Maybe years of being in a struggling team, coached by Pagan has taken its toll, and it's showing now that we've apprently turned the corner and are backing ourselves in matches more often.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

probably KK

But I think, given the fact that most of our games this year we've moved the ball slowly from defence (including kickouts) I don't think its something that Ratten is necessarily opposed to.....

I think he has to realise now that with a young team who still often go back to "bad habits" he needs to encourage the risk taking... especially given we have a backline absolutely full now with talented young players who are great athletes who take players on with run (with the exception of Thornton)

Just keep running and creating.... tell blokes like Armfield to continue to try and dash past players and break lines.... Doing that will get Setanta, Betts and the half-forwards into the play as leading options or carry the ball into our half to hit-up Fevola before opposition can get their zones in place.

Make it more of a team rule than the exception - which I think it has been for most of the year. Get Thornton to tow the line on it (shouldn't be a problem) and drop him if he can't.

Ultimately I would love to see Yarran come in again and be tried at halfback.

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Love Cricket? Love me

I don't necessarily mind coming out of defence slowly, if it's with plan and purpose. T-Bird seems to move it laterally for movement's sake sometimes. Maybe that's my perception rather than the reality, but that's the way I see it. I'd like to think Thornton can shrug off that mindset when it needs shrugging off, as in the wrong matches, it has really hurt us.



Agree.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

I'd trade Thornton at the end of the year, actually for whatever decent draft pick we could get... second rounder? improve our second rounder for a lower pick?

There would be a few teams who would fancy him. Hawthorn might come back sniffing given their problems when a key defender or 2 get injured.

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Love Cricket? Love me

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"I will make trophies from their spines."

1. How loud the roar of the Carlton supporters were when Juddy came out from the rooms with his nose bandaged up. He had goose bumps it was that electrifying.

2. How loud the roar of the Carlton supporters will be during the Finals, should we make it.

3. How loud the roar of the Carlton supporters will be on Grand Final Day, should we make it.

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“It is a state of mind, a system of belief, a way of seeing the world, a deep faith that, because you are Carlton, you belong to something great.” - Mike Fitzpatrick articulating what Out of the Blue means.

I have heard players talking about Ratts at least 3 times that he wants them to be bold and take the game on, and that if they stuff up that he (ratts) will wear it.

I don't think that Ratts wants them to play slowly, but rather play thoughtfully. You can see sometimes that they move it around the back half slowly until it opens up a little, then they run. They have not perfected it yet, but they are a hell of alot better at it than under Pagan and are still improving.

You have to remember that players like Grigg, Scottland and Carazzo change how we play. We still have Johnson and Walker to come in who will generate even more run and flair

What i learnt: WE NEED CHRIS JOHNSON OFF HALF BACK

To many times on friday night when clearing from half back and trying to hit up a running target our kicks were high and slow. By the time the ball got to who it was intended to go to a saints player was able to get to the contest.

Chris Johnson's ball use by foot is low and hard. He has the ability to break games open with his kicks which generates more run and moving the ball quickly into our attack

Some of the kicking on friday night was accurate in that it hit its intended target but the kicks were nothing kicks that float and sit high. The Hawks, Crows, Bulldogs and Cats all move the ball with low fast kicks that split games open

If only Stevo had the ability to contest he would have been perfect for this role actually both he and Johnson would kill opposition teams playing this role.

that has to be one of the worst calls of all time

Chris Johnson is one of the worst pick-ups we've made in a while, and I'm including Longmuir, Chambers and Ricky Mott in the mix there.

A Paganesque pick-up

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Love Cricket? Love me

Carrazzo is a good leader and we look a better side with him in it.

Abit early to make a call on Johnson i reckon.

Should know by next year if he can cut it.

Melvey is right though.. if he can find the ball and we can get him loose and not on a player he would help us imeasurably with his disposal.. same with Robbo and O'Keefe..as well as Yarran.

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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.

But Johnson's disposal is SHIT!!!!

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Love Cricket? Love me

I would rather play Yarran in the role described above than Johnson. He too has excellent skills, and if we're talking about trying to get a bloke free to execute skills, it might as well be the youngster.

definitely

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Love Cricket? Love me

I agree we need a gun kick coming out of defence, ideally a left footer so as to change up the angles...

But Johnno looks too 'one way' at the moment to me. His defensive efforts in the AFL and the VFL this year have been ordinary IMO. Not stong at the ground level contested ball, and also appears unable to spoil overhead, which doesn't help...

It's probably too early to write him off, but my impression of him after half a season with our club would involve the words 'ski' and 'downhill'...

Let's hope he can turn it around.

If we could somehow take the best of Ando (tackling intensity, courage) and give them to Johnno, we'd have a player...

Joey Johnson has a nice ring to it

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

'snip'

1. whinging about umpires only does more damage on-field

2. We don't need Russell to shut down key players

3. Fev is now our weakest link more often than not

one more for good luck.....
4. Fev should watch the vision of Judd over and over and over and over (maybe it will sink in )

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end of message

sometimes I wonder what some of you guys are watching... were the Wallabies playing last friday night?

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Love Cricket? Love me

I think in a situation where there is a kick to determine the result of the game, then Fev kicking the winning goal will be a flip of the coin as the Dawks game has left some scarring there.

He isn't the sure thing he once was from any distance once the game is to be decided.

He has the yips in pressure cooker situations.

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“It is a state of mind, a system of belief, a way of seeing the world, a deep faith that, because you are Carlton, you belong to something great.” - Mike Fitzpatrick articulating what Out of the Blue means.