Heard MM talking about the list and how there will be positional changes amongst our list as part of our improvement. Thank goodness.

I have said it before I thought our list is good but hasn't been used or developed properly. Kids will be given opportunities and defence will be the focus.

Changes I hope to see:

1. Desperately need a small defender. My hope is Collins gets a fair run at it.

2. Touhy, Yarran, Garlett & Gibbs as midfielders. Carrots as a ball winner.

3. Henderson as a forward which will need Jamison, Laidler, White, McInnes & Watson to stand up. My smoky is for Rowe to play key defender.

4. Walker back to playing deep forward.

I look forward to the development of Lucas, Bootsma, Davies, Buckley & Dale.

The NAB Cup will be interesting to watch.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

I disagree on making Collins a small defender - he is too smart/creative to be playing a lock down position like that, plus I'm not sure he has the pace to keep up with the electrical 'off the mark' type small forwards.

I think we could do worse than to look at picking up Jacob Surjan (still only 26/27) to play this role. Wanted to come and play for Carlton last season, has proven ability in this position and I think we could get him on the cheap.

I agree with the rest though.

I'd keep Carazzo playing that number 1 tagger role. With a decent run with injury, he could become a bit like Ling...bloody hard to get possessions on, and gets plenty of his own. Had he not got injured last year, he may well have been All-Australian.

I'd love to play Henderson at CHF, but unless Watson comes up in a big way, I think we need him more in the back half. In a perfect word, the goal-to-goal line would be Jamison - Watson - mid - Henderson - Walker, with Walker playing a genuine lead-up forward's role, of which I think he is capable.

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Mens sana in corpore sano.

Bring back the laurel wreath logo!!!

Good topic Psych`. I still think Walker can be a good to great midfielder, maybe moreso than Gibbs who i would play as a HF.
Agree re` Henderson forward. I`d still go with Touhy as the small defender.

Good topic

.....agree with yarran, Gibbs and touhy into the middle and

Garlett having a run with role ie great tackler and might be able to turn defense into offense

McCarthy playing from round 1 and persevering

.........and of course Waite to a wing.......and Krueze as ruck rover

Like most of that LB - but Waite doesn't have the tank to line up on the wing.

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

Winston Churchill

The only issue I have with this Siegfried is does MM really play a tagger? Not that I've seen. He is more into team defence, pushing the opposition wide, blocking space etc.

Carrots is a machine when it comes to winning the ball. If he has it 30 times it makes us so much better IMO. Imagine oppositions having to worry about Judd, Murph, Carrots, Gibbs, Scotland, Simpson all collecting possessions. Makes it hard for the opposition when we have the ball all the time.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Eddie and Jeffy to be used more on ball in bursts, Hendo I think is needed back unless someone steps up down there, and in any event I think whilst Waite is fit he is the best bet at CHF. The problem is of course that Waite going on recent seasons can't be relied upon for a full season and it is a bit of an ask to have Hendo swung from defence to CHF if and when Waite goes down. I think the cover for Waite at CHF has to be playing KF, even if it is only in the seconds, rather than swinging from defence.

I think this was Rattens plan A, B, C etc etc theory and it was exposed when we had a few injuries which exposed our lack of depth.

If MM rotates a few more through the middle as London Blue alluded to it will make for a better balanced team with more depth - but we definitely need to recruit midfielders with every pick in this upcoming draft.

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

Winston Churchill

Cheers PPW. Just thought it was time to have a positive focus on next year.

Agree about Walker. IMO should play deep forward with time on the ball. MM will want as many as possible rotations through the middle especially to help defensively. I'm a Touhy fan but just not sure he is a small defender. He's actually quite big and enjoys playing further up the ground.

Just need someone to lock down on Milne etc. I saw Collins do it last pre season and looked very good. Why not give it a shot? Agree with the Surjan comment by THIRIODIS. Maybe worth a look at?

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Do you see Waite as a key forward? I personally see him as more a tall third option type. He is an athlete. With his injuries I don't really want to see him busting packs etc. Having he and Walker as 3rd/4th options makes us very potent.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

lateral......gibbs as a key forward (Dermott was only 188cm)

cant forget o'keefe as a midfielder

Yes, the big hole ATM is the small defender in my eyes. Perhaps Army to roll back there? Is Bootsma able to play on the smaller, quicker types? Believe he's rated as one of the best spoilers in the ranks already.
I'd like to see ROK play out of the back pocket but concerns over his pace. Can Davies improve his game to take the smalls? Or Lucas goes back?

I'm with Yarran & Tuohy to the midfield too.
Hendo to start up fwd.

You wouldn't think there are too many massive changes like Jeffy, Mitch or Ellard to the back pocket types on the horizon, though I could see Davey getting a forward pocket role if one opened up.

Good OP there.
My only query is whether Collins has the composure to play down there. Mistakes deep in the back line can be extremely costly.
At least with his current role he can create opportunities delivering it into the forward 50.
Wonder whether O'Keeffe (pace and fitness pending) can play that role, or we will look into the draft.
Not fussed on Carrazzo's role tbh as some midfield type.
And agree with the consensus that Waite should be released as a third tall.
That is my piece on the subject so far.

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Essendon-Only team to have ever been found guilty of salary cap breaches in a premiership year!

Fair point Psych. Will be interesting to see what he does re a tagger.

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Mens sana in corpore sano.

Bring back the laurel wreath logo!!!

Just to breakdown the list and try and see what we have based on previous games:

Small Defenders:

Joseph
Yarran
Lucas
Touhy

Mid Size Defenders:

Laidler
Duigan
OKeefe
McInnes
Davies
White
Bootsma

Key Position Defenders:

Jamison
Henderson
Watson
McCarthy

Outside Mids:

Gibbs
Judd
Murphy
Simpson
Scotland

Inside Mids:

McLean
Carrazzo
Bell
Robinson
Ellard
Curnow

Small Forwards:

Betts
Garlett
Collins
Armfield
Dale
Buckley

Mid Size Forwards:

Walker

Key Position Forwards:

Waite
Casboult
Mitchell
Rowe

Ruckman:

Warnock
Kruezer
Hampson

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Walks back fwd
Scotland HBF/BP playing Gibbs sweep role, general.
Gibbs 75% mid/25% fwd
Lucas seniors
Yarran to spend time in middle
OKeeffe seniors
If other key Fwds stand up I'd like Waite to play richo's wing/fwd role.
Love to see Ellard play ahead of McLean & Curnow as he's younger, faster and always hits the scoreboard

Stealing someone else's idea but Bootsma should play as our small defender

Bootsma, Jamison, Watson
Laidler, Henderson, Yarran

McCarthy should be groomed as our Jarrad Waite replacement.

Carrazzo performs at his best when he has a role to perform.
Whenever he is permitted to free wheel he turns into a handball receiver. Running past getting cheap handballs instead of doing the grunt work he specialises in.
Look at the jobs he performed last year, especially early. He was in career best form. He limited the effectiveness of the leagues best midfielders.
Thats not tagging. Its showing accountability to a specified opponent. He still won his share of ball.
Fix the things that are broken, not the ones that are working brilliantly.

Agree about Henderson and Walker. They're both potential 40 goal forwards.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Yarran permanent midfielder.
Duigan permanent half forward.
Garlett to provide some run out of defense (similar to what MM did with L Davis).
Dylan Buckley FP alongside Betts.

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HENDERSONALENKO......YOU BEAUTY!!!!!