Bret Thornton

[wdgann]

Let's be realistic guys. No club in their right mind would give away a draft choice below 70 for Thornton. We could have traded him 2 years ago and sold him on the basis that he would be better in a good team. Once again, this is another instance where the club wastes a good opportunity

 

[CarltonFan]

You showed me nothing.

All you did was make a stupid comment about me getting the 2 Thorntons confused when the actual point of my post was to ask whether anyone really believed we'd be able to trade our Thornton when he is on the money that he is and couldn't get into our team.

My reference to our backline quality is based on my view of how it has performed this season and I will defend my right to that opinion.

You brought Freo into it and I've no doubt that your reasoning was the statistical points against numbers at the end of the H&A.

Raw stats mean SFA. If they truly reflected the season Geelong (with the best %) would have finished minor premiers, they didn't. Adelaide and Melbourne have a better backline than us and Freo and I don't think this is true either.

If you want to quote stats look a little further. We had 548 scoring shots against us @ 50% efficiency. Freo had 552 against them @ 60%. Which could be construed as us being a tad lucky our opponents couldn't kick straight.

Again this means nothing but serves as an example that stats can be turned around to mean what a good stats man wants them to mean.

I am neither a good stats man nor a MORON. You, I can't vouch for either way but I reserve my right to an opinion.

And BTW who do you think will trade for Thornton, It couldn't be Hawthorn as stats say they already have a better defence than ours.

Jeremias has gone missing.

 

[mac25]

Let's be realistic guys. No club in their right mind would give away a draft choice below 70 for Thornton. We could have traded him 2 years ago and sold him on the basis that he would be better in a good team. Once again, this is another instance where the club wastes a good opportunity

What a load of rubbish, Thornton was still in our best 22, problem was he & Ratten had a disagreement which remained unsolved, regardless of how he played the last six weeks of the season he was never going to return to the senior line up.

His form at the Northern Bullants has been good, and wish him well at his new club, feel sure a 3rd round pick would be around the mark for him, who will be a solid 2nd/3rd defender at his new club.

 

[Sin City]

Once again, this is another instance where the club wastes a good opportunity

*Yawn*

 

[Claypigeon]

*Yawn*

 

[Jeremias]

Jeremias has gone missing.

Nah, I'm still here.

I just have no real inclination to waste my time arguing with people that clearly have no idea what they are talking about.

 

[blue gunslinger]

What a load of rubbish, Thornton was still in our best 22, problem was he & Ratten had a disagreement which remained unsolved, regardless of how he played the last six weeks of the season he was never going to return to the senior line up.

His form at the Northern Bullants has been good, and wish him well at his new club, feel sure a 3rd round pick would be around the mark for him, who will be a solid 2nd/3rd defender at his new club.

one good game and several poor ones

 

[esoteric]

Hmmm... solid line and broken line should be reversed.... not very inhindsightful really

 

[mac25]

one good game and several poor ones

Have you actually witnessed any of these games,as l suggest if you had you would not be making these comments, Thornton was not in the team for form reasons, the issue was a disagreement with the coach.

 

[Big Red is back]

I woud love to see T-Bird allowed to play a role like Maxwell

 

[blue gunslinger]

Have you actually witnessed any of these games,as l suggest if you had you would not be making these comments, Thornton was not in the team for form reasons, the issue was a disagreement with the coach.

Yes Ratts. Plus his form for CFC during the season and for the Ants had been poor. As I am in WA it is somewhat difficult for me to get to games but the reviews here and elsewhere are very informative.

 

[blues4flag]

Yes Ratts. Plus his form for CFC during the season and for the Ants had been poor. As I am in WA it is somewhat difficult for me to get to games but the reviews here and elsewhere are very informative.

Might have struggled at AFL level but he's been consistently brilliant in the Ants. On merit he should have been picked ahead of Bower in the finals, especially as Bower was playing injured.

Since being dropped in July, he's been in the best in 6 of 9 games. BOG twice (including the best final), 2nd BOG twice (including the preliminary final) and 5th BOG twice. A general in the backline who's brilliant at getting across to help the other defenders.

Clearly he and Ratten are not seeing eye to eye as he couldn't have done much more to get a game.

 

[methinks]

I think he should stay, what does having a fall out with the coach have to do with talent and form. I believe this is the same situaton with Wiggins, this is extremely unproffessional by Ratten and has had a big inpact on where we finished on the ladder. As I have previously said, they have treated him discracefully, he's 26 and at his peak. He can take marks, run off his oponent rarely panicks and mostly make good decisions. It's a real shame that they want to trade him under these circumstances as we need defenders, shame on Ratten for holding grudges at the expence of the team.
Ps Fisher is another one, at least he can take a contested mark.

 

[CUG81]

I think he should stay, what does having a fall out with the coach have to do with talent and form. I believe this is the same situaton with Wiggins, this is extremely unproffessional by Ratten and has had a big inpact on where we finished on the ladder. As I have previously said, they have treated him discracefully, he's 26 and at his peak. He can take marks, run off his oponent rarely panicks and mostly make good decisions. It's a real shame that they want to trade him under these circumstances as we need defenders, shame on Ratten for holding grudges at the expence of the team.
Ps Fisher is another one, at least he can take a contested mark.

Thorntan plays well at VFL level, but doesnt reflect that when playing in at AFL level. He is soft, cant play on a KPF, constantly gets outmuscled and constantly yells and blames others around him. Watching him again today in this final, he has done some good things, but continues to be soft. At 26 years of age, he should be in his prime playing AFL, but when given the chance he doesnt take it. Trade him while he is at an age where we'll get something for him. I dont know which team will take him, but a team nearing the bottom may trade for him.

As for Fisher, again at VFL level he looks great..takes strong overhead marks and kicks enough goals..something like 45 this season. But at AFL level he is slow, doesnt work hard enough and doesnt have the ability to chase down defenders and apply the pressure. Again, if the likes of the Gold Coast want him, then great, but he isnt going to give Carlton what they need.

I really dont blame ratten for not playing either of them...if their are grudges etc..then that may be wrong to make decisions based on those grudges, but Ratten has to do right by the senior team. Thorntan and Fisher are the future of the club.

 

[blues4flag]

Any reason why you posted four straight posts in the one thread, methinks?

 

[Alice]

Probably a few of his team mates deseved a spray from the main defender, our backline has been sh## for years and Iwould get frustrated too. I think he was angry in the beggining for being dropped but he ended up becoming a very important player for the Ants, besides consider some of the players who have kept their positions down back despite having shockers week in week out. If they wanted to trade him then playing him in the the two's (punishing him) when he was in form is not the way to go about getting the best possible deal for him.

Fev used to spray his team mates all the time but never got dropped, so did Richardson and even Buckley.

I for one am not happy

Who gives a fying fluck - If you can't see that Thornton, Wiggins and Fisher have been passed by, and you think professional organizations allow personal situations to control their emotions - then you haven't been a champion player and coach of AFL footy......,ohh..wait..

 

[methinks]

Agree totally but Ratten is the problem.

 

[blues4flag]

I reckon he'd do very well in a well structured defence - would thrive at Collingwood or St Kilda for mine. He's great third man up with his reading of the play and strong hands. A good defender when he doesn't have to play on a monster.

 

[Tish]

I was a massive fan of Thornton for so long. Now I have come to the realization, he just isn't any good. Will be glad to get a box of tim tams for him in a trade

 

[methinks]

As a defender he play's 150% better than Walker, not everyone is going to get along with so many people in a footy club enviornment. If Ratten can't keep his personal issues with a player seperate from what is best for the team then he should'nt be coach.

 

[blues4flag]

RE: Four straight posts. A) I'm new to posting, so if there is a rule about it then i'm not aware of it. B) I like to express my ageeance or disagreement with what people are saying, sorry i thought that was the purpose. And finally, I joined in 2009 and read all the posts for two years before I started to voice my opinion. This year has been one of the most frustrating seasons for a long time and there is alot of BS coming out from our club starting with the handling of the Fevola saga.
So if there is a proper wat to post pleas feel free to teach

Found it strange, is all. There's an Edit button under your posts that you can click to add/edit what you wrote.

Also, use the Quote button to quote. Pretty hard to know who you're responding to without it.

 

[methinks]

I'm new to posting so I don't know how how to put a comment underneath someone elses comments. I joined in 2009 and just basically read what all you guys were saying but this season has frustrated me so much so that I want to join in. So if you have any advice I'd welcome it.

 

[blues4flag]

I'm new to posting so I don't know how how to put a comment underneath someone elses comments. I joined in 2009 and just basically read what all you guys were saying but this season has frustrated me so much so that I want to join in. So if you have any advice I'd welcome it.

In the bottom right corner of every post, you'll find the "Quote" button. Press that instead of "Post Reply" (obviously the Quote button of the post you want to quote) and it'll put your comment underneath someone elses.

 

[Shambolic]

Thornton's form may have been incredible at the back at the end of the season, I don't know, but I can't have it stand that his form has been universally good at VFL level.

His first game back at VFL level was a disgrace. Didnt try, no effort, no tackling - as a Thornton fan I was insulted. Look, get angry if you get dropped but take it out on the football, not your Club.

 

[mediumsizered]

As a defender he play's 150% better than Walker, not everyone is going to get along with so many people in a footy club enviornment. If Ratten can't keep his personal issues with a player seperate from what is best for the team then he should'nt be coach.

If you seriously think the only reason T-bird was not getting a game in the seniors was because of Ratts holding a grudge, you are kidding yourself.

There are a number of measures which the coaches/match committee have in place when assessing a player's performance. Most of these measures are a mystery to us supporters, but are key indicators in whether a player gets a game or not (this is why some players do better or worse in the club's B & F than what most supporters predict). Without knowing what these measures are, we cannot comment on the reasons why a player is not getting a game.

FWIW, when it comes to team selection, the team is selected by the match committee & Ratts only has one vote. It would be hard to keep a player out of the team because of a grudge if the rest of the match committee believes the player has done enough to warrant selection. I think it would be best if you don't post stuff that you know nothing about.