This

_________________
Cheats never prosper (except in the AFL)

None of our players want to work to create space and options for the player with the ball. It's frustrating.

The central area of our fwd 50 should be nicknamed the 'Bermuda triangle'....or wait no how about 'no fly zone'....one more one more....'vacant land for sale'....

_________________
"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

I think we've just been really unlucky. If you look at it objectively, you'll see:

1. We've been decimated by injuries. Over the last 4 years we've had more injuries than an other sports team in history.

2. By some coincidence, we've recruited about 32 players who are just soft and undisciplined and uncoachable.

I reckon we should get rid of those softcocks, give Ratt 3 more years, and recruit some harder more skillful players. We could win 3 flags in 5 years!!!

_________________
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 .........
Visit http://fromthemoshpit.com/

Pros:

Worked hard enough to win the game.
Kreuzer and Murphy.
Yarran and McInnes.
Armfield again.
Waite.
Good to see Gibbs moved into a more constructive role after halftime. I know we've got a few out, but need more midfield class delivering the ball forward. I'd like to see Collins developed in that kind of role also. Buckley should also be another in a year or 2.
Nice little cameo from Casboult late in the game. Would have to be one of the worst kicks on an AFL list though. Also like him to play with more aggression (as he's shown in previous weeks), given his skill level.
Butchered the ball, but again enjoyed little glimpses from Bell. Love his aggression at the opposition.

Cons:

Too slow, too short, too unskilful to compete.
I know we had an inexperienced team in, but can really see the difference between a team that is really well drilled. They always had extra numbers back to make it hard for us, and then were able to rebound for easy goals.
This week's side had a lot of poor ball users in it. Can really only afford a couple of them in the team, not 7 or 8. I love how hard Curnow runs, but he simply has to get better in his ball use.
Garlett's really lost the penetration he used to have in his kicking.
Carrazzo looked hurt.

Good one.

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

Theyre all tagging ..... how are they going to make space.

Count the taggers....

_________________
Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

I rarely post but I feel inclined after reading this thread and nearly pulling my hair out.

Posters calling for Ratten's head after an undermanned loss to the ladder leaders have rocks in their head. Ratten was rightly under the microscope midseason after the string of losses that began in round 7 through to the humiliation against Hawthorn in round 14. From there, the troops rallied, youth was injected, and we've actually played some respectable footy. The players are clearly behind the coach and there is good reason to feel optimistic about 2013.

Sacking Ratten now would be a massive mistake

Any new coach brought in will want to sweep everything away and rebuild from scratch. It'll be another 5 years of patience before we see results.
Maybe he wasn't the right guy from the start but we have to stick with him.
We can right the injury list, develop some of these promising kids, get a decent preseason in and make a tilt next year ala WCE after 2010, Adelaide after 2011, and maybe even Geelong 2006.
A lot has to go right for a premiership. A lot has gone wrong for us in 2012. Just sit this one out and look at the upside you #%^Q%# flogs

Chris Scott had immediate success at Geelong.

Whether our failure is due to our playing list, the coach or both I'm not sure. However injuries weren't really an excuse in the "key" losses against Essendon*, St Kilda and Adelaide which derailed our season. Essendon* were 6-7 goals up at half time whilst the Saints and Crows were missing key players just as much as we were.
Against Port Adelaide we were missing some key players but still should have been good enough to come away with the points.

We are a flashy entertaining side but fall down badly on the basics of contested marking and winning the contested ball. Whether that's Ratts fault is for others to decide.

_________________
There is no footy god

Murphy set the benchmark in this one.

His off the ball work was ordinary. Carrazzo's too. Carrots doesn't get alotta ball by accident, he works bloody hard for it.

On sunday, the season on the line. Everything at stake, and they mail it in.

Just frustrating to be completely outworked like that.

Is it fitness, attitude, the players or the coaching to blame?

Why would we have to rebuild?

The question that sits with the board now and at the end of the season is can Ratten take the side any further?

This year has been atrocious. Don't use injuries as an excuse. We were on the slide much before they kicked in and they showed we had no back up.

This year we targeted Top 4. We will be lucky to get Top 10 and people think thats acceptable?

This is not about a few players this is about a CLUB and as a club we have failed and failed badly. We have gone backwards quickly.

Ratten has had 5 years and I don't think he can go any further.

Look at Adelaide and Fremantle. Both had coaches the players liked. Both had coaches with similar terms in charge.

What happened? Both decided that the current couldn't take the current group any further. So far these decisions look to be correct.

Ratten is the Senior coach. It is his responsibility. He takes the good with the bad.

Personally, I believe the past 12 weeks as a whole have been pathetic. The only bonus was playing kids and that wouldn't of happened if not for injuries.

_________________
#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Is that you, Sticks?

It just occurred to me that we're early tanking.....why not?.....the season's stuffed; and 22 point losses are admirable losses for a tanker......

_________________
No ones listening till you make a mistake.

Best I've seen since Diesel.

_________________
No ones listening till you make a mistake.

Agree match was gone early but any semblance of a chance we had to win was lost when our best player to that stage of the game jamison went off injured

Pros
Waite

Armfield

Jamison

Mcinnes

more gametime into boult mcinnes and bell

Cons continually beaten out of centre
unable to match the swans on the spread
beaten at contested football

no idea as to how to get it out of back fifty

skills shocking

worse game for eddie for the year

Skills white aj davies curnow really noticeably bad

another loss at etihad

Lewis Roberts-Thomson cleared contact Marc Murphy. After medical report, it could not be determined forceful high contact was made.

_________________
Cheats never prosper (except in the AFL)

@ Humpers and the Psych

You mention changes that have boded well.

Geelong - champion side loaded with talent including a host of duel premiership players. Bomber Thompson didn't want to be there anymore, and Brad Scott admits he pretty much walked in to the easiest gig in the world where the players all but ran the entire show. Also a hell of a lot of luck in 2011 with their close wins earning them a top 4 finish.

Adelaide - Neil Craig was there for 7 seasons, never got them to have an impact in September, and had not one but two horrible seasons before they cut the cord. It wasn't one step back but a sustained fall that had them lose faith. Also interesting to note that Craig was famous for how well drilled they were; for how solid and clear their game plan was. Sanderson has been described as letting them off the leash. Moreover, it's a little early to call it a complete success. There's a way to go, and they also had the best draw for 2012.

Freo - Mark Harvey was never any good, the dockers only ever had one decent year under him. Then the best coach in the AFL was up for grabs. No brainer to switch. Mind you, not all dockers supporters were too pleased with him before their recent patch of form. Also a bit early to call an obvious success.

Collingwood - neither of you mentioned, but Bucks was there all through Malthouses rein and thus had the smoothest transition imaginable. Also took over a premiership side who only just missed out last year.


Compare that to all the changes that have lead hitherto unsuccessful rebuilds
-Every Richmond coach for 30 years
-The Dogs sacking Eade. Look at them now.
-Primus at Port. That worked well.
-Melbourne sacking Danniher and then Bailey. Masterstrokes.
-Voss ( )
-Knights and now Hird
-The other Scott brother has only just got them playing finals


And then think of the times when the pressure has been on and the club sticks firm, only to see results
-Bomber Thompson famously in 2006
-Clarkson every season since 2008
-Worsfold after 2010

The club know that if Ratten is retained there will be a 30% drop off in membership.

_________________
"You are being watched. The government has a secret system. A machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because I built it." - Finch

Where did the club locate a crystal ball and where can I find one?

These CONS have been perennial CONS for this year and most of the past few years, I can almost excuse Eddie for one quiet game but you know a team like Sydney will do that to your only consistent player.


Sydney only did what they had to do to beat us, they did efficiently and they did it well.

Like someone else said earlier - we would have to play out of our skins to beat Sydney and we would need our full list plus Judd to do it, all Sydney would need to do 8 or 9 time out of 10 to beat us is to stick to their knitting, nothing out of the extraordinary.

_________________
"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill