Education the Key says Ratten

[iRemember87]

CARLTON coach Brett Ratten says there is only one way for the club to go next season - a rallying cry sure to raise the hopes of the Blues faithful.
Interviewed in front of about 1000 fans at PrincesPark on a wet Saturday morning, Ratten noted that this year's front runners had all made a dash from below.

"Look at last year's top four teams - they finished well down the year before . . . so you never know," Ratten said.

Premier Geelong came from 10th in 2006, runner-upPortAdelaide surged from 12th, the third-placed Kangaroos jumped from 14th and Collingwood moved from seventh to fourth.

Ratten's primary focus has been revamping the Blues' leaky style of play.
"We've spent a lot of time on theory, trying to develop a new game plan to reduce opposition scoring," he said.

Best and fairest winner Andrew Carrazzo said the club was following a well-worn path by concentrating on defence.

"Obviously, we got scored against pretty heavily last year," Carrazzo said.
"Defence is definitely going to be an attitude now. It is going to be something we base our game on."

He said the youthful slant of the group meant more classroom time was needed.
"With such a young team it is important to educate the group," he said.

"Most guys come from junior footy where you are the best player and get the ball, and that is probably why you get drafted in the first place.

"But it is important to educate the guys on the best way to play for the team.
"There has been a lot of that, a lot of video, a lot of stuff in the lecture theatre, which is very educational."

But he said the changes from the Denis Pagan game plan weren't a revolution.
"It is just tinkering (with the game plan)," he said.

"We are still playing football . . . but I think some subtle little changes will show up."
Carrazzo said there had been an obvious increase in confidence during the pre-season compared with previous seasons.

"With things more on track off the field, I think the boys have got a bit more confidence that they can knuckle down to the footy side of things," Carrazzo said.

"And, obviously, with 'Juddy' (Chris Judd) coming on board, he is going to help . . . Matty Kreuzer and a lot of new boys have brought vibrancy and enthusiasm."

Carrazzo said Kreuzer was physically ready to slot straight into the senior side and was already mixing it with the senior players in training.

"But I think it is important not to expect too much too soon," he said.

Carlton paraded a relatively healthy list before its fans yesterday, with full-forward Brendan Fevola back in full training. Only Judd (groin), Aisake O'hAilpin (groin) and Carrazzo (ankle) didn't join in the main session.


Another great acticle showing that Ratt's knows exactly what he is doing, its all about the education of the youth...so true!! and obviously something that Pagan lacked...the communication with the youngsters.

While 2008 will be learning for many, i look forward to seeing the club rise to great heights from 2009+

 

[The Rusty Trombone]

Optimism is fatastic, optimism must be some sort of a torch. 97% of the football public stopped reading that article 3 lines in when they choked on what ever it was they were eating, pull your socks up.

 

[iRemember87]

Optimism is fatastic, optimism must be some sort of a torch. 97% of the football public stopped reading that article 3 lines in when they choked on what ever it was they were eating, pull your socks up.

Listen TigerTroy, the only reason ppl stopped reading after 3 lines was because their IQ wasn't able to process it....sound familar??

Get back to your own board and entertain the other twits you call friends.

Mods please Red Card this fool!! Yellow doesn't suit him!!

 

[parrot]

Optimism is fatastic, ....

I guess drafting Tambling over Franklin was "optimistic". The Tiges are entering their 28th consecutive year of failure, are sitting solid bottom, with a list in tatters thanks to a series of Miller blunders, preparing for a "survival mode" relocation to Craigeburn in search of the poker machine dollar. A complete disaster anyway you look at it. It just doesn't get any worse than that.

 

[RPCB]

I guess drafting Tambling over Franklin was "optimistic". The Tiges are entering their 28th consecutive year of failure, are sitting solid bottom, with a list in tatters thanks to a series of Miller blunders, preparing for a "survival mode" relocation to Craigeburn in search of the poker machine dollar. A complete disaster anyway you look at it. It just doesn't get any worse than that.

Are you sure about that? You're still talking about Richmond, arent you?

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Optimism is fatastic, optimism must be some sort of a torch. 97% of the football public stopped reading that article 3 lines in when they choked on what ever it was they were eating, pull your socks up.

You have 15 infraction points from 5 infractions, all from this board. Ironic considering this thread is about education and yours has quite clearly failed you.

I will save you from yourself.

 

[TheHeatleyStand]

Optimism is fatastic, optimism must be some sort of a torch. 97% of the football public stopped reading that article 3 lines in when they choked on what ever it was they were eating, pull your socks up.

Yeah u see.. being a shythouse club for just on 30 years can make you feel like you do....

 

[HBF]

Optimism is fatastic, optimism must be some sort of a torch. 97% of the football public stopped reading that article 3 lines in when they choked on what ever it was they were eating, pull your socks up.

How about you worry about your tragically pathetic club, and we'll worry about ours. Not that we have much to worry about at the moment. I suppose you think Richmond are still in the box seat to secure Judd.

 

[Beloved]

Are you sure about that? You're still talking about Richmond, arent you?

Point noted

 

[Beloved]

It's kind of good having stupid Richmond idiots post on our board.
1. It helps raise our total posts
2. It kills boredom
3. It helps people realise how idiotic some of them are

 

[parrot]

It's kind of good having stupid Richmond idiots post on our board.
1. It helps raise our total posts
2. It kills boredom
3. It helps people realise how idiotic some of them are

In a way I admire them. Despite the Tiges finishing solid bottom, with a list most rate as the worse seen at AFL/VFL level for 25 years, they still think their 2007 spoon result was due to "bad luck", and might have even made the 8 if Gaspar, Knobel and Kingsley were fit and playing the whole year.

 

[Rancid_Beasties]

In a way I admire them. Despite the Tiges finishing solid bottom, with a list most rate as the worse seen at AFL/VFL level for 25 years, they still think their 2007 spoon result was due to "bad luck", and might have even made the 8 if Gaspar, Knobel and Kingsley were fit and playing the whole year.

Haha nice selective memory.

Gaspar and Kingsley were both kicked out of the team/forced to retire because they are old hacks and our youngsters were superseeding them. No richmond supporter would argue that our poor showing was a result of them. Knobel had some value but was probably our 3rd or 4th ruck option until his degenerative ankle injury got too bad.

The real injury issues were as follows:

Simmonds missed the first few games with a broken ankle, then got a severe virus, then found out he had a blood clot.

Brown missed the first few games because of hot spots and the last few because of a hamstring injury.

Coughlan missed the entire year with a botched knee reconstruction which has now fully healed (sceptics, pre-prepared comeback for ya, HADLEE).

Polo had a shoulder reconstruction after a great second year where he tagged several stars of the afl out of the game and had a couple of absolute pearlers in his own right.

And little things like Johnson having a broken bone in his hand nearly the whole year.

3 of our best 5 players out for at least half a year. Fair disadvantage eh? Not saying we would have finished any higher but get your facts straight parrot.

R.E. the article, your team looked best when in attacking mode, just lacked a tiny bit of finesse, why are you focusing so heavily on defense? I thought your trying to build a team thats so dominant through the mids and forwards that you dont need to keep the scores low.

 

[windows]

How about you worry about your tragically pathetic club, and we'll worry about ours. Not that we have much to worry about at the moment. I suppose you think Richmond are still in the box seat to secure Judd.

Just a point on your grammar here HBF.....when you say "you worry about your tragically pathetic club, and we'll worry about ours" - it could be read one of many ways:

1. You worry about your club, we will worry about our club
2. You worry about your pathetic club, we will worry about our club
3. you worry about your pathetic club, we will worry about our PATHETIC CLUB

I'm sure you meant point 2, but.....

 

[parrot]

....
Gaspar and Kingsley were both kicked out of the team/forced to retire because they are old hacks and our youngsters were superseeding them. No richmond supporter would argue that our poor showing was a result of them. Knobel had some value but was probably our 3rd or 4th ruck option until his degenerative ankle injury got too bad.

The real injury issues were as follows:

Simmonds missed the first few games with a broken ankle, then got a severe virus, then found out he had a blood clot.

Brown missed the first few games because of hot spots and the last few because of a hamstring injury.

Coughlan missed the entire year with a botched knee reconstruction which has now fully healed (sceptics, pre-prepared comeback for ya, HADLEE).

Polo had a shoulder reconstruction after a great second year where he tagged several stars of the afl out of the game and had a couple of absolute pearlers in his own right.

And little things like Johnson having a broken bone in his hand nearly the whole year.

3 of our best 5 players out for at least half a year...

Missing ordinary players doesn't really mean much. Simmonds is a 196cm 30 yo ruck - hardly a world beater. Brown is another 30 yo, struggling with a chronic leg injury, whose best was about 4-5 years ago. Polo is a tagger - a poor mans Bannister. The game has moved ahead of Coughlan. In his prime he was a just above average midfielder, but his lack of speed will get exposed even more now. Johnson - are you joking? Is that the guy that started your 2007 season by kicking the ball in the wrong direction? Oh and Kent Kingsley. Seem to remember Terry announcing him at a press conference, saying that he was a potential 50+ per year goal kicker at Tigerland, and that he had landed a bargain. The Richmond Football Club is just a disaster.

 

[parrot]

Haha nice selective memory.

Gaspar and Kingsley were both kicked out of the team/forced to retire because they are old hacks ..

Oh, and speaking of "Selective Memories". Remember this?

Best XXII for 2007

B: Polo - Gaspar - Newman
HB: J.Bowden - Polak - P.Bowden
C: Raines - Tuck - Deledio
HF: Pettifer - Schulz - Tambling
F: Brown - Richardson - Kingsley
R: Simmonds - Coughlan - Johnson
Int: Pattison - Foley - Tivendale - Krakouer

 

[iRemember87]

Haha nice selective memory.

Gaspar and Kingsley were both kicked out of the team/forced to retire because they are old hacks and our youngsters were superseeding them. No richmond supporter would argue that our poor showing was a result of them. Knobel had some value but was probably our 3rd or 4th ruck option until his degenerative ankle injury got too bad.

The real injury issues were as follows:

Simmonds missed the first few games with a broken ankle, then got a severe virus, then found out he had a blood clot.

Brown missed the first few games because of hot spots and the last few because of a hamstring injury.

Coughlan missed the entire year with a botched knee reconstruction which has now fully healed (sceptics, pre-prepared comeback for ya, HADLEE).

Polo had a shoulder reconstruction after a great second year where he tagged several stars of the afl out of the game and had a couple of absolute pearlers in his own right.

And little things like Johnson having a broken bone in his hand nearly the whole year.

3 of our best 5 players out for at least half a year. Fair disadvantage eh? Not saying we would have finished any higher but get your facts straight parrot.

R.E. the article, your team looked best when in attacking mode, just lacked a tiny bit of finesse, why are you focusing so heavily on defense? I thought your trying to build a team thats so dominant through the mids and forwards that you dont need to keep the scores low.

What you seem to forget was after 6 straight loses Solarium blamed it on Gasper...told him to consider retirement as he would struggle to get a game ahead of the young kids.....as RFC needed to plan for 2008.

Gee playing the youth from round 7 to plan for 2008...thats what i would call Tanking in the 21st century!!!

Kingsley wasn't told to retire...he just knew in the end he wasn't going to get a game....he was a hack at Geelong and you just paid him for nothing!

The funny thing is Richmond supporters on BF all claim they finished last due to injuries to key players...i think every team has injuries to key players its how you then adjust....look at WC, without Judd and Cousin for the year but managed to finish 3rd..but then again, there is WC and the then the universe and then RFC.

Simmonds will never recapture his form, last year was a sign of old age catching up with the big man...and if he was such a gun as you say why is RFC his 3rd club??? Just your average ruckman IMO (yeah he has a good 2006, but so did many others)

Brown, unfortunatley he had hot spots, and that is one thing that may trouble him again...lets hope not.

Coughlan...i'll agrue that....he is coming back form 2 years on the sideline, after 2 knee reconstructions. Look at history and it takes about a year to get back into it, the game has changed in the time he was off, its got even faster, he is a small bodied midfielder....he won't be the player your hoping straight away, lucky for him he is young, give him a couple of years. Oh and on Hadley....he has been back playing for a year, he played in 2007, so that game time he has already had, and he has just had he first preseason for 3 years....he is about 18 months ahead of Coughlan!!!

Polo, another small body...good pace, but you blaming a shoulder reco?? Its ok, he had a few good games, that makes a career...

and Johnson....you ae claiming Johnson?? If you read most posts by RFC fans they don't even have Johnson in their best 22...the guys is bring the number 17 jumper into disrepute....he will be Solariums target come round 6....consider retiring as you'll struggle to get a game!!!

Just for the record...injuries...Carlton also had Stevens, Walker, Fev, Thorton, Lance, Kouta, Lappin all injured during 2007, either missing chucks of the season or played the year with injuries!!! It happens at every club, its no excuse!!

The good thing at Carlton is that Ratts has recognised that defence is the key...when do you think Solarium will realise that??? Maybe after the board sack him at round 12!!!

 

[judd5]

Haha nice selective memory.

Gaspar and Kingsley were both kicked out of the team/forced to retire because they are old hacks and our youngsters were superseeding them. No richmond supporter would argue that our poor showing was a result of them. Knobel had some value but was probably our 3rd or 4th ruck option until his degenerative ankle injury got too bad.

The real injury issues were as follows:

Simmonds missed the first few games with a broken ankle, then got a severe virus, then found out he had a blood clot.

Brown missed the first few games because of hot spots and the last few because of a hamstring injury.

Coughlan missed the entire year with a botched knee reconstruction which has now fully healed (sceptics, pre-prepared comeback for ya, HADLEE).

Polo had a shoulder reconstruction after a great second year where he tagged several stars of the afl out of the game and had a couple of absolute pearlers in his own right.

And little things like Johnson having a broken bone in his hand nearly the whole year.

3 of our best 5 players out for at least half a year. Fair disadvantage eh? Not saying we would have finished any higher but get your facts straight parrot.

R.E. the article, your team looked best when in attacking mode, just lacked a tiny bit of finesse, why are you focusing so heavily on defense? I thought your trying to build a team thats so dominant through the mids and forwards that you dont need to keep the scores low.

So what? You can barely use injuries as an excuse for why a team doesn't peform.
For a start, a good team will have a good depth of players who can fill in for those injured players.
Secondly, every team has to deal with injuries throughout the year, and it is guaranteed that every team will be affected. We also had injuries to key players in our side.

 

[lopezz]

I like the sound of the rat pack!

Ratten, Pratt, Swan, Judd, Fevola, Stevens, Murphy, Gibbs, Walker and Kreuzer!

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Oh, and speaking of "Selective Memories". Remember this?

Man, you have to have a decent attention span to search out these posts!

 

[Bentick's My Man.]

Missing ordinary players doesn't really mean much. Simmonds is a 196cm 30 yo ruck - hardly a world beater. Brown is another 30 yo, struggling with a chronic leg injury, whose best was about 4-5 years ago. Polo is a tagger - a poor mans Bannister. The game has moved ahead of Coughlan. In his prime he was a just above average midfielder, but his lack of speed will get exposed even more now. Johnson - are you joking? Is that the guy that started your 2007 season by kicking the ball in the wrong direction? Oh and Kent Kingsley. Seem to remember Terry announcing him at a press conference, saying that he was a potential 50+ per year goal kicker at Tigerland, and that he had landed a bargain. The Richmond Football Club is just a disaster.

Lol, ease on parrot.. Banno is a spud of the highest order, not saying Polo is a good player but c'mon, a poor man's Bannister is someone out of the local leagues.

I'd say Simmonds is a average-good player and is a good workhorse for Richmond, good player but nothing too special, but saying that, Simmonds fully fit would of played 1st Ruck in 2007 for Carlton.

Brown; was a superstar but after leg injuries, which were a tragedy to see in an absolute gun player, is only now a very skillful and smart FP/HFF.

Coughlan; hardly played recently and difficult to assess him still in Richmond's top 5.

Not a crack at Richmond, but injuries did hurt them a lot but they probably would have finished bottom four still with those players.

 

[parrot]

...

Not a crack at Richmond, but injuries did hurt them a lot but they probably would have finished bottom four still with those players.

I guess injuries caused them to slide from 14th to 16th.

 

[Bentick's My Man.]

I guess injuries caused them to slide from 14th to 16th.

mmm.. Something around that mark, still an ordinary team at best but would of been a bit more competetive with those players in.

Brown, Simmonds & Coughlan, yes injury ravaged players who are far from what they were but you would definately like them in your best 22 at Richmond, and I would say Brown would play in almost every team's best 22.

 

[Rancid_Beasties]

Missing ordinary players doesn't really mean much. Simmonds is a 196cm 30 yo ruck - hardly a world beater. Brown is another 30 yo, struggling with a chronic leg injury, whose best was about 4-5 years ago. Polo is a tagger - a poor mans Bannister. The game has moved ahead of Coughlan. In his prime he was a just above average midfielder, but his lack of speed will get exposed even more now. Johnson - are you joking? Is that the guy that started your 2007 season by kicking the ball in the wrong direction? Oh and Kent Kingsley. Seem to remember Terry announcing him at a press conference, saying that he was a potential 50+ per year goal kicker at Tigerland, and that he had landed a bargain. The Richmond Football Club is just a disaster.

You are such a shabby spin doctor.

I mean seriously, in his prime...coughlan just above average...are you smoking crack? Coughlan was the best and fairest winner, and polled 16 votes to finish 13th in the brownlow, in 2003. Aged only 21 and in only his 3rd year on the list. If murphy does that next year you will all be worshipping him as your messiah! Anyway, that same year Stevens polled 12 votes, his best ever result. In '04 coughlan was struck down with severe op. In '05 he came back and polled 10 votes, finishing in the top 30 and only 1 vote behind stevens. If you are saying coughlan was average at his peak, and yet he polled more brownlow votes in '03 than stevens ever has in a season, you are saying stevens' best is average. Is that right? Personally, I think you're wrong parrot, i think stevens is a fantastic midfielder at his best...just as coughlan was!

Since '96 when justin madden retired, the only decent ruckmen you guys have had was Matty Allan, and even he only had one good year. Simmonds turds over anything you've produced recently.

Polo meant hacks like Moore, White, Oakley-Nicholls got a game...at least polo usually keeps in touch with his opponents.

Brown is 100% fit now and was easily our best player in several shocking performances by us midseason. Watch out for next year.

Johnson was our 2006 best and fairest winner and was one of the leagues best taggers that year. This year he was significantly hindered. I dont rate Johnson but he is our captain and if must play its better for him to play fit. An unfit Johnson is just another hinderance even if when fully fit hes not our best player.

As for my best 22: Kingsley came to us a 3 time, 50+ goal, leading goalkicker. He was in our best 22 on reputation. Gaspar was in our best 22 because i wasnt sure about thursfield and mcguane. After about 4-5 rounds they were abandoned by supporters like me because it was apparent they werent up to it. Now what that has to do with my argument i have no idea. Anyway go back to my threads around that time if you're that desperate and find a post where i praise gaspar. I havent rated him since the beginning of '05. Putting both of them in my best 22 in no way means i thought they werent in old hacks. It means i thought our youngsters just werent up to it.

What you seem to forget was after 6 straight loses Solarium blamed it on Gasper...told him to consider retirement as he would struggle to get a game ahead of the young kids.....as RFC needed to plan for 2008.

Gee playing the youth from round 7 to plan for 2008...thats what i would call Tanking in the 21st century!!!

Completely irrelevant to what i said but yeah fine i agree we effectively tanked... who gives a rats you guys have recently been the masters "playing youngsters" and "resting injured players" after bad starts to years anyway.

Kingsley wasn't told to retire...he just knew in the end he wasn't going to get a game....he was a hack at Geelong and you just paid him for nothing!

Once again irrelevant. I said forced to retire. By his crappness. Not "told".

The funny thing is Richmond supporters on BF all claim they finished last due to injuries to key players...i think every team has injuries to key players its how you then adjust....look at WC, without Judd and Cousin for the year but managed to finish 3rd..but then again, there is WC and the then the universe and then RFC.

ONCE AGAIN YOU ARE MAKING IRRELEVANT STATEMENTS. I was merely correcting Parrot on his "selective memory" by reminding him we had more damaging injuries. I totally agree, we finished last not just because of injuries but also because we were crap and we effectively tanked.

Simmonds will never recapture his form, last year was a sign of old age catching up with the big man...and if he was such a gun as you say why is RFC his 3rd club??? Just your average ruckman IMO (yeah he has a good 2006, but so did many others)

You make it sound like he was discarded from those other clubs. In fact, firstly he was traded for craig ellis and pick 26 in '01, then in '04 he was traded for Heath Black, a pretty handy midfielder if you ask me. I am largely basing my presumptions on his '06 form, but its not as bad as you guys paying ackland alot more than we pay simmonds, based on a few average years at the saints.

Brown, unfortunatley he had hot spots, and that is one thing that may trouble him again...lets hope not.

First reasonable thing you've said. But look at the games when browny was back and firing and tell me the sparks not still there. But anyway, parrot completely failed to mention these when he listed our injuries, and i was just pointing that out for accuracies sake so once again IRRELEVANT.

Carlton supporters crack me up. Compared to Blue History though, parrot is now music to my ears...errr...eyes

 

[Rancid_Beasties]

Lol, ease on parrot.. Banno is a spud of the highest order, not saying Polo is a good player but c'mon, a poor man's Bannister is someone out of the local leagues.

I'd say Simmonds is a average-good player and is a good workhorse for Richmond, good player but nothing too special, but saying that, Simmonds fully fit would of played 1st Ruck in 2007 for Carlton.

Brown; was a superstar but after leg injuries, which were a tragedy to see in an absolute gun player, is only now a very skillful and smart FP/HFF.

Coughlan; hardly played recently and difficult to assess him still in Richmond's top 5.

Not a crack at Richmond, but injuries did hurt them a lot but they probably would have finished bottom four still with those players.

Thankyou! Some sense in here!

I cannot disagree with a thing you said.

If only more carlton supporters spent their time actually understanding football like you appear to, and less time trawling through ancient posts to find a "contradiction" in someones opinion

 

[Bentick's My Man.]

Thankyou! Some sense in here!

I cannot disagree with a thing you said.

If only more carlton supporters spent their time actually understanding football like you appear to, and less time trawling through ancient posts to find a "contradiction" in someones opinion

Yeah well i have been absent from here due to holidays for a month or so and I return to BF ready to talk up Juddy and it is a war between Carlton and Richmond, I was just shcoked at how low both supporters have stooped to attack each other on individualised posts/threads etc. not good to see.

But anyways, I do believe both Carlton and Richmond have good developing lists but honestly (and it could just be bias ) but I see Carlton's list a couple of years ahead now with Judd, Kruezer, Stevens returning etc. but don't get me wrong, big things will come from Cotchin, Foley, King & Thursfield in the future I believe.

Good to see some nice sensible communication and discussion about two clubs lists