Ratten as a midfield coach is most welcome. He made a big difference to Melbourne's midfield from Day 1, as a midfield specialist coach, and only left them to gain some coaching experience elsewhere, first hand, where the opportunity allowed.

Furthermore, he's a premiership player and club legend who started his career from the back of the line, and knows what it takes to get to the top. He has also been part of a midfield brigade that boasted talent, but also strategy and tactics for all comers (without relying on the coach and MC). He can only benefit the blues.

Perhaps with him there, he may attract/influence some input from other former great midfielders in Williams, Bradley and Brown. That would make the kids' hairs stand up, and embrace what Carlton is all about.

SOS to nuture and fast track our promising kids for the backline: Hartlett, Bower, Flint, Edwards, (even Thornton). His input and development will let us know sooner rather than later if this crop of kids are going to be our future FB and CHB. I'd also welcome the input of former great backmen in Sexton, Rhys, McKay.

Daniher and Dempsey are unique and should be retained. I'm at a loss as to what Libba has achieved. Betts has praised him for getting him off his arse and shedding those extra kilos gained over the break, so I thank him for that. This implies that there's a job for Libba at Jenny Craig, but not necassarily as a skills coach for Carlton. I'm only guessing.

We need good strategists, tackling coaches, fitness trainers and work on those skills, skills and skills under pressure.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

BB, the best strategists, tackling coaches, fitness trainders and skills coaches currently reside interstate (particulalry Perth & Adelaide). Whilst my heart says it would be great to welcome back ex Carltonians, the head says you get the best availablie, no matter what their club links. This is what CFC have done in the past - Barassi, Parkin, Kernahan, Bradley etc. If the ex Carltonians are the best in the marketplace then fantastic, but do we all honestly think this is the case?

In fact, in terms of appointing coaches, what are the attributes we are looking for? (Probably not a midfield coach whose only claim to fame is saiving Eddie Betts from the Gunnamatta rip!)

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... until we lose the first 4 games of the year and then have to start tanking again.

nope, we need the best picks in this years draft...... to top the others we have picked up

barass quote



I'm with you 125.9% barass. We need to attract and sign up the best available training coaches in the land to manage the fast tracking of a list that contains 25 players under 23 years of age.

As for strategists and tacticians, only the best will do, and they should focus on the game plan and the opposition. There's no need for them to be Carlton greats.



What I believe though is that our current ratio of coach to players at Carlton needs a further injection of intense coaching and player support. I remember a photo in The Herald (now the H/S) during the early 80's of the Carlton team's support and coaching staff; there was over 100 of them...when we had money. But this is what kept all players on their toes, improving from every outing and winning flags.

Everyone knows that a classroom with a lower teacher-student ratio will help kids' progress faster than those in a high teacher student ratio. In tennis an elite player will have a coach one on one to help them with their game, picking up every little flaw (dependent on the coaches capability of course). A focussed eye will find and work through flaws in a player's game/skills far more effectively and quicker to resolve them, than a having a general view of numerous players.

I am not necassarily proposing that the ex Carlton players to be THE skills coach (unless they are the best available), but to have them focussing on, and mentoring a young kid, with a view to helping identify weaknesses with them one on one to work through the flaw. With a focussed eye.

We have 3 skills coaches at present (part time or full time?); a ruck coach in Dempsey, a KP coach in Daniher and a midfield coach in Libba. 3 skills coaches for 44 players. That's my point. We have an unusually high number of kids in that group with skills deficiencies (which is the norm for rookies), but only 3 coaches. Nobody is working enough with the kids one on one. Then we wonder why our skills are below par. They're only kids.

How many ruckmen is Dempsey looking after? 7?
How many KP players is TD looking after? 12?
How many midfielders is Libba looking after? 15?
Forget Mitchell he has the Bullants seniors to look after.

Furthermore, the club has had its spirit tested since 2002. In fact, there has been more focus on Carlton off field woes since 2002, than where it should be; on the field with the players. Along with that, the spirit around the club has been diluted or misguided/misdirected. We need to get that spirit back into the team on the field.

Kids on our list who are now 18, 19, 20 or 21 were 13, 14, 15 or 16 in 2002, too young to feel the spirit of Carlton, and too young to know about '95, '87, '81, and '82. How are they to know? Reminding players constantly who we are, what we stand for, and how we're going to achieve greatness. Keep the spirit up.

I think that the successful players of the past, have enough currency to inspire and inject this spirit in the kids. After all we are hoping that these kids become 10 year players. I want to give them every opportunity to make those 10 years count as successful years; for the players and the club.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I like the mentoring idea - not sure if I'd want Jimmy Buckley mentoring one of the kids

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17 4 10

Cant possibly be taken seriously as a main person on the MC when he thinks Kouta should run aound for another year...

No wonder he is unemployed in coaching terms.

These guys need to understand that just because someone is a mate doesnt mean a hard call cant be made and common sense cant be used.

Its the same as when Sticks was trying to tell me Campo loves the club and he would come back and he has been misquoted(5 days before trade deadline)

Just absolute stupidity.

No wonder were [REDACTED]...!!!

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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.

Spot on, Synbad. Too much of the 'old boys club' mentality at the club. Needs to be eradicated and fast.

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For some silly reason, you people want to assassinate him, and it's just rubbish. You people. All of you, ALL of you!

i believe ratten has contributed a lot to melbourne's success this year and in his first yeara s assistant coach they got off to a flyer if my memory serves me correct he left the season halfway through and then melbourne had a bit of a dip but i reckon he's layed a pretty good foundation there especially with the imrpovement of travis johnstone and cameron bruce he could really help out murph and walker and simmo and AB and whoever we get this year

Now that IS stupidity.

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