The best thing Brett Ratten could do is get Nathan Buckley on board. His knowledge, thinking and attitude is exactly what's needed from the respected man. Another bloke i would get back to the club is SOS to work with our young defenders

Patience is required, we are a work in progress!

I am one who believes that ratten and co. do know what is required to develop our team. A simple example of this is the recall of hampson into the seniors. He clearly is not ready, but is given the confidence to find his way.

As disappointing as it was on sunday, it showed we are a little off the pace, when it comes to playing mature bodied sides. Don't be fooled by laidleys comments about youth at north, it was the senior core of players who paved the way for their victory.

Keep the faith Go Blues

The current MC are a vast improvement from their predecessors but you'd be in serious denial if you couldn't acknowledge the bewildering mistakes at team selection with the overrating of certain players.

I aven't read the entire thread and to be honest couldn't be stuffed. But all I want to say to people who believe we should be grateful that Ratten's with us is this.....Collingwood have no one yet they will be finishing well into the 8 again and will possibly win at least one final.

It shits me to tears when I see them winning enough games to get them to 5th spot with the load of rubbish they put on the park.

So to Ratten and all of the MC, quit the bullshit of trying to "encourage" young players to find themselves and play the blokes who bust their arses each week in red jumpers. Give those kids something to strive for rather than locking player X and player Y into posistions they can't lose.

This isn't the @#$%&! public service!!!!

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But we are trying to win a flag in the future not be a team that finishes 4th each year.

Sally McLellan made it to the final last night - @#$%&! I thought she must be @#$%&! good at hurdles

Raylene Boyle (who knows a tad about these things) was very pleased thinking the experience will do the 21 year old the world of good

and then said when she gets home she needs to improve her hurdling technique.


I guess these things take time.

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

Just a question.............

Is there TOO MUCH Carlton in the coaching staff.

Teauge
Lappin
Bradly

Plus Sticks on the MC>>>?

I'm not that sold on Lappin being in there and i think there are better options for a development coach.

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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

WTF is the seconds team for? For years and years I grew up knowing that the twos was for young kids to get experience and learn about the game until they were ready for the big time. If they failed in the twos they were gone. If they were good enough they got a game.

We're sticking kids and blokes out there who don't deserve a game with the hope that one day they'll come good. It's BS namby pamby new age coaching that shits me.

Meanwhile, blokes who are playing well in the twos and have played well at senior level are hitting the glass ceiling. All I ask is that players are selected on merit and not on hope.

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Welcome back Synners, I thought I could smell crap in the air - after all you only come around after we have a crap game.

Before you start pointing the finger to Waite, perhaps you could look at Saddo who game so many one on one goals away or Thorton who can seem to puch without the slight touch of the opponents back or the entire midfield who seemed to let them get the ball away without being tackled.

Yet it seems that all this is Ratts fault because he is coach and to a point I agree with you, but it was very clear from his presser that the boys didn't follow the instructions that was given.

Do I think that Ratts is a great coach - No, do I think he can be a great coach - only time will tell, but right now he is the best person for the job.

Look back to the last couple years and you will see that Russel wanted to go home, Thorton wanted out and there were murmors about a couple others who wanted out as well, now I know that allot of people would say good riddens if they don't want to play for us then we don't wants them, but how many would be saying that when Hampson goes to GC17 and Gibbs goes home and Bower prefers the WA climate - I think you get the point.

The first and most important job that Ratts has done is to repair the team spirit that was torn to shreds last year and only after that has been completed can you start to work on tactics and strategies. I am prepared to give him some time to show what he is capable of, after all who cuts a player they draft after 1 year because they think they won't be up to it?

Duke the 'seconds' has not been for that for quite some time now. As for knocking on th door - who? Blackers - can he play as a lead up forward with defensive pressure?

Saddo?

Ackland?

Who exactly are you talking about?

Nowadays a club must manage a list - that cannot be done with the old discard/try again method.

Plus nowadays the game is far more complex and so the balance of various aspects is greater and so are the strategies (ie Synbad's calls for kick out strategies) all of these things take time, meanwhile you must develop your list, make calls on who goes and who stays, seek to address the list's needs, co-ordinate the balance of the team, match the team against other teams and all while waiting for your team to grow the muscle/mass/experience needed for a serious tilt.

I have said this before and I'll keep saying it because this was said by the present premiership coach of a team now being touted as perhaps one of the best.

when asked (three years ago i think it was now when Geelong has that bad season) if Bomber thought that the window has closed he just said something along the lines of 'actually the window doesn't open for a year or two because that is when the average age of our list and the average experience of our list reaches the right moment.'

Bomber understood that his team was young and unable (then) to compete against the hard bodies of other finals contenders and it was young in terms of understanding what was expected of them.

we are still in the development stage - and development means exactly that, it means a) all the pieces are not in place)
b) those pieces in place are still being developed (ie Gibbs)
c)things are still to be learnt (or unlearnt)
d) Bodies are still not ready for the ultimate challenge.

Can Ratts coach?

Yes. He instills a team spirit, he instils confidence in the playing group.

Is he a great tactician?
Too early to call, ask me in 2 more years because its going to take a while.

Will he coach us to a flag?

4 years ago did you think Bomber would?
Do you think Clarkson will? Did you after his first season?

How about Knights - you think he will?

Eade?

Truth is, we only know after the event.

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

Who is not getting a game that should be ??????

Our defence has improved out of sight this season.
IMO, Crosisca is doing an excellent job.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Hit the reset button I think you are on 'repeat'.

Regards Cazzesman

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Ricky Gervais - “Everyone has the right to hold whatever beliefs they want. And everyone else has the right to find those beliefs f***ing ridiculous.”

Blackwell, Bentick, Pfieffer, Jackson - that's who I think should be given a go. Infact Bentick should never have been dropped in the first place.

Don't give me this 'who can play the lead up forward with defensive pressure' BS. If your eluding to Russell's role then I think you're kidding yourself, DB. He gives us squat and we cannot afford to carry blokes who don't give us any positives. Browne's in the same boat - but he's got time on his side.

We need to let go that Russell fantasy, or at least put it on the backburner for a while. Unless you can see a reason to extend his contract for 2 years, then let's move on.

I was initially against dropping Fish becasue I thought he'd come good. Seems I was wrong. He needs to go away and add 8 KG to his frame and re-jig his kicking or he will be gone too.

If the bottom 6 players from Sunday is what we expect to continue with, well, we've failed miserably in our recruiting.

I'm not suggesting all the above players be played at once, but they've been locked out of this team all year even when the so-called future fail to deliver weekly.

Keep in mind that we don't have 1, NOT 1 player in the top 25 for tackles in the comp yet we leave our best tackler, and indeed one of the best in the comp.......in the "twos" .

Is there any wonder we were smashed in the centre last week?

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I pretty much aggree with this.

Browne is not up to it.............. YET.
Russell is not up to it............... AT ALL!

Jackson, Bentick & Pffifer would all be better options than Browne / Russell at the moment.

Fisher.............. hmmm........ well does he do more hurt than good? Sure, he;s a great, not to mention RELIABLE mark, but turnovers and missed shots on goal will hurt you.

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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

I don't understand what Browne does wrong with some of the people around here. He's had a great debut season, shows a real touch of class and poise, and deserves the games he has got. I also don't see much that he does wrong in games... some mistakes here and there, but after all, most people argue for guys like Austin, Hammer and co to be in the side because they'll learn from their mistakes. So what is the difference with Browne? The pass to Fev in the second quarter on Sunday was a ripper. I suspect he'll be a permanent fixture next year.

JR currently rates as the 5th best tackler for Carlton in 08

Regards Cazzesman

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Ricky Gervais - “Everyone has the right to hold whatever beliefs they want. And everyone else has the right to find those beliefs f***ing ridiculous.”

certainly was.

And actually, i've noticed some brilliant shepards from Browne this year too.

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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

I haven't writen Browne off. He does some good things but IMO there are others ahead of him in development. He'll get his go and good luck to him, but to be honest he's not what I'd consider a top 22 player in terms of benefits to the team.

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I think it's hilarious we have a thread like this when only in Round 4 of this year did we end a record equalling losing streak.

Fair enough we raise our expectations, but North is quality team, a top 4 team, who are in ripper form. We should be using the game (like I'm sure the Coaches are) to assess what we need to do to beat teams like that - a proper half forward line and entry strategies has to be first priority and I wouldnt be surprised to see 2 or 3 of Fish, Wiggins, Edwards and Hartlett moved on or out because of it. I think some of our key mids were weak when it mattered so I wouldn't be surprised if something happened there. Add teh Coach still learning and you have a few things to focus on, but re-setting your expectations is one thing; you still need to think of how far we've come.