Thank you.

People seem to forget, when we were 8-2 last year, we weren't exactly setting the world on fire:

Richmond game - Played 2 quarters
Dogs game - One amazing quarter, hanging on for life in the second half, Dogs wasteful
Hawks game - Won by 1 point after giving up a 40 point lead in the second half
Port game - Won by 3 points after giving up a 50 point lead in the second half
Sydney - See Dogs game above

Wins vs GWS, North and Adelaide were par.

The 8-2 ledger masked our true level, and seduced us all.

We've only added Acres and first year players, yet, somehow, we should go from a 12-10 side to an 18-4 side overnight?

Better than the Pies? Same team was consistently in the finals and had one bad year (COVID interrupted so can't read much into it), topped up with youth and a superstar father son player, retained the same core of senior players.

Where is this delusion coming from?

We're honestly carrying on like a bunch of toddlers who aren't getting the toys they want and chucking tantrums.

Well bloody said!

(Yes. I am also carrying on like a toddler. I want to make Carlton great again dammit).

Cripps to WC
WC give us their #1 pick (assuming they finish last)
We use the #1 pick on Harley Reid

Thank you.

People seem to forget, when we were 8-2 last year, we weren't exactly setting the world on fire:

Richmond game - Played 2 quarters
Dogs game - One amazing quarter, hanging on for life in the second half, Dogs wasteful
Hawks game - Won by 1 point after giving up a 40 point lead in the second half
Port game - Won by 3 points after giving up a 50 point lead in the second half
Sydney - See Dogs game above

Wins vs GWS, North and Adelaide were par.

The 8-2 ledger masked our true level, and seduced us all.

We've only added Acres and first year players, yet, somehow, we should go from a 12-10 side to an 18-4 side overnight?

Better than the Pies? Same team was consistently in the finals and had one bad year (COVID interrupted so can't read much into it), topped up with youth and a superstar father son player, retained the same core of senior players.

Where is this delusion coming from?

We're honestly carrying on like a bunch of toddlers who aren't getting the toys they want and chucking tantrums.

SEN banging the drum for us to consider Chad Wingard at season end.

Mixed feelings on it. From afar, I think he's a me first player to a point where it becomes a toxic influence, plays when he wants and has a serious case of the head drops when it gets tough. Question marks around whether he's still got it too.

On the other hand, we desperately need a player of that ilk in our forward 50. Ideally it would have been Breust at some point, but feel like he's also fallen away to a point of no longer delivering to AFL standard, and would also like someone who could rotate through the midfield.

Michael Walters out of contract and Freo could do with a rebuild. At 32, probably not ideal. Slim pickings elsewhere.

No thanks, we have enough fairweather players as it is.

Go to draft and/or look for mature age hidden gems in the state leagues.

SEN banging the drum for us to consider Chad Wingard at season end.

Mixed feelings on it. From afar, I think he's a me first player to a point where it becomes a toxic influence, plays when he wants and has a serious case of the head drops when it gets tough. Question marks around whether he's still got it too.

On the other hand, we desperately need a player of that ilk in our forward 50. Ideally it would have been Breust at some point, but feel like he's also fallen away to a point of no longer delivering to AFL standard, and would also like someone who could rotate through the midfield.

Michael Walters out of contract and Freo could do with a rebuild. At 32, probably not ideal. Slim pickings elsewhere.

Yep. Look elsewhere.

How many first round draft picks did Geelong give GWS for Jeremy Cameron again???

We need a 25 year old version of Gunston.

Gunston is a great player but wouldn't have fit our profile - we aren't close to a flag like Brisbane.

WE need someone who can mark and kick goals in the forwardline.
We miss an in form Jack Martin who is injury prone.
I feel 3 smalls in one too many and we need a better mix forward.

Chad turns 30 next year and has played 6 games in 2023. He's kicked 2 goals and assisted in 3.
Durdin played 7 has kicked 9 and assisted in 2, and Motlop played 7 has kicked 8 and assisted in 2.
Owies has played 3 games for 6 goals and 1 assist.

Owies is a keeper.
Will Motlop or Durdin improve their game next year?
Chad and Walters are far from their best imo.

We have to target an in contract player who we need.
There will be space with marchbank and Cuningham not likely to be retained due to injury.

Bondi
This sort of recruiting your suggesting is one of the reasons we are an average team 8 years into a rebuild
You need talent from picking kids at the draft and developing them to be at least good players by their mid 20 s
We haven’t done this but internally the club thinks we have and continue to give away picks and take up salary cap space with guys like Acres
We need to go back to the draft and pick kids for the next few years and hopefully be mostly successful at to improve . Cook has said this will happen anyway because of a lack of salary cap space
Thank god McGovern’s contract is up and Martins’ is next year
That’s 1.3 million we can better spend elsewhere on some decent kids
We aren’t good enough and need to mini rebuild and hopefully recruit better
Wingard looks on the downward spiral anyway