Hey mate
I agree with you with most of this
Whether we have midfield talent is debatable
Kennedy is a forward not a mid
Otherwise good post

I've been pushing as hard as anyone to get the youngsters into the middle but you've been a bit creative in this post Deano.
Firstly Cuningham wasn't banished forward after the Essendon* game. He played midfield the week after and as he does, he failed to get near the ball. He's our most inconsistent player.
Stocker doesn't have the endurance to play midfield and we should accept that he may never have. Does he want it enough? I have my doubts.
Unless he can continue to improve his athleticism, Kennedy will be a stop-gap at best and I doubt O'Brien has the genuine AFL qualities required.

I'm all for rotating Fisher and Walsh through the middle more but I think it will be free agency that will take us forward.
I'd target Zac Williams and perhaps Jack Viney as free agents and consider offering our first round pick for Papley again. We have the key position strength but we cant waste another year "hoping" our young mids will step up and our emerging small forwards are almost non-existent. Let's get some certainty in and if our youngsters are good enough to tip them out, good and well.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

I know that we are all angry with some of the breakdowns we have in games and that blame ultimately falls on the coach, however Teague has had 1 pre season to get this team to implement his game plan and then 1 game before a 6 week layoff.

Covid has meant that he has not been able to train full team plays, has not had a settled forward line due to constant injuries, different rules and shorter games resulting in a more congested game than ever and no reserve level to get the kids into form.

Although every team has had this issue this season, is it no wonder that the new young inexperienced coaches (Fred, North, Carl) have had more inconsistencies than other teams?

There are many issues that Teague has to address, but he has responded to poor starts, close loses, abysmal scoring and improved consistency of effort.

It is far, far too early for some of the criticisms that he is coping and nearly every football commentator is now bullish about Carlton being on the road back, which they have never said before this season. Why is it that those people that don't have a vested interest in Carlton are now jumping on board?

We are on the way up.
Things can change really quickly.
The rebuild is done and final bits to puzzle to add.

I still look at the success stories from the draft over the last 20 years to find out where our lastest crop are at.
I keep coming back to the same conclusion: the players haven't developed quick eenough to compete now.
Its not a good idea to stack on muscle too quick otherwise soft tissue injuries become the norm.
Slow and Steady with the players and that goes with our patience.

22yo SPS Setters Fisher
21yo Dow OBrien DeKoning
20yo Walsh Stocker Cottrell

Of the above Walsh is a freak, Fish SPS and setters look likely to make it.
But the bottom line of that group of 9, all are still developing and have shown some good signs.
I wonder what they will be like when they hit 23-25.
They wont all hit their straps the same time, but most can in the same window.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Last year we loved seeing Teague moving magnets to put us in a winning position.
That was something Bolton seemed too inflexible to do that.
This year Teague is backing the players in the same positions for the duration of the game.
That's my one concern

Its not about plan A or B
Its about whether our plan is good enough for finals, and if so, Teague needs to move magnets again before the rot set in ie 30 point turnarounds.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Papley and Williamson will help the now and the future. Whether we get them or not, we know we will get someone in the trade perios with our war chest.
The 2 things we need to improve on imo is speed and leadership.

Leadership. Needs defining and addressing.
Cripps leads by brute strength. When he hasn't been dominating with brute strength there doesn't see to be anything else.
Docherty has organised the backline well enough to make it cohesive. He seems to have the jitters in last 4 weeks.
Murphy isn't physical enough consistently enough.
Betts seems to organise the Forwardline well, but delivery from the midfield has been bomb it and see most games and that has seen a waste of opportunity.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Ive been a bit impatient recently but when I see some of the stuff in the media discrediting 21yo Dow and OBrien and 20yo Stocker it seems to me they are targeting SOS and its too early to know.

We need to be mindful our problem has always been that 25yo-28yo group. Martin Docherty Newnes have stood up, but that's not enough
McGovern Marchbank and Newman injuries haven't helped so we depend on the kids or the leaders to win games for us.
That's not realistic in 2019.

Will another Preseason be the tonic before we sell the farm for the messiah? Charlie will be back. Cripps to be fixed up. Kreuzer back, maybe Tom steps up another level, Newman and the abovementioned injured.

Have to say, other than 21 30 point turnarounds in Teague's tenure, the signs have been good this year.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

True

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Questions. I'm sure Williams is a target as is Papley.

What cost would you be prepared to pay to get them?
Is the cost of not getting them a step backwards?
Conundrum?

Everyone has a price. Huge upfront (war chest) for Williams. ie whatever it takes?
Papley may need 2 first rounders?

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

As we know Viney and Williams are free agents. The cost will be what we manipulate it to be. If we offer them a 2 year contract at 850K (front ended) with an agreement to have a reduced contract in years 3 and 4, I doubt the offers will be matched. Williams wants midfield time. He will be attracted more by opportunity than money IMO. Viney knows the Dees are tossing up between him and Brayshaw as their second inside mid going forward. Brayshaw is 2 years younger. Most players want opportunity and certainty over a quick dollar. It's all about how you sell the deal to the player and secondly, how you facilitate the transaction. (See Jack Martin)

If we can score Williams and Viney and still keep all our picks to possibly chase a Papley, it's a no brainer for me.
Yes Dow, SPS and the others will have opportunities but it will be based on performance. We cant sit back and hope our midfielders take a step forward next year. Look at the Brisbane model with Lachie Neale and Charlie. They were forced to pay with draft picks. Hopefully we can get there with free agents. It's our time now to compete. We cant keep sitting on our hands hoping.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

The biggest issue I see still is that we're a group of very good players, not a team of them.

Collingwood over the weekend had one of their weakest possible teams, but because they play as a team they were able to still play the way they have trained even with change in personnel. Hawthorn, as shit as they now are, were able to overrun is with a team of VFL-level plodders because they played as a team. Their players knew that if they made a mistake, there would be someone to back them up who knew what to do, and were prepared. They all knew what to do, no matter the situation.

In our case, we have players that have plenty of talent to burn, and if they're holding the ball in their hands without pressure can do all the footy things well. But it's the inbetween time where we fall apart, where your ability to produce your best depends on what your teammates are doing. Playing the game against actual opposition doesn't give you the chance to do what you can do at training, or taking shots on an empty oval. So it falls on the guys around you to create the conditions where you can do that.

I picture it like the creation of baseketball, where they talk about being good at basketball, "as long as we don't have to run, or jump, or dribble". Our players are good at footy, as long as they don't have to shepherd, or run back in defence, or not bump into each other when going for a mark.

Good teams are smart and well-trained enough to execute a strategy based on their situation "Our teammate is under pressure in the back pocket, so we execute strategy A, GO.", and each player assumes their role.

Our guys seem to execute only the next action "My teammate is under pressure in the back pocket, I'd better do X...he handballed to me, so I'd better do Y" but they're not in sync. They're a group of talented guys doing individual things, hence why we get caught out of position all the time.

What's the solution? Leadership, concentration, commitment, repetition, adaptability, resilience. We've lacked so much in these areas for so long now, and Teague's biggest challenge will be breaking those old habits.

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WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

So Cuners was banished after 1 poor game. If our coaches can't find a way to get the lad to replicate his great showing against Ess then they're just as inconsistent as the player.

I don't think we have much choice. Doc and Cripps won't be around forever. It's now or never to give them high level support.

I would like to think given our modest climb up the ladder this year we can tempt Williams to come to us via FA. The fact he is already being linked to us is a good sign and you'd reckon with GWS players already at Carlton and with money to spend (surely we have our house in order now?) we are a very good chance of landing him.

Papely will be harder to get but as mentioned earlier in this post I think it's time to bite the bullet and bring in serious talent. I would consider giving up this year's first and next year's first for Papley. This year's draft will be compromised given the kids haven't played much footy so the value to us of our first pick is diminished. I would ask for this year's second in return. Or I would consider offering Casboult to Sydney. They are in need of a power forward and if Daniher doesn't work for them then they might well look at Levi. Sydney have a history of power forwards, so we know they have the appetite. Levi has been good for us of late but you have to give something up to get something decent and with TDK emerging and Charlie coming back Levi makes some sense to me. Maybe it is a first and Levi for Papley.

The other hole in the list as BV and others have noted is a proven ball winner. I would like Viney but I find it hard to believe a Father Son will leave the club when they are finals bound. If he isn't signed yet then surely he is just trying to get the best deal he can. I am also a fan of Brayshaw but am not totally convinced about his consistency so wouldn't give up as much for him as I would Viney and again my preference is to get real proven high level talent in as I think we have plenty of so so types already and another one or two isn't going to help us. We need proven talent.

Outside of that I would personally keep Dow and Polson in the side. Polson is a bit of a fumbler but he seems to have the right attitude and have serious pace and I just think an extended run down back is worth a try. I just think it's time to play kids and do whatever is needed to bring in topline talent.

regarding our coaches ,how does John Barker survive we need to add someone from a successful club to help teague with ideas .

regarding our coaches ,how does John Barker survive we need to add someone from a successful club to help teague with ideas .

A reasonable price to pay from our perspective, but I can't see Sydney having any interest in Levi. They're in the early stages of a rebuild, so Levi would be too old for them. If he was 28 or under, I could see them going for it. Is Buddy likely to come back next year or is he cooked?

Can't see swans taking Levi and first rounder. Would likely be 2 first rounders or a first rounder and a good player under 25.

I've said it before and upset a lot of locals but I'd trade Harry. A forward line of Charlie, TDK, McGovern and Harry will not cut it moving forward (After Levi moves on). TDK needs room to move and can play second ruck. He works harder than Harry, plays more of a team game, can take a mark other than on the lead and needs ground time.
If we could get Papley for Harry and perhaps a second rounder, I'd jump at it. Otherwise I'd trade him for a first rounder and use that as leverage to get get Wines. Yes I know Harry has potential but you have to give something to get something and talls have currency and tall forwards are our one surplus item.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

There is certainly some logic behind this. Whether the club has the courage to do it is another thing. Other than the obvious risk of the penny dropping with H in terms of his attitude and as a result fullfililing his potential with another club, there are other risks. Charlie and Gov have proven themselves to not be overly durable. If they both go down which is quite likely, we are left short. Guess a lot depends on what they have in store for TDK long term. Do they see him as largely a forward who will support Pitto when he needs a chop out. Or, do they see him as our future number 1 ruck with Pitto to play more VFL and only come into the side when TDK is injured or needs a rest.
Ultimately, if trading H can help us land a Wines type or Papley, certainly worth giving it some serious consideration.

I wonder if Harry could do with some extra curricula one on one coaching sessions with a bloke like W Carey.

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#DonTheStash