Carlton Supporters Club

Durdin ...the latter is steady but treacle slow ...

@ianh,

Part of my post which i didn't really include (that i was using to make my arguments) was everyones age.

That is....
The 4 oldest players on are list are...
Newman - 31y5m
Docherty - 30y8m
Saad - 29y11m
Williams - 29y9m

so in a couple years, they may all be gone.
Then we would be left with the following players who will all be 2 years older than their listed age here....
Cincotta - 27y6m
Boyd - 25y9m
Cowan - 19y7m
...and even if you include Billy Wilson - 19y you can see what i'm talking about.

Remove the top 4 from our 'best 22' and suddenly we are in all sorts
We need to ensure we have a couple lockdown players available to go in a couple years time. Cincotta will be 29-30 by then, so its not really a viable option long term either.

How do you take someone who is not quite up to fulltime AFL standards, but has the leadership quality you need, and keep them happy playing VFL?

"Small defenders are scarce." Don't agree, largely for reasons that you identify in the remainder of your post.
"Docherty is out." True
"Williams is now a forward." Yes, but if we need a small defender more than his current role he can slot back in.
"Cincotta is a tagger now."  Ditto Williams comment.
"We have Boyd and Saad who are more of the blokes you want going up the field disposing. Then you have newman and cowan playing more of a lockdown role." So there's 4 small defenders just there, plus Williams and Cincotta.
"Looking through the rest of the list, and that's about it. Cupboard is bare behind them."  Pretty true, though Billy Wilson looks a likely prospect not quite ready yet, ditto Lord although he is more a mid I could see his determination and defensive nous translating into defence as long as he isn't matched up on someone with pace as he isn't quick.  There's also a few more players who are more naturally suited to other parts of the ground who can be pressganged into service if need be.
Even if you mean quality small defenders are scarce I would disagree.  Saad and Newman are clearly quality.  I am a big fan of Boyd, we should be using his lovely kicking more.  Cincotta was doing a great job as a lockdown defender before getting shifted on-ball.   Williams has shown in the past he can be a weapon of half back, albeit he was badly out of form before being moved forward.  I am a rap for Cowan though he is still young and has some rough edges.  It's not the 1981 brigade (Hunter, Klomp both reigning All-Australians, Doull,, English, and Austin, with G Whitnall in reserve and Harmes and McConville available to shift into defence if needed - the talls being reigning All-Australian Geoff Southby, Woof Perovic, and Tatts Bortolotto with Scott Howell slotting in as a late replacement for Southby in the GF to stand Peter Moore quite effectively and Swan McKay able to swing back if needed.  Any wonder we were in the middle of 3 flags in 4 years?)

The Dogs are 3rd, but on the decline. Their losses have all been recent.
Have we improved enough to challenge them? I wouldn't think so. Too many guys not producing enough.
Monahan, Moir, Sam Durdin, Akuei, Mirkov, Lemmey: too many doing not enough.

One of the real problem with Akuei's growth and development has been the fact that he's played back, forward, ruck, even the wing, and not been able to settle into a position. He's a slow burn type of player. He's gone to the back line and ruck for this year, what's his position? Perhaps keep playing him as a second ruck for the rest of the year? Arguably with O'Keeffe out of the side, it may have came out of necessity. But this means he doesn't play permanently as a defender. Still, it looks like he's really showing something there. If he keeps going the way he is in that role, then he's a real chance of becoming a category a rookie next year. Clearly he was going to take time to develop, but the signs are there that as a second ruck, he's showing some promise.

Lord is a handy type but like Binns a lightly built player who needs more size to play senior footy but he can find the footy which is important.
Carroll and McMahon to me are the standouts in this team, more class and composure than the others and more senior ready if in McMahons case he ever gets drafted.
Mirkov again won his fair share of hitouts but I wasnt impressed....
Sam Durdin was well beaten by a young kid called Gray and Lewis Young looks disinterested. Marchbank unsighted and Cuningham showed glimpses of form but faded. Moir kicked a goal but was unsighted otherwise.
Lemmey later and Akuei early showed some good form but dont play four quarters...

Apparently Martin has head up to qld to have the same calf treatment that saw him in good nick come finals time.

I like Martin, but this smacks of getting a bit desperate which might mean his body has simply broken down again. 

For mine, I dont care about the names, it's all about the team performance and for the first time I'm really comfortable with where the coaches can take us.

From our 23 last night, i'd have Durdin and Fantasia as player #22 and #23.

Cunners and Motlop in to replace them is an improvement IMO.