Never understood the "injuries are no excuse" mantra and I'm surprised how often it gets trotted out. It's absolute rubbish; not only are they an excuse but they are a reason (not necessarily the ONLY reason, but a significant one) for poor performance. It's just common sense that if you take important players out of a side and replace them with inferior players, the level of that side will drop. I'm not sure how anyone can stand there and truly believe that "injuries are no excuse".

Cast your minds back to Round 3 of the 2012 season. We were playing irresistible football and looming as a major challenger, if not premiership favourite. This start to the season was on the back of four consecutive years of improvement. There was no reason (bar the onset of a major injury crisis) to suspect that we were going to fall away so markedly. What happened? That major injury crisis, the only thing that could have stopped us, began in earnest the following week and ravaged the list throughout the season, affecting not just our "main" players but also, simultaneously, their replacements - a key point that is often overlooked.

None of the above is to say that the list could not be better - of course it could be better, any list could. But 12 months ago, the same players were a few points off a preliminary final, so it's reasonable to conclude that the list is not in that bad a shape. I for one am glad that we are standing our ground and don't appear to be keen on making any panic trades as a result of feeling like we have to be seen to be doing something.

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Formerly Blues-Back2003.

Good post. The loss to injury of probable replacement players hurt the team which I agree seem to be overlooked by many of the so called experts in the media.

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Hooked on The Blues

I for one am just happy we're not trading our picks away. Our future depends on it.

Our season this year was such a disaster with injuries, an average coach and some indifferent form from our better players. As such, we may have found some diamonds in the rough (Bell, Casboult, McInness and Dale come to mind)

Add those players to the following and we may have a better season next year than some are prophesising.

Walker-Injured 2012, played all over the place UPSIDE in 2013
Murphy-Injured, frustrated UPSIDE
Gibbs-Disinterested, weak as piss, played in a position that didn't impact games MASSIVE UPSIDE
Judd-average 2012, maybe a stint forward, different mid structure and new coach UPSIDE
Buckley- a future player UPSIDE
Kruezer- get body right, reinvigorated hopefully MASSIVE UPSIDE
Lucas-Poor 2012, maybe MM will put rocket up arse and he'll respond MASSIVE UPSIDE
Watson-Ratts dropped him and he didn't really recover. More man management incompetence by him. Similar to Lucas MASSIVE UPSIDE
Warnock-Injured. If his body is right and MM instils some mongrel?? MASSIVE UPSIDE
Laidler-If he comes back and stays injury free, will be like a new recruit MASSIVE UPSIDE
Collins-I rate this kid. Ratts almost destroyed his confidence. Could be the surprise packet of 2013 MASSIVE UPSIDE
Hampson-Injured most of year MASSIVE UPSIDE
Henderson-See Hampson
Bell-We may have found someone special here, a bull, keep developing MASSIVE UPSIDE
Waite-Injuries and headspace can be worked on SOME UPSIDE
Garlett-Personal issues. If they get sorted and MM can connect with him, MASSIVE UPSIDE
Jamison-Injuries UPSIDE
Dale-looks classy, keep developing MASSIVE UPSIDE
Casboult-got a taste for it and didn't disgrace himself MASSIVE UPSIDE
Tuohy-First full year at senior level. maybe a mid next year MASSIVE UPSIDE
Carazzo-Injured UPSIDE

Special mention to Mitchell and McCarthy as two possible players who could step up.

Lots of ifs buts and maybes in my assessment but I have a gut feel that our list is reasonable which is why I want no discards. Just get the recruiting right with our draft picks

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If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!

I lapped up that post quicker than my mango lassi

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The problem will be made. for the solution to be sold, to your face before your eyes, tolerance is now the new danger

As we've been saying, a lot has to go right next year for top 4 to be any chance. Let's hope it does.

Great post 99prelim. We could probably throw in Yarran and Bootsma as well. Yarran struggled with turf toe and I think Bootsma will be a beauty.

If we'd won 5 more games this year we'd have finished 3rd or 4th and been one game off top spot.

Considering some of the games we lost (Suns, Port) that should have been Montys maybe we were three games improvement from top four and four from top spot.

So, assuming we were decimated by injury and had a coach who struggled to develop young players and had a coach who appeared to struggle with game day strategy and assuming those three issues aren't as significant in 2013 then how many extra games would we expect to win next year.

I'm with BV though maybe not for the same reasons - anything less than top four without massive extenuating circumstances is a fail.

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

Agree. No reason why everybody on our entire list - bar Betts, Scotland and maybe Mclean, Simpson and Armfield shouldn't be expected to have a significantly better 2013 than 2012.

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"They're [REDACTED]'

Think we all thought that this time last year
All we needed to do was to get Waite Jamo Kruez and Gibbs on the park and it was give us the cup

We really needed to add something otherwise it is two years of nothing new

Hopefully they can find a Toby Greane in the draft

This Carlton list sucks you in we needed to add hardness and leadership we are sadly lacking in both

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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

I actually agree with that.

In great teams the sum of the parts adds up to more than it should.

Our mob adds up to less.

That's good because it means that if we can find a way of harnessing it there's potential for improvement.

Malthouse is a loose cannon but he's the best hope we have at the moment of finding the circuit breaker who finds a way for the playing list to become more than the sum of its parts.

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

I'm not falling for any "premiership material" ever again until such a time we actually play a full year of good footy. No more 3 or 4 good games, which we haven't even strung that yet. I don't think this group of players has it in them. I really don't anymore.

Well, we should be getting more and better parts. Whatever happened to this review, everybody has gone quiet.

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

How do you know?
We've sacked a coach and 2 assistants. Moved another assistant into a completely different role. Appointed Rob Wiley into a newly created position to focus on development.
Also this year appointed a new head of recruiting.

Of course injuries were massive for us this year.

Couldn't have another year like it could we?

You bet we could. Perhaps not as bad but significant injuries to several key players are a certainty.

Every team is thinking wait till we get a full pre-season into x, or wait until we get a, b and c back to full fitness, or wait until m comes back from that long overdue cleanup or operation. Wait until ...

Unlikely given how vicious AFL football is now, with an exponentially increasing injury rate every year. The game is scary, brutal, too brutal for even the best prepared and toughest players. Sitting at boundary level is frightening.

One key is to have the depth of extremely well drilled players who can slot into a game plan and structure without forethought, and the type of game plan that lends itself to lesser skilled players being able to play a role adequately without being exposed. Do we have this depth? Doubtful, though Mick's structures and game plan should help.

But like everyone else at this time of year I'm hopeful, praying and expecting some good luck, and definitely expecting a top four finish and dreaming of you know what.

I agree with much of your post. As you say, it's tough when the backups are also injured.
What bothers me is, the backups are developing players. especially now with some of our seasoned back ups moving on.
We know now for sure that Waite has real problems. We can't count on him for a full season. It will be a bonus if he lasts.
So with even a few injuries, we'd be counting on these developing players to take us through September. It's not impossible, but right now, it seems a bit surreal to me.

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That’s not a political statement — it’s a harsh reality, and we must act,” she said. “He is a clear and present danger to the things that keep us strong and free. I support impeachment.”

Agree, want to be optimistic but need to be realistic.

I think it every year.

Hopefully we still take some part in Trade Week, but realistically we should have a better idea in 12 months time where we are really at and most importantly have more flexibility to do something about it.

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"They're [REDACTED]'

He has no choice Don, we're unable to change our list.

There are three ways to alter your list:

free agency
trades
draft

We have no flexibility to do either of the the first two because of diabolical list management, primarily by Ratts, and in the last 12 months aided by Andy M (i.e. prematurely signing up players... there wasn't going to be clubs chasing Davies, Joseph etc)

We kept Russell, Bower, Thornton when it was clear they were finished at Carlton; therefore, we missed out on the opportunity to draft Murdoch, Paine (who will one way or another be replacing Dawes) etc..... great to see we aren't repeating the same mistakes

We have the bare minimum involvement in the draft and even less involvement in the rookie draft because of our mismanagement!

Come Rd1, 2013 we will have just 3 players (excluding the upcoming draft) on our main list under the age of 21!

According to Ratts, this was at least a top 4 list..... meanwhile the teams that finished above us amazingly have the flexibility and ability to retool and improve through a combination of the three methods listed above

Franklin missed 7 games, Hodge missed even more...
Goodes missed a heap as well!

Wellingham was out of contract.. why let the facts get in the way of your argument

To make things worse, Richmond received a better return for Tambling!