The waiting game...

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/t ... 1zz0t.html

Fair call, but it all really depends on where you sit on the "is Ratten any good?" question.

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NOW YOU'RE JUST SOME CLUB THAT I USED TO KNOW.

Bingo.

Ahh... the Bummer argument... we'll be a powerhouse in three years time?

btw Throbbie... Malthouse coached the Pois to two grand finals in his first five years.

Such a nothing article... typical

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“I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” ― Richard Feynman

No win though so pretty pointless. He had them tanking in 2005 only 2yrs after those failures.

This is no time for clear and rational thinking

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Ecclesiastes 1:4, "One generation passes away, and another generation comes: but The Blues abide forever."

I'd be all for extending Ratts's contract for another 3 years just to see whether we are like Geelong or not....

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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

Yet the "tanking" gifted them one amazing player and one very handy anti-racism player...

If you look at another sport where "Tanking" can occur, look at NFL. The Colts lose their starting QB Manning early in their campaign. One of the best QBs in the league, probably up there with brother Eli and Tom Brady.

Colts effectively shut down the season and went for the number one pick to get the next big franchise QB for Manning. They put games into rookies. They won just two games in regular season. You might say they could have been rubbish anyway.

Perhaps, but the Colts were in post season for 9 seasons straight, which would be 11 seasons if not for a blip in 2001. Not only that, the were AFC Champions in 09, and division champions in 2010. That's not a team who are going to go down quickly unless, but their best man went down for the season.

So they tanked. I watched a few of their games, and they definitely played with an intention to develop regardless of the result.

The result was they drafted wonder kid Andrew Luck who looked THAT good at College level, he's potentially going to bring a dynasty of success around him at the Colts. They will be back very quickly, if not this season (although thats a lot of pressure on a rookie QB).

I'm not sure why such tactics are frowned upon. Ultimately its about the long term success of the club. Carlton have done it. Other teams have.

The issue now is that we got our "Andrew Lucks" in Murphy, Gibbs (arguably) and Kreuzer, but the development of a champion team around them perhaps has faltered. Or has it?

That is the question that must be answered this season. Is Ratten the man to maximize the return?

I am probably in the NO bucket. I do not believe he is a good thinker or strategist during the game. Even last year when Carlton had a purple patch of success that almost had a Prelim.

But maybe it is a yes. Afterall, the situation has been shown that with injuries to key 1st choice personnel, the 2nd tier and youth has been shown to be not ready for the AFL system.

This was adjusted in the off season with the introduction of the Northern Blues and with the recruitment of Hyde who IS a proven talent developer. The benefits of that setup will take more than one season to come to fruition. So you can say that what is a problem will no longer be because the steps have been taken to get that 2nd tier/youth system right.

So ultimately it boils down to:

1 - we have a coach who is probably in the "good" bracket without being "outstanding" as a match day coach.
2 - we have a fantastic A-team which, when out on the park and fit, can beat ANYONE (except Hawthorn maybe)
3 - when our best team is not out on the park, our backups are not ready to back up. Coaching issue or development issue?
3a - if development issue, we can say that the steps have been put in place to remove that
3b - if a coaching issue, then regardless of the impact of 3a, Carlton will still lose games when the opposition is far better tactically of controlling momentum when the game is on the line

As a result, I don't think a premiership can be won in this situation.

But that's just my opinion.

I think the fundamental question we are all asking is "Ratten has obvious coaching deficiencies today, can he learn from his experiences and improve and develop as coach?"

You know what. I think this article is senational. I, this week, was calling for the coach to go.

It's a different time now. We've got to be cool about this. As a person Brett Ratten bleeds this club, is doing all he can to get them back up. He has made mistakes, and probably big ones - by his own admission, I'm sure. We need to step back, let the season unfold before we chop heads like we did when Wallsey went.

Brett is human, he needs a chance to learn, to grown as Mick had and Bomber had.

Lets see how we go tonight.

go Blues

Zoney!

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1945 - End of round 3 Carlton was last.

Last round Carlton made the final four for the first time.

Eventual premiers.

That's what I'm talking about!

5 years to iron out deficiencies?

I don't think the Colts tanked at all. It's a QB league and they had Curtis Painter- says it all really.
Manning was carrying that franchise for a long time.

Having been sacked a few times himself, Walls always tend to sympathise with sacked/about to be sacked coaches...

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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

Wallsy pointed out that nine out of the last ten Carlton coaches were sacked, even after premiership wins.

So at some point it will happen

Obviously.. How many coaches have actually quit since time
Immemorial?

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"You're not gonna believe this. The guy killed 16 czechoslovakians. He was an interior decorator."

"His house looked like shit!"

What Walls fails to take into consideration is you have these windows of opportunity because of the draft now that you didnt have years ago
If you coach isnt good enough to take full advantage of it when it comes along
Then it is a long time between drinks

This should have been our year

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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

An astute choice will be made - but it mightn't appear that way at the time.

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My Blue Heaven

Calls for level heads... level with the turf and the dugout

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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.

Blueman, I'm really warming to your posts.

I think they are complete bat guano but, like my daily horoscope, I'm drawn to them and secretly wish they would come true.

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I hope Essendon* folds.

your cryptic messages has me wondering ... do you know something?

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'‘He had an enormous capacity to pump himself up and get the best out of himself when it mattered. He had a fire in his belly – a passion for the contest like few other players’' -- D Parkin in reference to the dominator

You're looking forward to WW3?

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"Liberals feel unworthy of their possessions. Conservatives feel they deserve everything they've stolen."

Mort Sahl