Agree. He is getting back towards his best. So he is not going to be a bust . The only valid criticism is the value equation. But isnt that the norm for free agency....that you pay overs? I think eventually all teams will be running around with a couple of free agents, all of which are being overpaid. Its just the cost of doing business. We will all be in the same boat, and the salary cap will reflect that. Free agents should be viewed as free kicks in the trading stakes, and as such worth paying a premium for. The player group if they are fair dinkum should accept that the free agents are on a higher level of pay than themselves, because they are in theory bringing them closer as a group to a premiership, which is what its all about. If they are good enough then they will be able to partake in the free agency bonanza themselves, when the time comes-if not then they are just "good ordinary footballers"

Is that an admission that our players are changing the way they play.....is it possible that your rusted on assessment of our list has been too pessimistic? If judd can start running both ways then others can follow surely?

<wrong thread>

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"I had to eat"

padre our list is crap
nobody believes we have a reasonable list.
this is about those who are on our list understandingdoing what is required.. as distinct from not doing whats required...
nothing to do with quality
its about effort and bare miniumum required

beating GC doesnt mean you have made the big time... its just a step

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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.

Yep,thats what im sayin' Psych.............................keep him goin' no matter how hard the task.Runnuin' with Selwood is a great idea,at least for a quarter just to see what it takes.After all,it was Menzel himself who stated his preferance for a run in the guts,so give him what he wants.

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All my dangerous friends

In Casboult's case he wasn't greatly fit last year. Fitter this year but suddenly had to both ruck and play forward. Might've needed a year of that and be better for it next year. It's his first extended run in the seniors in that role. He'll improve further. What he has is his ideal role. Sydney win flags turning average players in to good "role" players by putting them into roles that suit their abilities. As you said, will work well with Kreuzer.

Menzel's been a bit in and out with injuries and I was just relieved that he didn't do his knee the last time, so he might be a touch rusty. Keep him playing, season's done and there's nothing to lose.

Waite's not our future but he is definitely our present. The best way to develop your side is to bring young blokes in regularly around your gun players. They develop and get educated faster and get the feeling of winning a few more games, not a losing mentality. To bring them in without the guns and letting them "fend for themselves" I believe holds them back in the development and education. We have alot of theories about this, about whether such and such will be in our best premiership team and whether players are our future, but the above way of developing a side works best IMO.

Yep, have to agree. Your points are well made and make sense. Especially regarding having some experience around. That's why I want Judd to stay.

The only one I will disagree with is Waite. Been good for three weeks but he has burnt us before and I'm not sure he is the best example for the kids. I just think we need to move on from him especially if we can recruit a gun young forward. No issue with him staying on our list but it needs to be for minimum wage and year by year. He's been well paid for long enough.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Thanks!

Actually Waite's been pretty good for 10 years. Unreliable sometimes with brain fades, injury, discipline and occasionally decision making, but as a player been pretty good for 10 years at both end of the ground and often in the midfield in previous years. Seen better and worse on the on-field reliability side of things. Unfortunately gun forwards are near impossible to find, and the only one on the free agents list is Waite himself. Usually you have to take the risk, draft one and develop them yourself and hope for the best. Haven't done well in that regard and the only good one we drafted plays for the Eagles.

My theory with key position players is if you have a good one you keep them tight and bound and don't let them escape. Tough to come across if you lose them. Probably the lack of one cost the Bulldogs a flag. You can build a midfield around a spine, much harder to build a spine around a midfield.

Hence, IMO, we keep Waite. Once over 30 though one only hands out 12 month contracts. At worst one with an option both ways.

Looks more and more that Mick is getting what he wants from the team. And the new Pres's request to speak in a tad more friendly manner seems to have worked well for all parties

Great to see the new Irishman go well first up. Very athletic and a natural kick. Get the feeling that Juddy will co all it quits, but would love to get one more year from the great man.

The point I'm making about Graham is that he lacks the required pace to be effective offensively and defensively. Players who lack pace must be bloody good in the middle as an extractor ala Ball of the Pies/ Saints to be useful. Now if Graham is a keeper then some of the other relatively 'slow' players cant be in the same team against a top 4 team for us to compete.

Ellard did really well yesterday at times, and I like him in the team because there is no one else that comes close to him in the reserves. I saw him struggle against pace a few times yesterday. I wouldn't call him fast. Would you Psych? If not, what is he?

Brock is glacial granted. The next level is slow, then there's fast, then quick, then express. You only have to look at our players running with, or at fast opponents (not express or quick) and you'll see Ellard, Graham, Curnow and Carrazzo havent got the speed to close them down let alone keep up. Result is they are allow their opponent to run free and destroy us down field or they cant get the space on them and have to rush their kick as the faster opponent closes down on them.

Issue is we become a very very slow team when we've got 1 Glacial and imo 4 slow players in the same team. It has been an issue all year. 1 or 2 gun inside mids who lack speed might be OK if we have a bit of speed around them and imo that would be Cripps because he has an uncanny ability to use his size to advantage and get the contested footy and hand it to the outside runner.

Other than Simmo, Judd Yarran and Murphy who can give us good outside speed? Maybe Bell...Judd will be gone soon, as will Simpson and then there's Mr reliable Garlett. That's where I'm coming from.

I appreciate the team effort to create a win. What we need to do is look at what we need to become a top 4 team...and we need speed, and a KP forward and Waite isnt the answer. He just fiils a gap when available...imo

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Yes but this is classic carlton thinking. We should trade waite/ free agency now not in two-years time when he has no value. We arent realistically going to challenge for a flag in that time frame, but we sure could develop a young guy that we get in exchange, who could be ready when our window opens.
We have a reasonable not great list at the moment. We need to top up on a few players, add in some of our missing players and we could challenge in a few years.

Looks like its not only me re Menzel. If you believe the rumour mill, he will be playing against his future team mates this week in Geelong.

One last positive was the crowd - just under 29k for a game against GC was a fairly good result given the way our season has gone.

Maybe it was the impact of nostalgia round........a Saturday arvo game!!!

We'll need to keep 3 home games at Etihad for the GC/GWS/Port/Lion type fixtures.

I agree that Menzel could do with a rest.
I've been thinking that for a long time - surely it has to come at some point.

But you can't chalk it all up to being young and tired.
By my reckoning he attempted at least 2 or 3 overhead bicycle kicks on Saturday.

I like his energy and willingness to create movement, but his body language definitely suggests he's starting to get a few tickets on himself.

Hope I'm wrong.

With a mature, confident, experienced Footy manager there should be no problems smoothing over his expectations and convincing him to stay at the club.


Who is our footy manager again ??

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/a ... ld+sun_rss

THE Gold Coast Suns are fuming over an off-the-ball kneeing incident from Carlton’s Andrew Carrazzo that forced veteran Michael Rischitelli to be subbed out of Saturday’s game and has him in doubt to take on Port Adelaide this weekend.

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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

Somebody call the waaahmbulance.

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Navyblue95 -
my youtube channel tracking carlton news on television and paytv

Thanks for posting Judd's couch session - missed it live.

Champion, he is.

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O say does that star spangled banner yet wave.

Loved judds interview. A real ambassador for the game. He had a nice sidestep to the question about pressures on footballers and refused to complain publicly. I was surprised to hear that a month ago he had decided to retire. Perhaps a certain new president saw that judd retiring would not be a good message , or more likely that judd deciding to go on sent a really positive message to the playing group and supporters.

yeah, judd is the real deal. intelligent, articulate and sees the game well.

i see a long future in coaching if he were up for it, but I'm guessing he'll get into business well outside of footy when he is finally done. In saying that Bradley played well into his 30's. Judd could have 2 or 3 years left of good football?

I'd say if we are up and about next year and he doesn't get injured. He will be there the next year.

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dane's trolling again