In other verbs, I mean words, we have a Top 4 list....then the caveats therefafter.

_________________
Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Yeah, and we need Joseph because Waite and Simpson are susceptible to injury.

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

Casboult, Mitchell & Rowe aren't ruckman. They are forwards. Whether they are good forwards still remains to be seen but they are not ruckman.
Hampson, Kruezer & Warnock are ruckman. Whether we can play them as 3rd forwards or even as KP forwards remains to be seen but their no.1 spot is ruck. It's really not that hard to understand. 3 ruckman on the list with 2 of those capable of playing 3rd forward is a positive in anyone's language. DEVELOPMENT and injury is a different issue.

Unfortunately Surrey the issues are all inter related.
If the rucks were fit they are all capable of holding down the number one spot, yes they all offer something different but can also rest in the forward line to some extent.
If our young forwards were fit the would have had more time on the ground thus " being
developed".
These KPP and three ruck could be shortened some what but due to injury and also incorporating development or lack of we need them all of them on the list for insurance and also to assess their worth to the team in the long run.
This unfortunately take away from other important positional players like mids so its not ideal
in all situation we find ourselves into for the time being.
The bright side is every season under the belt injury free means a better position our stocks in trade or depth we find ourselves.

We have been saying those kinds of things for roughly five years - "so we can assess them for depth or trade" and yet they either fail and no one wants them or they succeed moderately and we keep them. The time to make changes is always now and yet it's always some little rough graft from another club and/or a piddling of draft picks. How often have we put ourselves into a position to actually target players and not leave everything to chance? Even with the likes of Laidler and McLean they are either forced fits or basement buys turned 'good'.

The rookies play moderately well for us because we have no choice and then we are lulled into a false sense that we have 'found' players.

Who knows, success next year might lull us into the same habits and another prolonged stretch of mediocrity, I'm just a bit peeved of the whole process.

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

The key for me is not one of the three have stood up and shown that they are No.1. All have different attributes but none have stood up. Hampson and Warnock are now at an age where they should be producing consistent good football. Kruezer as a No.1 draft pick should be doing better. I know the knee injury slowed him down but I have trouble seeing him dominate that position. IMO he is caught between key forward and ruck and isn't dominant at either. He isn't big enough or physical enough to be a dominant ruckman and doesn't have the skill to be a dominant forward. So what do you do with him? I still get the impression he is a slightly better version of Josh Fraser and just doesn't have the improvement in him. Some people just peak earlier than others, he simply could be at his best now. I hope I'm wrong.

The best set up for us is Warnock fit and firing (IMO when fit our best ruck option) in the ruck and giving our gun mids first use of the ball. A forward line mix of 3 of Henderson, Casboult, Waite, Rowe, Mitchell w them also providing ruck relief is our best way to go.

If they can stay fit we are a real chance to finish top 4.

_________________
#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Sad to say but I've been conditioned to expect the inevitable heartbreaking story of how [insert name of key forward] has broken down in training and will unfortunately miss 6 months for a 4th [insert knee, shoulder, pancreas, spleen, kidney, sphincter etc] reconstruction. If all goes well he should be back in time for season 2013 junk time or to help the bullants reserves snatch a spot in the finals. I reckon the club communications department probably has a 'tick and flick' proforma to the above affect permanently ready to go, possibly on the PC with a drop down list to fill in the blanks.

How many people still have those old Telstra 3 shares in a bottom drawer waiting for them to come good. Potential is a commodity that rapidly deteriorates. I'd rather have somebody that is OK now rather than the best credentailled bloke with his name painted on the chair in the physio's rooms. We cant have 5 or 6 injured talls year after year.

_________________
"Who discovered we could get milk from cows, and what did he think he was doing at the time?" Billy Connolly

The potential is there. There are a number of players who have significant upside and could become anything.
The problem is that the club at virtually every level simply doesn't have the ruthless streak and professional nous to be the best. We fell asleep at the wheel and now 15 years later we are just another club running around with the plodders.

I'm not a massive Mick fan but he has the authority and ability to bring discipline to a team and maybe that's the first thing this group needs. At the moment, I don't believe we will be there any time soon

_________________
C'mon Blueboys!

Pratt asked the question a number of years ago re Brian Cook's availability and Costa closed the door fairly quickly. Now it appears it's slightly ajar and the Roos are knocking????

This is the type of management, leadership, etc we need at our club in order to start our recovery.

Get the best was the mantra, not just the best available at the time.
Would G.Swann make that call.... Cook would be an exceptional get!
Sticks would have to make that call. Same again though, we're not approaching the "unattainable" but waiting for others to jump 1st.

Sad, but oh so true

_________________
WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

..i disagree Pyscho.. ..i reckon Krooz has stood up as much as he can, body permitting.. ..prior to doing his ACL he was the next ruck revelation.. ..post knee he has had knee troubles, and yet has put out better quality games even thru his body issues than the other two.. ..what Krooz can do when fit is far superior to the other two.. .he won't get perhaps as many hitouts, but he has far better quality tapwork.. ..he's also got top quality football nous, topend bracket for footy smarts on our entire list.. ..whether he'll manage to get his body right and stay fit is unknown, but plenty of it would be player management.. ..playing him thru injury this season was criminal..

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

He was an athletic freak, but through injuries/surgery shuffles around like a grandpa, moves very slow and can't jump. With contested marking his biggest weakness, it was his athleticism that made him special.

Much like Kouta, injuries have taken away his abilities. Sadly I think he is cooked, and we will never get to see what he could have become. Kouta was able to turn into a dominant inside mid after, Matthew doesn't have that option unfortunately.

Sadly I agree. I think he is done!
Unfortunately, being a no.1 pick and all, and much loved at the club, it will be hard to get rid of him unless we sell for massive unders and could prove to be an ongoing liability in terms of when and how to play him. The talk of him playing forward already has me concerned. He has rarely shown much as a forward.

_________________
C'mon Blueboys!

..i don't think so.. ..firstly, the Krooz was never a leaper, so this idea that he now can't jump is a little skewed.. ..secondly i've seen him post ACL cover ground well, pivot on a dime.. ..crumb packs, jump/leap at the incoming ball etc etc.. ..so i believe his body is still capable.. ..provided we let him get back to his best.. ..overworked him directly after his comeback games last year, until he had that mystery injury late in the season.. ..this year, we pushed him thru injury for most of the season.. ..he's been back playing for a year and a half post ACL, and has been injured and pushed hard thru injury.. ..he hasn't had a real chance yet to get his body totally right.. ..and he only missed a single game..

..Krooz will come good if allowed to..

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

..regarding our CHF position, who do we think will be holding it for next year [and beyond]..?.. .... ..Micky Maltz has mentioned players in different positions/roles.. ..will CHF be one position he's thinking of?, will it be Hendo back to CHF perhaps?? [hopefully]..

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

There is still a club trading under the MFC banner that could always save us around trade time if we had thoughts of moving Matty out.
MK moves like a cardboard cut-out, just seems so rigid in his movements, especially his marking attempts.
Injuries have hampered him that's for sure. The loyalty he showed in not signing with the GWS may come back at him from CFC but perhaps the early round draft picks may have helped us more. He would have had to of been the equal to Scully in compo.

Interesting between our web-site and Collingwood's. Our delisted players are still for show, whereas Collingwood has removed all theirs swiftly and added in their new recruits.

_________________
"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

No surprises there. Hopefully PB and BT (who IMO is extremely unlucky) find homes elsewhere. GWS/GC would seem natural fits as they both need a bit of experience in key posts.

Shame we never got to see Kerr show us what he could do at the highest level. Perhaps injuries/workrate/inconsistency cost him in the end?

Did a double-take seeing Collins' name there, but I suppose they had to delist someone given our club's contract situations. Hopefully we'll snap him back up and get a good preseason into him.

You'd think the other four will probably miss out on another shot.

_________________
WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY