When he signed it was in the region of $180k per year. He was criticised for holding out for that but it's hardly an earth-shattering amount.

IMO I don't think he's a backman, especially not suited to marking the small foward pockets of the opposition (eg H Miller, T Clarke, etc). Surely a more appropriate match-up would have been one of the medium sized hawks such as Lekkas or Dixon. His two turnovers early in the game and his supposed 'shirk' in the final qtr (not entirely convinced as to what he was supposed to do apart from drop his knees into the marking player) when Franklin came sliding in, dropped the mark and was awarded the free-kick for a 'good effort' were talked about by the commentators ad infinitum. However, he delivered perfectly to Fev and Longmuir when he was in the attacking half of the field without a mention. We're happy to take the good with the bad with many of our players ... there are more positives than negatives to Houlas' game overall.

We don't have talent or depth but I'd cut the talentless (there's any of 10 to choose from) before we cut Houlas.

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In WADA we trust

Did you guys want him to cannon his legs into Franklin's head?

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#DonTheStash

Trade him for a ruckman.

Dunno? I'd heard him called that well before I stumbled across Carlton fan forums on the web.

I'm not sure which version of the Houligan we are discussing, because people still seem to talk about his ability to kick the football.

I have seen little evidence of that skill this year, with the possible exception of the Port Adeliade game when he delivered twice to fevola well, after running the lines, when he was under no pressure.

He coughs the ball up. Simple.

Why have a player who gives it away so often?

how can an elite footballer, irrespective of how much they are paid, have such appalling skills?

Add to that his shirking of the issue (a la Saturday) and I cannot see him surviving the cut.

(and I know he's not the only one, but he is the one we are discussing).

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"Two roads diverged in a wood,
and I,
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost

Its more when he swings on to his left foot - he overestimates his ability to kick with his left foot by about 15 metres - and invariably kicks it short of his target and in the arms of an opponent - I cringe ever time he goes for his left foot when he is in defence as it invariably costs. He is genuinely pretty good on his right foot IMHO.

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

Winston Churchill

Agree AGRO...a total overestimation of his left (chip) kick. Also seems to hang forever which doesn't help.
Didn't think you were saying the tribunal was a defense, I just don't think he thought about it. He could've put his shoulder and arm out in front but shirked. MAybe it wouldn't have ahd an effcet and like Hilton in front of Neitz, he would've needed a shoulder reco ....but I doibt it. He saw he couldn't get to the ball before Franklin so he shirked it in the hope that the ball would spill and he'ld still have his feet....pure and simple...

(BTW AGRO, snot box or snot block?? either way ...mmmmmmmmmm)

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“Every single element of the Club has to be the best in the league, meticulously and methodically, and only by doing this will we be elite and challenge for number 17.”
Greg Lee

I felt embarrassed watching that Franklin incident, not only for Houla but the whole club as well.

Houla's effort against Melbourne on the Legends stand wing in the Last Suburban Game was a much stronger shirking effort (more shirked ) than his one on Saturday

And what made even more impressive was that it was done right in front of Bruce Doull

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Carlton - Nothing's changed
I still love you, oh, I still love you
Only slightly, only slightly less
Than I used to, my love

I dont remember Tony Shaw saying Rhys' career was over when he shirked the issue.

I've seen Lappin shirk it several times this year, I've seen Mark Johnson shirk it worse than Houla did.
All players hear footsteps at some stage, Gary Ablett junior last year.
Any player who goes for a mark one handed is usually fearing contact. eg Dean Solomon, James Hird, Nick Stevens, etc......

It happens.

BTW, Houla would have hit Fevola on the tit more times than any player this year.
Have some perspective.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

We've got more than a few players who just aren't up to AFL standard and a couple who are barely up to VFL standard. They're surely in line for the chop before Houlihan who can actually play despite his girly attack on the ball. If the club sees fit to trade him then that's fine, but if they see fit to keep him that's fine too.
There's plenty of deadwood to get rid of before we start on the shrubs.

Last I checked (?3 weeks ago) was our equal leader for goal assists having set up 15 goals by direct disposal and in the top 13 in the AFL (Prowess sports). You don't remember him hitting our forwards more than twice this year? At least 4 occasions on Sat alone.

Admit it Synners, you love it.

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Give and you shall recieve

Fev actually prefers to get the ball from Houls than anyone else.
They are best mates.

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Karma

Loyal & Proud

To be honest, I remember him far more for his clangers. But I would love to see the Statistics you refer to. What is the web site? The Prowess sports web site I accessed did not have "goal assists".

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"Two roads diverged in a wood,
and I,
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost

We kind o9f focus on what we want to focus.
Ive seen Kouta shirk it this year.....hes the captain of our proud club!!!!

That was especially obvious against Jonathon Brown in the third quarter.
Also against Goddard in the third..

Plus his captaincy responsibilities for 2 thirds of the year....

Ryan is a young man... a couple younger than Travis Johnston who people are raving about this year who shirks it more than anyone...

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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.

That's a surprise. They were up about 3 weeks ago. I have it in PDF format which I don't think can be posted.

Well said BV...but won't hold my breath waiting for Tony Shaw to comment on other players doing it.

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"Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot about puppies." - Gene Hill

When Houla signed it was for a lot of money... what the amount was is anyones guess because i have heard a couple of figures.
Houla did leave the table with more than he should have.


Like Campo... Houla is not a main man. He is a player that can cut you to pieces in a good side.
We arent a good side but the club was desperate to keep him because they would have lost him for nothing...
Houla will be trade bait like 85% of the list but he does have the tools to become a better player than he has shown.
I really cant hack people that bag kids... theres plenty to focus on before turning on the kids.
People like Shiek have been bagging Ryan since he was 20 years old...
Compare him to Travis Johnston who was a very early pick and is not physical...
If Houla was a pick in the top 5 id spew but as a 70 something he has done pretty good for the club.

There is no doubt that next year he will be in a position where he will HAVE TO REALLY step it up...

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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.

We are not 'bagging' a kid here, we are constructively criticising a 23yo 100 game player who put his hand out for some big bucks a couple of years ago. I fail to see how you can be all over Camporeale for taking his exorbitant paypacket and not perform but think that we are being harsh on Houlihan for the same thing ?? On a pro-rata basis (age & experience), Houlihan would be higher paid than Camporeale yet who seem to conveniently gloss over that fact.

For the record, I couldn't give a rat's clack what players at other clubs do on the field, they mean nothing to me, if they are seen to be soft or shirkers, then great, we'll exploit that weakness at the appropriate time. I am only concerned with the players who run out to represent the Carlton footy club, if they are soft squibs who take short steps, then I am going to come down on them like a ton of grandmothers. There is no place at our club for softcocks, they must be eradicated from the playing list. These sorts of players are the ones who will cost the club in a final, mark my words !!