Michael Jezz wrote:
Mil Hanna wrote:
Flower Hawthorn!! I couldn't give a stuff what they do. I'm sick of hearing about how they turned the list over in 2004/05 like it's the only way to be successful. Who can prove that it will work for us?? I'm not entirely sure, but I'd be betting that we have had the highest turnover of players over the last 4 years, so how about we try to settle the list and create a TEAM??
How about we concentrate on doing our own thing and try to become innovative?? Or are we just going to follow everyone else like a bunch of sheep??
If you like the Hawthorn model so much, go and support them instead
I do support the Hawthorn model of building a football club, which is ruthless and honest about building a list that can win a flag. We have only made the cuts we had to make. Harder decisions are to come. I don't know how old you are but I remember in the mid 80's when we let a bunch of premiership players go to stkilda because they had given the CFC their best. Maybe we need a little bit more of that hunger and ruthlessness back at selection. Last week we took all the soft options
Sorry, MJ, I don't agree with your assertion about Hawthorn. For a start, let me repeat the boring mantra- we were hamstrung by Black Friday of 2002 and a dodo coach who refused to blood youngsters until it was too late. Also, Pagan chopped and changed at the selection table and on the ground which made any aspiring footballer for the Blues nervous and unsure about their abilities and their futures. In the last 18 months, Carlton have had a stability which didn't exist for 7-8 years, firstly, at admin, board and sponsorship level. This steadiness about our future as a club is slowly being translated onto the playing field- there is an optimism because we, as a club, know exactly where we are at and we are
developing- we couldn't say that for the last 5-6 years because we were shite. We didn't and don't have the luxury Hawthorn had; they had a core of some good senior players who were still young and which they could add to. As MIL has pointed out, we've turned over the list so often, we need to see where they are at; hence, our progress will be slow but sure. Because, the players will believe they are playing for Carlton, and not for self-preservation (which stunts your growth, BTW)... BTW, MJ, every club is building a list to win a premiership- the difference is in the tools and the philosophies and so on....