OK. We're at the halfway mark of the year, and i'm interested to know where the fans think we should go from here?

Do we attack everygame in similar fashion to the way we did Vs West Coast. Ie; a belief we can win regardless of Opponent or Location.

Do we continue to be competitive (or at least try to be anyway) and finish a dissapointing 2nd last to Essendon* thus giving us pick 2 in the draft and an opportunity to pick up talented kid in the draft?

What if Essendon* get a run and (somehow) overtake us leaving us on the bottom of the ladder (all to familiar territory for my likeing). Would we be content to stay there and grab ourselves pick #1? Would we accept another spoon?

What's everybody's thoughts on us tanking it and only winning two more game for the year, thus leaving us on 4 wins and picks 1, 17, 18 in the draft (or 2, 18 & 19)?

Just curious is all - interested to know your thoughts.

For me?............................................

I'd like to be competitive and i'd be happy for another season like 2004 where we finished a respectable 10th. That was the most satisfying season for me since 2001 and a key reason for us notching up 33,000 members for the following year.

Even with a few more wins on the board, we can still nabb ourselves a decent talent with picks 5 - 10 (Selwood anyone?)

But, to give the Supporters (and i mean supporters who Dont' post on talkingcarlton.com and Dont's go to see the Bullants and who aren't familiar with the youth that's coming through) a sign that there IS INFACT LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNEL, more than anything i would like to see the kids being played.

Russell / Hartett / Bower & a promoted rookie (possibly Batson?) MUST be played this year - baring injury of course!

I'd also like to see Whitnall & Fevola be given Captain & Vice Captain respectivley.

But please....................no more flooding!

Anyways, those are my thoughts. Would love to know what others out there want from the NAVY BLUES in the 2nd half of the season.
Are there any of you out there that still want to tank it and get 3 picks in the top 20?

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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

Probably play for draft picks at this stage.

Our Grand Final is in Round 16 when we play Essendon*, loser gets the numebr 1 draft pick. So we should look at playing Batson, Hartlett etc in that match

You have opened up a familar can of worms, Ryan!

I tend to agree with the Sailor Man and others in that winning 5 games or more will mean jackshit in years to come. Who will ever remember that we had a 2nd half of the season fightback? I guarantee you one thing though: If we finish bottom 3 and snare 3 picks in the top 20 (possibility of another pick depending whether we can astutely trade for another one), we will all remember the beginnings of the greatest turnaround in the history of the game. I would rather the pain of another low finish than continual pain of being denied early draft picks. Adding 5-6 good kids and maybe a hard body in the PSD will top us right off. We are a lot closer than a lot of negative posters suggest.

In fact, I am as sure as I am sitting here, we are already in the middle of the cleverest MegaSuperTank that has ever been devised. I am certain that the MC (no names in particular, but club stallwarts and even legends) are fully aware this upcoming draft is probably the best ever and as such must get the best kids to Princes Park. I believe that we will and then watch the rapid rise next year.

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2002:> "In their Masters Chambers
They Gathered for their Feast
They Stabbed us with their Steely Knives
But They Just Can't Kill The Beast!" <2016

THE BLUEBAGGER BEAST IS BAACKK!!

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

tough to say. I certainly don't want to tank, so we lose evry game by 60+points. But i would love to see 90% of the players playing being kids, so we will still have a weaker team but gain experience for the youth
and play exciting footy

Next years draft is SUPER and i would LOVE 3 picks in the top 20. I certainly have my mind set on Gibbs

Develop. Play attacking footy, try young players and whoever they try give them a fair go. Whovere they are going to delist make sure they have had a chance to be sure. We'll win a couple more games, get a one or two draft pick in the super draft, and hopefully will have developed to a point where we actually might see some real improvement rather than the two steps forward three steps back we've had over the last few years.

I don't like tanking, but in retrospect our close wins (in between thrashings) of 2004 probably cost us a potnetial superstar like Ryan Griffen. Still, onward and upward etc.

If Essendont get the spoon it will be remembered for many years, they haven't had one since 1933 and I would prefer they get one this year rather then us. If the draft is that great then there won't be a huge difference between pick 1 - 5. Ideally I would like the Donts to get the spoon pick up a player who doesn't perform and for us to get the best going around.

No more thrashings either please.

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Between our dreams and actions lies this world

Isn't that THIS years DRAFT j21?

If we win every other game for the rest of the season I'll crack a dirty big Ballarat, shove a brush down the eye and use it to paint my deck.



The current climate is so much bullshit. You want the kids but to get the kids you have to play to lose. I hope we are better than to play to lose but i want the the kids so I hope we are legitmately crap enough to lose in order to get the kids. Who know's how to yodel?

What a crap scenario...and until you're out of it and have the cattle it's very difficult but to accept the system is flawed and it forces you to stoop to benefit.

I just want to see the boys have a go. Consistency...accuracy...nothing snapped medially...

I want to see Kouta pull his head out. I want to see the youngsters bloom under Fev and Stevens and Whits...

A 17th premiership would also be nice.

Can anyone build me a deck?

yeah the difference between finishing bottom or 14-15th this year will be minimal as all picks in the top 10 will be great players and there will be no clear number 1. i would be just as happy with selwood as gibbs and just as happy with thorp rather than sellers.

i couldnt stand winning another wooden spoon so we should try to win as many games as possible and try to avoid another spoon.

There's already a gap between us , the scum and the Roos. We'll end up with one of the first 3 picks.

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“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
- Martin Luther King Jr.

without sounding like an expert. I think there is a big difference between 1 and lets say 3.

I think if we finished last we will get GIBBS. Quality midfielder who, from what i have heard, is more of a reciever of the ball. SELWOOD on the other hand is more of an in and under midfielder. As good as Selwood is, i don't think we need any more in and unders. We have Bentick, Blackwell, Murphy and Stevens all filling that postion. I think we need a deliverer ( GIBBS)

If we finish 3rd, Im guessing Hansen and Gibbs will be taken, leaving the next best KPP being Gumbleton. This kid is a Key forward from wat ive heard. We don't need a CHF wen we have Waite and Kennedy. so it will be a bit of a waste

Thats the difference i believe between a first pick and a 3rd-4th pick.

So the go is that we once again go and cheer our team to lose... Except for two games when we want to win, but if we don't win we'll be happy.

Isn't this same old same old.

Play to win always. Let the system take its course and if we are really that bad we will be rewarded anyway. And remeber we still need to develop the kids don't we...

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I know a little secret. And i'm not sharing.

Here's something to pass your time away Ryan.

If we decide to tank we can afford 2 more wins, and that's 4 for the season (that's a win agst Ess and Rich), giving us either pick 17,18 or 19 in addition to 1,2 or 3. That's a good thing.

Do I like to see us win another spoon? No, but since we won our first spoon in 2002 after over 100 years of VFL/AFL that doesn't matter to me anymore either, except we get a PP if we win 4. That's a good thing.

Do I see us gaining from attacking footy? Yes, but there's a possibility we could win more than 5 and lose the PP opportunity, but it gives the kids a lease of life, and they will learn a lot from this style of footy, and we will learn a lot about them.

Will memberships increase in 2007 due to more than 5 wins, or 6 or 7? I don't think so. Are there any other reasons our memberships will increase in 2007? Yes, that is dependent on the quality of the Marketing strategy and tactics employed, (and of course how much money we spend on campaigns eg the baby blues theme), the excitement the kids can generate in the 2nd half, the MC Labour Park's redevelopment hype, and some good news on the financial front from the AFL followed by sponsors/benefactors. Generally speaking, a positive vibe will do the job.

Should we flood? Yes, but in moderation. I don't think we do it well at all, and it is important that we have a few game plans up our sleeve so we can apply when necassary: Attacking through the middle and along the spaces of the wings; Flooding to frustrate and bog down a game (better than we did against the eagles), and a possession game (as do the Swans, Crows and Tigers so effectively).

As for the kids I would like to see Kennedy played for most of the second half, and tried as a CHB as well (given his kicking and/or confidence lets him down in front of the big sticks). Hartlett is a must when his body is ready, but at least he must get a taste, and even Bower tried would be good for his development. Hartlett at CHF is worth a try. In short I'd like to see a bit of experimenting (not with Fev at FB!!). We must do our best to start moulding our FB and CHB for the 2007 season.

As for captains, I don't think there is an absolute obvious choice (as was the case for Kouta when there was no choice) other than the three likely candidates in Lance, Fev and Stevo. I'd like to see 3 captains with Lance captain of the backline, Stevens captain of the midfield and Fev as the captain of the forward line with Waite and Lappin as the deputies. Why Lappin? He will be in the last year of his 2 year contract, and 100% commitment from him will be important in helping involve the kids. Why Waite, he represents the kids (and there's already 25 players his age and under in the squad)....and his father was Vinnie.

I want Batson promoted and really fast tracked. The ruck position is precarious to say the least, and we need to build a future with an up and coming ruckman. I want us to be clear in our minds what Batson has or hasn't got to offer by the end of the year. In addition, if Davies is a long term injured then promote Smith, and lets have a look at what all the hoo ha is all about. Walker and Simmo to be played on the wings, with Carazzo and Murphy on the ball with Stevo. Blackwell to be blooded properly with Bentick focussing on improving his awareness of what's around him, both rotated through the midfield.

I want Kouta to announce that 2006 is his last season after the break to give all of us an opportunity to farewell him in the best possible way. The kids will cherish every game they play alonside the great one. Play Kouta when his body is right.

End of season retain Aisake as a rookie along with Flint and Jackson. Depending on number of delistings perhaps elevate Batson and Smith if they are to be retained for development, if not elevate Flint.

I wasn't going to mention delistings till the end of the year, but the reason I will now is to ensure the guys mentioned as my delistables don't stand in the way of kids' promotion to the seniors. But for me at this stage I'd retire/delist/ trade (trade, yeah right!!) Davies, Longmuir, Chambers, Livingston, Sporn, Bryan and Kouta (retired). That's 7 this year. Also with a view to next years possible delistings (due to contracts and lack of potential) being Teague, French (retire this year pref), McGrath, Saddington, that's 4 with question marks on another 4 in Lappin (age), Bannister, Prendergast and maybe Wiggins (although he has shown plenty of late).

I want to win against Essendon* and Richmond!! Nice to beat Collingwood and St Kilda too but highly unlikely. 4 wins sounds nice; 2 in the first half and 2 in the 2nd half.

Does that help Ryan 2000?

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

BONDIBLUE i would be happy with that, except:

Delist Deluca as well next season


Elevate Jackson instead of Smith. Ive seen Jackson play and i believe he is better than smith. Jackson was predicted by some after the nationals last year to be top 10! big wrap.

Thats all i like the rest of it

To me, 'winning' the wooden spoon isn't really an issue. A couple of weeks grief but soon forgotten about. Most focus on the fact that you get the number 1 pick, not the negatives. Anyone opposition supporters that chat with me about footy now don't mention us 'winning' the spoon last year, they just talk about how good Marc Murphy is.

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"I had to eat"

Where do we go, from here...

What a great post!!!!

C'mon man................atleast explain why you feel the need to whack in a 'Rolling Eyes Emoticon'.

Are you saying that you've had a more satisfying year since 2001?
2002 Perhaps?
2003?
Maybe last year when we notched up our 2nd wooden spoon?

Or are you suggesting that the fact that we were just ONE WIN SHORT of making the finals in 2004 had nothing to do with the club announcing a record number of memberships in 2005?

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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

Winning the wooden spoon for another year really does not mean as much as it did when we won it in 2002.

The AFL has designed a socialist system whereby wooden spoons are mandatory in order for teams to get back on top after a good run in the Finals.

I think tanking might have a negative effect on the younger players but unfortunately the benefit to us is greater if we finish down the bottom - Marc Murphy - need I say more.

How sad has the AFL turned this game?

The club needs to sort thru the haves and the have nots. I would be surprised if they haven't already.

Not sure whether Bryce Gibbs would want to come to Melbourne as he is keent o stay in SA. Not sure if I want to draft a kid who will most likely leave in a couple of years.

Of the other top young kids mentioned, what states do they hail from?

Also, no more give-ups either!

So we beat the Ds, the Donts, the Kangas .. that's five wins, innit? Plus, lets go for an upset or two .. so that's seven.

What I'm saying is - "No Tanks" .. a "respectable" 10th would be nice .. just as long, like last time, we don't follow it with another spoon

btw - what's Pagan worth if he gets another spoon?



Wouldn't be more apt?

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[Sam Jacobs] looks like a 7' Lance Whitnall, and [Mitch Robinson] looks like a 4' Lance Whitnall
(The SEN team during the Carlton v Cats 2009 pre-season match)

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[Sam Jacobs] looks like a 7' Lance Whitnall, and [Mitch Robinson] looks like a 4' Lance Whitnall
(The SEN team during the Carlton v Cats 2009 pre-season match)