Maybe port were just honest with themselves ?

We have three main problem areas with our list:

1) Our six highest paid players are not our six best players. We continue to overpay players who have a habit of going missing. Teams like Geelong and Hawthorn have a club culture of "no long term contracts" and paying most of their list about the same as each other - we do not...
We have knee jerked at recruiting to sign players for crazy money and/or extended contracts to hold players (when market demand was questionable on the same money). We have developed an "us and them" list of some players earning two or three times what other team mates are getting. This results in dissention within the list.

2) Our seven oldest players are supposed to provide a return from 10-12 years of AFL experience that younger players benefit from - let's call this "leadership".
The seven oldest players represent about a third of our "matchday" team. Our seven oldest players are Scotland (33), Waite (31), Judd (30), Carrazzo (30), Simpson (30), Walker (28), McLean (28).
The team is continually learning to play without Waite, Judd & Carrazzo due to injury and brain fades - this leadership has gone.
Scotland has gone.
Therefore, four of our top seven are not providing constant leadership on the field. Most matches they are not even on the field.

3) Recruiting. In recent years we have obsessed over finding midfielders - then moan all season that we don't have strong key position strength.
The big problem in 2014 is that points one and two are coming back to haunt us.
Judd, Carrazzo, Scotland and McLean are all midfielders who are physically cooked and need replacing soon. Financially, our hands are tied with contracts for Judd, Daisy, Warnock, Gibbs, Murphy and Kreuzer still in play. Key position players will be put on the back burner again...

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"...that's the thing about opinion - you don't have to know anything to have one..." Andre Agassi commenting on Pat Cash 2004
"...the less you know - the more you believe..." - Bono 2006

Yep!

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

If last night didn't prove it, nothing will.

Time to rebuild and dramatically.

Judd, Carrazzo, Waite, McLean must retire.

Gibbs, Walker, Garlett, Kruezer, Robinson must be put on the trade table to see if we can get some more good picks. We don't have much other value.

Cut Watson, Bootsma, Temay, Lucas, McInnes, Cachia etc.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

With Trading: Good management would to have players with about 2 years to go on their contract at the age of 26/27 from which we can trade them at their highest value / rate of return. After that they tend to reduce output on average by about 10% for sportsmen in general.

Maybe we should get a stats guy like this running stats:
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/whe ... o-the-max/

With recruiting: big men / KPP tend to be only good from the first round. Midfielders tend to have a bigger spread (thinking Kelly from Geelong, Goodes from Sydney etc). Therefore if there is a greatly talented KPP worthy of a first rounder then great (Thinking of Hawthorn picking Roughy then Franklin over Richmonds mids) but the later picks 3rd rounder plus should not be gambled with KPPs. (Perhaps as they tend to mature later and then they'd be available as mature age recruit?)

Can turn things around quick if you recruit well
Port added Wines, Winguard, and stole good mids from other clubs and hey presto

How many players have we delisted/retired/traded since 2004 ?

I don't see how that is relevant
Prob on par with most other struggling clubs

It's not how many it's what picks and what have we done with them
And what players from other clubs we have brought in and on what coin

Gut feel is new recruitment guy is OK

HUN today mentions that Casboult's management have put off contract talks until seasons end.

Doesnt he want to be at Carlton?

Surprise.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Interesting
Tells me club have neglected his deal and another club or clubs are interested

Doggies?

Have we given Shane Rogers the arse already?

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

Winston Churchill

Let him go if he thinks he's being duded. Probably have to keep him given there are no young tall forwards (pre draft)

He's one of those Liam Jones types who can't be relied on; poor decision maker, poor kick for goal. They get kept on lists for years because they occasionally clunk a mark.

Focus on a quality tall with the first pick.

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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

McKay must realise that bush league players like Casbolt Waite Robbo Carrots McLean are just list cloggers.
Get ruthless FFS !

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"The Ox is Slow but the Earth is Patient" and don't forget it!

Agreed.

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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

Effes we agree on casboult.

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

It is , but the reality is , with Scotland and Duigan that's 12 delistings. ( not including the trade list Pych has), so we are picking players with pick 102, 115, 120, rookie pick 55 etc. they will need to delist the players that are not capable of playing at all, Watson, Bootsma etc , bringing in young kids to develop and hopefully replace the Waites etc eventually . It's not gonna happen in one draft. Or 2 , or 3 .

If Waite, carrots , Judd , Caz , etc etc all go, that means Watson, Bootsma will be retained . Need to get rid of the worst first , and then move up the scale . That's the reality .

and club29

2005 the last time an early pick was used on a tall forward - it's time to stop relying on 2nd/3rd rounders and rookie picks for KP forwards.

No more Mitchells/Hartletts/Edwards unless you think they can become defenders.

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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