(08-06-2018, 12:52 AM)Milhanna13 link Wrote:Whitfield is 24, with 100 games.  His first couple of years, people were questioning why he was taken no 1.

Sound familiar???

2 or 3 seasons and hoepfully  Dow, OBrien, SPS, Cunningham and a few others are thought of the same

(08-05-2018, 07:02 AM)Baggers link Wrote:As has been the past 3. Do you really trust our blokes to get it right? Most of the cr@p traded in over the past 3 years has been a big fail. But wonderful favours to other clubs.

Yes, list shallowness and injuries contribute but the spiritless effort from the start (there have been many this year, actually) suggests bigger problems in other areas.

(08-05-2018, 12:10 PM)PaulP link Wrote:Yes agree. I think it should give pause for thought when he gets criticised for match day tactics. If you want to get your kids to perform to a particular level, you don't set easier tests - you get them to practice and practice at the required level until they learn. It's as ugly as sin to watch, but here's hoping it will hold them in good stead.

I think this is also part of the reason why he refuses to use more than 1 tagger. He could end up being a failure, but there is method in his approach.

(08-06-2018, 12:52 AM)Milhanna13 link Wrote:Whitfield is 24, with 100 games.  His first couple of years, people were questioning why he was taken no 1.

Quote:2013 Season
1 Syd No.1 draft pick didn’t set the world on fire but showed enough. 4
2 Port Looked every bit the No.1 draft pick and impressed all night. 7
3 StK Only two of his 12 touches were kicks but he showed a couple of glimpses. 3
4 Melb Clean, composed and classy with ball in hand. His best outing yet at this level. 7
5 GCS Again showed glimpses of exciting talent. 5
6 (Soreness)
7 Adel Not the worst but was fighting against the tide. 5
8 Haw Most of disposals were handballs. Subbed off in third term. 3
9 WCE For such a young player his poise and decision-making is already first class. 5
10 Carl Good in patches and used the ball well. 6
11 Geel Sub. All class when he came on to grab seven disposals. 2
12 Port Good battle with Broadbent for much of the day. Ball use and smarts stood out. 6
14 NM Class player. When he got it a teammate was on the end of it. 7
15 WB Such a good user of the ball, he also took nine marks. 7
16 Syd Had 12 possessions in first term, but slowed down after that. Plenty to work with. 6
17 Ess A little subdued this week, but his disposal is outstanding for one so young. 4
18 (Rested)
19 Melb Classy performer with two goals, 26 possessions. Showed why he was pick No.1. 8
20 Frem Only one kick in first half and five for the game. Struggled all afternoon. 2
21 Bris First lined-up on Mayes but still had a solid match. Gifted a goal by Cameron. 6
22 (Back)
23 GCS Provided plenty of options running wide and was solid. 5

(08-06-2018, 12:59 AM)Milhanna13 link Wrote:Maybe im in the minority, but i do trust SOS when he says, we werent trying to recruit any big name players the past 3 years - it has all been about getting kids through the door.

This offseason will be the huge test.  We can test the theory that we are no longer a destination club.  I am hoping this is media bullsht, and we still are CARLTON, and will get a few big fish

I reckon, internally, the club knew this season would be disasterous, onfield - but you cant really tell the public, can you - not great membership campaign

(08-06-2018, 01:45 AM)LP link Wrote:I don't recall it that way, Whitfield was a gun from day one, the main question was how Tom Scully could possibly be on bigger money than Whitfield!

For a historical perspective, take a look at the Inside Football AFL Player Ratings archive.

Whitfield's first season;

btw., If we want Whitfield he is gettable, he wants home more than Gaff or Lynch.

(08-06-2018, 01:59 AM)laj link Wrote:After yesterday injury excuse don't count. That was the most embarrassing thing I've seen in 55 years of watching footy and i'd say our worst ever loss given the circumstances. Despite outnumbering them we had no idea. We'd have spares out wide but kick down the line to an outnumbered situation, how is one outnumbered when your have 1-2 spares I don't know. Then GWS go forward to loose men every where in their forward 50 and kick goals as they please. They had 45 uncontested marks in that last qtr and outscore us 7 goals to 1. How does that happen? This is a side, after 3 years with this bloke, that had no idea,what they were supposed to do, How poorly drilled can a side get? Game plan so confusing, so poor, that we don't even know what to do when we outnumber a side by 2 players. It's not as if GWS are anything like Hawthorn 2013-15, or Geelong 2007-11. They laughed at us. They rotated off the bench still with 16-17 players treating us like incompetent idiots. We still had a number of very good to even a few outstanding young players out there as well as enough senior experience to at the very least stop such embarrassment like yesterday's like qtr happening.That's a Monday morning coach sacking not an end of the year sacking as it is purely incompetent. either that or the players aren't playing for the coach. Going no-where right now. What has been happening for 3 years?

(08-06-2018, 02:10 AM)Thryleon link Wrote:Its not just injuries, its men vs boys stuff.

The blokes that played yesterday have played how many games together all in the same 22?  5? 6?  Using Polson as a litmus test, 10? 

That GWS team that took the field yesterday had one debutant, playing in a team full of mature players, whom played in a preliminary final last year, and should push seroiusly for the flag, whilst we sit dead last, with a team full of kids, our front 6 barely had 300 games combined (150 of them contributed by one player in Matthew Wright with the next biggest games played by Charlie Curnow who had a quiet night by his standards) all with the result that we got pummelled because our midfield got absolutely torched.  we play a man down every week thanks to the kids not being experienced and hard enough to compete for 4 quarters.

They highlighted a play where game number 17 Paddy dow was standing shoulder to shoulder with Josh Kelly whos 5 years older than him, and was on track to break posession records yesterday and all he did was literally read the play better and out position him to run off and score.

These kids we play are going to be guns, but we are sacrificing today for tomorrow's benefit.