Carlton Supporters Club

Quote from: DJC – on September 06, 2026, 10:57:40 pm

Again, I don’t believe that I ever suggested that we were top heavy.  I did point out that our ratio of talls to smalls in 2025 was similar to most other clubs.

For the record, I’m a two ruckmen kind of guy … provided that the two ruckmen can both have an impact when they’re not rucking.

This debate has waged in many threads but ill summarise as follows from my memory:

We havent recruited enough talls often enough was one perspective along with too many smalls.
The opposing perspective was that we have recruited plenty of each type but all of them have shortfalls at AFL level, which results in we need more of everything.

Sometimes the argument was then paraphrased into assuming that this meant we had enough, but the reality (according to me) is, that we were gambling on our good players staying fit, because they were all guns, and then trying to fill the gaps between them.   This rehash and paraphrasing is why it was a never ending debate, because as we see in this topic, the opposing viewpoint was dismissed because it was transformed into a different argument about who was more right, rather than what was more right.

Which was the most pressing need?  Turns out, that both was correct on this years evidence.  Im not sure we have missed the talls, but getting in Ainsworth, Florent, Hayward, Evans, Jagga and co was tantamount to turning things around because we got halfway through a list build, sacked the list manager, sacked the coach because we needed to win, and ended up with a mish mash of aging players that couldnt help us take the next step any longer and failed to fill the gaps.

I think thats about as close as it gets to summarising.  The irony is not lost on me, that last season, we delisted Harry Lemmy to go with the departing JSOS, TDK and Curnow situation, and still managed to cover those absences with a delisted free agent in Wade Derkson, a draftee in Harry Dean, and what was already here, and this was the doomsday scenario of losing Weitering for an elongated period of time.  Still, we do need more quality talls as on history we got a bit lucky with Mckay and Pittonet being robust, and we could use some more grunt through the running players.  With Walker coming in, and hopefully HOF returning, that means we need a more project ruck forward through the draft again and as we saw on the weekend another medium swing type because Mcgovern, Haynes and Newman arent getting any younger.

Was Austins greatest failing that he couldn't find a couple of understudy KPF's and the reason why he was shown the door?

Quote from: RiverRat – on September 05, 2026, 11:58:29 pm

Not until we recruit or develop better options.

Young earned his place in the team after spending much of the season in the VFL

Young had reached his ceiling and found wanting at AFL.
Best to give someone else a go. Even a MSD pick might be OK

Why do we persist with players that won’t be part of a premiership team?

One of my mates used to get free tickets to TV Ringside (my second date with Ms DJC was an evening at TV Ringside - she was definitely a keeper!).  Bouts between Tony Mundine and Kahu Mahunga were classic contests; Mundine was a clever boxer with a KO punch.  Mahunga could absorb punishment and, if he hit you, you stayed hit.

I met Tony at a NAIDOC ball (I met Lynda Stoner that same night) and what I remember most is how soft his handshake was.  Well, that’s not entirely true; I remember how humble he was and how willing he was to share his story with a white fella that he didn’t know from a bar of soap.

Sadly, Tony’s achievements in the boxing ring, and as an advocate for his people, are overshadowed by some of the foolish comments by his son, Anthony.

RIP Tony, a great boxer and a great Australian.

Quote from: laj – on September 05, 2026, 06:07:35 pm

I think there's talk that Blakey was hard done by. If that's the case, go for him, but we'll have to wait to see what comes out to see if that's correct. Blakey isn't at all happy with the club and wants out.

Heard Chris Davies interviewed on SEN. Says the club wanted a key forward, and running mid, and another running defender come the trade/draft. Blakey, Walker and Amartey would be a decent set of gains.

The problem with the trying to bring these guys is that a brief of evidence could take longer than the trader period date (ie it wont be ready until after the trade period). Who in their right mind would take a risk on a Heeney or a Blakey or a Warner during the trade period with the potential of charges laid hanging over their head. They may have no other option but to sit tight at the Swans (assuming they are wanted and their contracts arent torn up).

Quote from: Bluesers – on September 05, 2026, 03:45:05 pm

Very true,  which is why several of these duds get games every week.   If there's even a remote chance that Blakey wants to leave, then we should make him our trade priority this year.

As good of a player that he is, I don't think we could sell it courtesy of our Carlton Respects campaign.

It would hurt the club and everything its trying to do.
Unless we could somehow manage to get him to be a poster boy of righting wrongs etc etc
Propaganda machine would need to be in orverdrive for that to happen.

If we actually recruited a semi decent ruck/forward we wouldn't have needed to play Young.

Quote from: Gointocarlton – on September 05, 2026, 08:53:51 am

The MCG was a fortress for us for a little while and Docklands was an achilles heel. It seems thats flipped around. Problem is, finals arent played at Marvel (see Syd and the SCG).

The problem is no home ground advantage.

To finish top 4 you have to win as many games as you can.

We haven't finished the home and away season top 4 since we left Princes Park.
The Bombers barring 2000/2001 when they were already a powerhouse might be the same.

Quote from: madbluboy – on September 05, 2026, 09:09:08 am

One the rain really came down we were screwed. Bailey Smith and co become roo slippery.
They played the percentages. We were trying to take speccies

I didnt feel like the "rain really came down". I looked light and misty from my vantage point. To me, I didnt think the rain was much a of factor.