Times may change but the message stays the same. There is way too much focus on Lance and number of kilos he carries.

There aren't too many smart, strong marking centre half forwards in the league. Yeah he's slow, but that's the great part of our game, it takes all types. Maybe the changes they are making now will mean that is a thing of the past and tall runners become the standard.

Again I get back to fake emotion, just because Lance isn't a loud mouth or celebrate with North Melbourne style fake emotion and stupid hand signals does not mean he isn't trying his guts out. Can we demand that every player runs every single step on the track? Can we ask that all players have skills on left and right, can we demand that every player be in and under? NO, of course we can't, Lance has his weaknesses, but so does every other player in the league, no matter how good they are. That's why a team is a team, and not everyone can play every position on the ground, some are good at some things and others are good at other things.

Lance shows both up forward and down back in more games than he doesn't, that he is above the ordinary. Is he a super star? Is he living up to his full potential? Maybe not, but gees I wouldn't let him go for a potential Luke Livingston or Clive Waterhouse style high draft pick.

Oh and whoever mentioned him in the same breath as Jason Cloke needs to take a long hard look, that's like comparing Catherine Zeta-Jones with Christina Aguilera.

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Forgotten, but not gone

Catherine Zeta Jones isnt as talented .

Look Lance has his fans.. and no he isnt a superstar but what he is , is an elder statesman.
And as such he needs to do more.

No he doesnt wave his arms around or do anything but run around there chasing kicks.
I dont reckon thats enough for that kind of (yes ill say it again $$$$$$$)..

He needs to be first out at training last in.
He needs to show he wants *it*..!

We need people to show the way.. not just be another jumper with just another number out there for 100 mins.. being just 'ok'.

If he cant run,. chase, tackle.... he can do other things... like stay back at training the way Hamill and Harvey/ Thompson do at StKilda.. and bond with kids., giving them a pointer or two...

The well is dry as far as hearing Lance has brains.

Its just not enough....
not his kind of brains anyway.

Anymore of the Lance has Brans argument and im calling in the MythBusters.

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Where will he play this year Synbad- Back ,front or in the ruck again

The thing is with Lance we could play him out the square and he would probably get you 50-60 goals

then we could play him at half forward and he would get 30-40 goals


But my guess is he will play down back all year and only fill in up forward if Fev is off doing other things again

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

Bainuzz..I mentioned Lance in the same breath as Jason Cloke..mainly because Lance played in the same manner when he was down back...loose man picking up stray kicks...
I need to have a good hard look?..... the way i figure it when I have a brain surgeon like Ron Jeremy as my avatar I might agree with you.....

There are not too many smart strong marking centre half forwards in the league????.....Tredrae, Brown, Reiwoldt, Pavlich, Hansen, Kosi when he plays there, ditto for Richo, Anthony Rocca when fit, Lance Franklin also goes ok from what I have seen of him...
I reckon there are enough talented CHF's to warrant us recruiting one which is what Wayne Hughes did when he recruited Josh Kennedy...maybe a little less time watching Ron and his activities and some more time spent checking out some of the other teams could help you...

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

When on the lead you can be a lumbering log but if you have 2 m on your opponent, you're home. Same as positioning yourself in a contest. That come's down to reading the play and footy smarts, which Lance has in abundance. For that to happen, the forward line depends on fast movement of the ball into the 50. What hope has the Carlton forward line got though with the lack of run, committent and passion that we have had to put up with. The delivery into the forward line was non-existent.

there is a strong link here between our welfare and his performance.

Whitnall performs well (like he did in 2005, unequivocally) and he either helps up up the ladder or we can trade him to someone having a serious tilt.

Whitnall stuffs up and he is of no value to anyone anymore. That is the risk we took by signing him up.

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Formerly: Ackland the Wonderkid / Army the Wonderkid / quivering mess / molsey / Tony Lynn Fan Club

Lances brainiac consists of... ball is coming... i cant make space because im too slow.. ill stick the arse out to clock the defender..,Oh shit!! the umpire has pinged me again!!!

You can either play the modern game or you cant!!!

Lances body cant do it.. he has a better chance when he is slimmed right down... but he is going on 27 and he still has the same major issues!!!..
He doesnt chase... so the kids up the ground have to run off their players to his... or Koutas... or Fevs... or last year Campos...so on the counter were effectively playing with men less.

So kids like Walker, Sporn , Wiggo get caught out.. and their confidence is eroded...because the senior players just cant do it!!!

The well of Lance and his braininess has run dry... he needs to perform.

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Crap. The blame for that doen't go onto one person, unless of course you're anti- Lance. Most of theam wasn't committed, we all know that, making it impossible for a forward. Lance was more committed than most this year.

Commited to what????

His contract???

Im interested in what he has achieved in the time we have been down.

A few games dont fool me.

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I love your avatar too Elwood, classy. Richo? are you flower kidding me? I'd rather have Schappelle Corby at CHF, at least she cries less. Rocca? Are you kidding me? Set shot from 15 in front and put your glasses down, start planning where to put the kick in. Brown is NOT as smart as Lance, strong, talented and corageous and I would have him in my side in one second though. Brown and Tredrea are two out of the box, both very good players, of course I would have them in my team, Riewoldt, over rated, cry baby like Richo. Kosi, yeah versatile, moves effrortlessly between the medical room and the hospital. Lance Franklin looks ok mate, but come on, you can't compare a guy who's kicked a few goals and shown some talent to Lance.

Cloke is third man up with the big fist and that's all he does. Lance takes marks and sets up play when he's down back, totally different. Not sure you should question how much time I spend watching footy mate just coz you think you're right.

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Forgotten, but not gone

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There's so much I could say...

All the mythbusters will do is try and have sex with him. And as for Catherine Zeta Jones, well, the fact that you choose Christina over her says more about you than, how many posts is it now?

Unfortunately we can't change Lance's spots now, it's like asking him to be the face of Carlton when he can barely put two words together. Blokes like Harvey et al, do it naturally, it can't be taught that sort of stuff, people see through it. I don't think Lance is just another jumper running around, I think he's going to be very dangerous, particularly with Fisher back in town being almost the go to guy up forward.

I don't think you see many players read the game as well as Lance does, the supposed myth about him having brains hasn't just appeared, everyone who has coached him and played with him says the same thing, I reckon they'd know better than me, or you even (dare I say it)

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Forgotten, but not gone

Lance takes marks????..only when they lodge in his skin folds....last overhead he took was in the wizard cup....one of our MAJOR problems is we cant take contested marks and your telling me Lance does....
Lance smarter than Brown??.....what have you based that on....? Not results obviously.....Whitnalls footy smarts are overated IMHO and he is light years away from being anywhere near Brown as a footballer...when Lance is smart enough to play as a midfielder like Brown did ..let me know
Lance isnt even a CHF these days..we have to hide him down back, find a easy place for our 400K a year superstar CHF...why is that?
Why have we recruited Josh Kennedy?.....I see no difference in how Lance plays down back and how Cloke plays..its just costs us double the money for his so called footy smarts.....the only smart thing about Lance is how he has fooled so many people for so long and milked his reputation for being a so called smart player...

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

BV - I enjoy most of your posts so it's a pity that on occasions - like when you experience a bit of bother - you have to resort to this "I've seen more training than you have so I must be more clever than everyone else". You're not a knob so you don't need this rolling-eyes bullshyte. Of course, I may be wrong......

Whitnall has to reclaim CHF as his own in 06 if he's going to be of any use to the side , he can't be hidden at CHB as he will be exposed by opposition match-ups. No-one's expecting him to kick 80 goals again but he's got to provide a genuine target aswell as provide defensive pressure.
If he's unable to provide that then he should be traded.


Whitnall's more of an earthy beauty , while Cloke has more sex appeal ?

Yeah but Billy Bongo.. he has seen more training than you.
You only get to see when Lance is pantsed out on the field (unless he is allowed to run around free.. like the kittens on 'Born Free'... and he is only allowed to do that because noone cares about us as a threat.

If he was perceived as a threat he would be shut down make no mistake.

Thats the only reason he is allowed to play loose man across half back.. its not like he is on anyone.



"Born Free Born free, as free as the wind blows As free as the grass grows Born free to follow your heart ."


Yesterdays footballer.

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Whitnall only played back to help out down there while we were getting belted in the 2nd half of the year. He played some good games and beat some good opponents up forward this year.

Where is he at? IMO he was our 2nd best player this year.

He is an elastic band... if he is in the forward line the ball rebounds like an arrow out of defence.

No defensive pressure thats why he is a slow loose half back flanker.

CHF??? he will get slaughtered because he cant break away and he cant be a target man.... but he can be a tall flanker.. but we already have Fisher.. who is mobile and can take a mark..

So where is he???

Loose man across half back..

Born Free.. as Free as the wind blows .. as long as noone gives a stuff.. he can follow the ball.. (Pretty much like Campo) .. he isnt a money man!!!

We need the money men...

We dont need 400k wide bodied(notice i didnt say big bodied) players.

That is why Lance needs to be a leader.. because he isnt much on the field.
He cant rely on his breaking the game open.

He needs another string to his bow.

He would have been sensational in the seventies.. ill give him that.

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I think he plays better closer to goals these days. I notice most his marks and goals appear to be inside 40m and Fevs are outside. Both can lead from close to goals with Whitnall staying well inside 50 and Fev leading as far as he likes. We have to make the most with what we have and get the best out of them. No point bombing it to a pack with either of these guys, they can't mark like how Sticks or Kouta used to.

I agree with the game in that if he played up forward it would be close to goals.