How many more years do we need to rebuild for Cazzasman?
Carlton's re-building has now officially become embarrassing.
If we didn't recruit well over the past 3-4 years then, we must sack the recruiting staff and at least make a statement.

I see Essendon* are improving and talk of the town, hell some are talking about them beating Geelong next week, and they have been with us for the past 3 years ....what are we doing .... still rebuilding in 2008.

Sorry it's time for the club to make a stand NOW.

Great interview. I agree with Chris.

You rebuild for as long as it takes.

People forget that every year we're improving our list, other Clubs are doing exactly the same thing and improving their list. For every good Pick 50 or so other Clubs have cut off their draft needs at 40! Every other Club has also spent the summer working on plans, working on structures and improving their list. Priority Picks aside, you can only really progress from better coaching, planning and recruitment, and given where our list was 2002 - 2007 we need a hell of a lot of those things to go right for us.

The Richmond loss was very disappointing, but they can only do the best they can and rebuild step by step.

Thanks for the link Wolfe.

I wonder when I will stop being amazed that C Judd is actually now a Carlton player...

We have played 1 game. We started rebuilding when Pagan went, Bower, Grigg, Jamison, Hampson, Edwards, Hartlett and Jackson have all been given regular game time since Pagan left. We have new blood in Judd, Hadley, Pfieffer and to a degree Stevens. We have a new back 6 built around 3 of those mentioned earlier, we have a new midfield rotation, new ruck division, new forward setup, new match commitee, new bloody everything.

Essendon* still have the same structure to add young players too, they haven't had to rebuild yet, they have the luxury of blooding players around genuine experience all over the ground.

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

Don't agree MJ.
More than 5-7+ years experience......
Thornton/Waite/Scotland down back.
Fevola/Fisher/Houlihan up forward.
Judd/Stevens/Carrazzo in the middle.
Evnen players like Simpson, Hadley, Cloke, etc have been around enough now to be leaders of the others such as Murphy, Gibbs, Jamison, yet I felt 2 of the 3 mentioned above lead from the front.

No excuses any longer.

In that case Surrey you are going to be very disappointed.

This is a new beginning for our club. This is the first year we've had two coaches hired specifically to develop youngsters (Teague and Skinny). We have been miles behind the eight ball when it comes to football dep't resources and junior development than most AFL clubs - certainly Collingwood and Essendon*, who seem to be who people here on TC point to as shining lights.

You see a youngster play his first game for Collingwood such as Brown and do well and think this is an overnight success - it isn't. It's happened because he spent last year in the VFL receiving intense tuition from development coaches to get him up to speed. Carlton is going to take time to get to that level but they will get there. We didn't even have a relationship last year with our VFL coaching panel!

Personally, I disregard games our youngsters played for Pagan - firstly becaus the playing style was ancient and they weren't playing to support each other. Secondly - there was a culture of fear amongst the kids because they barely got a crack, and when they did they'd be killed if they made a mistake. I am of the firm belief that sort of culture can't be changed overnight. Bower is an example of this.

The kids have been in a modern, resourced and supportive program for 6 months - give them a bit more of a chance! They will stumble, learn and grow together. Get behind them.

SB Waite has only played down back since last year and not consistently in that spot given its not his natural position.

Houlihan hasn't played consistently forward for yonkers and Fish didn't play on Thursday.

Judd/Stevens are both well documented as being underdone.

Simpson is a leader and Cloke is doing a stellar job IMO given his limited talents. Give Hadley 5 minutes to get some match fitness after 2 years of knee reco!

The above are just the facts and not excuses.

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“It is a state of mind, a system of belief, a way of seeing the world, a deep faith that, because you are Carlton, you belong to something great.” - Mike Fitzpatrick articulating what Out of the Blue means.

Surrey Blue, I understand your frustration (OMG, I've been to some awful places with it AFA the Blues are concerned!)- however, the Bummers have had a spine to boast about for some time now. And we all know how difficult it has been to lead some raw talent and mould it into a tight unit- the younger players have up to this year, looked towards Whitnall, Fevola and Thorton for guidance; when they've battled their own form slumps and worse of all, showed intermittent leadership on the ground. That's why, i feel, its a blessing to have Judd- he will not accept mediocrity, in any form. The common factor in the Bummer's spine- Fletcher, Lucas and Lloyd, apart from experience is that they are premiership players and they'll be damned if they let their standards fall. Let's not forget that Hadley and to some degree, Stevens will also provide much-needed leadership to the younger guys. FWIW, the Bummers' younger players aren't that much better- they'll tire pretty quickly whereas our players will gradually ease into the season and hit their straps, ala Hawthorn of 2006. Here's hoping, anyway.....

poor recruiting.... what we need is razzle dazzle, heap of unf with a pinch of pizzaz, shaken not stirred than insert a rocket up its cracker!!!

Brilliant speaker and top bloke! We're bloody lucky to have him as captain.

Our main problem is our intensity and endeavour. If we are still playing without the neccassary intensity over 4 quarters and consistantly game after game ala Geelong, at the end of the year I'd send them all in for army training. Flog them to death over a month and do activities that involve teams...watch one of those Navy Seals training documentaries and tell me that wouldn't make a difference.

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--------------------------------------------------------"The only one that could ever love me..."

p.s. Yes I know the Navy Seals obviously aren't a part of the Army - you get my point.

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--------------------------------------------------------"The only one that could ever love me..."

Exactly.
Can't believe I just agreed with you.

C'mon guys. it's round 1. simply we will be better than last year coz we've added 4 gun midfielders

judd
stevens
hadley
pfieffer

but wrt to improvement. all these guys are gonna get better over time

judd
kruze
hampson
cloke
muph
gibbs
fev
our entire backline
the coaching panel

we have plenty of room for improvement and we now have two developmeht coaches when last year we had none

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Go Blues

I smell propaganda and you know who you are

I've agreed with your last couple of posts too...what's the world coming two!!!!

New season, new leaf.

Skills peeved me off to an extent, but ball watching and our piss poor intensity is what gives me the shits no end. It's the defeatest mentality, and possibly the sub-conscious thought that with Judd in the team, less work needs to be done.

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--------------------------------------------------------"The only one that could ever love me..."