I'd make just one change:

Out: Kouta
In: don't care

I spoke to Chris Bryan after the bullants match saying that I thought he deserved to be in the seniors. He thanked me said that he 'was getting there'.

Why wouldnt you include him in the side after this week?

He kicked 3 goals and also played in defence..

One goal he kicked was after evading a player and scooping the ball up from the boundary. Very mobile for a big man..

One suggestion was that he was not included in the side because of 'attitude problems'

After his efforts in the Bullants, I wonder whether this is more to do with the coach than the player...

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My Blue Heaven

Additionally, Wiggins proved to be reasonably versatile today, and that's not a bad thing in a team with so many holes.

The problem is, we can drop eight players, and replace them with vicorious Bullants... But they're all players with question marks over their future at the club - Prenda, Sporn, Longmuir, etc.

First gamers and inexperienced players are fine, but you can't flood the team with kids. Look at Kennedy's performance today.

i agree.

there are those whose performance deserves a stint in the reserves, but it just won't happen.

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"Two roads diverged in a wood,
and I,
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost

He probably didn't kiss TE's feet at training a year ago! Long memories have our selection panel

1. Never gets given the space he needs to be at his damaging best, because the players don't work for each other
2. Shouldn't have to play a leading midfield role
3. Shouldn't need to play a leading midfield role
4. Has catapulted into a leading midfield role
5. What are you talking about
6. Young, takes time to be able to assert yourself on a game for four quarters, has a year and a half of work and conditioning to be judged as a senior player should be.


You think he's not analysing the list? Best draft since 2001, here comes the broom.

I'm sure he is an inspriational bloke but why is it always him the players have to look to in order to get excited, we just don't have a captain or leader who can really gee up the blokes. Kouta and Lappin lead by action for the most part, Lance leads by guidance and being a 'general'. And I'm also sure he will take risks when he has the options to make moves that can be considered as such.

You're dead right about the last point, so why do you want to sack Pagan if he can't do much more?

I'd drop.

* Saddington looks lost.
* Bentick needs a spell.
* Bannister cant get it at this level.
* Wiggins although OK today I feel Pagan is going backwards in selection policy.

We wont drop them but maybe we should -

* Mclaren and French they are both battling.
* Kouta - I love you man but you gotta find your passion.
* Carrazo too many turnovers.

In's

I dont know. What do we have in reserve?

Russell, Blackwell and Sporn should come in. Who else? Maybe Prenda or Longmuir? Gee we are in trouble.

Bower isn't ready but what the hell Pagan take a risk. Give us a look at the youth.

PS Pago - A little more game time to Kennedy today would have been nice to see.

I just remembered a post from someone a week or so back saying Bentick was struggling with a shoulder injury. If it is affecting him that much he should be given a rest

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"You are being watched. The government has a secret system. A machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because I built it." - Finch

I was actually pretty happy with Wiggins' work in the centre square.

Shoot me down if you must, but I thought I'd chime in with that - Wiggins has clean hands.

And there's another issue, thankfully it's gone from a question of can we afford it to something needing to be done.

I think the major problem is that we are being beaten on ball and that is continually putting our defence under pressure and is also not providing our forward line with enough opportunities.

We just don't have any hardened running onballers with top class skills to replace Bentick and Carrazzo who like a lot of kids are having trouble being consistent. This is typical of a developing side as the kids performance sometimes varies between quarters and during games. I think we expect too much of them sometimes and in 3 years time we would expect them to be hardened league footballers with consistent performance.

IMO two or 3 more players of the ilk of young Murphy would make a huge difference to the team and we may have to trade for some earlier draft picks this year.

Lots of ruckmen, quite a few key position options, a few flankers but the players we have picked up to boost the onball running depth have not contributed as much as I think the MC would have liked. Both Chambers and Longmuir have not delivered consistently.

I have some concerns over Saddington as the big body down back. however it could just be early days for him and he's coming back from a major injury so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt at present.

Our goal to goal line of Thornton Whitnall Stevens Waite and Fevola with French and McLaren in the ruck is not a bad basis with skill and youth. Add Walker Simpson Murphy Fisher Kennedy Betts and Russell and we appear to have running and marking skill but just not enough depth. Hopefully Blackwell and Jackson will get opportunities and step up.

Yep,

you're probably right.

But if the players know all that, how does a half like today happen?

Our senior blokes just did not stand up.

_________________
"Two roads diverged in a wood,
and I,
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost

Thornton was about our only positive today - I am speechless that someone would post that he should be dropped...

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I support Carlton, Fulham and I'm an accountant - my mate calls me a 3 time loser.

Yep, he managed to miss targets from all over the ground...

I can't agree that it is the coach's fault that we are being beaten on ball. We simply don't have enough skill and class on ball and with the draft our penalties and bad recruiting prior ot his arrival it's not a situation that can be turned around overnight.

Given we were penalised out of two drafts I think you could say he couldn't re-start until last year. We have problems on nearly every line and gradually we are replenishing and the team is taking shape Not as fast as we would like but it's a different game these days.

He has persisted with Bentick and Carrazzo and given Murphy Russell Kennedy and Setanta a chance to show their ability. He has also developed Walker and Simpson in a variety of roles and tried most of the players on our list to no avail. Bannister and Wiggins showed form in the Bullants ands were given their opportunity showing that the coach and MC reward consistent good form. I also have no doubt that Blackwell and Raso will also be given their opportunity in the near future.

Knowing we had a weakness down back and needed a bid body we have drafted Bower and Hartlett and traded a late pick for Saddington. We needed a mobile young ruck option to support Barnaby and tried DeLuca and Bryan and now have McLaren as well as two rookie ruck options.

Bentick Betts and Carrazzo have all struggled this year but they are kids and Lappin seems to be out of sorts now that Walker has taken his half back role.

I dont see Blackwell, Russell,Longmuir being the difference in us winning today. Its more than that...we lacked passion, didnt work hard enough for each other and were waiting for the other bloke to do the work.
When we did get the footy we turned it over with the same players making the same mistakes..which means they are either not up to it or the coach and his crew cant get the message across or their is no message.
There was not much will to win and no fight, players are playing to keep their spot on the list and not for the team...apart from a few.

Here's my take on a few of the players..

Eddie Betts.....didnt work hard enough and was dissapointing..looked slow.

Matthew Lappin....not enough...didnt look interested...

Scotland....some good some bad....while he turned the ball over a few times at least he made some effort to run and make contests...not our worst.

Stevens...not enough, does some quality work but doesnt do enough..

Kouta....not enough and just going through the motions..as a captain set no example and it was left to Whitnall to carry the can in that respect.

French and Mclaren...rucked ok and McLaren can palm the ball but Collingwood got a lot of the takeaways...both of them dont enough around the ground or exert any physical presence...Bryan will probably get a game soon ahead of Mclaren because he is a bigger unit and even though his work rate is suspect he has more upside eben though his downside can be worse than Mclaren...

Bentick..out of form...injured or not he looked small out there today and couldnt get the footy....Blackwell will probably get his spot.

Carazzo....poor decision making and turnovers...he is a goer but lacks the class to be a A grade player and there has to be a question mark about his future..

Bannister...attacked the footy well but went missing too often...disposal was ok but didnt do enough.

Fev...good and bad...frustrated and didnt chase a few times...the usual Fevola.

Waite...threw himself about and I wasnt dissapointed in his effort ....

Walker...did the job on Buckley and was one of our best..disposal was his only problem...kicking on the run needs improving but he was very good today..

Whitnall....no doubt our best player and has proved me wrong and was one of the best games I have seen him play..he beat Rocca, led from the front and would have his nose in front to be the next captain based on that game...

Simpson....went onto Thomas and did ok....wasnt great but considering the amount of ball that the Pies had he held Thomas..

Murphy.....attacked the footy well and wasnt out worst..if he was in a better team he would be a standout every week....needs a bigger bodied midfielder to create some space for him.....

Thornton....was good..beat Tarrant and used the ball well..best game he has played for a while....

Saddington...dissapointing and looks like a player low on confidence...needs dropping and playing in the Bullants to find form.

Wiggins....lively display but had trouble tackling and mad esome poor decisions when kicking long but did try and when he kicked short was better with his disposal...worth another game...

Overall our tackling is schoolboyish..the attempts to tackle Leon Davis on the boundary line were ludicrous...that was embarrassing..

Bottom 4 team looking forward to the draft and a new coaching panel if things dont improve.....Pagan has his work cut out to turn it around and is coaching for his job along with Libba and Elshaugh..meanwhile Mitchell has the Bullants steaming along and would be closing in on the senior job...

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

Elwood,

Agreed I don't see their inclusion as making a difference to today's result just that the club coach and MC are trying to address weaknesses in the side but the only way to improve long term is via the draft and you normally only pick up one or two new players each year. So to re-build a side from where we were will probably take about 5 seasons

If we had more leg speed in the side and more options on ball we might be able to cover up some of the other weaknesses but when you are not quick and you don't win the ball out of the centre then your skills need to be excellent to stay in the match. Unfortunately we spend most of the match chasing and eventually our lack of skill and ability to create mismatches on ball starts to show and the game breaks open.

you know you have a shit team when a 18 year old in mark murphy all ready looks a cut above the rest.

Sad but True!!!!!!

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#sayerscouldbetheman!!