the whole bulldogs team buy into their game plan though Braithy. from what i have seen (on tv only - based in UK), there are a couple of passengers in our team, and a couple more spuds than the bulldogs

To get all that padre and there has never been an example of the opposite

You must have the right board of directors and the right president chairing them
In the hurly burly of professional sport you're not going to achieve success without the right people on the top

Carlton under Bolton is not hawthorn

Synbad's right, it's the messiah complex all over again, Bolton won't save the club, neither will SOS, neither will Triggs. They may be the right people for their jobs but they are surrounded by a dysfunctional club.

It's not doomsday talk, we have been crap for 15 years, it's now embedded rusted on failure. The core of the club from the board down needs to change, and even then it will take years to become successful because you don't just need a strong club, you need a bit of luck too.

Yes Bolton will make some small change, a marginal improvement, but it will only get so far, he's not the messiah.

McKay is only good if he's good
If he's not going to be good he's not going to be good
Henderson was very good when he was up and running...

Time will unravel all in time

I use context as my guide though

For McKay to be good he's going to need to be a contested beast in the air!
No point having a 202cm flanker type

What you're looking for is the Harry Taylor ,westhoff , roughy type tall!
Can take a mark kick a goal then motor on through the midfield to add numbers before falling across half back and chopping off the opposition going forward

Veitering and curnow I'm confident can do that in the future

Henderson could also.. But he lost his way.

henderson didn't lose his way. one day he woke up and had a good look around him and decided he wanted to win.

so he made that happen.

I don't quite get this "we've been crap for 15 years" mantra; maybe it's because I am somewhat insulated from the madness up here in Sydney but back around 2009-11 (or whenever Ratten's team hit its peak) we were playing exciting, attacking football and frequently turned over big deficits (especially against the Tiges, oh yes indeed!) because we were unstoppable when on song. Okay so we didn't go that extra step, but when we started Ratten's last season with three straight wins, how many of you can honestly say you came on here and said "the wheels will come off because of our toxic club culture (not an insane injury list), just you watch!" When Mick was brought in to polish off the premiership picture, many of us may have doubted we were actually capable of lifting the cup but how many of you said "well ACTUALLY, our playing list is the worst in the AFL so prepare yourself for some spoonage!"

It's been frustrating, but let's not go all revisionist and pretend it's been all doom and gloom.

correct - if you were approached by Stephen Wells to join a Club with their status, success, home ground advantage and you are sitting around the change room listening to Michael Malthouse screaming and berating your wooden spoon team mates ..what would a professional football do?

Feel deflated?

Never say never.

When forwards have good supply....

Imagine:

HF: Yarran Casboult Walker

FF Henderson Waite Betts

As the 3rd tall Hendo would be most dangerous.
He kicked a few bags.

Each to their own. I liked Hendo when he was fit and in form.

no. i think henderson was though

Finishing 7-9 for a few years is not success. Compared to the last 50 years the last 15 we've been consistently crap. Failure year after year with a few small bright spots. Previously we had powerhouse year after powerhouse year with a few dark spots.

If you rank the last 15 years as a success then it's you who is being revisionist.

Let's see how the season progresses till round 12
I have a feeling the wheels will fall off again
The wheels.
Uherm