Leuenberger

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

A backline built around Thornton, O'Hailpin (only going to get better) and Whitnalll
A forward line built around Fev, Kennedy and Fisher
A midfield built around Waite (could be anything but will he be??????), Gibbs, Murphy and Stevens
A new found feeling amongst the group that Pagan's position hangs by a thread
AND IT'S FINALS FOOTBALL 2008

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If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!

BP: Carazzo - kicking a worry, but can find it
FB Thornton - 90 games, will perform better as midfield gets better
BP O'hAilpin - very exciting - climb the learning curve

HB Bower - like what I see - learning curve
CHB Whitnall - B & F
HB Scotland - played role well in 06

W Stevens - still more than handy despite critics
C Gibbs - bang!
W Simpson - run and bounce Kade!

HF Walker - rotating through midfield, contested marking ability valuable
CHF Waite - bit speculative, but he must come good surely
HF Lappin - see Mike and Dan season review - we need more avenues to goal

FP Kennedy - see Bower
FF Fevola - Don't win Colemans by accident
FP Betts - genuine x factor - must reduce gap b/w his best and worst

R McLaren - not satisfactory, but best of the group
RR Bentick - genuine in and under - must follow Ratten like a bad smell
R Murphy - messiah

INT Koutoufides - back up for Waite - extra on baller
INT Fisher - could easily force Bentick to bench and Walker RR
INT De Luca - I don't like it either but need a back up ruck
INT Houlihan - gone for experience given youth development in 18

Close

Russell - must push for Carrazzo / Houlihan / Lappin spot
Blackwell - same as Russell - but I think he is closer than Russell
Bryan - could easily swap with De Luca
Wiggins - probably loses spot to Bower - needs to leapfrog others
Jackson - liked what I saw in 1 game
Pre Season pick 1 - would be disappointed if this player couldn't crack a game

Unknown Quantity

Hartlett - Too many injuries to judge
Raso - expect upside
Edwards - close to selection
Pick 17
Pick 19
Pick 35
Pick 51
Flint - elevate?
Smith - elevate?

Other

Bannister, Mcgrath, Chambers, Saddington, Teague, Livingston, Davies,

What sticks out is our need for a ruckman. In Mclaren and DeLuca we carry two blokes not upto it.

Our team looks ok on paper - but we are carrying two rucks not up to it, two virtual debutants in Bower & Kennedy who need time - so does Setanta. Our midfield very reliant on kids like Gibbs & Murphy.

We will be carrying some of these guys, but we must move forward.

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Get comfortable being uncomfortable

Good team, RH. Not sure that Lappin is still in our best 22. Not sure that I really want Kouta taking up a spot, given our stage of development. But I'm sure you're right, and injuries permitting, they'll get a game.

B. Carrazzo Thorton O'Hailphin

HB. Walker Hartlett Scotland

C Gibbs Stevens Simpson

HF Waite Kennedy Edwards

F Betts Fevola Whitnall

R. Bryan Murphy Blackwell

Int. Russell, Lappin, McLaren, Bower, Houlihan, Wiggins, Jackson
- 3 of the above emegencies

Hopefully - N.Brown will be drafted @ 17 and be groomed at FB/CHB

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let's get thinking and acting like the POWERHOUSE that we were and will be again soon! I hope, I had enough of losing.

Sorry Fisher to be starting on the bench for jackson!

I forgot about him

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let's get thinking and acting like the POWERHOUSE that we were and will be again soon! I hope, I had enough of losing.

also I better find a spot on the bench for Kouta - houlihan is back to the bullies

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let's get thinking and acting like the POWERHOUSE that we were and will be again soon! I hope, I had enough of losing.

Surely people are kidding when they say they can't find a spot for Whitnall on the ground. If you want to develop a backline without him then surely he goes forward....Leaving Kennedy aside lets not hang our hats on Fisher and Waite until they start playing consistent football. This is a big year for Waite..the potential/injuury excuse is starting to wear a little thin....I'd have the B&F ahead of him easily.

Hartlett has been the least inpsiring draftee we have had for some time (even the much criticised Russell has more runs on the board than him), so I don't know why some of you think he will be in our best team next year.

I agree with all except Whitnall, but nothing new there from me. Waite needs to play the Kouta role off the wing next year. Get smart Pagan.

Carrazzo Thornton Saddington
Lappin O'hAilpin Scotland
Waite Murphy Simpson
Houlihan Whitnall Fisher
Kennedy (protect the kid) Fevola Betts
McLaren Walker Stevens
Koutoufides Blackwell Gibbs(?) Bentick

I think all the above teams indicate that we will be getting a high draft pick next year. We were flogged in the middle most games with a big battling honest ruckman. In 07 we will have no ruckmen. Expect improvement from Blackwell, Russell O'hAilpin, Bower, Raso, Murphy, Kennedy, Wiggins, Betts etc - actually everyone under 24. But we are still going to struggle. A quality strategist and match day input would help also. While we are in the habit of bringing people back, what is Britts up to. Had his weaknesses but was sharp on match day, understood strategy and set plays and was good with the youngsters. If Mitch moves on as rumour suggests, Britts may be the best available.

Anyway expect another season of pain and promise, 08 will be mainly promising and 09 will be on the way with a modern coach and lots of guns in their early mid 20s. Most interesting this year will be leaps of improvement. Setanta improved the most over the season in my opinion. Positively exponential in the 2nd half of 06. Who will be the big improvers this year? Hopefully there will be half a dozen.

The big Irish improved with EVERY game.

Fantastic stuff.

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The problem will be made. for the solution to be sold, to your face before your eyes, tolerance is now the new danger

If Lance has to play CHB a majority of the year, then we're stuffed. I love the big fella more than anyone, but he can't play that position. He needs to be in the forward half for sure.

I've got big questions on Houla being out there 100% of the year. I'd prefer blokes who are hard at it with good skills rather than a sponge cake .

Carrazzo worries me, also. I think he could be replaced by Bower very easily.

We can also add an experienced player via the PSD. There only needs to one good un-contrcated player for us to improve our list further - wouldn't Mcphee be great....or Notting, or Welsh even .

Some of the players I have concerns about in these teams;

OhAilpin at CHB - Not capable of this job yet

Carrazzo - Will hopefully be removed by better young players - Although he's done a good job over the last few years, won't be in our best side in another 2.

Lance at CHB - Can win us games at CHF

Hartlett - Holds the key to where we put Thornton, Lance, Lappin - a very important player next year.

Waite and Fisher - Need to go back 12 months and take off from their previous years (hope it's not too late)

Far fewer problems than we've had over the last 5 years as we'll get better seasons from Gibbs Murphy, JK, Blackers and Bowowower.

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end of message

At this stage our list for 2007 is too close to our current list so it's a bit early to plan for teams at Round 1, 2007. I prefer to think of it as follows:

* The club has more youth coming through the list, improved further by our draft picks this year
* The club cannot and will not be able to re-select the go-to men of the past as they will have moved on (delistings).

So we have a team that only has a few set, top-notch players and a huge group of players trying to make their mark:

B / HB (Need 4 with back-up from Mids): Thornton
With selection from: o'hAilpin, Bower, Jackson, Russell, Saddington (?), Hartlett (?), Bannister (?), Raso (?), Flint,

Mids (Need 8-10) : Stevens, Scotland, Houlihan, Murphy, Simpson, Walker
With selection from: Bentick, Blackwell, Pick #1, Pick #17, Pick #35, McGrath (?), PSD #1 , Smith, Kouta,

Ruck: Weak spot...2 spots in the team from McLaren + Pick 19 hopefully.

Forwards (Need 4-6 with back-up from Mids): Fevola, Whitnall
With selection from: Kennedy, Lappin, Fisher, Waite, Betts, Deluca (?),

We still have some glaring weak spots but the idea and hope is that we wll have more competition for spots amongst the young (more of them) and more young taking places of those who may have been a little stagnant.

Yeah good synopsis Molsey,

my view is that we should be looking at the list as a work in progress. By the end of this draft and rookie listing period, my guess is that we will have the list at about a 75% stage.

That is, we'll be about three out of four drafts through repairing our list. It means 2008 is a vital period to carry out the last little bit of list pruning, and also to add any of the finishing touches required.

Without wishing to hijack the debate, it is also the reason that I believe the number one pick this year - all things being equal (and remember we have the club saying there are five potential number one picks), should revolve to a certain extent around what Wayne Hughes and Cazz reckon will not be available next year.

Anyway, back to the point - your analysis of the list is pretty spot on.

B: Fev Fev Fev
HB: Fev Fev Fev
C: Fev Fev Fev
HF: Fev Fev Fev
F: Fev Fev (c) Fev
R:Fev Gibbs Murphy

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"I can't wait to win a premiership with this club" - Fev

Fev at full back again?

ok rethink

Carazzo Thornton Ohailpin
Russell Whitnall Scotland
Waite Bentick Fisher
Simpson Kennedy Stevens
Kingsley Fevola Betts

Leuenberger Murphy Walker

Bower, Koutoufides, Blackwell, whoever

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

I must really be an optimist. When I look at most of the teams presented I see so much hope. There are so many players on the virge of something special. Now I know how crap we have been ... but just maybe we are about to step up. Am I nuts?

My team would be:

CARRAZZO THORNTON BOWER
WALKER O'HAILPIN SCOTLAND
GIBBS STEVENS SIMPSON
WHITNALL KENEDY WAITE
BETTS FEVOLA FISHER

MCCLAREN KOUTOUFIDES MURPHY

I/C HOULIHAN BLACKWELL LAPPIN BRYAN

EMERG RUSSEL BENTICK JACKSON HARTLETT

cant wait to get through another few years.
we are really going to be a superb team.
i cant wait. go blues!

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dane's trolling again