Grundy?!

I thought Waite beat him quite comfortably...

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Formerly Blues-Back2003.

I was there.

My point is that, unless you have players playing together regularly, then there is a limit to how the team might structure up.

The forward line would be a classic example - waite was game 1 back after 10 out. Casboult was in his 3rd game and required to provide ruck relief for kreuzer. Walker isnt available. Garlett has been pushed more upfield due to a lack of form for most of the season. Betts has to a certain extent, been the only forward that we've had all year and he was effectively shut out of the game.

Whilst I agree that forward 50 entries were poor, perhaps the lack of continuity there has limited the ability to develop the forward structure? - How do you ensure your KPF run to the right spots when they havent been on the park for 50+% of the season? (having said that, I'd still get rid of barker)

On Poor stoppage work
- we lost the HOs 47:32 (over the season we are ahead of swans in HOs/game) - 18mths ago we had 4 #1 ruckmen - we've currently got 1 available and he certainly isnt 100% (c.f to preseason games, seems unable to get ANY height when jumping).
- Of our top 5 clearance players, 2 werent available (Judd+robinson) and 2 more have had extended layoffs this season (carazzo+murphy)
- we've got Bell cracking in for the contested ball - a first year rookie that missed 1/2 the season with a back injury (not to mention us having a part time VFL coach <- someone should lose their job over that decision)

Around the ground - again, I dont think you can undersell the importance of having the the team play together consistently. Most contenders will have that luxury

Of the top 8 sides this year
1. Swans
- 10 players have played every game - A further 5 players have missed just 1 game. ie 15 players that have played 17+
- 18 swans players have played 14+ games
2. Crows
- 7 players have played every game - A further 3 players have missed just 1 game ie 10 players that have played 17+
- 15 crows players have played 14+ games
3. Pies
- 2 players have played every game - A further 6 players have missed just 1 game ie 8 players that have played 17+
- 16 pies players have played 14+ games
4. Hawks
- 5 players have played every game - A further 7 players have missed just the 1 game ie 12 players that have played 17+
- 21 hawks players have played 14+ games
5. Eagles
- 7 players have played every game - A further 2 players have missed just the 1 game ie 9 players that have played 17+
- 20 eagles players have played 14+ games
6. Cats
- 1 player has played every game - A further 11 players have missed just the 1 game ie 12 players that have played 17+
- 18 cats players have played 14+ games
7. North
- 9 players have played every game - A further 2 players have missed just the 1 game ie 11 players that have played 17+
- 16 North players have played 15+ games
8. Bombers
- 3 players have played every game - A further 3 players have missed just the 1 game ie 6 players that have played 17+
- 17 bombers players have played 14+ games

Blues
- 3 players have played every game - A further 2 players have missed just the 1 game ie 5 players that have played 17+
- 13 blues players have played 14+ games

% of team that has played 94+% of season to date (ie missed 1 game or less)
Swans - 68.2%
Hawks/Cats - 54.5%
North - 50%
Crows - 45.5%
Eagles - 40.9%
Pies - 36.4%
Essendon* - 27.3%
Blues - 22.7%

% of team that has played >75% of the season to date (the 14 game figure).
Hawks - 95.5%
Eagles - 90.9%
Cats/Swans - 81.8%
Bombers - 77.3%
North/Pies - 72.7%
crows - 68.2%
Blues - 59.1%

The above numbers provide a fairly clear indication of the lack of continuity to the blues lineup thus far in 2012 when compared to the top 8 sides (ie where we want to be). What is doesnt quite capture though is injuries to depth players

Looking at the 2 teams generally considered hardest injury hit teams (pies/bombers)

Using injury update as an indicator for injuries to depth players (ie clearly not best 22 names) - obviously its not going to be 100% accurate but it gives a reasonable approximation.

Pies (approx 60 games missed by non-22/depth players)
J. Thomas - season (from preseason)
Keefe* - 11 rounds (rd 9- season)
cribbin - 10 rounds (rds 1-10)
Farmer - 7 rounds (preseason-rd 7)
Hartley - 6 rounds (rd 4-5, 13-season)
paine - 4 rounds (rds 7-11)
Williams - 4 rounds (rd 15-season)

Bombers (approx 44 games missed by non-22/depth players)
Davis - 12 rds (rd 6 to season)
Browne - 8 rds (preseason to rd 8 )
Obrien - 8 rds (preseason to rd 8 )
Ross - 8 rds (preseason to rd 8 )
Gumbleton* - 8 rds (preseason to rd 8 )

Blues (approx 87 games missed by non-22/depth players)
White - 15 rounds (preseason-rd1, rd 2-16)
Davies - 14 rounds (rd 2-16)
Rowe - 12 rounds (rd 6 - season)
Mitchell - 10 rounds (preseason-rd 10)
Bray - 9 rounds (preseason- rd 9)
ROK - 8 rounds (preseason - rd 8 )
Buckley- 8 rounds (preseason- rd 8 )
Heyne - 6 rds (rd 9-15)
Bell - 5 rounds (preason-rd 5)

Note that I've added 1 borderline 22 player into both Essendon*/pies depth injury lists - the equivalent for the blues would be either warnock or hampson as at full strength wouldnt have 3 rucks in our best 22. ie the 87 games missed goes up to 90+)

4thChicken.

Looking forward to the inevitable arguements by certain posters along the lines that our depth players are shit b/c they've never done anything/other teams have had worse injuries than us/I'm in lalaland...

I'm a stats man myself. This sort of post goes a long way towards proving what I have been saying about injuries and further injuries to the players who would usually fill in for the already-injured.
The trouble with these sorts of posts, is that they don't appeal to zealots because they contain no inflammatory comments on which to launch a counter attack. Usually they are replied to out of frustration with posts such as,
" "
":banghead:"
or even,
" "

If you get lots of responses like that, you should consider your point well proven.

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

This was a good post......... because you didn't call most of us f$&$@$ flogs.

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

Geez, that looks like it woulda taken you a while to research?

So based on these numbers ... what would you do to improve us next season and beyond? Does Ratts keep his job? Does Barker, our strength & fitness staff? Recruiting? Sticks?

Are we snakebitten, or are there legitimate deficiencies at our club which'll prevent us from being premiership material as currently constructed?

But with the stats 4th Chicken put up you wouldnt think our positional setups would be much better than GWS.

The Swans know each other so well. Our 22 out there last Sunday are just at the handshake stage of getting to know each other.

I'd like to believe that we're just a good run with injuries away from the top 4, and a decent shot at the flag.

But in six cracks at it last season, im pretty sure we failed to win a single game against the eventual top 4.

We're just not that good, and changes must be made. Unless the club is satisfied with being 'thereabouts'.

I acknowledge that. Where my disappointment for this game -- and others like it this season -- lies is, players like Murphy & Carrots who stopped running. Just the effort of our spread from our own defensive 50. The 1% things like talking and shepherding. At the game, there was no talk on the field.

These guys have been playing footy their whole life. They know how to run and give effort, and for me on Sunday they were lacking there.

You expect there to be no cohesion and fluidity in our play or execution of gameplan. YOu don't expect players to stop running, not to spread, not to shepherd or tell their mate their hot, when they are hot ie Bell getting mown down 15 from goal off a bounce.

We all know we had horror injuries. Worse of anyone probably but close to Collingwood and Essendon*. Both are in the 8, one will be top 4 year end.
We are below Kangaroos, St Kilda and Freo.
We have been smashed by teams we should have beat. We have looked second rate far too many times.
We had no answer to a "play them hard" strategy.

Look beyond the injury list.

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T E A M

I've argued exactly those points at BF on the main board.
No team has been hit as hard with injuries as the CFC and we have reason to be comfortable in putting up that argument for our season.

My point has always been about continuity where the CFC have had virtually none this year.
Our back-line has been extremely unsettled and there have been times we could not even get one of our three ruck-men onto the ground (there has been more then the one game because Kreuzer has been forced to play injured at times.)
Our best mids have missed chunks of the season and our key forwards in Waite and Walker have either not played or been forced to play out of position due to injury to others, and that's not even bringing into account the fact that we couldn't even get one of the, to-be Full Forwards in Mitchell, Rowe and Casboult onto the ground for the first half of the year, which virtually rendered their year as lost.

My first inclination is to back the club, the coach and the players but I couldn't help watching that game on Sunday and thinking, "This is going to kill Ratten" be it right or wrong.
Watching the mapping of the players on the ground had me worried right from the beginning and if that was what we have drilled into our team, then there is a cause for concern.

I hope to be wrong though.

You could see this happening a mile away Ratts spent the entire preason talking about player management , playing minutes and healthy lists - they were so cautious in their approach murphys law says it was going to all blow up in their face and it virtually did the moment the rested Judd and Waite and were going to rest Kruezer for the GWS game.

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

The Kangaroos should have a * next to their top 8 finish given their draw. GWS and GC twice!

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"One of my favorite philosophical tenets is that people will agree with you only if they already agree with you. You do not change people's minds." - Frank Zappa

Beat Geelong, beat Carlton, should have beaten WCE, smashed Adelaide.
Their form has warranted finals.

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T E A M

geez chicken you have almost convinced me about the injuries with that analysis

But as John M suggests given last 3 seasons failure to make top 4 means we have to make other changes to game plan etc - hope no one thinks I have been saying our second tier players are shocking its not my style

Injuries have cruelled us now -still dont think it was excuse for losing to Port (only won 5 games this year) aints etc

no excuse to be uncompetitive against north bloody hawthorn (any danger of actually beating them once) and obligatory early season loss to Essendon*

Waite in the paper today is saying we are looking to be top 4 again next year but havent this year because of injuries - must admit worried by this mindset ie excusing certain poor performance with injury and again saying top 4 next year when we havent finished this year and havent been top 4 for 12 years

Very true and John M is right as well.

The stats are interesting but why don't our players know each other and know what their role is when they step into a side?

We have 40 odd players. Shouldn't they all be well drilled and know what the team is trying to achieve and what their role is or could be??

Isn't that what pre seasons are for?, isn't that what development is about?, isn't that why we have so many coaches?, isn't that why we have an aligned VFL side? Isn't that part of our list management??

All I keep hearing is more and more excuses.

How about what we are producing isn't good enough?

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Can we please have some stats re: the Port Adelaide game? Who was injured in our top 22? Laidler, Carrazzo, Murphy and Kruezer? So without these four players we are 9 goals worse than Port Adelaide?You know the side were the coach got the sack and players are performing woefully. Yet they still managed to thrash us, these are the players that were in our team on that day.

David Ellard X
Heath Scotland X
Chris Judd X
Brock McLean
Bryce Gibbs X
Mitch Robinson
Joshua Bootsma
Andrew Walker
Kade Simpson
Dennis Armfield X
Zach Tuohy
Matthew Watson
Aaron Joseph
Eddie Betts
Paul Bower
Christopher Yarran
Shaun Hampson
Michael Jamison
Edward Curnow
Andrew Collins
Jeff Garlett
Robert Warnock

(X denotes in our best for the day)

So give me the stats that tell me why the coaching, players and our team structure were so crap on this day.

We have beaten the Pies twice that is our only real success for the year, I am not interested in excuses.

Ratten's had 5 years to instil the right work ethic in our team and failed. Our structures are still as woeful as ever and game plan doesn't stand up to pressure.

Not just his fault he has placed to much faith in certain players who do not have the ability to withstand pressure or desire necessary to win a premiership.

Edit: Nor the willingness to sacrifice themselves and their stats for their team, if I see another player hanging back to receive easy handball rather laying the shepherd for their mates I'll go nuts.

Only ahead of Freo and Essendon* on percentage.
Freo and Essendon* both play the Suns and Giants once apiece.
To me that says they can thank their draw for being in the 8.

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"One of my favorite philosophical tenets is that people will agree with you only if they already agree with you. You do not change people's minds." - Frank Zappa

But take one of their games against GWS and GC, and you have them sitting one game clear of us.