there are quite a few players on the carlton list that are over rated on this board but it is expected, we are carlton supporters, of course we are going to over rate our own players......

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Back like a raging case of pubic lice

Maybe he needs to knock on the door even louder still????

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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.

How many blokes do we have that are prepared to put their head over the ball, take knock after knock and dish it out to a non-existent running midfield.

AB is our problem? Please...

Sure he's not blessed with speed or silky skills, but with a touch better ruckwork and perhaps some runners putting themselves in decent positions to get hold of a handpass it wouldn't look like AB butchers it so often.

Very harsh on the guy I reckon.

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Congratulations CK95

http://www.talkingcarlton.com/phpBB2/vi ... 869#347869

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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

Bentick got a lesson from a gun player in Mitchell and wasnt suited to Richmonds ultra quick lineup....doesnt make him a bad player just one who is still learning the craft....

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

I don't want to say I told you so.

I'm soooooo hoping Bentick makes it. His ability with sure hands in & under is very good - and as a 21yo, you'd think he will get even better in this area. His only potential undoing IMO will be if he does not improve his foot disposal.

Sure he appears a little one-paced when out in the open but so was Diesel. He won't get any quicker, but I'd expect his aerobic capacity to improve over time as he does work his arse off on the track.

But all long-term AFL players MUST be able to kick well. Currently, he struggles by foot. His technique does not appear flawed so I'm hoping that his kicking improves over time & he develops into very good long-term on ball player for us.

Bentick is injured with a shoulder.He copped it against Richo in the earlier game this year and has played limited time ever since.He has really struggled in the last 2 weeks so I would put the cue in the rack now and get ready for 07.

I reckon he is going to be a good player.Not in the Ratten class because his foot disposal is not good enough. The player I like him too is Brett Kirk.With quality players around him I reckon Bentick will become a vital part of our top 22.

It shits me a bit when one of our positives for the year has a couple of bad ones and then all of a sudden the knives come out.

Bentick will not be a West or Ratten but if he is half as good as those 2 I am glad to have him in our team.

I'll tell YOU what, Synbad - is that the only thing you're hanging your hat on with AB? Putting his head over the ball? What other attributes does he provide the team, other than this?

He's on borrowed time until such time we find an effective multi dimensional player that's prepared to put his head over the ball, and make the effective disposals and hurt the opposition. AB satisfies one of these elements to date - he has until end of next year to develop further, and if he doesn't then it's syonara.

We are average at best when AB is playing well.

And if he's injured, he shouldn't be playing - simple as that!!!

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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 have an idea.... let's bag our kids

This losing's going well then hey?

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

Hey Molly, it's not about bagging our kids - there are others on our list that deserve as much scrutiny and more than AB.

It's about constructive criticism. Seeing the bleeding obvious week in week out with our players. Yes, they're young, learning and require time, but we cannot accept mediocrity as a club. Thus far, I haven't seen too much to suggest AB is our answer in the midfield, let alone any other position on the ground. That's my opinion.

He's playing in such a crucial role on the field and he ain't going to be there for too much longer, if he doesn't add to his game other strings to his bow.

A question for the Match Committee - Why isn't he being played or rotated in a forward pocket so he can learn an attacking and creative game? He's good defensively, but that's it!!!!

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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!

People should be allowed to give their views on players, and therefore Wangers is well within in his right to criticise bentick. Wangers criticising Bentick aint going to make any difference to whether or not AB makes it or not.

There is no doubt bentick has a number of deficiences in his game at the moment. Being in such a crap team, such deficiencies look even worse. In a better team, they could be better covered up or less exposed.

I think bentick was pretty terrible agst richmond, and despite starting on the bench, was given a good go in the middle when we were 3 goals up in 1st qtr. As I saw it, both jesse and AB were given a go at this time - and we were smashed in the middle during this period.

But if u look at AB's career so far, he has come a long way - he has improved every year, and there is no reason why that cant continue - he has played a lot of minutes this year for a young kid, and it is no surprise he is tiring or felling the aches and pains a bit more.

If he continues to work on his marking, pace and his disposal, he may become a consistent afl player who will add depth to, but not star in, our midfield.

I dont know why this thread is headed - is bentick overrated - as I dont think anyone is in lala land regarding bentick - we all know his strengths and weaknesses, and i think we all agree he is at least worth another 2 years on our list to see if he can take his game to a higher level. He may well get overtaken by blackwell (which i think will happen), smith or gibbs , but until he becomes surplus to our requirements, he should be allowed to keep developing. We should all remember this has been just his first full year of senior football.

Hurrah! Now, if you're a kid, and you know the coach has no faith in you, who drags you if you make one mistake, even if you try your guts out, you know that you're going to make mistakes, not everyone's perfect, but you know you're going to get dragged for it.

You might keep trying to improve and not make mistakes, but it becomes a case of kids trying not to make mistakes rather than doing the team things and being positive. It becomes a case of self-preservation. And selfish football is bad football.

I've been shot down in the last few weeks for suggesting that the kids' confidence is shot, and if you look at the treatment of the kids, how can you see that their confidence is not going to be shot?

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

All the Stevens bagging is starting to wear a bit thin.

No AB comparisons to Diesel or Ratten please - it is far too early for AB.

For a start they could kick right & left foot - AB struggles with his right. Secondly they were smart footballers - AB needs to develop this. Heaps to go for young AB. However I think that Pagan will give him 2 more years rather than Wangers one.

Unfortunately (because I quite like the guy) the end result will be the same because he won't cut it!

How can you justify that?
AB's best two games were against Collingwood in Rnd 20 last year- a win, and Essendon* in round 7 this year- a win.

It could be argued that one was against a side that was quite obviously tanking, regardless of what ADP or mandy think. The other win was against an Essendon* side that has been extremely poor this year.

Having said that, Bentick's disposal has only been a problem this year, last year and what he showed in 2004, disposal was never a problem. In fact, it was what showed me that I think he has a better chance than Carrazzo of playing 150 games. I still think he can play 150 games, but like Stevens, he needs support, both in the likes of players he can dish off to, make position where he can dispose to their advantage and also in the ability to win contested ball or shepherd opposing ball winners well enough to allow AB a better chance of a clean disposal out of the pack situation.

He is probably slower hand to foot than a few on the team, but I believe this is because he is trying to find the right option and not turn the ball over. Surround him a bit more quality, then he will be really valuable IMO.

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

Good one Wangers. It seems people object to any end-of-year discussion on how our list can be improved other than just relying on the draft.

I think AB has done very well to get where he has - he has proved a very honest player who gets the best out of himself. However, I also agree that he is somewhat one dimensional and needs to be given opportunities to improve in this area.

He's in the mix with Blackers, Smith and perhaps Jackson for midfield role and the competition between them is good for the club going forward.

jack_4, yes, we did win in those games and yes AB played well - but to put into context, the Collingwood game was against a second rate side, and Essendon* in Round 7, need I say more?.... ditto to the win against Collingwood in Rd 20, 2005.

When we beat Melbourne twice, and the draw, how did AB play? Against the Demons last time he did a job on his mate, Brock Maclean - good effort, defensively, and we got away with it with a fortunate win. Against the doggies, did a job on West, defensively, but we still lost. Mixed results, I'm seeing - nothing that shows me that we're on a winner with AB - he needs help or he's gone.

What I'm trying to say is he isn't the only answer in the midfield role - when he's in there he's trying his best, but from what I've seen thus far his best isn't earth shattering, which you can get away with to an extent, but what other positions can he play other than the midfield?

The game demands more than playing in one position - if he only plays in one position and that's the centre, then he must be 'Greg Williams like' in order to survive - and AB ain't that, and I doubt he ever will be. He needs to be more than a centreman - forward flank/pocket, loose man in defence, just something else.

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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!