Opinion Players you thought would be a boom but not to be.....

[BIGGUS 64]

A Marchesani

B Ratten

Very much this.
From appearances, Rats was uninspiring in the beginning, just another rather speculative recruit with a high number on his back. I wasn't expecting him to remain on our list for very long.
Certainly never dreamed back in 1990 that he would end up one of the finest inside mids and clearance kings in the game. I hope he gets another senior coaching gig soon.
From the Blueseum:

Ratten currently holds the AFL record for most clearances in a season, with 265 recorded in 1999. This figure is well clear of the next closest player, Josh Kennedy of the Sydney Swans, who managed 190 in 2012. Ratten also holds the AFL record for highest average clearances per match with a whopping 7.21.

 

[Dadda Dave]

Can we have a top 10 then ? I'm not fussy.

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

Was absolutely convinced that Andrew McInnes would be a 200 games AA intercept defender.

Was incredibly skeptical on Plowman when he arrived and for a little while after.

I just shouldn't comment on defenders.

 

[thylacine60]

Was absolutely convinced that Andrew McLeod would be a 200 games AA intercept defender.

 

[magoo2912]

I think there are some very harsh calls in this thread, but some great calls too.

Bust: Andrew Phillips, he got a game for Victoria but was restricted to just 3 years of football, he would have been only 25 when the blues won the flag in 1995.
Bust: Stephen Oliver, there was a massive boom on him when he was recruited.

Bust: Peter Motley, clearly not his fault, but he could have been an all time great.

Bust: Michael James, brownlow medalist John didn't do much

Bust: Adrian Bassett, was a star at Coburg, but injury's and an influx of stars in 1992 meant he never saw his potential.

Bust: Norman, Angwin, Bootsma all grubs.

Bust: Dennis Pagan, Mick Martyn and Mick McGuane

Bust: Mick Malthouse and Daisy, i understand why Daisy is handy at Carlton at the moment, but when Carlton got him we paid $800k, when you consider Richmond refused to give Dusty $500k at the time there is no reason Carlton could not have gone after him instead.

Bust: Matthew Watson what a spud!

Bust: Kristian Jaksch another Spud!

Bust: James Cook, Rohan Welsh, Simon Minton-Connell and aside from 1995 Brad Pearce.

Bust: Bret Thornton, I thought he was going to be great, but was only average and had no help.

Bust: Adrian Whitehead could have been a star, but cut down by injury.

Bust: Mark Arceri, thank the gods he kicked that goal!

Bust: Darren Tarczon looked like Tarzan played like Jane

Bust: Blaine Boekhurst we used a 1st rounder to get a mature age rookie.

Bust: Carlton Recruiting for the past 20 years!

Boom: Nick Stevens and Heath Scotland can you imagine how bad the team would have been without these 2 players, but i expected Stevens to be good so not sure if i can call him a boom.

Boom: Sam Rowe, i must admit i could not believe how bad he was at the start, but he proved me wrong!

Boom: Liam Jones, i thought he had the potential and thought he was stiff to be dropped for Silvagni in 2016 where he didn't play again for the rest of the year, I hope he can take the next step.

Boom/Bust: Corey Mckernan, he was a star until Pagan come over!

Boom: Matt Clape, When he first started I thought he was a shocker, and the day i yelled it out on the members wing what a dud he was he kicked 6 and won the game for us.

Boom: Dean Rice, he was already a state rep when he came over, but after his knee went in the first game i expected nothing and what a great player.

Boom: Adrian Hickmont what a good player.

Boom : The Buzz, Boom boom boom

Boom: Sam Docherty Boom Boom

 

[thylacine60]

Boom - your post, unexpectedly good.

Bust - your post, calling players who wore the jumper "spuds".

 

[mediumsizered]

I

Bust: Darren Tarczon looked like Tarzan played like Jane

No questioning Tarczon being a bust, but you could never accuse him of playing like Jane. He was David Rhys-Jones without the talent. Would be the type that JAB would give a tick to for his mongrel attributes.

 

[thylacine60]

trent hotton - no opinion one way or the other - boost I guess - a victim of our own shitness circa 2002 played some strong footy including a 5 goal haul against his old mob, the pies - interesting there were four years between shaw sacking him and us picking him up - cheers www.blueseum.org

 

[mediumsizered]

Hotton was certainly handy in 2001 when both Allan & Porter were out of action due to injury. Undersized for a ruckman, but battled manfully.

Fair to say that his footy at Carlton was better than what he offered up while at the Pies.

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

Hotton was certainly handy in 2001 when both Allan & Porter were out of action due to injury. Undersized for a ruckman, but battled manfully.

Fair to say that his footy at Carlton was better than what he offered up while at the Pies.

Through the simplistic lens of watching as a kid sitting in the Gardiner Stand at the time could never really understand Hotton getting the arse, always seemed to be in amongst it.

 

[magoo2912]

Boom - your post, unexpectedly good.

Bust - your post, calling players who wore the jumper "spuds".

Calling them spuds was being generous. I wish they were on the boom list but these recruits are why our once great club has been in the wilderness for so long. I believe the blues are finally on the right path. What i wrote about Dusty/Daisy is an example of the stupidity that has been at the club for so long. I think we finally have the recruting, coaching and board to achieve great things. But again time will tell.

 

[thylacine60]

agree - head-kicking a player for not measuring up to expectations is not necessary though - we selected these blokes after all

 

[Jabba73]

agree - head-kicking a player for not measuring up to expectations is not necessary though - we selected these blokes after all

And completely failed to develop them

 

[JamisonRun40]

I think putting Bret Thorton in the Bust section is wrong. He was ok especially when he went forward. My issue with Bret was his outbursts and bit like Richo.

My bust would be Aaron Hamill for him going to the Saints.

 

[GapInIkonPark]

...
Boom: Liam Jones, i thought he had the potential and thought he was stiff to be dropped for Silvagni in 2016 where he didn't play again for the rest of the year, I hope he can take the next step.
...

Liked your post.

Pretty sure Liam Jones played a game or two in the Seniors at the end of the 2016 season when Andrew Walker retired.

 

[GapInIkonPark]

I think putting Bret Thorton in the Bust section is wrong. He was ok especially when he went forward. My issue with Bret was his outbursts and bit like Richo.

My bust would be Aaron Hamill for him going to the Saints.

Thornton ... we dug our heels in and refused Hawthorn’s Second Round Pick when he wanted to go.
He was important to our very poor list then when we were recovering from the draft penalties.
I remember that I didn’t want him to leave at the time, but with hindsight maybe it could have been a win / win.
He never really reached the heights as a footballer and was arguable a better player earlier in his career and worse later ...

 

[footyfan1978]

Hotton was certainly handy in 2001 when both Allan & Porter were out of action due to injury. Undersized for a ruckman, but battled manfully.

Fair to say that his footy at Carlton was better than what he offered up while at the Pies.

Hotton was very handy for a short period when we had a pretty good team. Bit like Leigh Brown was handy for Pies around 2010 that was better than he offered up whilst at Fremnatle or North before that.
Brad Pearce another one like that. Was a Bear before a Blue. 95 season was amazing.

 

[magoo2912]

I think putting Bret Thorton in the Bust section is wrong. He was ok especially when he went forward. My issue with Bret was his outbursts and bit like Richo.

My bust would be Aaron Hamill for him going to the Saints.

Bret Thornton is in my bust list. Remember the list is the player that didnt live up to my expectations. When he first started i thought superstar. He had no help at Carlton and was consistently undersized as he was used as a no1 defender, when in any other team he would have been no 2/3.

Andrew Walker could be considered a bust. Remember his 1st game was the best game he ever played. I do however think only Rats got the best out of him as he was clearly a forward. I could not understand Malthouse putting him in defence, every week he would give away a goal or 2, due to turnovers with poor disposal, yet could have been a 60 goal foward every year, as he was the best set shot.

 

[bluebrew]

Frank Marchesani.... nuff said...

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

Houlihan

 

[JustaBattler]

Carlton has been a bust since I decided that they were going to be my AFL side. I grew up playing Rugby and then coaching in Sydney, so didn't see any of the great Carlton years - I chose Carlton as my side because I wanted to follow the worst side with the worst list and the worst management and the most ridiculous Board one could ever conjure up and shove down members throats - no bandwagon comments would ever stick on me.

I think a moderator canned me after I said the following Carlton will never succeed as an organisation until:

1. The Pratts and their dirty money were removed from any part on the Board along with the pokie bloke- because no decent Director will ever join a bunch of shady characters - number one priority should be to engage with supporters and make them members in order to remove influence of so called benefactors who don't benefact.
2. On field performance will never amount to much until Murphy/Gibbs and Judd are gone - the whole 'chosen ones' campaign - was the most arrant nonsense anyone could come up with and guaranteed to cause disharmony in the Club amongst players.

So my bust is the whole Carlton shut truck disguised as a Club - the same utensil-eyed idiocy which oversaw draft picks which focussed in skinny runt species who were never going to make it and ignored the obvious need to bolster a midfield being carried by one bloke with two bung shoulders and a heart the size of the MCG ...

The worst of times culminated in the assassination of Ratten and his replacement by Malthou$e - one of the scummiest self centered disgusting con artists I've ever observed - knew then that the magnificent game style put together by Ratten - and seeing Garlett/Walker/Yarran cut other sides to pieces with sheer class - was over and much more along with it...Malthou$e was the scummy bottom feeding desperate grab that needed to happen so that the dross running the place were forced to go...

My boom is the embracing of something akin to a properly managed organisation with realistic timetables and competent recruiting and trading rationale. SOS is a cut above most at the Club as he was as a player. Bolton will do for now - he is a perfect teacher type for a bunch of kids that need to be molded into a sustainable force.

It is has been a crazy ride -but what fun. There are no better colours than the Famous Old Dark Navy to support. I love a battler.

 

[Jabba73]

Carlton has been a bust since I decided that they were going to be my AFL side. I grew up playing Rugby and then coaching in Sydney, so didn't see any of the great Carlton years - I chose Carlton as my side because I wanted to follow the worst side with the worst list and the worst management and the most ridiculous Board one could ever conjure up and shove down members throats - no bandwagon comments would ever stick on me.

I think a moderator canned me after I said the following Carlton will never succeed as an organisation until:

1. The Pratts and their dirty money were removed from any part on the Board along with the pokie bloke- because no decent Director will ever join a bunch of shady characters - number one priority should be to engage with supporters and make them members in order to remove influence of so called benefactors who don't benefact.
2. On field performance will never amount to much until Murphy/Gibbs and Judd are gone - the whole 'chosen ones' campaign - was the most arrant nonsense anyone could come up with and guaranteed to cause disharmony in the Club amongst players.

So my bust is the whole Carlton shut truck disguised as a Club - the same utensil-eyed idiocy which oversaw draft picks which focussed in skinny runt species who were never going to make it and ignored the obvious need to bolster a midfield being carried by one bloke with two bung shoulders and a heart the size of the MCG ...

The worst of times culminated in the assassination of Ratten and his replacement by Malthou$e - one of the scummiest self centered disgusting con artists I've ever observed - knew then that the magnificent game style put together by Ratten - and seeing Garlett/Walker/Yarran cut other sides to pieces with sheer class - was over and much more along with it...Malthou$e was the scummy bottom feeding desperate grab that needed to happen so that the dross running the place were forced to go...

My boom is the embracing of something akin to a properly managed organisation with realistic timetables and competent recruiting and trading rationale. SOS is a cut above most at the Club as he was as a player. Bolton will do for now - he is a perfect teacher type for a bunch of kids that need to be molded into a sustainable force.

It is has been a crazy ride -but what fun. There are no better colours than the Famous Old Dark Navy to support. I love a battler.

Post has plenty of mongrel

 

[Kismet]

Carlton has been a bust since I decided that they were going to be my AFL side. I grew up playing Rugby and then coaching in Sydney, so didn't see any of the great Carlton years - I chose Carlton as my side because I wanted to follow the worst side with the worst list and the worst management and the most ridiculous Board one could ever conjure up and shove down members throats - no bandwagon comments would ever stick on me.

I think a moderator canned me after I said the following Carlton will never succeed as an organisation until:

1. The Pratts and their dirty money were removed from any part on the Board along with the pokie bloke- because no decent Director will ever join a bunch of shady characters - number one priority should be to engage with supporters and make them members in order to remove influence of so called benefactors who don't benefact.
2. On field performance will never amount to much until Murphy/Gibbs and Judd are gone - the whole 'chosen ones' campaign - was the most arrant nonsense anyone could come up with and guaranteed to cause disharmony in the Club amongst players.

So my bust is the whole Carlton shut truck disguised as a Club - the same utensil-eyed idiocy which oversaw draft picks which focussed in skinny runt species who were never going to make it and ignored the obvious need to bolster a midfield being carried by one bloke with two bung shoulders and a heart the size of the MCG ...

The worst of times culminated in the assassination of Ratten and his replacement by Malthou$e - one of the scummiest self centered disgusting con artists I've ever observed - knew then that the magnificent game style put together by Ratten - and seeing Garlett/Walker/Yarran cut other sides to pieces with sheer class - was over and much more along with it...Malthou$e was the scummy bottom feeding desperate grab that needed to happen so that the dross running the place were forced to go...

My boom is the embracing of something akin to a properly managed organisation with realistic timetables and competent recruiting and trading rationale. SOS is a cut above most at the Club as he was as a player. Bolton will do for now - he is a perfect teacher type for a bunch of kids that need to be molded into a sustainable force.

It is has been a crazy ride -but what fun. There are no better colours than the Famous Old Dark Navy to support. I love a battler.

For those of us who grew up following the club in the '70's and '80's, reading us described as 'battlers' is jarring, but undeniably true for the last fifteen years.

Great post, and it's not only the club that had to change its thinking, but also plenty of supporters (like myself) as well.

 

[JustaBattler]

For those of us who grew up following the club in the '70's and '80's, reading us described as 'battlers' is jarring, but undeniably true for the last fifteen years.

Great post, and it's not only the club that had to change its thinking, but also plenty of supporters (like myself) as well.

People place too much emphasis on winning - the joy of supporting a Club is the fact that you support the Club and the ride - I meant no disrespect in using the word battler to describe the Club - life is a bit like that - or it has been for me anyway - wins are great, but embracing whatever comes is good too. I don't begrudge all teh great times supporters enjoyed in the past - and as for 15 years of shyte- well - we gave a lot of teams a head start in this century and they are all still far behind the flag count - except for you know who...

the next few years will be a lot of fun for those who love wins - I have no doubt.

 

[thylacine60]

Thornton ... we dug our heels in and refused Hawthorn’s Second Round Pick when he wanted to go.
He was important to our very poor list then when we were recovering from the draft penalties.
I remember that I didn’t want him to leave at the time, but with hindsight maybe it could have been a win / win.
He never really reached the heights as a footballer and was arguable a better player earlier in his career and worse later ...

not withstanding his gun game helping to annihilate * in that epic EF in 2011