Brett Ratten

http://sportal.com.au/mediaplayer/audio ... rence-5286

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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

How can Harts be in the mix? He hasn't done anything.

Fisher perhaps, But will need to lift.

Robbo would have to be a CERTAINTY.

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

Word from Pie Park is they might go the Biff against us.

I hope they do.

Firstly it is a good spectacle.

Secondly, we are tougher than they are.

P.S. Shane Warne will not be in the Ashes squad. He has signed a big fat contract to commentate and smoke cigars with Sir Ian Botham at SKY.

Looks like we now know the ins

Fish - Harts and Robbo

Who are the outs


http://sportal.com.au/afl-news-display/ ... call-70320

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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

Word from the bullants is that his form has been pretty good as a key defender the last few weeks. Could come in handy if it frees Waite up, and kicks it a mile too.

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WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

Ratts also said that he hasn't seem the game as they were on the GC,

I think he was responding to questions asked rather than confirming (as being reported ) who'll play...
We'll have to wait until Friday ...
Fish kicked two by the way...and I didn't think he was outstanding (keep your feet Fish...this crouched back and then going to ground drives me nuts about you!)

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“Every single element of the Club has to be the best in the league, meticulously and methodically, and only by doing this will we be elite and challenge for number 17.”
Greg Lee

He has been in the Bests a couple weeks running now at the VFL, and if you saw his kicking last week you would have him in the senior 22 every week.

Maybe you should actually view what the lad has done before you draw conclusions about what he has or has not done.

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

Hartlett in for Jamison perhaps?? Bad shoulder.

I am hoping for a more mobile forward line that is all about tackling and slowing the ball up on the way out. The goals will then come.

We will need a lead up forward though. Waite id say but that will rob us of his handy loose man down back work.

Joseph Hartlett thorton
Russell Bower Scotland
Simpson Gibbs Stevens
Robo Waite Yarran
Betts Fev Armfield

Krueser Judd Murphy

INT :- Hampson Austin Anderson Brown

Backline looks a bit sluggish but i would go for something like this if jamo is out.

maybe he was confusing Hartlett with Garlett, or Harlett with Gartlett

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"I had to eat"

What's with the attitude?

I'm basing it on how i feel. It's my opinion mate - tough!
Hartlett could be a decent VFL player, but it appears as though that is it.

He has been OK a few times this year. JUST ok. Pushing for senior selection>? No, i don't think so.

So............. before you get all 'antsy in your pantsy' and acting all tough............ maybe you should realise that other people have opions too - it's what this website is for!

God!

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

Pretty sure Harts started up forward at the Bullants this season prior to being switched into defence. I also believe this move coincided with Jamo being injured again?

So putting two and two together i get Tutu (Desmond?) ... apologies for that attempt at humour.. where was I .. ah yes Harts moving into defence could've been a move that is based on two posibilities IMO.

1. He was really struggling up forward.
2. He was moved back to get use to the position incase the roll of dice on Jamo's shoulder fails.

Possibility 1 I wouldn't understand as we have enough developing talls to cover Jamo IMO, not in terms of quality though at this stage. Austin the prime example to come in with Carlos also. We also lack forward options so why would we not play Harts up forward at the Bullants and give him the challenge up forward to force Cloke out?

Possibility 2 sees my theory of cover for Jamo come to fruition. Without watching the Freo game on TV I can't really comment how he looked, but some reports indicate he struggled with his shoulder and efforts at the ball? If so with Ratts talking about Harts today, maybe Jamo is out?

Anyway it's all good talking up theories, just have to wait to find out I'm wrong again.

Hartlett's upside>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Cloke

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"I had to eat"

Wow, that would be some sort of turnaround for young Harts! I thought he looked good on Saturday (not always) although I wasn't too impressed with his athleticism at times. I think that could be exploited at AFL level. Not as bad as Cloke but getting there!!!

And a month ago you would've thought there was more chance of an NRL player not pursuing group sex than Harts playing AFL again! And thats saying something!

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C'mon Blueboys!

Harts as a senior defender? *Checks calendar to confirm it's not April 1* As a forward perhaps, but as a defender ...

This is really becoming ridiculous. Santy has beaten quality power forwards in the seniors, and yet we go for the reincarnation of Livo - same inability to stick with his opponent on a lead, though with a better kick?

Oh wait, cancel that. Santy has only played a few minutes in defence for the whole year so far, so he isn't ready ...

You said, and I quote "he hasn't done anything yet".

So, being among the Bests a few weeks running in the seconds means he hasn't done anything? what then constitutes having done something?

As I said, maybe you ought to take a look at what he has done, because failing to do that renders your opinion kinda irrelevant, in this context. It's a bit like saying you don't like eggplant if you haven't tried it. Seriously, have you seen him the past few weeks, injury free and playing in a different position to where he has played most of his footy for the Blues/Ants?

If you had you will know his kicking is arguably elite, it's better than any other genuine tall on our list and is comparable if not better to any other 195/6cm player going around in the AFL right now.

Again, this is his current form, which is all that matters. But no, he hasn't done anything yet. Right?

Maybe you should actually view what the lad has done before you draw conclusions about what he has or has not done. Failing that, your opinion, while permissible, is nonetheless fairly redundant.

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

Don't know why this has to be linked to any other player. And for someone who regularly cries about Setanta not being given a fair go, perhaps you could come to Hartlett's defense also, after all he has had more injuries than Setanta.

Hartlett has been among the Bests the past few weeks and his kicking is exceptional and moving forward it could be used to beat the zone defenses we see most weeks.

He is slow though, but then Houlihan is slow and a nancy boy, Jamison's shoulder looks stuffed, Walker can't kick, Carrazzo can't kick, Wiggins can't kick for goal, Cloke is slow, Garlett is a rake, Johnson turns it over, Setanta lacks nous, should I go on???

Good form. Exceptional kick. He deserves a shot, arguably.

Maybe they throw Waite to a wing, and try and see if Hartlett can play the mop up/re-bound role down back. That way we don't need to worry about him being exposed for a lack of pace, and he can use his exceptional kicking to re-bound and kick over the zone defenses.

If I didn't know any better I'd say that sounds like decent logic right there.

Look, he is slow, but he has also got the best kick on him, and has had horrid luck with injuries, so after a few good games down back and with the kick he has on him, I don't mind giving the lad a go. I'm not overly confident, but I reckon with that kick on him you gotta roll the dice and see how he goes. Having a 196cm fella down back who can kick it 50-60m on the run, and hit a target, and go over the zone, is tantalising. Got to give him a chance. Granted it may be his last.

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

So you can't see why talk of bringing in Harts to play in defence would bring up another tall who has demonstrated that he can play on power forwards? Amazing ...

And has Harts been doing the Waite-style sweeper role in the Bullants? To my eye, he's been doing a garden-variety fullback role. But perhaps you could explain what it is that you've seen in the Bulllants that would give you confidence he could be a sweeper.

He was accountable last weekend, but with the same token I thought it was blatantly clear that his team mates were constantly on the look-out for him, to dish it off to him, because of his exceptional kicking.

So that is arguably half the role of the loose man right there for you, ie: the re-bounding kick role.

Whether he can read the play to intercept, and whether he has the pace to do that I don't know. That is a genuine concern. But nothing ventured nothing gained, and what would you prefer? That we keep hacks like Cloke in the team? I'd sooner harts come in and go fwd than keep Cloke in there another week.

Anyhow, I digress.

Personally I am not too confident in him playing a pure negating role down back. Reckon his lack of pace could be exploited.

But I also reckon the club have to seriously consider moving Waite up the ground to give our forwardline an extra potency, and if they are to do this then it stands to reason they have to blood someone to take over the loose-man/re-bounding role down back. And with all due respect mate I don't think Setanta can play that role.

But I do think Setanta could be better than Harts at a pure negating role (and yet I don't think Harts should come in for that role, which makes the Setanta name irrelevant in this context - unless you plan to drop a Thornton or leave Jamo out bec of his shoulder??).

But this is not about Setanta, it's about Hartlett, where he could have a spot, and if he deserves it.

But you appear to be pretty hell bent on bringing Setanta's name into most threads, which is a bit strange in my view.

By the way, you asked what would make me confident in Hartlett doing the sweeper role. Well, if you go back to my post earlier you'll see I said I am not overly confident, so maybe you ought to watch that you don't sort of put words into peoples mouths. I am merely saying he arguably deserves a go, and I have put forward some pretty reasonable arguments I reckon. Good form, elite kick, bad run with injuries.

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

If his problem is legspeed, I reckon there's a good matchup for him at Collingwood. His initials are Anthony Rocca-

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T E A M

Ok so we all know the MC have made some blunders this year so lets get some discussion around how you would change the team.

This is the way I would select the side this week.

First change would be Hartlett for Cloke.

I’ve been watching the Bullants and Hartlett has been playing at CHB giving lots of run and is very agile for a big man and was hitting targets with 50m passes. Has a great kick with plenty of penetration and I think its time for him to stand up we’ve shown a lot of faith in him and its time he delivered. This of course would free up Waite to play CHF (which is where he flower belongs). The beauty of Waite is he provides a genuine focal point aside from Fev which we’ve been missing. He kicked 3 goals in a qtr last week and is capable of being a 50+ forward.

Second Change would be Fisher for Wiggins.

No brainer here Fisher has been performing well in the seconds and is a younger more agile lead up forward than Wiggins.

There the 2 changes I would make.

I would also consider Houlihan and Robbo as inclusions but finding a spot for them without creating a team imbalance is tough.

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WE ARE CARLTON @#$%&! THE REST