This is going to come as a big surprise to Fitz, unless it's written in to the 2-year contract he signed last week.

Do you really think a contract would stop the right trade? It hasn't in the past, it won't this time. In fact it makes a player more valuable to the other side.

I like Fitz - I think he has huge potential, an amazing runner for someone of his size, and a good mark and good kick. He has matured hugely this year. It is just we have a forward line overcrowded with talls, and we lack a.class crumbling forward. Unless we are prepared to play him on the wing - something I have canvassed on here previously but I doubt very much that we would be so bold (although an impossible matchup for the opposition), I think he would have huge trade value for a side like Carlton who have a surplus of class small forwards but lack a high marking, bulky tall forward. Fitzy would be the perfect fit for them.

If we are going to get the best out of the trade period this time where we have high draft pick currency, we have to give a bit to get a lot. Unfortunateley we may have to let some of our favourite players go to strengthen the overall team. Having said that though, I would be delighted to see Fitzy in the red and blue again next year. He could develop into anything.

We spend 80 % of game time chasing coz we cannot win and retain the posession of the BALL! ie we are no where near skilled enough

Yep Fairly simple in my view

Do you really think a contract would stop the right trade? It hasn't in the past, it won't this time. In fact it makes a player more valuable to the other side.

I like Fitz - I think he has huge potential, an amazing runner for someone of his size, and a good mark and good kick. He has matured hugely this year. It is just we have a forward line overcrowded with talls, and we lack a.class crumbling forward. Unless we are prepared to play him on the wing - something I have canvassed on here previously but I doubt very much that we would be so bold (although an impossible matchup for the opposition), I think he would have huge trade value for a side like Carlton who have a surplus of class small forwards but lack a high marking, bulky tall forward. Fitzy would be the perfect fit for them.

If we are going to get the best out of the trade period this time where we have high draft pick currency, we have to give a bit to get a lot. Unfortunateley we may have to let some of our favourite players go to strengthen the overall team. Having said that though, I would be delighted to see Fitzy in the red and blue again next year. He could develop into anything.

He'll be in red and blue. If other clubs were so keen on him they would've been in his ear and he wouldn't have signed the contract. Him signing on is a commitment from us to him and from the other way as well. If other clubs weren't even going to convince him based on cash and opportunity then they won't offer up a good pick either. Carlton have Levi Casboult who is around the same age and development as Fitzy. He doesn't have the speed but he has more size and contested marking ability. When combined with Henderson they actually have a very decent 1 and 2 key forward set up. They are now missing that third tall option who can do some of the leg work and/or play in the midfield. I would think they'd have a lot more interest in Watts than Fitzpatrick, who as we all know hasn't signed on.

At least having Clark on the field gives us some forward structure, so i'm looking forward to that, as well as Hogan, but to be honest I can't see too much improvement coming. Hope we just thoroughly examine what is wrong and just train accordingly. A lot of work on skills and quick ball movement through the middle is needed. Players like Trengove and Grimes (our captains, mind you) need to be more accountable and hopefully they are told that. I don't really care if we clean out the list is done but I hope a smarter cleanout this time. I already feel distanced enough from Byrnes, Rodan, Gillies and Pedersen and find it hard to believe they're Melbourne players. So there may be more surprises. Our ruck situation will be interesting.

What i'd like is a good small defender and a good small forward. Another good "all round" midfielder would be nice, or just a really hard one (Viney can't get underneath all the packs).

All I know is, huge mistakes have been made to cover lesser mistakes and anything could happen to this erratic corpse of a club (that i'm still passionate about and am in attendance at every time) but it'll most likely be another devastating year. If we are playing at a 2010-2011 level in passion, then I'll be very glad, even if the results don't come. Attitude in defeat has been a huge problem this year

every year we have this thread and every year it is an exhibition of our sad desperation

I am going to go out on a limb and say this time next year we will be in the exact same spot with the same low quality list and a list of problems as long as your arm

Peptides, steroids and eccies.

Do you really think a contract would stop the right trade? It hasn't in the past, it won't this time. In fact it makes a player more valuable to the other side.

I like Fitz - I think he has huge potential, an amazing runner for someone of his size, and a good mark and good kick. He has matured hugely this year. It is just we have a forward line overcrowded with talls, and we lack a.class crumbling forward. Unless we are prepared to play him on the wing - something I have canvassed on here previously but I doubt very much that we would be so bold (although an impossible matchup for the opposition), I think he would have huge trade value for a side like Carlton who have a surplus of class small forwards but lack a high marking, bulky tall forward. Fitzy would be the perfect fit for them.

If we are going to get the best out of the trade period this time where we have high draft pick currency, we have to give a bit to get a lot. Unfortunateley we may have to let some of our favourite players go to strengthen the overall team. Having said that though, I would be delighted to see Fitzy in the red and blue again next year. He could develop into anything.

wrong we have LOTS of crumbling forwards.

Some of the jump in ratings is plain old embarrassing. If we had that many players around the 7-8/10 range we would be premiers. Who says every player will jump up 4-8 rating points?

Jesse Hogan debuting at 8/10 is a personal highlight. I would rank Roughead or Hawkins close to 8/10 now.

Delusional.

Where will our improvements come from ?

Specifically .......wtfk

Holistically.... Shackles off. Best practices in place. proper Coaching. Better drafting

naaahh got no idea really...who knows

It doesn't have to be terrible.

But Neeld pushed defensive running as a priority when he should have toned it down with a young team.

Uncontested possessions make up 60% of disposals these days (and I harp on them a great deal) but Neeld's desire for a player to be defensive firat and foremost stifle your run and break from contests and that is what has hurt us.

And Terlich, Clisby, M Jones, and N Jones need some help when it comes to getting into space and finding some footy.

If you can get that confidence to run up then we can get to AFL average very quickly I believe.

We need hard running, experienced mids ready to take on a high workload. Viney, Toumpas, and ND2 should not be asked to do the things we are having a go at them for not being able to do.

Peptides, steroids and eccies.

The last one seemed to work for Liberatore...

wrong we have LOTS of crumbling forwards.

Who? Burns, Rodan, Howe, - I don't think so.

We do not have a Wonamerri, Betts?

We need a crumber to support our star big man forwards. Urgently. Period.

Edited August 28, 201311 yr by Dees2014

Byrnes is the only crumbling forward on the list or 2014.

Hopefully we get a good run with injuries and are able to get our best team on the park..

Another pre season into Toumpus and viney and hopefully trengove can refresh and get fit again.. Pick up a couple of vfl mid field smokeys and another young gun and we are the new port!! (Gotta be optimistic following this club!)

Bring back the up and down years haha!! At least they were good every even year Cough*2014*cough

The main issue a team has when the season turns bad you stop playing as a team and get more worried about your own survival. It becomes more about the individual performance and I think as supporters we start to look at individuals for the ray of hope but we need a team.

For the past 6 years our team just hasn't jelled, we won games on pure talent and attacking footy but any time we had to play team footy we go missing. We haven't been able to introduce a team defensive structure that works, to defend you need to commitment from the 18 players on the ground to work as a team to do this. Today's footy one weak link and you are opened up, every player needs to play their role.

So where will our improvement come from, a coaching department that can get us to play like a team and get 100% commitment from the players to play their role. I still believe we have talent on our list but unless we can start playing as a team talent means nothing. Sticking to structures, being commited to the hard stuff tackling, blocking, being unselfish for the benefit of the team.

Pure and simple.

Smart recruiting and better coaching.

we have good backs, we have good forwards and we have a potentially very good midfield,

improvement comes when we hire the best possible midfield coach and develop Trengove, Viney, Toumpas, Kent, M.Jones, N.jones, Evans, Tapscott, Watts into quality mids

didn't mention Grimes because he is imo a good half back player, cory enright type

Watts i think will play alot on the Wing under Roos

I am interested to see who plays next year out of taggert v tapscott

I also think matt jones, dom barry, michael evans, dean kent will be battling for the same spot

The Coaches Box....

The Coaches Box....

You hope........Not over the line yet

You hope........Not over the line yet

$100 it is BD...

a fresh attitude, with no preconceptions, & no excuses.

& a whole set of new Values as an club organisation! has to be...

we are not a club, Yet.

we are not a club, Yet.

Bit rich coming from someone who refuses to buy a membership DL.

Edited August 31, 201311 yr by why you little

a fresh attitude, with no preconceptions, & no excuses.

& a whole set of new Values as an club organisation! has to be...

we are not a club, Yet.

Hard Words

True we have lost our way but this is the bitter pill we needed to rebuild the Club for success.

Time will tell if it actually worked.

I am for one looking forward to the future now.