Agree with you 100% NBH.

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Happy Days Are Here Again!!

Thornton came off the rookie list half way through his first year in 2002 and has played just about every game since. He is a gem, he takes just about the best forward every week and we would be lost without him. I don't know how anyone could be upset with him, he and fisher are basically top 20 picks we got for free. He is our ONLY option for full back.

Spraying team mates in that fashion is a pet hate for me anyway, but I think who he sprayed is the bigger issue - Setanta hardly meant it and he hardly has his skills up to a level where its not accepted occasionally. Its ok to spray Fev because he should know better and has the skills, but when a bloke is trying his guts out he doesn't deserve a dressing down

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Cheerio to my friends KN, BC, TT, GP, DK, AE, MS, SC, TC, JL, MO & LF

Brett is a real disciplinarian which i would take over a lazy footballer anyday. Setanta is reziliant and would not take it harshly, but instead knuckle down even harder...

Brett is out of contract at the end of this season so we would not be able to trade him. I doubt the club would consider it.

The Hawks and Brisbane are throwing some money his way to woo him (especially Brisbane). However Brett bleeds navy blue and will not go, even though he would have a significant financial gain up north.

He's not just a hard worker, but a loyal clubman to boot...

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Circumstance has no value. It is how one relates to a situation that has value. All true meaning resides in the personal relationship to a phenomenon, what it means to you.

thortons last month and, majority of his career, have been very good, better than serviceable. certainly not a trade.

besides, dad is his postie. my uncle is marc murphys postie, also. well...at least if my life doesnt work out the way i want, delivering letters is in my blood.

having said that, never forget what newman said "when u control the mail you control information"

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"In fairness it did seem in the early days of the draft teams would just pick a name totally at random out of a hat. I'm pretty sure we picked James Cook at #2 one year. The mediocre forward, not the explorer" - Me, 12/9/2011

Carlton 2012: Lets remind them why they once feared the Dark.

Thornton just about deserves a medal for the last 4 or 5 years, not many players would have played in so many losses in a defensive key-position post in their first 5 years of footy often on bigger blokes with so little pressure in general in the midfield and some of the opposition's delivery. Didn't see his apparent spray today but I like it that he genuinely does give a shit about Carlton and has a lot of pride in his and the team's performances. As I said I didn't see this particular spray but as someone else said how many times do you see Fev give his teammates a spray when he is not happy with the delivery into him or failure to find him in the forward line? I wouldn't have thought that the players take it all that personally and Setanta and others are big boys who if they had a problem with it I'm sure would address it with Thornton, Fev etc. I don't think it's worth worrying about personally.

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Formerly Blues-Back2003.

I think people are missing my point - I'm not saying he's no good, I'm not saying trade him. Exactly the opposite on both counts. I'm just saying his on-field demeanour crosses him off the offical leadership list.

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"I had to eat"

i disagree navy blue. he wouldnt be captain, no way, but in a leadership role i reckon he'd be great. a good role model, he truely has done it the hard way, he proves with perserverance (sp?) you can make it and make an impact.

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"In fairness it did seem in the early days of the draft teams would just pick a name totally at random out of a hat. I'm pretty sure we picked James Cook at #2 one year. The mediocre forward, not the explorer" - Me, 12/9/2011

Carlton 2012: Lets remind them why they once feared the Dark.

I'm with you....

And i was the one who threw up the Thorton trade talk.. Got a few bites too..

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

well why dont you say it about walker as well????

in the third quarter he gave fev an almighty serve after fev was lazy and it was plain as day...

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Back like a raging case of pubic lice

Thorton is over rated IMO. A good player but not a great player....

To me more a Sexton type than a SOS type... If that makes any sense.

Bringing up Walker giving Fev a spray before we know it we'll be Geelong..

I think that this thread is one about Thornton being a future leader and in all honesty, not for me... I could name the players i'd have ahead of him:

Murphy, Simpson, Fisher, Fev, Lance ( if he's not traded ), Stevens ( even though he has fustrated us this year ) Walker, even Waite in time ( as i believe responsibilty is something that we make his career ).. All ahead of Thorton .

And with the trade thing , you need to give up something if you are going to get something.

Then again with Mal in the side the T-Bird might just shine some more...

But hey this is all opinion, and to say my opinion is right and your is wrong would be wrong or vice verca is not correct.

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

A bloke called Nathan Buckley used to give his teammates onfield verbals right up until his mid to late twenties.

He modified his behaviour a bit, but still maintained that utter disapproval bordering on hatred of anyone who doesn't do everything within their power to get the most out of themselves.

He seems to make an ok captain.

John is this the style of Captain we want ??

If Thornton was in the Buckley league of players then i guess we'd tolerate the "taunts" but he's not... So i'm still not convinced that he will be a future leader of our club.

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

I'll admit that it's not a good look to be spraying teammates.

But at least he seems to care about his football, and the team.

Who knows? I suppose only the playing group can answer this one.

As for Buckley, I think that once he toned down his sprays, his captaincy came on in leaps and bounds. I reckon he's been a terrific captain.

Agreed - you don't want your captain to do that, but the question is: can a Thornton modify his behaviour in order to assume a leadership role?

Bingo !!!

And

T-Bird only knows the answer to that. We only know how much we can talk about it..

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

T Bird is fantastic and in a good side against similarly sized opponents would be terrific. His body language is ordinary sometimes, I didn't actually notice him spray Setanta. I think they are good mates? He certainly gave Kouta a spray when he fumbled in the Tiges goal square and Richo got a goal. I think he has improved his demeanour a bit. Did Molsey say when he interviewed him it had come uop and TBird acknowledged it. Also Walker was absolutely right to spray Fev. Fev was lazy, that's different from a skill error.

Anyway I think T Bitd has improved his look on field and is now more likely to try and cover from team mates rather than just worry about his man.

If there is one guy who deserves to be successful it is him. He has been there through the depths and only the depths.

Clealry we should have played Mclaren. But I think our main problem is in the middle, any backline would struggle when the midfield is so comprehensively thrashed.

My problem with the spray is that is was for a skill error by Carlos. Sprays should be toward the lazy or indulgent or those not playing the team game. Skill errors will occur in any team / game - ours are probably leading the league unfortunately.

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This might sound extreme in the context of alleged sexual assault, drunken violence and a drug trafficking charge...

The occasional spray doesn't go astray, and they happen on the field with every club, every game. Remember, we are dealing with young men here, and occasionally their emotions rise to the surface. I remember Kernahan delivering a couple of sprays during his career, and it didn't diminish his leadership.

Mountain out of a molehill.

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"The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, and the young know everything." Oscar Wilde

Was the Walker spray before or after he gave away 2 soft goals himself in the 2nd quarter with poor decision-making and woeful disposal in our defensive goalsquare??!

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In WADA we trust

That punch that ended up in the goalsqaure was because the stupid MC had no one of decent size down back to take on Stafford, Richo etc which meant Walker had to back climb to make an effective spoil...Bruce Doull could direct his spoils to advantage at his peak but its a bit hard on Walker to expect him to do that...

The 50m penalty to Pettifer was pitiful....Pettifer over acted and pleaded for the fifty and the stupid umpy fell for it...Walker hardly touched him and the contact he did make was slight and with no intent......

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