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Demons & Blues Worlds Apart

Demonland
Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

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The Blues have no midfield. Recruiting a half back in Williams on big bucks thinking he could play there was a mistake. They need to trade for mature midfielders to complement Walsh otherwise they are going nowhere and who the coach is won’t really matter

I think we are set-up to be a top 4 team for a few years. Hopefully we can take advantage of Carlton’s situation, twist the knife, by taking McKay off their hands. He becomes a free agent in 2 years I think. It would give me great pleasure to see the Carlton faithful slitting their wrists if we could pull off that move.

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    Carlton's recruitment strategy has been nothing short of a Deebarcle.

    At no point did they target midfield bulls which they have none of, (Cripps aint a bull) hence the courting of Oliver.

    They have skewered their strategy in regards to age bracket so much they will not have a sustained tilt with the same core group, its all over the shop.

    I can't thank Jason Taylor and his crew enough with the selections and strategy they have gone with.

    Salem, Hunt, Trac, Clarry, Petty, Neal- Bullen, Spargo, Kosi, Action, Rivers, Viney, Harmesy(rookie), Gussy and Weed. In a 8 year period we assembled this core group which will have sustained tilts at premiership glory, absolute genius recruitment strategy and planning.

    With Lever, May, Langdon, BBB, Hibbo, Melk as the trade commodities which were needed to fit the puzzle.

    Gawn,Tmac, Jones, Nev are 10+ year veterans recruited before the plan took place and are crucial cogs in this tilt.

    Carlton have been dudded by their favourite Son SOS and co. 

    Their planning and player analysis looks nothing like our masterpiece.

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    5 hours ago, Better days ahead said:

    The Blues have no midfield. Recruiting a half back in Williams on big bucks thinking he could play there was a mistake. They need to trade for mature midfielders to complement Walsh otherwise they are going nowhere and who the coach is won’t really matter

    I think we are set-up to be a top 4 team for a few years. Hopefully we can take advantage of Carlton’s situation, twist the knife, by taking McKay off their hands. He becomes a free agent in 2 years I think. It would give me great pleasure to see the Carlton faithful slitting their wrists if we could pull off that move.

    They did get a big forward in Spalding several years ago and he played well for them.

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    37 minutes ago, Redleg said:

    They did get a big forward in Spalding several years ago and he played well for them.

    Payback time?

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    6 hours ago, Better days ahead said:

    The Blues have no midfield. Recruiting a half back in Williams on big bucks thinking he could play there was a mistake. They need to trade for mature midfielders to complement Walsh otherwise they are going nowhere and who the coach is won’t really matter

    I think we are set-up to be a top 4 team for a few years. Hopefully we can take advantage of Carlton’s situation, twist the knife, by taking McKay off their hands. He becomes a free agent in 2 years I think. It would give me great pleasure to see the Carlton faithful slitting their wrists if we could pull off that move.

    Yes very strange recruiting by the Blues. They already had the likes of Docherty who doesn't pick up a man then go and recruit Williams and Saad who also do not know how to defend. All receivers.

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    .

    Edited by jnrmac

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    I think they have the list and the talent, but like us a few years back, just couldn’t get the best out of their players. What I have learnt this year is that it can change quickly, with the right coaching staff and buy in.

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    They're still coming.

     

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    7 minutes ago, SPC said:

    I think they have the list and the talent, but like us a few years back, just couldn’t get the best out of their players. What I have learnt this year is that it can change quickly, with the right coaching staff and buy in.

    I've got a Carlton supporting mate and often see his and other supporter posts on Carlton FB forums.
    Reminds me of ours here and on FB even as recently as last year.
    Hell, just gotta read the match day threads here now and people revert back quickly during games if things aren't going our way.
    Anyway, told him pretty much exactly what you stated when he wanted to get rid of the coach a month or so ago.

    Having said that.
    Long may they wallow down the bottom.

    Edited by Fork 'em

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    1 hour ago, SPC said:

    I think they have the list and the talent, but like us a few years back, just couldn’t get the best out of their players. What I have learnt this year is that it can change quickly, with the right coaching staff and buy in.

    Funny, I often tell my Carlton mates the same thing - “don’t worry, you guys have the list and talent”. It’s just so hard to keep a straight face while I do it.

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    Like Melbourne a few years ago they need a top-quality full-back like May, one or preferably two bull mid-fielders to help Walsh, a quality forward to complement McKay, and a mindset that highlights buy-in and effort, not comfort.

    And tell players like Murphy and Betts that time's up.

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    The 2017 draft has cost them dearly. Dow and O'Brien were meant to become two very important pieces of their jigsaw puzzle in the middle but they are both Toumpas level busts. They are really that bad.  I'd say part of that comes down to bad luck, Dow in particular was considered an absolute gun at the time and with the benefit of hindsight you can now saw that 2017 was a weak year for midfielders. Any other year and they could have gotten players in the calibre of Oliver, McLuggage, Darcy Parish etc. Plug any two of those calibre of players into the current Carlton midfield and they are a finals side. 

    Edited by No Plan B

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    1 hour ago, mauriesy said:

    Like Melbourne a few years ago they need a top-quality full-back like May, one or preferably two bull mid-fielders to help Walsh, a quality forward to complement McKay, and a mindset that highlights buy-in and effort, not comfort.

    And tell players like Murphy and Betts that time's up.

    On one of the shows this week,  I forget which, they discussed how much the blues have invested in their defence, without much real reward. That they still need a top quality full back is quite lamentable for them. (Nick Riewold referenced our defence and what we invested, but how it is actually paying off - so it must have been On the Couch)

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    Carlton just haven't learned what is wrong. 

    They became the experts of "buying" the players they wanted, and it was actively promoted by their boards in the past, and the culture still exists today. 

    Since the turn of the century they haven't cottoned on to the draft and development to improve the list, and then fill holes with the role type players that are missing.  They didn't learn the lesson with Judd.  One player, no matter how good will win you a Premiership, you need a team.

    Why would you pick up ( and pay huge salary) to WIlliams and Saad?  They may look flashy, but they were not what Carlton needed.  But it kept their fans and Board happy.....for the short term, as they have already found out.

    Cripps is already a shell of the player he once was.  Walsh is first rate, but who else do they have to move the ball.  McKay is a standout, and Weitering is as good as it gets for a defender.  But as @mauriesyhas pointed out Murphy and Betts should have been told to hang up the boots.  Now they have 2 players currently playing every week, who won't be there next year, so they will have even more holes to fill than this year.

    Edited by george_on_the_outer

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    13 hours ago, No Plan B said:

    The 2017 draft has cost them dearly. Dow and O'Brien were meant to become two very important pieces of their jigsaw puzzle in the middle but they are both Toumpas level busts. They are really that bad.  I'd say part of that comes down to bad luck, Dow in particular was considered an absolute gun at the time and with the benefit of hindsight you can now saw that 2017 was a weak year for midfielders. Any other year and they could have gotten players in the calibre of Oliver, McLuggage, Darcy Parish etc. Plug any two of those calibre of players into the current Carlton midfield and they are a finals side. 

    I know it's a different year but, when they traded back into the first round because they wanted Liam Stocker - an AFL-ready midfielder! Lol

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    After yesterdays Round the situation at Carlton and St. Kilda, add Collingwood and the perrenially disgarceful GCS then I think those 4 clubs will have new coaches as early as this year but definately by start of next year. Maybe even Leon Cameron will also be under the pump!

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    Remember the old adage: things are never as good or as bad as they seem ...

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