The football world acknowledges we need a gun CHB - if you think it will fall in our laps at no cost then you need your head read. Chaplin will not leave Port for peanuts either.. he is a gun.. one of the best in the league.

No different to Collingwood offering big dollars and high picks for Jolly as a comparison.

I think we need another FB. Jamo is really the only one on our list. Bower & T-Bird can play there in a pinch, but both are better suited to CHB (as are Austin & White). I would love us to find another genuine FB who, ideally, can also play CHB and FF. I think it's a fine line as to whether this is our greatest need, or if it's our need for a quality inside mid.

_________________
It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

Abns

What do think about setting Setanta to play FB next year? IMO not consistent or smart enough to play forward consistently and if he can put back on a bit of size he could easily play on Pav, Hall, Hawkins, Reiwoldt x 2 etc. He would definitely worry these gusy and I am sure he would enjoy the challenge.

_________________
#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Many of you are desperate, before that it was a good senior ruckman, it's still a 'gun' inside-mid and now the super CHB mainly because Ratts said so.

How many of our buzz-word cure-all acquisitions fit the requirements? Then, when they are busy barely breaking even, who does all the 'killing'? Not enough, I'd assume. We only have ourselves to blame if we discover we have critical flaws in our structure. It's probably because of questionable tactics that actually do more harm that good, even if it can take a few years to notice for those with their critical faculties in place.

What happens is we find someone who roughly fits a template of ‘need’, pay too much for him and he becomes just another of a number of also-rans fighting for his spot. Then we expect a depleted, and conservative, draft intake to do the rest.

Even if we think we might be able to fluke a year in which all the cards fall in our favour, it’s not a good habit to perpetuate.

_________________
Just because I'm offended, doesn't mean I'm wrong.

I'm not 100% clear on what you're saying, but if you're saying that we need to stop always looking for "quick fixes", then I'm with you.

However, there's nothing at all wrong with identifying a 'need'. It doesn't necessarily mean we go out and throw the world at another club for a particular player, but 'needs' certainly impact on list management decisions...

_________________
It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

If we played for each other like the Filth and the Pussy cats do i believe that we have most of the cattle on the list (barring serious injury) to have a serious crack at top 4/Flag in the next 2-4 years.

All our supporters (even i) are too damned impatient......

Losing Fev was always going to hurt us and send us backward a touch (and it did, 09 13W 10L and 2010 11W 11L)

As much as we are sick of hearing its still a reasonably young list..

And as much as we'd like Juddy to be apart of the #17th, im not convinced that he will be but..

Our list has a shitload of potential and promise, from the top with mr C. Judd all the way through to the bottom with an international rookie by the name of P. Labi!

So lets not trade away the farm just yet people, as i honestly believe that we dont need as much as the doomsayer's suggest..

Refining our skills and another year or two of development and all will be well.............



























Im hoping

_________________
When you're a Jet you're a Jet all the way!

Personally, I see Carlos as more of a natural forward than as a defender. I reckon he's had plenty of chances at FB and it hasn't worked. Size isn't the issue IMO, he simply doesn't have the smarts and he's not quick enough off the mark. Seems to panic a lot and give away free kicks too. And I don't think he has the tank to play on the likes of Nick Reiwoldt, Pav, and J Brown either. I can see him going into defence occasionally when we need to cover a Ruckman size forward, but he is not the future as a key defender IMO....

Unless we get a good offer for him during the trade period, I would keep him on the list next year as a back-up forward (Henderson, Waite, Kreuzer/Hampson are all ahead of him, IMO). If we're at full strength, it's actually hard to see him getting too many opportunities.

As a forward, he strikes me more as a ground level player than a marking target - he just happens to be 199cm and 95kgs. He caught a few teams out early in the season, and he showed he could hit the scoreboard, but since about the half way mark he's been ordinary IMO - whether it's because of more attention from the opposition, or perhaps he found it hard to cope with increased expectations from the media/supporters, or because he struggles when carrying an injury, or maybe the season is too long for his body/mind, I don't know....

When in form, he's a handful as a forward - but I agree with you, he is inconsistent.

_________________
It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

Eddie Betts is an integral part of the Carlton family; is a talented goalsneak and loved by everyone at the Club.....and should never be looked on as a possible trade/swap for anyone.

_________________
No ones listening till you make a mistake.

I agree with the first part of your post.....but I'm not sure about the last part.

These days, there's not many players in the AFL who aren't tradeable for the right offer and in the right circumstances. I would never say 'never' about trading any player...


















































...except Juddy

_________________
It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

I didn't LITERALLY mean NEVER EVER......if that was the case we wouldn't literally let him go even if he was 100 years of age!

_________________
No ones listening till you make a mistake.

I doubt very much we will trade our leading goalkicker for the second season in a row, but if, for example, WCE was stupid enough to offer us #4 for Betts (won't happen), then I would jump at it. I'd also be willing to trade Betts in the unlikely scenerio that another club was prepared to give us a gun KP or inside midfielder in a straight swap...

Would not be giving him away lightly.

_________________
It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

I think Mathew Warnock may be a better option than Miller. Currently not getting a game at Melbourne and might not cost much. Is a big body, can run off opponents and has looked pretty good in the games i have seen him play plus the 206 factor. Not sure why he can`t get a run.
Agree re` Austin but i think Setanta may be in trouble.

I have to agree with you BV on the need for a quality inside mid. We lost it in the middle against Freo conceding first possession with regularity.

Not sure a fit Brock would have made a difference. Is this assessment of yours based on a belief the recruitment of Brock will not fill the void? Given the fact we traded pick 11 last year, can we afford to trade our first rounder for another inside mid?

our midfield setups had as much to do with that as a lack of inside mid did

all our players get sucked into the contest and its an easy flick out to an unmanned opposition player from congestion.

we do it all around the ground - get sucked into the contest and leave an opponent free on the ground or off the pack.

stupid football

mundy and hill had a field day

_________________
*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

THIS.
100 % spot on.
Very dumb footy when the opposition has a ruckman as dominant as Sandilands.
We also quite often seemed to have 3 players going for the man with the ball while the only other docker in the contest broke off and received an easy handball.

_________________

matthew watson, 194cm 99kg key defender.
ratten also said hampson was going to play forward, and hoped he can play like tippet.
simon white is 190cm, and a big pre season will see him play more.
having said that, we could look something like this 'imo'

armfield jamison white
russell watson lucas
simpson gibbs scotland
yarran waite murphy
hampson henderson betts

kreuzer judd mclean

gartlett carrazzo warnock etc

194cm, 99kg

That is huge for an 18 year old.

_________________

Bower is a gun CHB.

His season has been ruined by injury. Hopefully he gets a big pre-season under his belt and has an AA season in 2011.

_________________
"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

And we get him with pick what?
BTW, what IS our first pick? About 19?

_________________
Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

Watson is ideal, but will go before our 1st pick. How do we get an earlier pick?

We should've got Staker, he was the only deal the Lions got right.