With respect, GROTH, the closed training sessions have amounted to SFA if the opposition countered the "game plan" that was secretly developed after less than half the season.

I'd prefer a game plan that included tackling and intensity around the stoppages and perhaps even a forward 50 entry plan - or even two.

What we got was the run and gun Essendon* like approach that won us a few - just like it did Essendon*.

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This might sound extreme in the context of alleged sexual assault, drunken violence and a drug trafficking charge...

Thats a salient point and one I'll remember next time I getting a bit hot under the collar.


You don't include Matty Lloyd and Brian Taylor in that though do you Rocco?

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I hope Essendon* folds.

I'm sure I could find a loophole for those two

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NG
S M C , S F L

A noose will suffice.

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I hope Essendon* folds.

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NG
S M C , S F L

I agree.
As I've stated elsewhere, I enjoy the training sessions. With my involvement in footy away from Carlton, I dont get to a lot of games so training sessions are gold to me. I'd also suggest they are gold to a lot of our interstate and overseas friends. TC and TBV before it were abuzz on training days with posters hanging out for their fix from Frank Dardew or whoever.
IMHO, the closing of any decent sessions has disenfranchised a lot of people or at least diminished their fanaticism for the Blues. I know it has for me. I dont expect the club to allow everyone in to all sessions but at the moment, it's only the pre-game hit and giggle that allows supporter access. Piss poor IMO.

Personally, I hope Ratts brings success to the club but as someone who was one of my all time favourites, his insular behaviours have seen my support for him wane considerably. I wont detail them here but I've had a couple of dealings with Ratts that give me the impression that supporters and the general footy public are not overly important to his plans. That is a throw back to the Elliott days IMO. He has wrapped himself and the club in the bubble of AFL footy and segregated them from their grass roots to an extent. If he had more brains he'd realise that disenfranchising Carlton people can only work against him when times are tough.
He'd want to be successful because his behaviours dont neccesarily endear him to all concerned.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Ive noticed some set plays at boundary throw in the fwd line that have worked well.

+ we needed closed sessions to practice the hold the ball in the air plays.

We were always going to struggle with Bower, Waite,Aussie and now MK missing.

I think we have become much less effective since opps started tagging Murph insteaD OF jUDD, whilst still blocking Judd from getting near it at centre bounces.

Every team has closed sessions, I like the training reports too but there will be always stuff coaches want to do away from opposition eyes.

The grassroots membership base has been disfranchised once again.

Board members bypassing the democratic process to secure control.

Poor 'over the counter' service at VP
Poor membership department service
Poor communication service
Withdrawal of training sessions for members.

No wonder the membership numbers are heading down instead of up.

CFC is now just an inward, private organisation controlled, operated and accessable only to a select group.

The club has again been wrenched away from its grassroots members, just like what Elliott did.

If grassroots members want their voices heard by the club, the only way is through the media.

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There's so much I could say...

Pros:

Armfield, Walker and Russell for their rebound out of defence.
Judd.
Robbo and Garlett for showing some defensive intensity.
Hammer for taking a few good marks, and at least showing some glimpses.
Actually started the game fairly well for the first time in a while. Just butchered the ball going forward. 3 of our most skilful ball users in Gibbs (twice), Scotland (twice) and Hoops (once) particularly at fault.

Cons:

Never seen Gibbs use the ball so badly.
Dropped their bundle after half time.
Still not sure where this year's supposed greater emphasis on defence is. Nearly every club manages to flood back and zone back and make it hard once the ball enters their defensive 50. We don't seem to do this at all . We'll occasionally and fairly ineffectively put some extra numbers back once we fall far enough behind, but it doesn't appear to be part of the natural conditioning of the side.
More generally, don't know when I last saw such an open, free-flowing game of footy. Not sure why we'd want to dish that up against the Doggies of all opposition.
Not sure why there wasn't a hard tag on Griffen. As capable as Giansiracusa is, I would have thought Griffen was far more dangerous.