Having witnessed the blues get trounced by Port on Saturday it was obvious that we are at least 4 years away from being competive.
Some might say lets not get carried away it is a practice match, don't be fooled we tried our best out there, full strength side, but the fact remains is that we have no talent on the park simple as that.
We lack quality players for a start. I would only put Stevens in this group.
Kouta is no longer what he was and never will be. Lappin and Whitnall are good footballers but not matchwinners and then after that it falls away badly.
Players like Prendergast, Wiggins, Sporn, Bannister, Chambers, Longmuir, Davies, Livingston & Teague all at the crossraods and I doubt any of them would get a game at any other club.
Our youth is average with Fisher, Waite, Simpson and Walker probably our best. Murphy will be good but we shouldn't expect too much too soon.
Thornton is going backwards at a fast rate. Continually gives 2 or 3 metres on a lead. Should be playing at CHB. His confidence is shot.
Bentick and Blackwell are very similar players. Slow, lack penetration in their kicking and do not often hit the target. Both of them can not play in the one side considering most games are played under the roof at Telstra Dome.
Eddie Betts is simply a forward pocket player. Has no clue when playing midfield. I have more chance of finding my way to the moon than Eddie touching the footy. I felt sorry for him over the last two weeks just ran around in circles without touching the pill. At 173cm will struggle to play AFL for an extended period unless he can learn to play midfield.
Carazzo is a battler but his foot skills hurt him and the team.
Hartlett does not impress me one bit. Saw him play a few games last year for the Bullants and over the last two weeks and I see no upside in him.
He looks slow, very slow to react to his opponent making a lead, just has no urgency about him. He is also very unfit.
Now lets look at our new recruiting officer Wayne Hughes.
His selections in the 2004 drafts:
Russell at 9
Hartlett at 25
Blackwell at 41 ( F/S )
Bryan
Raso
Betts ( PSD )
Rookies J Smith, Nick Becker, Batson, Aisake O Hailpin, Pleming retained.
Becker and Pleming no longer there.
How would you rate these selections? I know they have only been in the system for one year, but if you compare them to the below, I think we have struggled again to pick genuine quality.
Monfries pick 14
Van Berlo 24
Sherman 45
Chris Knights 56
Matthew Egan 62
I would have any of these guys ahead of our choices.
Lets hope our 2005 is better. with Murphy, Kennedy, Bower and Edwards.
Denis was quoted saying for Carlton supporters to forgive the team for their effort on the weekend and promised that it will not happen again, Denis don't promise anything because I'm tipping we will be on the end of quite a few heavy defeats this year even as soon as this Friday against West Coast.

Oh Yay! Despite reading this I still find my glass is half full.

Go Blues!

Spilij is right. In so many words he is right. Anyone who thinks otherwise is either joking, or they are really niave

Well that was worthwhile! Why bother telling us something like this? Even if you believe it to the core what's the point of it?

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

How do you get Van Berlo at 24 when we had pick 25?

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Working alone. At the coalface. Scott's gone for lunch! Said he would be back in 30 mins.

Didn't I have this Russell discussion yesterday?

No he is not "right". He has offered his opinion, although a very depressing one at that, but still an opinion.

While I quite agree that it could be a s much as 4 years before we are really consistantly competitive with the top teams, I don't agree with quite a few of his other assessments.

Welcome aboard Spilij,

With a first off post like this one you'll soon fit in very nicely with many on the new look "chicken little" TC.

regards
Ockham

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A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.

Misery for another 4 years....??

Possibly.... i'd hate to see how were going by then if that happens!

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Corinthians 9:6- 8

Hughes has done a good job....thats very harsh and wrong IMHO....

Liked what I saw of Chris Knights in the SANFL..smart left footer with pace will play plenty of senior footy with the Crows this year....for a kid who got ignored due to injury worries he has done well to make it....

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

Come on, lets sing:

The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow
There'll be sun!

Just thinkin' about
Tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs,
And the sorrow
'Til there's none!

When I'm stuck a day
That's gray,
And lonely,
I just stick out my chin
And Grin,
And Say,
Oh!

The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
'Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya Tomorrow!
You're always
A day
A way!



Feeling better now I hope..... If not, there is always the beyond blue web site.

Nah I like this one better, my Dad loves it:

The sun's going to shine tomorrow
it ain't gonna go away
There aint gonna be no sorrow
There aint gonne be no pain
Coz we're going to be together
day after day
The sun's going to shine tomorrow
And it gonna go away.

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

It's a catch 22 - many of those opposition draftees would probably be half as good if playing in the current Carlton team. And many of our draftees would probably look better playing in a stronger team.

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"I had to eat"

Your bagging rookie selections

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

I agree to some degree with Spilij.What we need is to keep picking up young kids and watch them develop.

For instance I agree that Bentick and Blackwell lack depth in their kicking but are fine inside mid fielders so in the draft we should go for quick skilful guys like Kade Simpson.

A ruckman to develop is crucial as well and some big mobile key defenders.They will be available if we are poor for the next 2 years.It is all about getting the balance right.

If that's the best of the rest from the 2004 draft SPILIJ then I'm ecstatically happy with our selections. Damn that draft sucked after the first five or so selections.

You don't rate Hartlett SPILIJ? That's your choice but I tend to think its wise to wait until they've actually played a game at senior level before you start calling them hacks. I think the mere fact that, after last years injury riddled season, Hartlett seems to be commanding a first 18 spot in the side for round one this year is exceptionally exciting. He's hardly going to walk into the side and instantly turn into Matthew Scarlett at 19 years of age but given time and a continuation of the level of improvement he's showing at present he could well turn out to be a top quality defender. What more do you want from a kid?

i reckon our selectiosn are very good.. but we need to concentrate on development ....
were not developing our kids properly... i know this because theyre miles behind other kids.. i know this cos i see it on the telly...

I think one good thing about this year is Daniher.. and another is Dempsey.

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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.

The kids are developing fine Synbad - you're reading too much into game day.

And please don't retort with something like "Well... thats supposed to be where they show it isnt it..." if you watch as much training as you say you do then you'll see all the signs are there but the ball needs to get rolling on the field (in the season proper).

As for the original poster (first and only post) and his band of merry men, who barely scrape in for 140 posts between them, playing a game of "what if" and one line descriptions of why a player is useless does nothing for anyone, especially if you're regurgitating past complaints of players, which for the most part have been disproven or rectified.

Forgive me, but I label you a troll.

jimmae tell me which carlton player is at a highish level or showing annything more than potential....and if you cant ill call you a troll...

But dont forgive me!!! Ok?


Ill give you names.

Walker
Sporn
T Bird
Waite
Livo
Wiggo
sporn
Bentick
Betts
Davies
Russell
Hartlett
Simpson

did i miss anyone???


dont forget all the kids weve dropped off our list
Every one of the players on our list for a while has hit a wall after showing potential.

Over to you jimmae...


should i add Fev and Houla?

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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.

Firstly, I wasn't referring to you as the troll, though sometimes I do wonder.

Secondly:

Walker - Entering 3rd season, has improved every year thus far.

Sporn - Has hit a huge wall but has also been dogged by injury

T Bird - I don't see what the trash talking is all about - has improved every year and is a quality defender in a multitude of defensive roles.

Waite - You're doing the same thing as you are doing with Walker, making a seasonal assessment on two pre-season games after coming off an extremely promising season (2005). His season was more promising than Walkers, however.

Livo - has hit a wall, has also been dogged by injury and was drafted as a forward. Never was going to be superstar defender and doesn't seem to be getting a senior hit out despite solid Bullants form so far this pre-season.

Wiggo - has hit a wall, tries hard but falls in and out of games way too much

sporn - you mentioned him twice

Bentick - See Waite and Walker, falls somewhere inbetween.

Betts - Second season - you are joking. Has put on some upper body strength and looks set to do some damage in the middle in bursts. A ready to go forward pocket at 19, I was stoked.

Davies - hit a wall a while back, has the talent to go further but just isn't applying himself anywhere along the line, needs to push harder from the training track onwards.

Russell - second season, played one game in his first, has clearly pushed up a notch in defensive ability, strength and pace - you are joking.

Hartlett - Will take Livo's role and do it better with better disposal considering his first season was interrupted with injury and didn't manage a senior game. Looks to be a walk up start for the seniors (says as much about him as it does about our list, which is mainly a positive)

Simpson - Arrived last year, hope to see more of the same and then some (if possible). Can't be disappointed.

Two pre-season games and you've stamped a lot of players as hitting a wall because they're not pushing the limit in practise matches?

You know nothing more about Carlton and this game than information handed onto you. That is clear to me now.