Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:10 am **Posts:** 4827

I said it was mistake at the time but was howled down after his supposed ok NAB cup form.....he is undersized and lacks intensity.

I think Jacobs is a better tap ruck than Aisake but the irishman the better around the ground player...he is very exciting in the Buddy Franklin mode and I wouldnt mind seeing both of them get a go sooner than later.
Hampson is a nice athlete but needs some more ruck nous and game time in the twos...

bondiblue · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 9:43 pm

I haven't changed my position on 196cm ruckmen; ruckmen they are not at AFL level.

OK, The Demons' White is the exception...he as some spring tin his jump.

McLaren
Ackland
Cloke (great competitor)

are not ruckmen. Setanta and Aisake can jump all over those players, let alone compete in the air against all comers.

Hampson may end up as a KP, but if he stack on the muscle I reckon he'll be able to carry it well...but he's not ready atm; at least he could jump and compete better than Ackland is atm.

I too agree that a punt on Griffith would have been a good 50/50 punt. But nah, 2006 PSD and they [whoever thery are] decide to go with 196 cm slow KP to ruck at AFL level....again.

Tell 'em they're dreamin'. Whe will they learn. Stop the bleeding.

OUT: Ackland and Cloke (through injury)
IN: Aisake and Hampson, and let Setanta learn to be our KP defender against the gorillas.

At least we'll understand what we'll get out of Aisake if is played, especially when he makes mistakes. Whereas watching Ackland ...it's such a drag.

We've been dudded, he has a lot to prove, and his selectors haven't learnt a thing about ruckmen.

Conundrum · **Joined:** Wed Aug 10, 2005 3:23 pm **Posts:** 436

I for one was pleased with the strategy to sign up Ackland as an interim solutionn until our younger ruckmen took time to develop. Have seen him smash French and valued his mobility and versatility in playing up as a forward. Smart move under the circumstances given that it did not cost us a trade. St Kilda were disappointed in having to let him go and have picked up Gardiner as a replacement who has given them zero value.

With the beenfit of hindsight he has been our biggest dissapointment, giving us nothing in the contests and around the ground so much so that a part time ruckman like Cloke has overtaken him. Can't be critical of the Football Club because we were not blessed with a lot of choices to fill the short term void.

Having said that he needs to the be the first dropped and replaced until he earns his spot. Has the talent to contribute but has become complacent given the lack of competition. Aisake for me even if it means he gets smashed. HE has a future and the quicker he gets to 50 senior games the quicker he will peak when we are ready to make an impression in the finals.

Conundrum

Jarusa · **Joined:** Sat Feb 26, 2005 9:00 am **Posts:** 23123

You t have to read this threadwhen Ackland first came to Carlton to see the mood of TC about this player.

Some good judges. :wink:

Who the hell is responsible for recruiting Ackland

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