Voss hasnt changed since his Brisbane days, same game plan, same player exodus issues and Daniel Bradshaw was reincarnated as Matt Kennedy before he received his holy marching orders and was excommunicated from the flock . Its Dejavu so far with only the ending to come, will it be any different than 2013? I have noticed that a few of the Voss and List spruikers are now lowering the bar and happy to accept missing finals in 2026, what happened to the new improved list, new football manager and new director of coaching? Surely there are no more excuses? I have spent the last few months reading on the forum how TDK, Charlie and Jacks leaving was a blessing and they were holding back the club and how the new players have made us a much better team but that all seems to be changing since we are getting closer to the first round and those ultra positive supporters caught up in the hype are now in full retreat...
This optimistic supporter is not in full retreat, EB1 old son. Nuh. Not bullish though. Powder dry, kind of optimistic... sprinkled with an acknowledgement of the unknown. And that's what we are now, somewhat an unknown entity due to strong change in personnel and what will be a change in some aspects of our game plan.
Our weakness under Vossy is as you point out - "contest and pressure is all you need, then kick it to the two tall forwards and everything will magically fall into place."
Change has been forced upon us with the departure of 'the three.' It seems we've adapted to that change well... got some leg speed, disposal skills and a multi-dimensional forward set up.
Though not in the prediction business, I would not be at all surprised to see us jump up the ladder and be a much better side than last year. In fact, I renewed my membership optimistically!
Unless they think we can do well in our first 4-8 games and want to make an announcement then…? Be smarter to do it now.
I can sorta understand but don’t agree with the decision to allow Voss to coach into 26 but I think tactically they’ve missed the chance to make this 12 month extension. Maybe if Davies was on board earlier it may have happened this way Krudds.
I was fine with voss getting the right to coach or his contract. Either way, once we showed him to stay and we cut the list the way we did, the only fair thing to do is give him the extra year. The expectations from supporters and media alike will fixate on his contract to the detriment of the club. So contract him and get that our of the equation.
I don't expect results to be favourable early on, so dint risk it. Sign him now.
This sound also help with talent aquisition as the unknown about who will coach is removed.
Coaching extensions are given on positive performance and good results, not hope, whims and goodwill. Extensions are a deserved reward.
At the JNM Vossy -- testament to his character -- admitted he'd failed the club in 2025. To the club's credit, they stuck with him into 2026 - definitely NOT old Carlton. He's been given the opportunity to SHOW he can do much better. So, any talk of contract extensions should be on hold until he proves he can do just that.
from 1979-2019, real wages for US workers rose by 17% from 1979-2019, worker productivity rose by 72% from 1980-2018, the share of their total spending spent on health doubled. In 2008, there were 7 states in which the cost of covering your health insurance was 10% or more of the median income. By 2018, that rose to 42 states. from 1980-2018, the cost of education rose 600% compared to people's incomes. Not a typo.
Bipartisan polices that have cut the US population into 6000 pieces and left it profusely bleeding will not be ameliorated by a band aid.
Yep.
The only US politician I listen to in reference to how the working class is doing in the US is Bernie. Too many working class/lower class/middle class Yanks don't seem to realise how they're being fkd over -- in so many ways -- by the decaying Orange One and his army of sycophants. Republican Party is dead. And let's not talk about the disarray Democrats.
Well that wasn't fun! Power outage here for 5 hours last night. Enter the before mentioned 8kva generator - purred for the duration. Glad I serviced it couple of months ago - new plug, oil and all filters cleaned.
Fortunately, no fires. Thoughts and prayers to those in affected areas.
And, speaking of rain, does anyone else think that the new BOM website is rubbish?
It felt a little awkward and needlessly complex initially, but over time I've got used to it and it feels quite okay now. I like the fact that you can geek out if you want to, or you can just check the basics.
Likewise, Pauly. Now that I'm used to it I find I can navigate it pretty well.
I was lucky when in the Navy to have a good mate who was a PO MET (Petty Officer, Meteorologist) who taught me lots of little tricks... especially how to understand highs, lows and isobars to understand and even predict future weather.
I read somewhere that the red Ozito tools in Bunnings are actually manufactured by Milwaukee. I am only a very spasmodic DIYer these days but I have owned a red Ozito drill for many years and it has been very good.
Not by milwaukee, but the company that owns milawuakee owns them and aeg and ryobi....and something else. Its the same as car manufacturers these days, multiple brands owned by 1 parent company.
Ozito stuff is fine for diy-ers and occassional use. My old man got some and was saying how good they were. I put it up against the milwaukee and he was left embarrassed....but for what he needed, it wss perfect.
Same with aeg. Same with ryobi. They all do the job 'good enough' 99% of the time. Its the 1% that tradies pay for.
Its like a commodore vs a bmw vs a ferrari vs a bugatti. Each one is fine in itself, but there is always something a bit better, which is a bit more expensive.
Yep. For this DIY renovator (did our last two homes) I found the cheaper brands just fine. Where I needed good performance (circular saw) I used a Makita and it's still going strong but the Makita sander was rubbish - the velcro pad kept needing to be replaced as the slightest amount of dust between the pad and the sandpaper rendered it useless. So I got a Ryobi... still going strong - can't kill it! Rest of my tools are Makita or Ryobi.
The only petrol powered tools I have are the mower, Briggs & Stratton... just won't stop and my 8kva generator.
For all the things people worry about regarding the internet and AI, this stuff being done in the USA is far more worrisome, it's literally the genesis of the grey goo as they are already working on self-assembling versions.
This stuff will make Drone, Nuclear or Chemical Warfare look like a Sunday Picnic.
For all the good it could potentially do, think about your pepper grinder, sauce on your McBurger, herbs on your focaccia, dust on your carpet, dirt on your shoes, and now think of it in the hands of a Putin, Xi or RedTrump, a failed heart valve, a stroke, pneumonia, blindness, a headache.
Winds farms, 5G, EM, Infrasound, they are a freaking walk in the park by comparison!
What would this guy think, gravy for the mind? Is your arm itching?
Black Mirror did an episode similar to this. "Hated by the Nation"
Bees went extinct, so we made robot bees to do the job. These were ultimately hijacked and used to kill people. Person who was killed was whoever got the most 'votes' on social media. Torch and Pitchforks from the comfort of your own home!
Seems ludicrous when summarised, but watch the episode and tell me where the plot hole is, if you can find one.
Excellent episode (Hated In The Nation). Nailed the realities of human nature... at it's most creative/ingenious, and most tribal/vulgar. You're right, K, there aint no plot hole.
We are more susceptable to injuries this year, than any year in the past. With a large amount of luck, we might be ok. With an average amount of luck, we'll be lucky to match last years efforts.
I'd argue the opposite. That we're better placed to deal with injuries than we have been. With greater depth and more versatility. That shows through when we try to construct the various lines and players are missing out. A lot will depend on who gets injured though. So we'll agree to disagree.
I feel for others who don't follow the same logic as they are the ones who will jump up and down, pitchforks in hand demanding more from the club. That cycle will hurt the club, like it has in the past. Carltons biggest issue is impatient supporters, forcing our hand before it needs to be forced, perpetuating cycle of unending rebuilds.
If the results don't flow then there will be changes. So folks won't need to jump up and down. The writing will be on the wall. And most likely it will be the coach who will depart. His contract is for 2026. That was the allotted time. We won't be sacking him, we just won't be extending him.
But he doesn't need to have dramatic improvements. It just needs to be seen to be moving in the right direction. The team coming together, youngsters developing, a springboard to 2027... and he may get his extra time. A lot of that will take place behind the scenes in terms of 'goals and targets' and we don't even know if some wheels might not already be in motion for change...that wouldn't surprise.
Bottom line. With a bit of good luck we will improve and the coach will get his extension. That's what I hope for and expect. If things go pear shaped we won't...and then there will be changes. And then it will be a case of looking ahead to a better year in 2027.
But that's just football seasons. Put the bad ones behind you and look forward to the next one.
Crystal balls, intuition, logic and hope amount to precious little when attempting to predict the fate of the 18 clubs in the AFL.
This time last year, no crystal ball foresaw the Croweaters heading to the top last year. Logic said the runners up for season 2024 should go one better in 2025... Oh dear, Fluffy Ducks, what happened! I don't think anyone predicted Rottingwood winning the flag in '23... sheesh, they didn't have two A grade, 200cm plus forwards! And so it goes.
Lady Luck has a big say in the fortunes of AFL clubs.
Every season the so-called experts predict the top 8 (now top 10)... Seldom does anyone come close to predicting how it eventually turns out. And they use stats, logic, reason, experience, whispers, 'gut' feelings, how clubs are tracking pre season and star player (A graders) stocks at each club. That's one of the beauties of our sport.
Hope springs eternal for many clubs this year.
For moi, hopes are high, expectations are tempered until I see what unfolds after a half doz games or so. Regardless of hopes and expectation, I'm excited for the return of footy in 7 weeks or so. Yummy.
I think that you've got the Turkish proverb arse-about Shane. It's "When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king; the palace becomes a circus."
Well, I've not heard of that Turkish proverb but wow, it couldn't be more apt!
The US Senate and House of Representatives weren’t notified of the Venezuela military action and did not authorise it.
That makes the action illegal under US law (and international law) but I doubt whether the GOP majority has the balls to stand up to Taco.
This wasn't a military operation though. It was a Drug Enforcement Agency operation There was even a guy with a DEA patch on his uniform there The military were just along for the ride and to make sure the DEA folks were OK
Seriously though, even if they would have us believe that line, there is so much wrong with the fact that a US legal system can lay charges against a foreign national, whose crimes weren't actually committed in the USA, and then their military can cross international borders to carry out an arrest without going through some type of proper extradition process.
Imagine if that happened in reverse. And the Venezuelan government charged Donald Trump with kidnapping Maduro. And Venezuelan military arrested Trump and took him to Venezuela.
It's a power imbalance One side has the capability The other does not
So for the current United States administration nothing is off the table. Normal conventions and practices don't apply. They've gone rogue.
Yep, the only reason they have gotten away with it (so far) is because the leader was not liked. Does this seem a little similar to another leader who had weapons of mass destruction **cough, splutter, wink** Good old oil, eh! Cue the Beverley Hillbillies opening theme song.
