Emphatic co-sign given exposed form.

And Kreuzer just doesn't appear to have the ability to grasp being a forward, even a part time one. Has no idea where to run, has a weird marking style (which is oddly effective at times, granted), and has turned out to be a below average set shot kick.

The ruck/forward combination Mick plumps for is going to be easily the most fascinating selection query all season. There are so many options to pick from, all of them with flaws (and some upside potential as well, of course). A number of players have it within their grasp to make Mick's mind up if they improve in a key area or two. If, for example, Casboult does become a league average (let alone effective) kick for goal he becomes very hard to keep out of the side given his marking ability. Which has a knock on effect on Kreuzer, Henderson's positioning and so on.

..any team that has good to excellent rucks, plays them.. ..if Bolt can become a good KPF, great.. ..he can play as a KPF.. ..i don't see him displacing a ruck.. ..i still doubt he can last a full season at this stage of development as well, especially if asked to play a KPF/Ruck role..

..Krooz had a poor year in front of goal, but overall he isn't as poor as last season.. ..he marks and gets goal kicking opportunity when fwd, i think as a ruck resting fwd he is very good.. ..but thats what our rucks need to be able to do, 'rest' fwd,, not play a structural
kPF role..

..i think it's doubtful either Waite or Bolt can last a full season.. ..i would play Hendo at CHF, and leave FF for those 2 to play at as fitness/form dictates.. ..leave a 2 ruck combo in Knockers and Krooz, both will mark more inside 50 with real KPFs running the F50.. ..the dominance you get in the middle and at stoppages with 2 good rucks can not be under-estimated..

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

One thing we don't know with absolute certainty is how the interchange cap is going to impact the decision on how many talls can/should be played each week. Mick was making some noise about working towards a cap last year by limiting rotations to acclimatise players to the new environment, but it's here for real now.

It could be that the circle turns back to 2010 and the pinch hitting ruck/tall forward becomes fashionable again. If Casboult learns to kick, he's probably more valuable in that role than Kreuzer would be. And having three talls in a forward line at any time is most likely unworkable and undesirable.

My personal view is that we probably should have traded Kreuzer to either GWS or the Suns for one of the 17yo players. But that's all lovely in hindsight and doesn't help anything now. I do believe that there are several scenarios potentially at play which result in Kreuzer not being an automatic selection unless he plays consistently good football. Same goes for Warnock, of course.

..but even in 2010, there were still 2 bonafide KPFs playing their structural roles all game all season.. ..Hawk in 2013, swans in 2012,, both flag teams played [injury permitting] 2 KPFs and 2 prime rucks.. ..the cats, most dominant team of modern era have likewise played 2 KPFs and 2 rucks..

..if Bolt can get fitter and sharpen up his kicking, he'd be far more dangerous all game as KPF, than a dual role.. ..especially with 2 rucks playing a strong combo all game long helping us win clearances, cos winning clean clearances helps the fwds enormously.. ..controlling the stoppages is still the best tactic, you can carry 2 KPDs, 2KPFs and 2Rucks all in the same team provided the entire team plays hard running/working football all game long, with no 'cheating'..

..i think MM will be aiming for this, with maximum flexibility in his players to allow the 6 talls without losing run.. ..winning clearances and being strong around the stoppages helps your workload as a team as well, i'd back a fit knockers and krooz combo against any other to at worst, break even..

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

I can almost guarantee one thing. Waite, Casboult, Kreuzer and Warnock don't fit into one team - and that's before the option of Hendo playing forward. That's one too many lumbering types with limited rotations. A few years ago, maybe Waite could have run around up on a flank/wing, but I can't see that happening at his age with his history of injury.

I will grant you history, which says it would be highly unlikely that all of those guys would be fit/not suspended (Jarrad).

I guess what it gets down to is I think Casboult and Kreuzer may end up competing for the same spot (if Warnock is fit and playing decently). And given that role would be 80/20 forward vs ruck, Kreuzer had better hope Casboult can't kick, and had better figure out playing forward - pronto. Or, of course, he could be decisively more effective than Warnock in the ruck and win that battle on his merits.

Well said, Punter.

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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?

..any ruck carrying 80% workload will be spent by mid-season, krooz will ruck in combo with knockers not as a fwd ruck relief..

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

..how many?, is 1 too many lumbering types..?.. ..Waite definitely isn't, hell he barely qualifies for a kpp [much more tall flanker].. ..when he is on the park [hah!], he covers plenty of ground.. ..Bolt isn't a lumbering type either, he only looks it at times due to his low fitness, which saw him run out of steam [and look 'heavy/slow'].. ..but he has apparently spent the pre-season working primarily on improving fitness [why not specialist coaching for his kick??].. ..but Bolt isn't any more 'lumbery' than any other big power CHF type.. .... ..Knockers i grant you, is the lumbering type, but for such a tall ruck he does have good fitness, if he unfortunately sometimes lacks the work rate to back it up.. ..but ultimately he, and Krooz, are ruckmen so won't ever be in the fwdline at the same time.. ..as for krooz, he covers plenty of ground, will contest and give plenty of pressure up fwd, and is better below his knees than half our list..

..so in my view, there's only really 1 truely lumbering type up fwd [knockers], and of the rucks,, they ought to be resting fwd and not playing an integral structural fwd role.. ....however, if you play 1 ruck, and a KPF/Ruck, i think you lose run even though you have 1 less 'tall' on the ground.. .... ..and this is due to workload allocation.. ..the main ruck carries too much work, and the back-up ruck does the same due to playing a big dual role.. ..so, what happens is that either of said tall when playing fwd is knackered and offers sweet F.A up fwd in terms of running capacity and pressure..

..and finally, ultimately,, Bolt offers plenty as a potential fulltime KPF.. ..however he is very poor though in the ruck..

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

Tex resigning confirmed by McKay on super footy.

This quote from same article: "The Herald Sun understands negotiations with Murphy and Jamison are all but finalised, while talks have started on a new deal for Gibbs."

Geez I though he was staying

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re-signing*

Think you've earned yourself a new nickname there, Timmy

Is there any chance we can play hendo, waite,walker,buckly,menzenl and resting ruckman in our forward line.

Can't see why not, however I would definitely have Garlett instead of Buckley. I like what Buckley is showing and doing down back currently and believe it's good for his development.
Something like;
Garlett Waite Kruezer
Walker Henderson Menzel
It gives us height, mobility, athleticism and pace!

Unfortunately Kreuzer has shown very little as a forward at AFL level.

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"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

I do agree effes. But that doesn't mean it won't work if he gets it together!

...krooz will be fine when he is up fwd as a resting ruck, less so as a kpf.. ..but play Waite and hendo as the kpf combo, and krooz then will be more than handy.. ..just becomes different if asking him to be part of kpf structure..

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

How long are we going to drift as a football club?? We are middle of the road at best and hang onto little bits of excitement or positivity.

We need to start again. The football department of the past 10 years has been a disaster. Names like Murphy, Kruezer, Gibbs, Judd who were our great hopes will never be part of a Carlton Premiership. I just can't see it.

Need to trade, cut , delist and get as many young talented kids with a strong desire to succeed. We need winners.

The following need to go:

McLean
Armfield
Robinson
Rowe
Bootsma
Casboult

Carrazzo, Judd, Scotland, Waite should retire.

and we need to see what we can get for (if anything):

Gibbs
Kruezer
Lucas
Yarran
Watson

Somehow we need 3-4 picks inside the Top 25. The problem is the longer this goes the less the value the harder it is to get quality in. Paying big money for players past their best is NOT the answer.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Let Gibbs go.
Gets us a first round compensation .... (correct?)

We'll finish bottom 5-6.... have pick in mid top 10.

Bundle up those two first rounders for a GWS Tall , Patton, Boyd etc.

Thats a start...

Then we start looking at Yarran to WA and so on.

Only untoucheables as far as im concerned are Lachie and Menzel (and lat 2 years draftees).

...and Kruezer is done.

Bad enough we took a ruck with pick 1... we kept him and moved both Jacobs and Hampson on.

Watch how much Hampson develops without having a spud ruck coach in Capauano.

His first two games this season have shown more than alll his seasons at Carlton.

oh... and watch Betts get AA this year also.