But we can always create another good one...just as we did with Russell.

Russell was never a bad proposition to play midfield...just many have now boxed him in as a HB.

I'm glad Ratten wasn't pigeon holed as a BP and Maclure as a HBF...and so on.

We are in depth mode. Players all around the same age group...don't be surprised if we end up with 30 ready made senior players in 2011.
It's just a long time between drinks since that last happened....and it's happening right under the young supporters' noses...I'm expecting that and more...have a look at the list.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Russell was touted as a 'lightning fast midfielder who knows how to get the ball' IIR in his draft year.

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

Bower is a tall, not a HBF and no way Watson is playing as a CHB this season.

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"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

Great sides have great defences - think of SOS , Southby- Dean- Rhys Jones - Kenny Hunter - Doull - Mackay x 2 Jezza - Dora - Perovic- and many more

We need to develop the best back six in the comp before we challenge anyone

Collingwood just won a flag where every player was a defender - Even pretty boy Daisy thomas was moved into defence

St Kilda who has been there abouts the last three years - entire game based on defence

Geelong the dominant side over the last 4 years or so - Has a side built around its defence

Sydney won a flag around its defence and a bunch of stoppers in the midfield

We need quality down back - We cant rely on Armfield Bower Jamison and a few newbies in Defence We need class and skill down there and Gibbs and Russell add that class and they will only get better

We have a stack of players who rotate in the middle Scotland_ Houlihan , Murphy, Walker, Judd, Lucas, Garlett, Betts , Simpson , Maclean - Joseph even Kruezer can all play as mids

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

yep. Gibbs and Russ were our best defenders last year. They were cleaner , composed and offered more rebounding than any other defender. Wouldnt move them out until they are replaced by similar midfield styled players.

My back six would be

Russ Jamison Watson/White/Laidler
gibbs Bower Armfield/Scotland/Simmo/ Yaz..etc

Would be good at times to see if Gibbs can play midfield better than he has on previous occasions but only when we can afford the luxury of taking his class out of the back half.

HBF also have plenty of chances to deliver to forwards inside fifty and often with more space and time created by the overlap so i dont really think delivering to forwards is that much of a valid reason to move gibbs into the midfield.

Not if the pill never gets down there lol. In all honesty though I do agree in hindsight but I reckon working on defence in the midfield will help massively and our back six wont look quiet so bad when they are getting help from the middies

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2011 - Year of the Blues

Gibbs in the middle for sure, he can get beaten from good offensive players too much for mine, and his skills and awareness will be far better utilised as a mid going forward. I'm drooling at how many goals Gibbsy, Juddy and Murph will kick this year!!
Keep Russ in the HB line for mine, was sensational last year in that role and prob my favourite player last year! Coupled with Duigan and Laidler who will be sensational pick ups and even maybe throw Army on the wing who will destroy teams with his pace (as long as he handballs it inwards to Gibbs and Murph approaching the 50!!).

A bulked up Jamo, with Bower, maybe White, Duigan, Laidler, Russ, and see how Watson, Austin, Joseph on a small forward and Davies all develop.. Sounds like a solid backline is forming.

Then Judd, Simmo, Murph, Gibbsy, Brock for grunt work, Kreuze, Walks, Army, Carrots, Lucas, maybe yazz, all firing the ball to Hendo, Jeffrey, Waitey, Bettsy, Hoops and Collins...

Bring on 2011!!!!

soooo people still havent cottoned on that modern football is practically 15 v 15 midfielders with a couple of KPP and a versatile ruck thrown in yet?

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

It might be for the also rans but those winning flags have a settled defence

You want 15 midfielders - watch the Doggies brilliant when their on but come the crunch they are found wanting because they only have 2 KPP backman in Morris and Lake the rest drift in and out down there

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

lol, HBF, some of you still think the game is as it was played 20 years ago.

there is a full foward,centre half forward, ruck, centre half back and a full back, the rest are midfielders with the way the game is played today.

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Got to love the stare Down by Setanta on Llyod

so Scarlett- Harley- Taylor- Mackie - Milburn - Hunt Lonegan and Enright are all midfielders

Goddard- Gwilt- Baker- Blake- Fisher- Dempster- Dawson - Maguire midfielders

Kennelly- LRT- Leo Barry - Bolton -malcheski - Dempster- All midfielders


Stop watching the middle of the road sides and ones at the bottom and start watching the teams that are winning

Even the pies -had Shaw- Brown - Obrien - Maxwell - Goldsack

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

There are definitely specialist small forwards, medium forwards and small defenders. The best in those categories have a few more strings to their bow, however.

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

..this.. ..case in point - Gibbs is a skilled enough mid/hff that he can play across hbf, but as a purely 1 on 1 defender, he is mediocre.. ..why waste such a good mid, in a loose/floating hbf type role [who gets found out when dragged deep]..

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

Who found him out? When has he been "such a good midfielder" ? Pull him out of the backline and into the midfield if any of this is true.

As far as i can see Green and Goodes are the only player to do half ok on him. Goodes is a star and green no slouch either but only managed 3 on him and even then they had to rearrange their whole gameplan going forward in an attempt to "find Gibbs out". Meanwhile we smashed them.

In the midfield Gibbs is loose defensively and doesnt get free enough to use his skills and decision making. He is good in close but why waste his skills playing him as an in an under midfielder.

Give him a crack at it when we can afford to but using his skill and delivery both out of the backline and into our fifty will be far more beneficial to the team in my opinion.

..short memories..

..mid/late '09 when he spent more time in the middle he was far more effective, than his good hbf games this season.. ..also of note, his brownlow tally of 15 in '09, vs his sub10 tally in '10.. ..when he gets dragged deep he gets found out, just because he was lucky enough not to be punished on the scoreboard doesn't mean he wasn't beaten in one on one contests.. ..he's not a defender.. ..give me a defender able to zone off, link up and run the lines.. ..thats the modern day hbf.. ..the Gibblet is a mid/hff.. ..and when given the real, consistent opportunity to play there you'll be seeing this as well..

..and, in regards to putting him in the middle like you say, Ratts has already forecast [other coaches too] his move into the middle.. ..this year was really just a stopgap measure..

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

I agree BKB. It is clear from the way the club has recruited: Duigan & Laidler - 2 afl ready half backs - as well as trialling Yaz off half back - that they are very keen to release Gibbs.

Importantly I think it is what Gibbs wants too and while players do not dictate where they play, you definitely want a player of Gibbs quality happy. (I'm not saying he is unhappy to play the hb role while the team needs him there).

Lets not forget that this is a player just entering his 5th (?) afl season. With his undoubted class and creativity, and with class all around him in the midfield, I think he establish himself as a genuine star in 2011.

As for JR, I think he might get occasional runs in the midfield when we need a bigger stronger body in there. Lovin him off hb but there is no doubt he has the speed and endurance of a midfielder and the strong body to be very effective.

Also, from all accounts Lucas is looking very good in the pre-season - I wonder what role he will play this year - wing/hb/mid/all of the above.

We are developing a very versatile group.

Agree 100% Blue in the face. Well Said.
I'm really excited about 2011.

I hope Joesph gets a run in the middle (not as a tagger).

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Koperek.

Are football players intelligent enought to completely change game style from week to week? Has that strategy ever been successfull?

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when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth

Feelgood Hit of the Winter - GHRP-2, GHRP-6, CJC-1295, AOD-9604, Humanofort and Hexarelin

Dude, they're in their 20s and don't know that photos show up on Facebook. I wouldn't count on anything......

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Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience!!!

After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says W T F .........
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