To be a good side we need more of each of these elements in both selection and game plan - we need to play more yarran and less bentley -more hampson and less cloke

Lets face it Bentley was a safe choice by the match committee but a really conservative one - why not give robbo another go or Yarran

Wallsy was right when he said bottom few in our team really cosrt us today - can have grunt and workers bees like carrazzo wiggins russell joseph in the side but not if Bentley Cloke and Setanta are also running around in the side

We have pinch hitted with cloke and setanta in the ruck for 3 seasons now and it doesnt work

We need also to be bold in playing style - we needed to be bolder in taking the Hawthorn zone on in the third quarter getting out of defence

We need more x factor in the forward line - betts and Hollywood arent enough Gartlett and Yarran would add to the magic

Without fev today we were in a heap of trouble need more skills/tricks in the forward line because we all else failed and the pressure was on we continued to look for Fev to the detriment of others and because we didnt apart from Eddie have any other forwards anyone trusted

Here's hoping that is what the MC learnt from today

Yarran needs to back it up tomorrow and Robbo and Hammer need to keep doing what they have been doing

Shame Jeffery was hurt

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Indeed fellas....indeed.

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Yes we do, but we also need to develop strength and hardness. There are 2 or 3 real quality players left on our list from 4 years ago - our list was in horrific shape. We've had to do a massive re-build and I think a reasonable job has been done but there are still holes.

Walker would make such a big difference - x factor plus toughness
Grigg can become a strong "70 metre player" which we need
Browne is strong and classy but not dynamic
Yarran is the obvious answer, and if he can prove he can handle the physicality of VFL bring him in
Garlett's spirit is more willing than Yaz, but his flesh is weak - next year he'll be great
Hampson doesn't have panache but does have x factor, and I'm dying to see him put the pieces together

We need to recruit a stack of marking forwards to take us beyond Wiggins, Cloke, Fish, Setanta and as succession policy for Fev. I was keen on Sibosado and Jurrah looks interesting - those boys have size and massive upside - what we needed. We need Austin to grow into a serious KPB to take over from Thornton (a fourth tall when we already have a better one in Waite). And we need blistering pace like Davey x 2 and Lovett running from half back - Joseph and Armfield have great pace, but lack some panache (I think they're coming along alright).

I really admire what Hawthorn have done. I'm not sure how, but they've obviously got a list plan, a good development environment, and 5 years of excellent recruiting. Moss and Dowler look to have come good, Rioli is a freak at his draft pick, the twin towers were inspired choices, Dew was genius by Clarko. Whitecross and Schoenmakers are two more on their production line. They had the advantage of a core of good players from the 2001 draft to rebuild around (Hodge, Brown, Mitchell). The Hawks have players with panache, but they also have strength and toughness, and that's what gets you the ball and gives you that extra moment to use it properly.

This draft is meant to be a very weak one, especially with the 17yr olds out, and 2010 will be tough work, so it will be difficult to put together a super team, which is why we need to invest in NSW and O/S like Collingwood to get whatever advantage possible.

We also need some guys who like to hurt opposition players.

If Warnock is any good, him coming in to ruck and releasing Kruezer to play forward will significantly improve the team.

A fit Walker and if Yarran can be as good as is touted we improve significantly.

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Good post Frank.

Looking forward to seeing the likes of Yarran, Hampson, Robinson, Browne and Austin playing senior footy and replacing some "bottom six players" in the near future. Garlett is still very raw and looked overawed in the Brisbane and Essendon* matches so I think he can play Bullants for this year.

I'm still bemused by the selection of Bentley ahead of Hadley yesterday.

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"To be a good side we need more of each of these elements in both selection and game plan"
Hey, Frank, last time I looked, they were all the same thing.
Maybe we should try and recruit Daisy, Didak, and Leon Davis. Collingwood have had a lot of success with that type of player, unlike Sydney and Hawthorn, who just go about winning games by using teamwork and sticking to their gameplan.

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I think a fit and firing Walker, a ready Yarran and seasoned bodies in Physco and Garlett will add something different to our line up.

Dennis Armfield looks as though he could step up and become a regular player.

No doubt in this years draft we need to recruit forwards and possibly a dashing ball carrier like a Wojinski type.

Great post Frank.

I said to my son on Thursday evening, How in the @#$%&! could they pick Bentley? Picking Bentley was incomprehensible

You are spot on about Cloke & Setanta as well. They haven't got what it takes, especially against quality opposition

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Bentley was picked because of his body size. We still got bashed around (out bodied) yesterday so you can see why Ratts went for a Bentley type player

I think we realised this in last years draft...... Yarran, Robbo and Gartlett all have X factor, and all look the goods!

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Blue Sombrero hawthorn have x factor rioli franklin roughead to name a few

Geelong have ablett chapman johnson to name a few

Agree we need a mix of grunt and solidity as well as flair- I dont want didak thomas thats not what Im talking about they are collingwood flashy and thats not what Im talking about- -if you think Im talking about recruiting that sort you have missed the point of the post.

I think as others have pointed out we have some on our list who have that potential but we tend to go safety first - we play cloke and setanta over hampson - we play bentley over yarran or robbo


We need to be more bold with game plan yesterday in the third quarter we were not pro active enough in getting out of Hawthorn zone out of defence - no run and carry and almost lost the game there and then

Agree solid game plan adherence is the key and the Hawks are more disciplined /practiced /drilled with their gameplan and thats why they ultimately one but they have got flair and dare to win Im not sure we are there yet and generally fortune favours the brave

Opposition coaches must be laughing seeing Juddy doing a Ling/Kirk impersonation in the middle.
Had Hadley in the middle but the opposition took him to the flanks where he was useless so we dropped him .
Brought in Bentley from left field but what did we do with him?Surely we had a plan for him? What the @#$%&! was it?
Why would you bring someone in like Bentley and not give him a genuine role?
Defensively we have some huge organisational problems as well as getting down to the basics problems,
How many times do the opposition elementary kick goals on us cos we have noone on the defensive side of the ball??
Cloke should play deep or not at all.
Russell... is there a more vanilla player ever to play the game?
I would love to see what happens if he isnt in the side?How do the dynamics of the team change?



Poorly drilled... poor structures.

Again beaten by a more disciplined and organised team

And yes we may have pinched it.. but we were playing catch up since quarter time to a team that has a few injuries ... a few players down and less prepared .. but now what theyre doing.

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We fumbled a lot too. Really we played quite poorly and got by on heart and intensity. With more confidence we will handle it better and find that the game comes together a bit smoother. The backline might even get the confidence to move it on quicker. I try but i can forgive thornton for holding onto the ball for so long in the last after taking a great mark. He had 4 of us in the corridor but he stood there then bombed it to a 3 on 1 on the flanks.

I see we have x factor but it is a development phase. We need to work on the kickouts at both ends. Still slack.

Our biggest worry is our race against time. We have to get ourselves developed and structually diciplined before fev is too old.

I am still confident we are on the right track even though we had a poor game (according to some) yesterday.

Club agreed I wasnt too disappointed yesterday because we are still developing and need to refine our gameplan -our coach is still learning /developing - our players after years of paganism are still evolving and learning the team structures and plan devised BEING IMPLEMENTED by Ratten

Nothing like the Essendon* loss and that is the one that has meant we are back in the pack

Agree we have some x factor but need to be emboldened in selection and not go for safe option
Same in terms of game plan

Cant win the close ones and the scars of the past still haunt us when we need to be bold to win

It will come and wasnt it good to be strolling to the G yesterday thinking we were a chance in a big game we have a young developing team and Will with a bit of luck -good planning and boldness mix it with the guns of the competition

We have the least number of players with over 100+ games experience in the competition, and only one of two teams without a player over 30.
The team looks far more drilled and understanding of the structures than any other year over the past 5.
And I think juddy has played more of an outside role these past two weeks as well.

Bingo. The more I think about it, the more I think this is how we will eventually develop. Warnock as first ruck, Hampson/Jacobs as second ruck and Kreuzer at CHF. He is still a year or two away from having the body to play that role week in week out, which is a shame.

So, as I see it, a forward line of Fevloa, Kreuzer, Robinson, Betts/Yarran/Garlett has plenty of x-factor, and the second key tall we have been crying out for. Warnock in the ruck gives us genuine height (and an ability to thump 30 meters, we could have done with that yesterday (Teddy's observation)). And a backline of Jamison, Bower, Thornton...and either Waite or Austin. Would love Austin to nail CHB, and release Waite to a wing.

We all know that 2011 is when our genuine window opens, that gives time for Kreuzer, Warnock and Austin to fill out into men's bodies. We know Kreuzer will be a player, if Warnock and Austin can too...look out!

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Bring back the laurel wreath logo!!!

It is all about weeding out those who will not be their for a genuine premiership tilt, and there are three I can guarantee that wont be from the game against the Hawks - Setanta, Cloke and Bentley. Wiggo adds toughness, but is, as he has been on most of his career never far away from being in the wilderness due to his poor skill level/decision making.

We look a lot like Hawthorn circa 2007, you know the potential is there, but lose games we shouldn't, but when we put it together you know we have potential to be the best.

Aside from those mentioned, players out of the side in Bentick, Bannister, Fisher & Hartlett will probably be moved on at the end of this season (definitely the first two).

Don't we have enough of this with Fev and a couple of exciting youngens coming through

Fev missed 4 that's right 4 set shots from 40 metres and closer he kicks them and we are saying we need more finals tickets allocated

If we need anything it is help for the Kruez

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