I am getting very angry with the quality of the posts.

Why shouldn't we win a flag with our current defence.

Why don't some of you take a look at footywire.com stats.

Don't look at the total goals kicked look at the averages.

Top 10 average

1 Lance Franklin Hawthorn 25 4.5 CHF
2 Brendan Fevola Carlton 22 4.5 FF
3 Daniel Bradshaw Brisbane 20 3.8 FF
4 Matthew Pavlich Fremantle 19 3.5 CHF
5 Jonathan Brown Brisbane 21 3.3 CHF
6 Jarryd Roughead Hawthorn 25 3 FF
7 Matthew Lloyd Essendon* 21 3 FF
8 Barry Hall Sydney 15 2.7 CHF
9 Nick Riewoldt St Kilda 24 2.7 CHF
9 Daniel Motlop Port Adelaide 21 2.7 HFF

We have what we need

Jamo to play FB - He Gets Matthew Lloyd, Daniel Bradshaw and Jarryd Roughead. Jamo has proven himself on these guys

Waite to play CHB - He gets Lance Franklin, Nick Riewoldt, Barry Hall, Matthew Pavlich Jonathan Brown.
Waite has already beaten most of these players

I would say our bigger problem is in the pockets on shorts and talls

For talls we are trying Bower and Thornton.

Armfield, Browne or Joseph will be tried on the smalls

Nathan G. Brown - Small
Jason Akermanis - Small
Russell Robertson - Medium Plays tall
Brad Johnson - Medium Plays tall
Mitch Morton - Medium Plays tall
Paul Medhurst - small
Mark Lecras - small
Tom Lonergan - Tall
Benjamin McKinley - Tall
Stephen Milne - Small
Brett Burton - Tall

The biggest issue is really the pressure on the flankers and midfield goal kickers.

Adelaide Brett Burton 2.6
Jason Porplyzia 1.8
Luke Jericho 1.7
Nick Gill 1.2
Richard Douglas 1
Simon Goodwin 1.4

Brisbane Anthony Corrie 1
Daniel Bradshaw 3.8
Jonathan Brown 3.3
Rhan Hooper 1

Carlton Bradley Fisher 1.2
Brendan Fevola 4.5
Edward Betts 1.4
Ryan Houlihan 1

Collingwood Alan Didak 1.3
Anthony Rocca 2
Dale Thomas 1
John Anthony 2.1
Leon Davis 1.4
Paul Medhurst 2.1
Travis Cloke 1.7

Essendon* Alwyn Davey 1
Angus Monfries 1
David Hille 1
Jay Neagle 1.4
Mark McVeigh 1
Matthew Lloyd 3
Scott Lucas 2

Fremantle Adam Campbell 1.4
Chris Tarrant 1.4
Jeff Farmer 1.2
Kepler Bradley 1.3
Luke McPharlin 1
Matthew Pavlich 3.5

Geelong Cameron Mooney 2.2
Gary Jnr Ablett 1.2
Mathew Stokes 1.7
Paul Chapman 1.7
Ryan Gamble 1.6
Steve Johnson 2.1
Tom Hawkins 1.3
Tom Lonergan 2.2

Hawthorn Cyril Rioli 1
Jarryd Roughead 3
Lance Franklin 4.5
Luke Hodge 1
Mark Williams 2.1
Michael Osborne 1.2
Tim Boyle 1

Melbourne Austin Wonaeamirri 1.3
Brad Green 1
Brad Miller 1.4
Michael Newton 1.5
Russell Robertson 2

North Melbourne Brent Harvey 1.1
Corey Jones 1.7
David Hale 1.7
Lindsay Thomas 1.4
Matt Campbell 1.4
Nathan Thompson 1.9
Shannon Grant 1.4

Port Adelaide Brett Ebert 1.7
Daniel Motlop 2.7
David Rodan 1
Justin Westhoff 1
Robert Gray 1.5
Shaun Burgoyne 1.2
Warren Tredrea 1.8

Richmond Brett Deledio 1.3
Cleve Hughes 2
Jack Riewoldt 1
Kayne Pettifer 1
Matthew Richardson 2.4
Mitch Morton 2.1
Nathan G. Brown 1.9

St Kilda Adam Schneider 1.5
Fraser Gehrig 1.8
Justin Koschitzke 1.4
Nick Riewoldt 2.7
Shane Birss 1
Stephen Milne 2.5

Sydney Adam Goodes 1.4
Barry Hall 2.7
Jarrad McVeigh 1.3
Jarred Moore 1.1
Michael O'Loughlin 2.2
Patrick Veszpremi 1.5
Ryan O'Keefe 1

West Coast Benjamin McKinley 2.3
David Wirrpanda 1.5
Joshua Kennedy 1
Mark Lecras 2.1
Quinten Lynch 1

Western Bulldogs Brad Johnson 2
Daniel Giansiracusa 1.3
Jarrod Harbrow 1.1
Jason Akermanis 2
Mitchell Hahn 1.4
Robert Murphy 1.4
Scott Welsh 1.8

So Stop this crap about Santy playing.

Back six is sorted

Thornton Jamo Armfield

Bower Waite x

x=Gibbs, Johnson, Walker, Houlihan, Scotland - Runner

Our problem is actually across Half Forward, but Ratts has sorted things now.

Murphy has been doing some goal kicking practice.

Betts has improved his roving and hits the packs harder.

The result is more options.

Watch for 2009 Averages

Fev will drop to around 3.5 goals per game.
Cloke can stay injury free he will get 1 per week
Judd 1
Murphy 1
Betts 1
Wiggins 1
Houlihan 1

Wiggins, Houlihan or Betts really need to step up to 2 goals

So there it is folks.

I agree with all youve said SB but how many tackles do Wiggins and Russel lay a game, how often to they shutdown the opositions best attacking defender? How often do they pressure the opposition to turnover the ball.

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Better late than Cerra

Plato said ... "friendship is one soul dwelling in 2 bodies".

Synbad says "defence is one soul dwelling in 22 teammates"

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

I cant believe we are not able to develop HBF's who can defend and are skilled. To me any skilled player should be able to be taught defensive skills. The only issue is if these players are lazy defensively or have no heart..i.e. Stevo, Scotland and Houla (who thankfully is up forward now where he belongs).

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

bring back pagan !

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

I noticed in the local rag that his Supercoach team is flying.
1600 odd points.

Obviously no Carey.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Hurley woulda been handy.

Play the Irishman, for God's sake.

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Dut, de dut, de daaa!

Haven't we got Simon Wilson QC to lead our defence?

Travis Johnston has played two blinders this year and on both occassion Brissy won
He played one shocker and Brissy lost - Russell was the man who stopped him

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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

Beautifully said again CF.
Our defence is fine. The current guys are better than most believe.
Bower's progress is the key to how much better it eventually becomes.

I suggest your find two other players to use in your example.

We really stuffed up by drafting Yarran then.

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

The grass is always greener on the other side.

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17 4 10

You're joshing surely.

Go back and look at the video tapes.

Bower was hopeless against Brisbane, and again last weekend. take a look at his pathetic efort at the death, one on one against Lloyd, the two of them sharing half the ground because the rest of the Bombers team went back. Take a look at how poor Bower was, didn't even look like he tried, just let Lloyd win possession.

He's been there 4 pre-seasons and is still a rake, not even remotely close to matching it against the big boys.

But it's not just his lack of strenght, his decision making under the pump is poor. Again, take a look at the last quarter against Essendon*.

And what of Johnston. Totally embarrased by Morton in R1, and probably amng our worst 5 last weekend. Gets run down from behind. Turn over. Mucks up the kick out, therefore there's a bounce. Let's Davey (or Monfries) turn himself inside out, GOAL.

And don't even get me started on Thornton. I know he's not a no.1 defender, but surely he could have done better against Lloyd last weekend. And to give away the second free in front of goal, then 3 mins later turn it over. Shocking game.

Waite was the only one who showed any composure down back, and of course Jamo is missing.

But sorry, the rest all have huge Qn marks over them.

Our rucks are coming along nicely, it will still take a few years for them to develop into men, and we need some luck with Warnock's injuries.

And the midfield should be OK. Judd is mid age, Gibbs and Murphy are quality. Grigg should be good. Yarran has elite talent. Bets ditto.

And up forward Cloke is improving (thought he was pretty good last weekend). Fevola has another 4 years. Wiggins has come along very well, although he has to lean to kick the basic goals.

But geez, down back we stink.

Which of those guys down back are hard ar5e natural defenders?

Johnston? No.
Thornton? Not really.
Stevens? Forget it.
Scotland? Nope.
Carrazzo? Nope.
waite? Not natural but better than above.
Jamison? yes.
Austin? Skilled but hopeless 1-on-1.

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It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

Dude, Johnston retired in 1990!

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Nice summary. Although IMO we will have to find at least one key defender over the next year or so, unless someone surprises from the ressies.

I loved your line...'and maybe Judd....' very funny

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

I think at times we dont play as a single defensive unit
Aesop told this story...

“A farmer who had a quarrelsome family called his sons and told them to lay a bunch of sticks before him. Then, after laying the sticks parallel to one another and binding them, he challenged his sons, one after one, to pick up the bundle and break it. They all tried, but in vain. Then, untying the bundle, he gave them the sticks to break one by one. This they did with the greatest ease. Then said the father, Thus, my sons, as long as you remain united, you are a match for anything, but differ and separate, and you are undone.”

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

I know you don't get along with verbs most of the time, but now you are going all proverbs on us!

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we should have traded pick 6 to Essendon* for pick 5

our defence is alot better then it was two years ago and can only get better, i have faith in the BOYS.

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"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on". -Winston Churchill.

wow dude very profound... now how does this relate to our back six??? Let me guess they should all bunch together in the goal square and wait for their opponents to come to them...

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre