I am still on the fence in regards to Ratten's appointment. I think he got the job more out of nepotism rather than sound credentials and I was less than impressed with his overall gameplan last year. Losing to Brisbane in the final with a very healthy lead made me think he was frozen in Voss' headlights and got runover in the coaching department (by a less seasoned coach to boot).

I am willing to give him this year as he faces many challenges with a list I think is up to scratch.

So what will be a pass for him this year?

Personally I think a minimum will be playing finals but really I will not be happy unless I see the kicking in sorted out and an effective gameplan introduced (thank God we can finally throw out the kick it to Fev cr@p that we saw all last year!)

I would like to see some moves during the game that turn the game on its head, he has had a couple but if he is the man then he needs a lot more.

He has real versatility with the list at the moment and I think a Mathews, Roos or even Blight would be able to do magic with it.

I just do not want to see all this potential wasted with a coach not up to it.

So what's the pass in other people's books and who should we chase if he fails?

No reason we shouldn't be playing finals again as we have a very talented playing list that has been improved IMO even with Fev and Stevens gone.

Pass mark is 7-8th, a functioning forward line and proactive moves that influence a game outside of moving Waite forward.

For mine, Finals, preferably 4-7 finish. No heavy losses. More wins than losses against top 8 teams, especially Geelong, St Kilda, Adelaide. No team disunity.

I think 09 was halfway to that, there's no reason he shouldn't be able to tick off the rest.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Agree, we have a list which should be more than capable of making the eight.

Given just about every player on our list should improve to some extent - obviously Yarran, Robinson, Russell, Bower etc. moreso than say Thornton or Carrazzo and the influx of new talent such as McLean, Henderson and the draftees we should expect to go forward rather than treading water or slipping back.

Also having Waite, Jamison, Warnock, Walker, Bower and a few others injury free (fingers crossed) will give the team a big lift.

The loss of Fev will leave a hole no doubt but lets not forget there were plenty of games when he didnt fire or was out suspended so we do know what its like to have a forward line sans Fev.

Sadly, although I was a fan of Nick Stevens, I have to say I think his spot will be more than adequately covered by others. Towards the end he was as soft as marshmallow but I admit he probably showed enough guts just by walking onto the field each week given the seriousness of his neck injury.

So if we are fare dinkum about winning a flag in the next few years I think fifth or sixth should be our aim.

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Go Baggers...

We shall have a fair idea after R7. If we are 1 win & 6 losses, he will be lucky to see the season out.

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Cheats never prosper (except in the AFL)

Pass mark is 11-12.

Losing Fev will hurt us.

The fact is while our top end is good our bottom 6-8 is lacking and several experts have commented on this.

This is not Ratten's fault and if we miss finals he should still keep his job.

Anything below finishing 7th-8th is a failure in my books...
Yeah, our bottom 6 or so players may not be the best, but we've added to our list of top end players with McLean, Hendo, Lucas etc. Just think of the possible additions to the team that lost that Elimination Final last year:
Possible Ins: Waite, Warnock, Henderson, McLean, Hadley, Jamison, Lucas, Yarran, O'hAilpin
Outs: Cloke, Fevola, Stevens,
Instant improvement... Only the loss of Fev will hurt, as Stevo was really on his las legs last year, and Cloke and Wiggins are 'serviceable' at best...

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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

We have lost Fev, but I'll tell you what - Waite, Henderson, Kruezer, Setanta, Hampson as possible fwds is >>> than what a lot of other sides have up fwd.

And anyhow, midfield is king these days, and ours should be stronger than last year. Stevo had a poor year in 2009 so his loss means nothing, but McLean is in, Hadley is fit, Gibbs/Murphy will improve further, Carrazzo is due to start the year fit (unlike 2009), robbo/Yazz will be better.

Also the backline should improve - a clear back 5 or 6 is emerging, and we haven't had that luxury for some time.

Really, to say we should aim for 10-11 bec Fev is gone is to be hopelessly mediocre in one mind set.

Finals or fail.

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It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

As long as we keep improving as we have. Dotting the i's and crossing the t's. No shortcuts so that when we are really ready for a crack at the flag we are prepared for any circumstance that could arise.

What i am expecting is a real defensive game plan that is going to frustrate most on here. There will be times when the whole team is zoning behind the ball similar to the way the saints and Crows play and the way the Dogs and Pies started to play last year. With fev gone this plan will be easier and expect to see players like yarran, betts, Garlett, Robo, Kruise, Murphy, Judd and even johnson streaming inside our empty fifty to take marks leading at our goals. An unpredictable more mobile forwardline that can also push back will more than cover for fev.

Top eight is a pass. No Floggings and continued individual improvement in the players.

For me it will be overcoming the feared deficiencies in our forward line. Getting rid of Fevola was one thing, but also ensuring we are able to cover his loss some way is another. If Ratts is able to cover the loss of Fev somehow (and by cover, I don't mean a player kicks 89 goals), this will lead to us being competitive on field, which will also pass Ratts, and finishing in the top eight. If we don't finish in the eight at the very least, then I deem this year as an underachieving one, with Ratts well and truly under the microscope and in the crucible.

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Premierships: 1869, 1871, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1877, 1887, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1914, 1915, 1938, 1945, 1947, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1995.

"GIBBS."

A pass = finals. Anything less is a failure. Simple.

I'd just like to see our ladder percentage improve again from last year which will mean we're improving our overall efficiency.

..hard to say actually.. ..losin' fev and stevo retiring is alot of experience out the door.. ..i dont think it will be a win loss ratio, but more how we play gameplan wise and structures.. ..if he looks clueless, he's out..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..

I agree with that ...but our style of play must be appealing to the fans at the same time.

Would hate to see us ultra-defensive with a shutdown style of play kicking only 11 or 12 goals a game.

Rats has the talent, no excuses.

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There's so much I could say...

Not stalking you Budzy but i reckon the shutdown style is what you are going to get this year. Both Ratts and Riley have hinted at it. It worked well for the saints, crows, dogs and pies last year. Against lesser teams it crushes them and opens up the game to allow pretty footy but against the top teams that are doing the same thing an arm wrestle entails (see 09 finals)

I look forward to watching Ratts continuing to build our list into a top team. So far so good (offield stuff aside).

We need to be proactive and find our own style that works with the talent we have. No more being reactive and copying things from yesterday...

Can we be the visionaries??

Can Ratts make a name for himself and mark his his own name down in the history books??

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There's so much I could say...

True Budzy i hear what you are saying. Combating zone defences is the biggest challenge for afl coaches in my opinion. Handpass at all costs and keeping the ball moving was one stategy but zones have changed and got bigger as far as i can see so that tactic is becoming harder.

Would be great if Ratts came up with the tactic to change the game. Not sure he will though. Dont know who will actually. Prehaps the thing that seperates teams will be more subtle in coming seasons. Similar to soccer where teams know what each other trying to do but little changes,players characters and unique skills seperate the good from the bad.

I'd be surprised if we made the 8.

I'm willing to cop a losing season, as they say in American sports, as long as we see progression and development from fringe or new players.

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"In fairness it did seem in the early days of the draft teams would just pick a name totally at random out of a hat. I'm pretty sure we picked James Cook at #2 one year. The mediocre forward, not the explorer" - Me, 12/9/2011

Carlton 2012: Lets remind them why they once feared the Dark.

I'll be pissed if we dont make the 8. Yes we got rid of Fev but we finished well ahead of the bottom 8 sides. We have 3 No.1 draft picks who should all make substantial improvement and the inclusion of Waite, McLean, a fit Jamison, Warnock etc should more than compensate for our losses. Yes Fev is 4 goals a game we must find but the increase in defensive pressure will limit the damage. Considering our talent pool, we are a top 8 side.
Less than that will be a failure IMO.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

I know what you mean, Sean, but I think development of some fringe players will mean a step forward, as the gap between the top tier and the mid-range tier in the team will have narrowed, which will mean an improved performance and at least finals this year.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.