Ratts has had his chance to develop a fwdline strategy and has basically come up with very little...the only chance for improvement here is to bring people into the coaching department with the ability to successfully tackle this problem.

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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 reckon Ratts has tried to come up with a multi-dimensional forward line, but you can only work with what you've got

In the first few games this year he tried Cloke up forward, but that didn't work

They recruited Yaz over Rich for the reason that Yaz has played forward for his short career and has more potential as a forward than Rich

They tried Carlos there after he was mainly a backman before that, ie. Ratts is trying to mould him into a forward, and while it worked for a month Carlos then got injured and never regained his mid-year form

Edwards & Harts don't seem up to it

Ratts has also mentioned having Kruz up there, but because of the injury to Warnock the Kruz forward experiment couldn't go ahead this year

I couldn't agree with you more.

Some posters think that we have all the holes in our list filled and now it is time to develop the team into premiership contenders. WRONG.

There was a reason that Ratts was chosen without going too hard through a process. At the time the board thought that we were years away from a premiership and so it appointed a coach to teach the very young players how to play and what it meant to play for the Navy Blues. Ratts has done as good a job as anyone could in washing away the damage done by Pagan and get the team from wooden spoon to finals in 2 years. If we were right to make our push, then a more experienced coach would have been sought, but as it is they went with one that fulfills the role that the board wants and we needed at the time.

Fair enough, but if the rucks are fit in 2010 then surely Kruez has to be blooded as a fwd.

Or they must trade or recruit one via the draft.

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

I hope this is the plan We need a CHF and Cloke ain't it and Santy could be dangerous as the third tall.

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

I'd much prefer a forward line that had Fev and didn't necessary have a big CHF

The Crows forward line is a beauty Knights Tippet Porp - Walker Dangerfield and Burton and chuck in a Hentschel when fit - Doggies isnt bad either and Geelong have gotten by with several numbers moving through there as well

If we would have had Jamo fit on Saturday night he would have shut out Bradshaw and Bower would have run off their third forward . The one or two big power forwards are to easy to isolate when you get to the big end of town

Ratts appears to be trying to develop a multi prong attack but we seem to be stuck on trying to fill this CHF role we have had 3 or 4 players have a dip at it and none are very good

The only issue I have had with Ratts and his forward structure the guys who have been kicking the goals Betts - Murphy - Garlett are a little on the short side - Need to get blokes that are both good at ground level - present and can take a mark

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They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

Yarran

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

We can only hope

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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

good point - have the one key forward with 2 or 3 others who can take a mark, like the Pies & Crows do. This gets back to your talent pool, however, and we've tried Wiggler (disposal let's him down) in that role along with Fish (again disposal & too slow) - very interested to see how Robbo develops as a potential marking forward, perhaps.

I think the Doggies have really struggled in their forward line and have tried 2 get their midfielders to do more goal kicking - something I reckon Ratts tried with our midfielders later this year, ie. Murphy.

as for the talls, the Cats use Mooney & Hawkins (2 big boys), the Saints use Reiwoldt & Kozi - and they finished 1 and 2 this year. Mid you the Cats also have Chappy & Johnno who are better than the 2 talls.

Interesting to see how our forward line develops next year - in the draft this year we really need to recruit a tall forward & develop - Fev will be 29 next year and you'd imagine he only has 2 or 3 years left playing at the standard he is now playing.

Either way we go, whether it be the one key forward with 2 or 3 mids who can mark, or the 2 key forwards with 1 mid who can mark, we need to recruit players who can do this

By the way I reckon Ratts has down an awesome job in his 2 years - hopefully when it's up for renewal his contract will be renewed. From all reports he communicates well and most importantly he seeks advice

This may seem like an insane notion, but a couple of years ago we had a bloke playing at the club who was noted for his 'footy smarts' and his ability to read the play, only didn't have the physical capabilities to match.

Would the insights of such a man be of any use to us right now?

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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

Each and every one of us has got players wrong including the best recruiters. Using your theory no-one should be listened too. Thing is Synbad is right this time. We had problems between the arcs Saturday night with our lack of defensive pressure. If we had displayed any form of defensive pressure whatsoever Brisbane would never have been close enough to run us over. It cost us the game. How many times did the Lions run so easily through the corridor to set up their forwards.

Terry Wallace could not have possibly been more right (he didn't use downhill skiers that was the H-Sun editor).

Most definitely.

But do you think he'd be able to push out one of Carlton's current runners?

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STURDYISM!!

Setanta really looked the goods there until injury/re-occurence of blood clot problems derailed him. Now's the time to draft talls as we need one to cover for Fev when he goes. That's about the time it's takes for one to develop. No chance of getting a decent one through a trade, as the Bulldogs have unfortunately found. Until then Setanta, Kreuzer, Waite and to a much lesser extent Cloke, if needed, can fill the position very nicely. We were cruelled by injury in key areas with key players this year. We did well to do what we did.

The biggest improvement needs to be in the defensive work of our mids and forwards. Killed us big-time on the weekend. Fev set the standard for that well on the weekend but we needed more.

you're insane....

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If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!

Insanity aside, unless this player can use his large brain capacity to hypnotise the opposition, he's better off retired.

Weren't all 3 of his knees bad anyway????

Not terribly insane. Just imagine if had been closely working with Setants, whose major flaw is the footy brain side of things or how useful he would be to mentor Austin, Kreuzer, Cloke and Hammer.

for some reason people seem to think he meant to come back and play

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

When they brought Garlett into the weekends game it was madness.
His body was never going to hold against a Lions side in a finals game.

But when they did...they had to have a plan how to use him.

What does he have???

Hes super quick....!!!

Howabout Fev leads forward to a 30 meter pass... and Garlett runs into a Pagans paddock scenario behind him... the ball gets kicked way over Fevs decoy league and Garlett can use the only weapon he has in a final.. his pace.in a footrace . to run onto the ball...

Bit like that first goal....

instead of continually bombing it long to noone... or a Fev on 3...

(as usual)

PS I would have played Hartlett instead of Cloke... this year... and not in defence... but as a guy that would play away from Fev.. as another target with a kick like a mule...(wed already had a super look at Cloke this year)

anyway....

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Yes I should've been a bit clearer on that

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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