Brett Thornton

[Artie Bucco]

He's still very good player to have playing on the medium forwards, and is average on bigger guys. He provides experience, which we lack greatly in the backline. Also his run out of the back half was superb early in the season he really set us up. In the later part it's been questionable though.

What does shit me though is how he always raises his hands after a contest to say 'he didn't touch the guy in the back' and it ends up looking like he's guilty!


Anyway, we'd be foolish imo to let him go, as his market value would be less than his value to us

 

[TerryWallet]

He kills all our momentum coming out of the backline...

I've been saying that all year and been getting shot down by the groupies on this board.

Glad Carlton fans are starting to realise the way Thornton has been playing for years.

Thornton is a MOMENTUM KILLER. He gets cheap sideways possessions and takes an eternity to deliver it, usually to the easiest next shortest available option.

By this stage the oppo have already pushed back onto Fevola.

Thornton must be delisted or traded for a tray of oranges.

 

[celtic_pride]

Get rid of him ...
He's our version of Joel Bowden, king of the cheap kick, and he lacks 'ticker' and often drops his bundle when the going gets tough ..

I'd give him up for an inanimate Carbon rod to be honest, I don't think any other club would give much up for this dud ...

 

[wdgann]

I am glad to see people have woken up - including Thycaline who is an articulate poster on this board

The reality is that for the reasons described above, we start each game 3-4 goals behind our opposition

Agree somewhat with the Joel Bowden analogy except Joel Bowden is a good kick and can provide a forward option. Thornton is neither

It is no accident that from the moment Thornton got injured this year, we started to gel and play some good footy

 

[thylacine60]

I am glad to see people have woken up - including Thycaline who is an articulate poster on this board

The reality is that for the reasons described above, we start each game 3-4 goals behind our opposition

Agree somewhat with the Joel Bowden analogy except Joel Bowden is a good kick and can provide a forward option. Thornton is neither

It is no accident that from the moment Thornton got injured this year, we started to gel and play some good footy

Thycaline - the miracle gel combating unsightly cellulite.

As much as I appreciate the positive sentiment I have to distance myself from the Thornton kickers. Sure I've had my moments of frustration and have been less than complimentary of his work at times but I also remember the years of being smashed week after week when T-Bird fought above his weight for no real gain. It was bloody disheartening to watch, how do you think it was for him?

I realize we are beyond the stage of keeping players merely out of a sense of loyalty (thanks for coming Rhino) but surely we can't expect to nail down a champion in every position? Anyone?

 

[Artie Bucco]

Thycaline - the miracle gel combating unsightly cellulite.

As much as I appreciate the positive sentiment I have to distance myself from the Thornton kickers. Sure I've had my moments of frustration and have been less than complimentary of his work at times but I also remember the years of being smashed week after week when T-Bird fought above his weight for no real gain. It was bloody disheartening to watch, how do you think it was for him?

I realize we are beyond the stage of keeping players merely out of a sense of loyalty (thanks for coming Rhino) but surely we can't expect to nail down a champion in every position? Anyone?

100% correct.

Geelong are pretty damn close, but Hawthorn and Bulldogs have many holes in their side, it's how you perform as a team

 

[TerryWallet]

Thycaline - the miracle gel combating unsightly cellulite.

As much as I appreciate the positive sentiment I have to distance myself from the Thornton kickers. Sure I've had my moments of frustration and have been less than complimentary of his work at times but I also remember the years of being smashed week after week when T-Bird fought above his weight for no real gain. It was bloody disheartening to watch, how do you think it was for him?

I realize we are beyond the stage of keeping players merely out of a sense of loyalty (thanks for coming Rhino) but surely we can't expect to nail down a champion in every position? Anyone?

A guy like Wiggo, deserves, and has recieved, loyalty.

A guy like Simpson, who is undersized but plays his heart out, deserves loyalty.

A guy like Thornton, who wanted to bail on us when the going was tough, who constantly bags out his teammates and whines on the field, who plays cheap soft footy, deserves no loyalty.

The game has passed him by. It happens to better players than him ie Mal Michael.

Get rid of him.

 

[blues_gibbo6]

His loyalty in the past when we've been getting thumped possibly is the only reason why he's still around. But someone wanting to goto another club, we should probably try and get him there. If your hearts not at carlton or any club, you'll never play your best and drag down your teammates with you. look at croad, (or anyone that gets traded to freo unwillingly) or even justin murphy. If austin is pushing for selection now i definately think its worth throwing his and carazzos name out for trade bait, even some 2nd tier midfielders and just seeing if any teams bite, we're in despite need of a tall forward.

 

[TerryWallet]

100% correct.

Geelong are pretty damn close, but Hawthorn and Bulldogs have many holes in their side, it's how you perform as a team

Thornton is a shit team man though.

Bags out team mates.

Rarely puts body on the line.

NO gut running for the team.

Wanted to bail on us when we were down.

etc etc

 

[Artie Bucco]

Thornton is a shit team man though.

Bags out team mates.

Rarely puts body on the line.

NO gut running for the team.

Wanted to bail on us when we were down.

etc etc

If that were the case I'm pretty sure the club would have pissed him off. Seeing as he was the subject of heavy targeting in two trade weeks and we did everything we could to keep him....I'll trust the club on this one.

 

[Jeremias]

Keep him.

Let's be honest here for a second. No club is going to give up more than a 2nd round draft pick for Thornton. It's just not worth trading him, as whether you like it or not, he's worth more to us right now than a speculative pick like that.

Thornton has been our best defender over the last 5 years. He was a bit down on form but still fills an important role in our side. We don't have the talent, nor the depth to start trading away our taller defenders just because some supporters are fed up with him.

We trade him away next year, and who is going to replace him? Austin? Nope, not ready for that just yet. And don't even bother mentioning a new draftee.

Thornton is more valuable to us in the short term than anything we are likely to get in return for him on the trade table. If we were to get a top pick for him, then yes, he would be tradeable. But being realistic, we're not going to get that.

Thornton stays.

 

[SOSForever]

Wasn't it not that long ago he wanted to be traded to Hawthorn?

 

[len_jet]

I am glad to see people have woken up - including Thycaline who is an articulate poster on this board

The reality is that for the reasons described above, we start each game 3-4 goals behind our opposition

Agree somewhat with the Joel Bowden analogy except Joel Bowden is a good kick and can provide a forward option. Thornton is neither

It is no accident that from the moment Thornton got injured this year, we started to gel and play some good footy

7.5 hours to sink the boot in... what took you?

Your blaming Thornton for a 3 or 4 goal head start we give the opposition... next you'll tell everyone he murdered JFK and Harold Holt. I mean the midfield pressure at the start, lack of a seriously competitive ruck man, young backline, youngest team in the league... i mean none of this is a factor?... no i forgot your person obsession... Thornton is the devil... how dare he pull on the carlton jumper!

Yeah and when Thornton returned we managed to produce two of the best comebacks in the clubs history... it's a shame you fail to argue the opposing side...

can we ban sydney based people... honestly they bring little to the table in the way of accurate assessments

 

[The Exorcist]

Thought Thornton ok this year, and despite wanting to go a few years back, he's been a good servant of the club - let's face it, for many years, when the ball was flooding down there like a tsunami, he copt it week in week out, almost always playing above his fighting weight to players who were getting hit on the chest.

His problem is jamison, waite, and bower playing on players that would be a good fit for Thornton.

Is tradeable, however would be very happy if we keep him. Also wouldn't mind seeing an experiment of him on a HFF, and I mean for three or four games. We need another marking option, he's got good hands, and is generally a pretty decent kick

 

[TerryWallet]

Does anybody on this board think that Thornton has ever been really fit?

I don't mean injury wise. I mean physically and aerobically fit to play AFL footy like it needs to be played today. To defend AND to provide attack? To push into a space upfield instead of sideways to help rebound quickly? etc etc

He is playing AFL footy like it used to be played and like it is now played in suburban footy.

He is not strong enough, not quick enough and not aerobically fit enough.

Sure he had it tough down back when we were shit but he doesn't ADD anything to our team NOW.

 

[blues4flag]

No. Arguably the most important word in football is 'depth'. We are beginning to acquire some in defense, and it'd be folly to give up our most experienced defender who can do the job on the tall and small forwards when need be. Even if Jamison, Bower, Austin going forward are more capable of playing Thornton's role if he were to go, what happens if one or two of the above succumb to injury?

No doubt he has deficiencies - his losing the plot and berating teammates irks me to no end, however defenders are too valuable a commodity to give up on a whim. He did start of the season in excellent form though hasn't been the same since injury - wouldn't be surprised if he isn't fully fit at the moment.

 

[Pharaoh]

Let's just trade Boyle for Thornton and get on with it. I would rather have a surplus defender than a surplus forward at this stage of our list development. Thornton has shown consistently strong interest in being at Hawthorn, while Boyle has shown interest at being at Carlton. Neither player is likely to set the world on fire but they could be handy at some stage.

 

[len_jet]

Let's just trade Boyle for Thornton and get on with it. I would rather have a surplus defender than a surplus forward at this stage of our list development. Thornton has shown consistently strong interest in being at Hawthorn, while Boyle has shown interest at being at Carlton. Neither player is likely to set the world on fire but they could be handy at some stage.

pre contract yes... post contract no...

Boyle... who cares!... Jade Rawlings mach II