"kids need time and experience" correct but not nessesarlly in the firsts. To me , it is inconceivable that a young kid, in his second game, who is struggling to adapt to the pace, gets such bad concussion that he taken to hospital, yet is played the following week.Surely this is poor player management. It would never be done at amature level. You would rest the kid and allow him to get some confidence back. Sinbad talks at nausium how Livo was distroyed by playing him week after week in a poor side. That is poor player management. Playing a kid straight after a bad concussion is poor player management.

I don't think some of you guys understand the comment "play the kids". It does not mean you play 17 year olds because they happen to be on the list. It can mean that you play a guy like Bannister who is 21-22 and possibly got room for improvement. Thats still a kid. Guys like Prenda, Sporn, Longmuir, Chambers and Wiggo are the guys have been tried and failed many times, and if you are play them, you can be stopping the kids developing, but hello, none of these guys are playing. The club is playing the kids, but the kids need to look like they belong out there. Bring on Kennedy. I am sure, from all reports,that he will look like he was born to it.

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"Carlton's most loyal, their bruised and battered egos now seemingly a bad dream, drank beers, murdered pies and cheered every time Judd touched the ball."

Fair point on the concussion comment, however, equally there is little point really in giving a kid one game with a handful of minutes on the ground and then putting him back in the twos for an extended period. IF a young untried player gets promoted to the seniors, then surely a stretch of three games is not too much to ask. At least give him a chance to experience senior footy for more than a nanosecond so that his experience is meaningful, rather than deflating, before putting him back.

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Thats a different point Cam.
Denis comes from the Dark Ages when it comes to player rotations during a game. With him, when you are on the bench, you had better put long johns on and a jacket because its going to be a long wait.

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"Carlton's most loyal, their bruised and battered egos now seemingly a bad dream, drank beers, murdered pies and cheered every time Judd touched the ball."

Who didn't cost us a goal from shabby disposal?

Did you miss his attack on the ball deep in defence that saved a probable goal?

JR's confidence is growing with more time on the field. Walker wasn't much better last year if you remember after 15 games the year before.

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

Yeah, there is that I guess.

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We should have taken Monfries.

Our season is over.

Keep playing him.

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#DonTheStash

No, can't agree. Russell is taller, will be heavier and faster than Monfries. Time will tell, but let's keep him playing and bring in Kennedy. These are the blokes I want to see this year, not Deluca, Teague and Sporn.

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We already have a player like Monfries on our list ie. Luke Blackwell who Im sure will be a better all round player than Monfries, Russell with his extra pace and height will add another dimension to our list - for gods sake patience.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

I don't expect the Blues to play finals this year, but I do next year. So for me, 2006 is the year of the kids. By this I mean it's the year we have an opportunity to see the kids over a few games to determine gaps in their game with minimal risk of jeopardising a finals chance. This would give the MC evidence of the areas of their game that are in need of attention, or if they will make it in 2007, then we can focus on improving them.

So far we have discovered Murphy as the real deal and he deserves to be there, as do other youngsters who have proved to be competitive in the seniors in Simpson, Bentick, Betts and Walker. This proves that the introduction of the kids has so far proven a worthwhile exercise.

This trialling in 2006 will give us the remainder of the season and the preseason to help the ones who have got what it takes to play senior footy to take the next step in preparation for the 2007 season.

I'd rather be experimenting with the kids in 2006 and helping them along and cop a few losses rather than trialling them next year when our chance for finals will be much better.

I do not subscribe to the idea that we throw them all in at once, because we should also be trying to win the winnable games (ie Ess, Haw, Freo, Port, Kanga, Bris, Melb, & Rich).

But over the next 17 rounds (there's plenty of time), we should get a good look at a few, namely, Kennedy, Russell, Hartlett and Blackwell. The other young players (not kids) such as Bannister, Bryan and O'hAlpin should also be given the same chance.

I have not given up on Wiggins, Prenders, Bannister and McGrath. But one thing we must be mindful of is our delisting decisions at the end of the year. Do we want to elevate Batson, Aisake, Smith or discard them and do we want to take advantage of having 4-5 picks in the super draft? If so we may have 6-8 delistings, and therefore we need to ask ourselves whether it is worth giving game time to those who are not part of the future (2007) over those who will be. In addition we should avoid playing too many kids at once where that could cost us a possible win.

So I guess before we see all the kids in the first half of the season we should be also pay some attention and focus on playing the players most likely to be on the possible delists list, to confirm/decline their subsequent ommission from the list. Then if there is no chance of playing finals, play the kids. It will be the best investment we can make for the long term.

We have seen Chambers, Sporn, DeLuca, McLaren and a bit of Livo, now I guess we need to next see if Longmuir, Bryan, and Davies are part of our future; unless that has already been decided.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Good points.
Russell will be a good player in the future. We just need to be patient.
I hope they play him for the remainder of the year in the seniors. No point dropping him for McGrath who isn't part of our long term plans

Russell should not be dropped not this week FULL STOP


He is an improving player who gets given a role each week and he does all he can to stick by that role. Committed players who follow instructions need to be rewarded. ( surely thats why Archie stays in week in week out )

Would we be a better team by droping him ? My answer No, hence keep him in and let him develop.

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I know a little secret. And i'm not sharing.

That is just an uninformed comment. The guy (JR) has only played 3 games and not many minutes on the field. He needs more time and development. Monfries is a good selection for the scum, but I believe there's more upside to JR than Monfries.

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For some silly reason, you people want to assassinate him, and it's just rubbish. You people. All of you, ALL of you!

Monfries has shown more than Russell, goes in hard just like Murphy despite being tiny and has snagged five goals in a game.

So how is that uninformed?

Walker had talent and he wasn't afraid to throw himself around despite being skinny. Russell hesitated before deciding to attack his opponent and I don't know if you can coach that out of a player. If an opposition player did that we'd be all over them like Tambling but we're wearing rose coloured glasses.

Can you imagine the furore if we'd have picked up little boy Monfries on a list with Blackwell, bentick, Betts and potentially littler boy Johnston down the track? I reckon he'd have been one of the first players discounted just for his size.

The Blues need pace and run and size, not more midgets.

Look I know he looks good but think about him in the list. Pick 9 went on a tall midfielder or defender and we're only 18 months into it.

Monfries is an obvious comparison only by draft picks, in anything else he's just a little peckerhead with an eye for goals.

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Formerly: Ackland the Wonderkid / Army the Wonderkid / quivering mess / molsey / Tony Lynn Fan Club

Some players need more time to develop. You cannot expect players drafted to immediately have an impact in a game. Once JR has played 20 to 30 games in the seniors, then can you cast judgement.

Monfries has played at least 15 to 20 games!!!!

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For some silly reason, you people want to assassinate him, and it's just rubbish. You people. All of you, ALL of you!

Keep playing him with more ground time. He's going in the right direction on the improvement curve.

Just on playing kids. Dwayne Russell summed it up well when he said that fans look for hope and or playing finals football. The fans find hope in seeing the youngsters get a go.

Personally play them for a group of matches (3 or 4) outline some expectations and see how they go.

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If he proves me wrong I'll be rapt, but a quality footballer should go in hard and run hard all the time.

Shouldn't we expect that with a top ten pick?

No, but we should expect a natural footballer who can read the play and demonstrate sound decision making. Unfortunately Jordan is still learning the game. Will get there, has the class and speed, but slowly along the lines of Kade Simpson. For a top ten pick we paid too high a price. Monfries is a natural footballer despite issues about his potential for improvement. To think if we had pick 9 in the latest draft a Shannon Hurn would be wearing the navy blue. Now that is heart breaking.

In a perfect world yes but we don't live in a perfect world. Luke Hodge was miles behind Judd and Ball. How do they compare now after a few years?

Give him time and then pass judgement.