I just don't get it....how do people who watch a lot of footy over a number of years continue to defend the indefensible - our game plan (or lack of it)????

I know it was a practise match last night and I wasn't overly interested in watching the individuals or match ups...I was solely focussed on seeing how our structures and ball movement had developed over the countless hours of pre-season training and planning.

1. Had we learnt to defend kick outs ? (ie. push back, properly mark zones, force teams wide and hold them up)

NO !!!! I think the swans had three coast to coast scores in the first half alone !

2. Had we developed a kick out strategy that allowed us to move and control the ball forward ?

NO !!!! Our best result is generally a boundary throw in on the wing !

3. Had we developed a game plan of entering the forward line to create space and maximise our strengths ?

NO !!!! We constantly target our leads and kicks towards the pockets or bomb it long to a contest !

I could go on and on.....But you all get my point...I think !

Now let me ask those who consistently defend our match committee a question....don't you see these same things ?

As I said last year, I loved B Ratten as a player more than anyone ! Unfortunately the sad truth is that it is quickly becoming apparent that he is not going to make it as a an elite AFL coach.

As terrible as this sounds, the 'best' thing for Carlton this year....would be for this myth to be exposed....so that we can move on in 2011 with a new coach and game plan that is capable of maximising our strengths!!!

So I now ask all ratten supporters (Kernahan, Cazzessman, Mrs Caz et al)....enlighten me please what do you see in our match committee that I am missing???

I just don't get it....how do people who watch a lot of footy over a number of years continue to defend the indefensible - our game plan (or lack of it)????

I know it was a practise match last night and I wasn't overly interested in watching the individuals or match ups...I was solely focussed on seeing how our structures and ball movement had developed over the countless hours of pre-season training and planning.

1. Had we learnt to defend kick outs ? (ie. push back, properly mark zones, force teams wide and hold them up)

NO !!!! I think the swans had three coast to coast scores in the first half alone !

2. Had we developed a kick out strategy that allowed us to move and control the ball forward ?

NO !!!! Our best result is generally a boundary throw in on the wing !

3. Had we developed a game plan of entering the forward line to create space and maximise our strengths ?

NO !!!! We constantly target our leads and kicks towards the pockets or bomb it long to a contest !

I could go on and on.....But you all get my point...I think !

Now let me ask those who consistently defend our match committee a question....don't you see these same things ?

As I said last year, I loved B Ratten as a player more than anyone ! Unfortunately the sad truth is that it is quickly becoming apparent that he is not going to make it as a an elite AFL coach.

As terrible as this sounds, the 'best' thing for Carlton this year....would be for this myth to be exposed....so that we can move on in 2011 with a new coach and game plan that is capable of maximising our strengths!!!

So I now ask all ratten supporters (Kernahan, Cazzessman, Mrs Caz et al)....enlighten me please what do you see in our match committee that I am missing???

We constantly target our leads and kicks towards the pockets or bomb it long to a contest!

I'm not sure who was more bored with this game. Me or the players.

I agree...it was a zero energy game.

But even more reason to practise and implement the structures and plans that have been worked on all pre-season !

If you think that we will suddenly flick a switch come round 1 ...you're all dreaming !!!!

The "it's a practice game" excuse will hold for now.

But when the season starts, if we continue to move the ball with the same lack of purpose and direction that we did last year and last night - Brett Ratten will be on the chopping block.

The same structural deficiencies seemed to be there last night regardless of the actual players in the side - one wonders what the coaching staff were doing all summer.

It was only the NAB cup - but the way we moved the ball was the same old rubbish.

For God's sake, let's judge Ratts at the end of the season, not the beginning.

I'm rapt we're tuning up for the season in the NAB challenge, out of the eyes of the nation, and I wouldn't be surprised if our coaches were thinking the same. Hopefully we'll be cherry ripe by Round 1 and can be 2-2 in a tough start to the season, then settle into it.

We effectively lost by a goal against a team who needed to win to defend their marketplace at a foreign ground without half our spine and run. No dramas.

Let's talk structures in round 4. Ratts snuck up on everyone as a player, let's give him his due as a coach.

for 8 years, all we've known is fev, so let's give em a few games to work out some forward structures, and what works and doesn't work in getting it down there. the chip-chip thing shits me too, but let's be plain, this wasn't our team. i think irish, jamison and waite are the keys to our spine, and two out of three were absent, so that will make a difference. i think murph, simmo, houla and aw are pretty important to our run and delivery, so that will make a difference. i think betts is a pretty important forward, he'll make a difference. gibbs played like it didn't matter, because let's be honest, it didn't. let's see how they look round 1.

Bring back Pagan. We won 2 premierships under him. And we also smashed Sydney in 2004.

for 8 years, all we've known is fev, so let's give em a few games to work out some forward structures, and what works and doesn't work in getting it down there. the chip-chip thing shits me too, but let's be plain, this wasn't our team. i think irish, jamison and waite are the keys to our spine, and two out of three were absent, so that will make a difference. i think murph, simmo, houla and aw are pretty important to our run and delivery, so that will make a difference. i think betts is a pretty important forward, he'll make a difference. gibbs played like it didn't matter, because let's be honest, it didn't. let's see how they look round 1.

Which means that
1 Ratten must develop a structure that moves the ball into the forward 50 quickly from defense
2 The players implement it

Whilst the lack of key forwards worry me the lack of system in getting the ball moving and the obvious uncertainty and poor disposal is a bigger concern.