Just read RiverRats training report and he reports that TLo is flying on the track!!
Now that he seems fit can he find a permenant role in the senior team next year?
He's got sticky fingers, pretty good pace and nice disposal. Is there a spot in defence next year or maybe even in the midfield or will he be pidgeoned holed as a third forward target again? Thoughts...

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There's so much I could say...

I am one of those people who will have to eat their hats if Longmuir proves to be an OK pickup. Yes, I hear he was injured last pre-season but weren't we all after celebrating our stellar 10th place in 2004.

Seriously, he has never played anywhere other at AFL level than a third or fourth forward. The great benefit to his game from improved fitness is most likely in chasing blokes down, his man, if they run off him. This was where in 2005 he just couldn't match his opponent. yes, he could take a nice mark occasionally and yes at times he looked dangerous. I think he'll stay up forward. He played 2 nice games at VFL level on ball but for someone who can mark like he can I think he'll be up forward.

It just makes it all the more confusing when trying to come up with a combination for next year. There are just SO MANY UNKNOWN quantities on the list atm. It's all very intriguing.

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There's so much I could say...

Gotta say I'm with you on that one Molsey. I'd be pleasantly surprised if he offers much this year and think he'd be an outside candidate for delisting at the end of '06.

If he has another season as ineffectual as this one - whether he is affected by injury or not - he's a prime candidate for the axe.
T-Lo is brilliant at his best, but this year went missing too often. Diggers was a better contributor over all - and look what happened to him!
I'll be rapt if Troy can resurrect his career with the Blues, but so far he has promised the world and delivered an atlas.

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Princes Park - always was, always will be.

I'm pretty sure Dennis would love this boy, he works hard and gives it he's all...

Has proven to be very dangerous at times, and with his body right now the sky's the limit!

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Circumstance has no value. It is how one relates to a situation that has value. All true meaning resides in the personal relationship to a phenomenon, what it means to you.

I only said outside because I think we could have culled more deeply this year, and I reckon there will be a few candidates.

The brilliant at best, goes missing too often tag defines his whole career. It certainly used to piss off the dockers supporters over here....

I'm amazed we let Digby and Johnston go and Longmuir survived the chop...

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"...that's the thing about opinion - you don't have to know anything to have one..." Andre Agassi commenting on Pat Cash 2004
"...the less you know - the more you believe..." - Bono 2006

When does his contract expire?

If it is at the end of the 2006 season, i cant see him recieving a renewed contract unless he plays 15 games, and consistantly gains effectve possessions.

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"Dont count the games, make the games count"

I'm pretty sure he came across on a two year deal, so his contract expires next year...

I actually went to a few Bullant games this year just to watch Longmuir as he is an absolute freak. Witnessed the mark of the year he took at Port Melbourne, even through i was at the other end of the ground, he was at least 3 metres off the ground

I doubt he can make it on the big stage, but he will get me to Bullant games if he is playing there no problem.

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

Yeah I read that on here a while ago when I asked why he hadn't been delisted. The west australian wanted 2 years before coming across. The hide of him I reckon - without us he'd have been in the WaFL, but I guess we have to live with it in this upcoming season. Its only a problem if he can't get a game.

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

I'm not sure if he'll make it, but I certainly think he's a chance. If he was a younger player (and hadn't bee on anyone else' list), I reckon we'd have a lot more patience with him. Because he's at least got the attributes to play at AFL level at a high level.

Neither Digby or Johnston had the necessary attributes to have a chance of playing at a high enough level to survive. Digby isn't tall enough or mobile enough to make it as a key postion player at AFL level. Johnston is way too slow and lacked the exquisite skills necessary to compensate.

Both were good blue-collar workers. But if we're going to ever compete for a grand final, we need a stack more class on our list. Longmuir might not make it, but at least he has the sort of class we need.

Ditto for Chambers. I think both were worth taking the risk on, given what we gave up for them. I suspect our lack of patience with these guys is a reflection on the large number of retreads we picked up the previous year (like Digby and Johnston) who were never going to make it as long-term players. Just been watching this year's Wizard Cup again, and when the grounds were firm and the weather fine, and the team was going well, Chambers was absolutely flying. He was easily in our top 5 players for the Wizard Cup.

I'm a big fan of T-Lo. I hope he can reproduce his best as he can be very good. Glad to see he was given a few diferent roles in the Bullants.

You live in hope that he will impact like Brad Pearce did at his best but I wouldnt be putting my hard earned money on him doing it...
Handy player to give some depth to the list and his skills are ok...not physical enough and doesnt play with enough intensity though for me.
Callum Chambers will probably play more footy for us than Longmuir...
lot of youngsters coming through as well and I dont see how Longmuir will be preferred ahead of youth unless he is playing above himself in the Ants...

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

The exciting thing about next year is that it is so very unpredictable.

This time last year, many of us thought in '05 that Teague would dominate on a HBF, Thornton would dominate one of the defensive key positions, Karl would learn his lesson and his natural ability would see him make his mark, Skinny would run amok again as a defensive sweeper, Archie would prove a difficult match-up, and Fev would have a fair crack at the Coleman Medal. Many of us also thought that we would be lucky to get much out of Fisher, Lance was a concern, and the jury was still out on Bentick, Carrazzo, and Simpson.

At the end of next year, there will be some pleasant surprises and some devastating disappointments.

Who knows - TLo might be a real bonus.

He does have a bit of the Russell Robertson about him. He also is one of our few "middle-aged" players, and he has the AFL experience that a young team might find invaluable.

He was held back by OP last summer. He was never going to have the fitness required of a mid-sized marking forward who would at times be drawn into the midfield.

One thing about TLo I like is his kicking for goal. He is one of the more reliable we have. Hopefully we will get to see this at some stage next year.

I'm actually a fan of Troy Longmuir.

At games, my fellow Carlton Supporters like give him hell when we start losing and he is up forward, but i don't think he's been given enough opportunity and he is a dangerous forward.

Give him time people, if he doesn't perform this season, well we'll have to look at getting rid of him, give him this season to show his worth!

Maybe it'll be beneficial for Eddie Betts if a fit TLo can take the "small forward" role so Eddie can do a proper midfield apprenticeship with the ants??

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There's so much I could say...

Judging from this thread... I'd say... it was about.... December. Or maybe January... no, probably December, because we're not talking about players who are even remote chances of getting a game.

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Love Cricket? Love me

I'd like to think that a fit and dangerous Longmuir would stretch opposition defences and allow Betts maybe backman #5 or #6.

A number of writers have been so-so for Melbourne's pick up of Pickett but I think his inclusion alongside Davey will give Davey a lesser defender - well, at least, someone will get the lesser defender and this should create more opportunities at goal.

For Carlton to be a threat we need that forward efficiency working better. I posted ona thread some time ago about how the Blues scored a lot more in 2005 than in 2004:

268.217 in 2004
293.258 in 2005

Thats an extra 25.41 or 66 scoring shots in 2005. All this while our midfield / defence leaked big time.

Add to this the fact that we lost 9 games by 5 goals or less, and those extra 3 scoring shots a game, all goals hopefully, will see us get even closer to these games. I realise that some of those close losses were flattering but often the best team doesn't win the game. Whilst were scrounging we'll take what we can get. And a forward line with 6 dangerous players of different sizes to exploit weaknesses in opposition defences is what we need.

Longmuir clearly wasn't fit in 2005 but he can take the grab. If he can learn to chase like Betts does, and we double turnovers in our D50 (say), can you imagine what may happen in 2006 and beyond?

And Tyrant, we all thought that in 2005 and he still played 10 games, so why should 2006 be any different? He played games after Fisher came back, and we didn't recruit a 2006 star forward did we? Maybe Setanta will compete for the spot but the 2 are very different players.