Whilst I could put up a post accurately summarizing the effect that show has on my bowel movements, its probably more relevant to discuss how relevant consistency is to good sides, whereas a team's "x-factor" is not.

Having watched a fair bit of Sydney, Hawthorn and Carlton over the past three years, after tonight I've come to the conclusion that playing "finals football" or being able to stand up when it counts are irrelevant, that reliance on x-factor is similarly dangerous and also goes missing when it counts.

I think what counts is being able to play to the same standard of football week in, week out over the course of the year, being able to avoid playing hot and cold, and the difference between your best and worst being absolutely minimal.

Might not be the best 26 weeks of football anyone puts out, but if it wins you a minimum of 16 wins a years, then that's all that matters. Hawthorn may end up prospering more with less of a reliance on Franklin brilliance or expectations of Rioli to be a midfield match winner.

There's no formula for "players that stand up in September" either, unless you count a bloke who never saw a game of AFL till he was 18 and Mitch Morton, who you'd argue was the antithesis of what the popular definition of finals football were, before last years Grand Final.

We'll be a good side when we don't base our hopes and expectations on x-factor and unpredictability. If you were framing a market on our games each week, and offered odds solely on us kicking 7.20 or 20.7, you'd have it $1.90 each way. Good teams don't have that sort of variance. We rely on "if" Levi can kick them, "if" Jarrad Waite can be fit, "if" we've picked the right rucks, "if" we've got the sub right, "if" Jamo can stay injury free, "if" Hendo is better CHB or CHF.

Sydney by contrast have offered up 20.11, 16.7, 11.13, 17.13, 12.10, 11.4, 15.12, 17.13, 19.13, 8.6 and 8.17 in their past 10 games. Their players stay on the park, and their record without star players is largely unaffected, there's no reliance on one player, everyone knows where their key players are best played and yet remain versatile enough for the side to be flexible.

Look through our list and there are far too many players who consistently get a game and yet the difference between their best game and their worst is huge. We hope one of Betts, Garlett or Yarran has a day out, knowing full well that history shows they don't get a kick for 2-3 weeks after.

Looking over our list, and there's not too many. Strangely, the biggest whipping boy on the site in Kane Lucas probably comes to mind. Lot of questionable attributes about him, but there's not often much difference between his best and worst. Walker's probably had his most consistent year to date, McLean is fairly consistent, Henderson is good in this regard, I could see McInness developing into this sort of player, Scotland is on the wane, but has been the most consistent at the club for over a decade with little competition, Duigan comes off a low base, would be tough to knock Tuohy or Carrazzo either.

Rest are hopelessly inconsistent or unreliable. Whilst there are several attributes that need to be addressed across the playing list, I hope this is one of them. Blokes who go when its their turn to go, week in week out, who take pride in a four quarter performance, who don't zone out, or switch off late in the game or quarter. Steely, unyielding focus. We've got very little of it.

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

there needs to be a bigger focus on the mental side when recruiting players, particularly leadership attributes

unfortunately Ratten based his game plan on speed and spread. During his tenure we tended to focus on athletic abilities as opposed to good ole football sense. We are paying the price.

Waite should have been offloaded a while ago. He is a perfect example of what your post eludes to. Same with Betts and Garlett. Can't be relied upon but have been integral to our team performance.

Persisted with the wrong type of players for years, thinking we were close. This has been delusional. Again, we are paying the price.

Should have traded players when they had value (eg Betts) and rebalanced our list.

Very disappointing.

...and speed is what the Pies seemed to have in abundance.


Great post Rhino. We need players who want to have a dip and get the ball.
A bunch of zoners.

I just got off the phone and I couldn't help but put the blame fair and square on our diabolical recruitment department...doesn't matter what influence Ratten had...if he's part of recruitment, he's part of the lot of them. What a dismal failure. Dismal. The cupboard is bare.

The response I got from the fella on the phone was it is the mistake of the person who recruited the recruiters from Fremantle: Sticks. His mentality was to get what he can get rather than the best available.

We need to assemble a team with the consistency you talk about Rhino, you mention a few goers (and Brock's a goer but he was left for dead last night by the speedier onballers), we need a lot of new players with the mindset and will to win, and the body to withstand the rigours of a H & A season to have 22 players ready for battle week in week out.

I'm glad we know where we're at. Now can we this club sorted by starting from the top, and FFS get rid of those farts who assembled this list: they're no good.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Good on ya Rhino.Lot of time and effort put into that.Not gonna argue.Consitant week in week out footy is whats gonna get ya up there thats for sure.Well done Rhino.

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All my dangerous friends

I've emailed this to Rob Walls, Rhino. He'll send a 1961 Bordeaux your way if he uses some of it...right up his alley.

Have been saying this for awhile ... we need more regular and reliable types ... not players who do flashes of brilliance and win individual awards like goal and mark of the year.

I've said it before in this forum - and been shot down - that x-factor is just another word for inconsistent.

People's reliance on xfactor was misguided. You don't want it. You want consistency.

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The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect
So hard to earn, so easily burned
In the fullness of time
A garden to nurture and protect

#DopeThenStash

X factor is supposed to compliment consistency... and not to be relied on

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“I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” ― Richard Feynman

Totally agree. Been a long held issue I have had with our recruiting.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Is Rioli an x factor player?
Is Yarran an x factor player?
Is Betts an x factor player?
Is Garlett an x factor player?
Is Burgoyne an x factor player?
Is Walker an x factor player?
Is Goodes an x factor player?
Is Franklin an x factor player?

x means x and I bet it doesn't imply indigenous.
Some are consistently great players or good players and playmakers, others are flashy and flamboyant but not great players.

Why do we lack consistency? Is it because we've got too many x factor players who fade in and out of games especially in physical clashes when some of the smaller x factor players are easily brushed aside. They need a lot going for them to make things go their way...and sometimes that's just junk time goals.

Bosustow = Consistently x factor throughout a game...and was tough and physical, and couldn't be easily pushed aside. He was a fixture too.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

We can't even achieve that. The whole issue is moot unless you are talking almost exclusively about small forwards and that's only relevant in our case because we managed to draft too many of them by chance. One of our most consistent players this year (Walker) is also one of the few most capable of those acts of brilliance.

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

Rubbish! We've ignored far more than we have drafted. Where is the 'X' factor in the likes of Watson, Browne, Robbo, O'Keeffe, Davies, Temay, Graham, etc?

People have been trying to put a label they can understand on our recruiting for years rather than simple admit that it's a shambles.

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

Same Hawthorn issue.

Reliance on Buddy and Rioli to do the impossible at the death, and win the game. Never happens when it counts.

Buddy's selfishness in that last quarter had a big say in the result.

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

Recruitment isn’t the main reason we are mentally weak and inconsistent.
Our problems lie deeper than just the simple solution in one department.

We have been put in this predicament because of our on field leadership and coaching.
You can get the best out of your recruits if they are able to learn what is needed to succeed and that anything less is unacceptable.
Like Harley said last night about Yarrans effort.

You need to have strong leaders to support the kids when the play.
You need instructional leaders to teach them when they have made a mistake or where to position themselves.
You need approachable leaders and an open family environment to welcome and embrace the new players.
You need disciplinarian leaders to set standards and follow through with those bench marks.

We are in this predicament because of the lack of development because of the lack of leadership.
Sydney turns average players into consistent and tough players because of their leaders.
Geelong turns their skilful players into assertive ones because of their leaders.
Hawthorn turns their young players into snipers because of their leaders.

We have no direction to be lead.

Consistency is the cake, x-factor is simply the icing. too much icing and not enough cake makes for one, ordinary, soggy cake.

Just on Betts. Take away this year with injury and suspension he's consistently been a goal kicker, our best one. His role of small forward is the most difficult in regards to consistency but he hasn't done a bad job of it. I had him as an elite footballer at the end of 2012, who should've been AA. No-one would've traded him in a fit last year. Problem is we have 3 of them, Betts of which is the most reliable over the years. If you're looking at consistency then that's going to be tough as all 3 are unlikely to be performing in one go all the time. Two at the very most is enough and even that makes you think. Problem is they (Betts and Garlett) kick much of our goals and on a consistent basis. Betts has won our goalkicking for a few years and Jeffy looks like doing it this year. Key position players aren't on the park long enough or in the side long enough to make a consistent impression. That's where you want your goals to come from.

My opinion on Betts is not as flattering as yours. He has a tendency to go missing in big games and for me, that is not good enough.

Anyway, my point with Betts (or Garlett) was to seek a trade when they have some value (1 or 2 years ago). Timing is critical in today's football environment. We obviously had a plethora of small forwards and by trading one of these players at the appropriate time could have gone some way to rebalancing our list. I think we have now missed the boat with Betts. This would also apply to any player on our list.

If you'll indulge me in a fairly big call, I reckon the role of the small forward is bordering on obsolete in the modern game.

Far more beneficial in a world of constant rotations and only 3 on the bench, to play the extra midfielder through the forward line. If you cannot play in the midfield as a small forward, you're not worth your spot on the ground.

We have three.

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

I've been very impressed with Jamie Elliott at C/wood.....hard at it; kicks goals, and can take a mark.

To me....he's shown up our smallish players for effort alone.

I thought the whole C/wood side slaughtered us by being really hard at it; and relentlessly attacking us and the ball....and while they've got the ball; we haven't.

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No ones listening till you make a mistake.

Sounds fair. Add to the fact that someone is going to have to teach Judd how to play more in the forward line next year...and there's a few headaches start to appear if you keep the 'specialist small forwards'. I suspect Malthouse knows this.