Just a thought.

I would have thought that a gameplan that is NOT OBVIOUS to every man and his dog would be advantageous. After all it would be harder to coach aginst.

I can see about 3 different plans in each game or subtle variations. There are times when we play a bit of tempo footy and can look like we are flat footed, during which you will see the guys of half back kick to a tall on the wing that will provide a contest with a couple of runners generally front on to pick up the crumbs if they fail to mark it.

Other times you will see the champagne football where we load up the backline and run it in chains of handballs through the guts and onto the leading forward. The downside of this is that should the forward fail to take possession, the rebound will more often than not result in a scoring oppertunity for the opposition.

The third is probably the most fustrating; the zone defense. We need alot more work on it because quite frankly we suck at it. Against the Bumbers we played a bit of the zone defense early and although we never looked like scoring we did keep it close. We went on the attack mid way though the second term and got a few quick goals that were erroded by the umps. After that we went back to the zone to stop the flow, but failed to create the scoring options so we went to the kick it to the tall except that we didn't execute well enough and left their runners free to score easily.

The gameplan didn't fail, the execution did which could be partly attributed to the week off. We won't get the balance right all the time between these plans, but in time it will get alot better and bear in mind that for the most part, poor conversion has cost us alot more games than Ratts coaching.

Beautifully put, especially your first and last paras.

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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.

Essendon* have a very obvious gameplan but we cant coach against it

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

I was joking about livo

exceptCollingwood
You didnt answer my question
happy with Bemtley Johnson and Hadley on our list

Where is your opinion on this one BV
Gone missing on that one

What do you mean except Collingwood? He only nominated for the pre-season hence went to Melbourne @PSD1

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There will always be teams or gameplans that our team structure will strugle to overcome. Essendon* plays quick football and is overcome with strength and dicipline, two areas we are deffiecient inat the moment. We will not always be skinny and dicipline is almost directly linked to experience, so in time we will be able to overcome there speed.

Why look at Essendon* as an indication of where we are at? There only crediable win other than us was a 5 point win over Collingwood on Anzac day.

I just can't believe this......How Dumb and ill informed can Ratten be? i mean Jesus Christ, is he really that Clueless? I am not upset with the selections but more with the comments that Ratts has said this week in the papers:


" You know, its going to be very hard to make changes to a Winning side, as I do not want to change my winning Formula "


Is this Guy for Real?? A Winning Side? you call our win against Freo a Win? it was a flower Embarrassment and an insult to the Carlton fans...


Two Senior players and Top midfielders Waste their time in the 2nd's because Mr Smart Ratten doesn't feel he needs to change his winning combinations of Fisher, Bentley and co....


We are a joke....We have gone from a Certain Win and another big thumping to a Possible Close game and a more than a good chance of a Loss.....


If i was Scotland, i would walk away from this pathetic group that does not know how to appreciate the most talented and courageous player on our List...

After reading most of the 45 pages regarding Ratts coaching I believe that many of the observations regarding his performance are taken out of context.

Now I'm happy to admit that Ratts may not be responsible for everything that has gone right, but given that his detractors hold him responsible for everything that goes wrong in the football department, I'm happy to credit him with the things that have gone right.


In my experience, any team that has under-performed for a long time will have developed certain characteristics, the team culture will be poor, their processes (game plan) will be weak and more often than not the group will be fractured with many cliques. In the corporate world this can be corrected more quickly, but in the AFL with your recruitment processes controlled by an outside agency I believe it takes a minimum of 3 years.

Anyway the process that need to followed has 3 main steps.

Culture (phase / year 1)

I think we have made huge strides in this area, the footy department has concentrated on improving the support network that the players have, with new fitness team, medical staff, specialist coaches, etc. Simultaneously making it easier for the players to do their job and removing any excuses they have for presenting themselves in less than peak condition.

I believe that we have made progress towards becoming a single cohesive team membership, the MC have been providing some of the younger guys with opportunities and many of them have spoken in interviews of their belief that hard work will be rewarded. (something that was not the case previously)

Training intensity is 10 times better than it was 3 -4 years ago and the players presented themselves in excellent condition at the start of the year.

Goals have been set, the team understands that finals are expected, the football department seems united and even our recruiting seems more purposeful in the last couple of years (Maybe Cazzes can comment).

All in all I think we can consider this phase to be a success.

Team member management (phase / year 2)

At this stage it is important to work on the processes (Game plan) that simply don't work or encourage bad habits, and present the team with new ways to achieve success.

Unfortunately with any team that has been under-performing for a long time some members will have developed a siege mentality and will be highly resistant to the changes in the processes and culture. It is important to break this down, but it must be done gradually and carefully or else you run the risk of fracturing the new team unity and culture.

You need to provide these people with every opportunity, but if you can't educate them, you need to manage them out of the organisation

I think this is where we are now.

1. Wiggo and Cloaky were provided chances early, and once it became obvious that they were not up to it they were replaced in the team, without much fuss
2. Our new young backline has been established and Thorton now finds himself relegated from key position player, to a sweeping role.
3. Fev has been trasnitioned from our Key focal point, to a more team oriented games with a focus on the defensive aspects.
4. Stevo and Scotty have now been dropped after numerous chances to repair the defensive side of their games.

All in all I think this transition is going well, I fear that if the above players cannot adapt to the changes that must take place, they could find themselves delisted or trade bait at the end of the year.

Process refinement (phase / year 3)

Once all the organisational, personal and personell have been sorted out, it is important to review and tighten all of the processes surrounding the team, to the point where success is almost a given as long as everyone does their part and follows the process.

At this stage it becomes easy to transition new members into the team as the older members leave, and it is now that we have a team that is setup for sustained success. I think that this is next year, when I would expect to be pushing a top 4 spot, on the back of better understanding and execution of Ratts gameplan.

All in all I think that Ratts is doing a fine job at repairing the damage that had previously been done and building a team that is positioned for long team success.

Anyway my two cents

Bagger

Honestly believe that's about 5 bucks worth bagger ... but am finding it difficult to fault ur arguement now that I have finally calmed down after the Essendon* loss

Quit. Unfortunately this isn't a lovers tiff anymore...the relationship is over. Ratts needs to do the honourable thing and fall on his sword to redeem himself in Synbad's eyes (even better on the way through with the sword take out Sticks )

Even if in the unlikely event Ratts did a Matthews at Brisbane it would still all be about the grand final loss

Yep but because this guy is going to be a gun what efforts were taken to get him to nominate for the national draft by other clubs

The point I am making with this that BV doesnt seem to get is how much effort is taken in recruiting players Australia wide
Is every avenue explored.
Because it was we wouldnt have to put up with Johnson and Bentley in the team tomorrow.

I find it intriguing that you think "Lyon is what a coach is all about".

It's fine to say you rate him now, but I think it much more likely that if you had been a Sainter that you would have been leading the flaming torch and pitchfork brigade during his first year and a half.

I would have thought that an advocate of total football would have found him far too defensive. He also likes a tall backline which you are totally against. An interesting choice indeed

You're clutching at straws Keogh.

Go back over my posts over recent years and you'll see I was against signing any discards. Hadley, Bentley, Brett Johnson, Clarke, McLaren, Ackland, Longmuir etc etc etc.
All of them.
No one has been a bigger critic of recycled players on this site than me.

I'd much rather see a kid given a go. But you're out of your depth on this one. Jurrah did submit the paperwork but he didn't submit it correctly.
Wayne Hughes cant go to every kids house and stand over his right shoulder whilst he fills out every document.
If a kid says he's nominating for the draft, that's it!

By all means expect the MC to go for kids over retreads but the Jurrah issue is simply a mischievious diversion.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

I could have sworn we won against Freo.

Damn, that's another tip I've dropped then.....

You undermine your whole stance by calling Scotland "The most talented...player on our list"

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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.

Your missing my point BV
The Jurrah situation highlights what gold is available out there.
I was merely trying to use him as an example to point out that fact
Glad to see you dont like recycled hacks either.
You obviously like to win an argument.
I am merely replying because you mis interpreted what I said.
Hughes cant go to every kids house but scouts should be stationed everywhere in Australia because I am sure there are a dozen kids with the skills and size that Jurrah possesses that slip the net.
better picking those than Bentley and Johnson

Keogh you call me screwy becuase I highlighted your Livo thread where I believe you refer to the fact their is hidden talent yet all you do is harp back on the same name and one that is made with hindsight not foresight. Ive thrown a name in for you how about you try and spot some talent. Actually I throw another name up for you - Kershaw - already plays in the right colours somewhere in this great land of ours. In fact I can keep throwing name up for you try Guthrie.

Heres a tip - if you spot a good kid email his details, detailing his positive and negative attributes etc to our recruiters or to someone who works with them. Far better to actually do something positive for a change than whinning.

And undisciplined

In your eyes what you are saying is that the umps were the trigger point for us to get smashed by Essendon*?

bravo

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STURDYISM!!