Hi Guys,

I'm sure this has been posted previously and lots of discussions have been posted elsewhere but theres no central spot.

I hear a lot about what is wrong with Carlton but never any constructive comments about what the club needs to do to take the next step.

What are Carltons main issues? Are they?

Coaching style? Game plan? What you recommend?
Not quick enough?
Not tall enough?
Should Pagan drop his paddock and go with the Buddy Box?
What players need to go? Obviously the 22 we have go aren't up to it?
Ruckman our issue?
List too young which i've been hearing for last 2years?
Carlton 4th quarter fadeouts? fitness issues?
Where do we need to recruit? I wouldnt say ruck now we got alaske and hampson coming thru
ETC

I hope l dont hear the give it a couple years story, which may be true. But this season l think the blues have turned the corner, they have been capable of winning all their games apart from geelong and wce.

Its not that far from going from bottom to finals. North Melb are on the verge of 5wins in a row if they beat Carlton and their list isnt any better then ours.

I just want the blues to be setup going into year 2008 with the aim to play finals. Even if it means playing young guys to get experience like Alaske in the team this year, so he gets experience for next year, then l say we do things like that.

Whats the club need to do?

Most of what you listed is true, some of it will come with natural progression (the give it a couple of years you didn't want to hear), some of it will need tweaking and action by the football department (better strategy and player development from the coaching staff).

One area the club can definitely improve in is its supporters being a little more patient.

Thats not a knock on you as I believe your post was acknowledging we've come a long way, but your point is the club can't sit by expecting it to just happen.

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1. New Coach: should be taken care of soon
2. Need a ruckman: So you either wait for the younsgters to develop or recruit one.
3. Midfield experience. Will come with time. I suggest we recruit an extra experienced mid in the off season together with Stevens next season you should see a marked improvement.
4. Better structure up forward. Hartlett and/or Kennedy to be given opportunities up there ahead of Lance. System going inside 50.
5. Extra pace up forward. Benjamin will cover this issue.

Improve in these areas and Number 17 is just around the corner.

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" Koutoufides has taken the last quarter by the scruff of the neck..." Commentary Drew Morphett Last Qtr '99 Prelim. Pure Gold.

Thanks for the memories Kouta. You are and always will be a True Blue Carlton Legend. #43.

Need a quality ruckman....someone who can at least contest with Lade, Cox, Sandilands etc.

Need more pace.....too many plodders..Benjamin will help but he looks more of a forward than a genuine midfielder.

Need a CHF.....but we need a game plan that uses a CHF...dont have that at the moment..

Need a new coach...

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

On the ladder, mainly.

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1 - New coach - Well Pratt expects/wants 10-11 wins so a bit hard see pagan staying. any inside word?

2 - We did recruit a ruckman, actually 2 - Cloke and Ackland. I think we promote Alaske asap and see what happens. Hampson comes in next year. Keep cloke/ackland around till those 2 are ready, or atleast cloke.

Well JK is meant to be our CHF

What about Buddy Franklins box gameplan?

Wayne Carey could be our CHF ..wouldnt matter...we would bypass him and kick to Fev regardless....
JK cant get into games because we dont hav a game plan that inludes him..

_________________
"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

Atm, we need a coach who will have full youth development prioritised ahead of his own win/loss ratio.

Bring on October ASAP!!!

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There's so much I could say...

JK has been slaughtered.

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There's so much I could say...

Chris Judd

They need to start believing in themselves and trusting their own ability

_________________
If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

Give it a couple of years......

Yep...by the coach...

_________________
"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

I look on the club from a distance and contemplate where the club could improve, my immediate thoughts are not to the players or the coach but the culture.

Does the culture of our club reflect and work in sync with modern, successful footballing practices?

As a club are we finding it difficult to find our way because our successful culture on field (money and influence) has now been eroded by the draft and the salary cap? I think so. We never had to do it in the past to the extent that we do now . We bought in the best and a way we went. To me the culture is all important in ensuring that the players develop as quickly as both men and as footballers. It doesn't only rely on the match committee, football department but everybody at the club.

Give clubs like Collingwood and Pt Adelaide credit. Clearly these clubs embrace youth and player development. It amazes me how quickly the youth players at Pt Adelaide adapt, rise to the standard of AFL. This can only be done by total committment to a positive and supportive environment that instills a sense of confidence and belonging at the club and playing AFL football. With a bit of assertive list management these clubs are on the way up again, in Port's case very quickly after their 2004 flag.

NEXT..

What financial strategies, plans or revenues will take our club forward to be a powerful sporting brand that is successful off the field, not only on the field? The third richest man in Aust is not going to be around forever and the expenses with running a football club are only going to get greater. When he goes then what?

Yeah that's it for today.

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Main issues

Coaching - hopefully a change there soon

Fev - Way too Fev focussed - there will be a limit to our level of improvement until we break out of this - whether it be through a coaching directive and change in gameplan (cant see it under pagan), injury/suspension based extended layoff or a trade (neither of the last 2 would be desirable at this point in time). In order to take the focus off fev, we MUST play whitnall forward at all times

Rucks - can see improvement to come with aisake and possibly hampson. Will be a big step up as soon as we drop ackland

Backline - a settled back 5/6 is essential. No more of throwing waite around, let him develop at CHB, Setanta at FB etc

how about our players pull their fingers out and put an end to the basic skill errors they keep making over and over agian.

Why doesn't training emphasise skill and ball work? All we read about are the same drills again and again. Smash ball and more smash ball.

Midfield run. I wouldn't mind trading a 3rd round pick for a half-decent 100-120 game experienced midfielder. Our kids need protection and I really do think that experience in the middle is holding us back along with a poor coach.

Even if the midfielder was 25, I'd think about it.

Agree with Elwood, a ruckman is desperately needed - someone who can compete against the giants of the competition, I've had enough of this 196cm-itis.

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

Pagan would still say to the press after a loss that these things happen with a young team. Even if it avg 25 year olds

I don't really care about the height issue, but the speed issue is a major thing. I dont like having 196 players slower then other taller ruckmen. If they are 196 they should be like a goodes like ruckmen back in the day. Athletic and can jump.

Maybe we recruit from America and get a 6-6 player like Jordan over here would be nice if he could kick and handball.

Where do we improve??

-Gameplans and tactics. solution: new coach and assistant coaches (keeping in mind we retain the good ones weve got)

defensive pressure forward player(i.e davey type). Solution we can either recruit one or groom one, benji comes in mind.

Midfileld mature bodies and hardness. solution: recruit a harder bodied senior midfielder OR sit tight coz our boys are getting bigger and harder and stronger, one more preseason will show a huge difference for our young midfielders

ruck division: we have 5 ruckmen in the squad , yet against the kangas we r gonna ruck cain and setanta(im assuming) dont get me wrong i love setanta but the MC need to give one of our genuine ruck prospects a gp just like hawks did with max baily and roos with moran and the dockers with warnock.

Defence: is much improved as compared to the last 5 seasons, we must perservere with waite and setanta We still leak plenty of goals though. Solution. we gotta get all those unaccountable players out of the defence. Also,turnovers upfield make thie defence look worse than what it acctually is.