Who Should We Target?

[Blue70]

At the end of this season we will have a fair bit of cash to spend as a result of the end of Kouta's current contract and the finalisation of some payouts to ex players. As a result we will be in a good position to pick up a high profile player in a trade or pre-season draft. Who should we be targetting to get to the club?

Some of my suggestions are:

1). Goddard (Saints) - is out of contract and could be due for a change. He is a maligned player at the Saints and I think most of us still feel as though his rightful place is with the Blues. Maybe this can happen.

2). Mark Jamar (Melb) - Not a great player but we still seem to have a lack of strength in the Ruck Department. Jamar is big, young and physical and can also go forward and kick a goal (as proven on the weekend).

3). Justin Sherman (Bris) - Not sure if he is out of contract or not and they would be reluctant to let him go but he certainly would be a good addition to our midfield. He is hard at it, has pace and gets alot of the ball.

4). Mark Coughlan (Rich) - Again I am not sure if he is out of contract but he is not in the form that he was in a few years ago. He would be an ideal addition to our midfield as it would allow Stevens to play a more outside role and be more damaging.

Interested to hear the views on this.

 

[SurreyBlue]

When are you guys going to realise, no one of any value, wants to come and play for us. In fact I'll go on record and say that the only person we might get is a some-one looking for their retirement cheque. That's it. We have tried for a few years now with no success. We are not marketable as a club on or off the field. Sorry but them the facts ... start shooting.

 

[Salaryman]

How about Lachlan Hansen??, lets see how our future gun is doing in the TAC?

Season Statistics

M Last Gls GLR Bhd NB KE KIE HE HIE HR Tks FF FA HO CM UCM
4 30/04/2006 5 4 2 4 46 18 17 1 13 8 3 7 18 15 27



No Gls Bhd B KE KIE HE HIE HR Tks FF FA HO CM UCM
11 - - 3 5 5 3 - 2 3 - - 10 4 1
11 - - 1 12 3 9 - 4 1 - 3 4 5 10
11 1 - 5 15 5 3 - 4 3 1 3 1 2 11
11 4 2 3 14 5 2 1 3 1 2 1 3 4 5

Thanks for coming

 

[Salaryman]

dang, that didn't format so well, apologies

 

[Blue70]

When are you guys going to realise, no one of any value, wants to come and play for us. In fact I'll go on record and say that the only person we might get is a some-one looking for their retirement cheque. That's it. We have tried for a few years now with no success. We are not marketable as a club on or off the field. Sorry but them the facts ... start shooting.

With an attitude like that it is a wonder that you want to get up in the morning! I'd love you to explain how Nick Stevens ended up there, especially considering it was at the peak of our problems.

Remember the Bulldogs were an abosolute shambles 3 years ago. Peter Rhode was coach of a team that had perfomed poorly for 3 years in a row. They have always had financial issues and a stigma attached to them...

Carlton are a historically powerful and successfull club. We have an enormous corporate supporter base that is slowly coming back to the club. We have a youth policy in place, a good group of young talent, a very successful coach and will be the power again that we have always been.

 

[blue_bhoy]

With an attitude like that it is a wonder that you want to get up in the morning! I'd love you to explain how Nick Stevens ended up there, especially considering it was at the peak of our problems.

Remember the Bulldogs were an abosolute shambles 3 years ago. Peter Rhode was coach of a team that had perfomed poorly for 3 years in a row. They have always had financial issues and a stigma attached to them...

Carlton are a historically powerful and successfull club. We have an enormous corporate supporter base that is slowly coming back to the club. We have a youth policy in place, a good group of young talent, a very successful coach and will be the power again that we have always been.

Stevens came in the pre season draft when a deal couldnt be done with collingwood...

 

[Blue70]

Stevens came in the pre season draft when a deal couldnt be done with collingwood...

Thats right but he certainly knew that a deal with Collingwood was unlikely and had agreed to contractual terms with Carlton during the trade period....

Why did Marc Murphy pass up an opportunity to go to a successful club like the Lions and come to a club like Carlton? I'll tell you why and that is because everyone knows it is only a matter of time before we become the feared and admired club we once were.

 

[AlecDuncan]

1). Goddard (Saints) - is out of contract and could be due for a change. He is a maligned player at the Saints and I think most of us still feel as though his rightful place is with the Blues. Maybe this can happen.

Again with Goddard. Let it go. Why would we want another in-between lug who isn't good enough? Seriously, just because he was taken from our grasping hands doesn't mean that it was a good idea to grasp for him in the first place. Leave him be at the Saints.

2). Mark Jamar (Melb) - Not a great player but we still seem to have a lack of strength in the Ruck Department. Jamar is big, young and physical and can also go forward and kick a goal (as proven on the weekend).

Nope. We don't need another mediocre ruckman.

3). Justin Sherman (Bris) - Not sure if he is out of contract or not and they would be reluctant to let him go but he certainly would be a good addition to our midfield. He is hard at it, has pace and gets alot of the ball.

4). Mark Coughlan (Rich) - Again I am not sure if he is out of contract but he is not in the form that he was in a few years ago. He would be an ideal addition to our midfield as it would allow Stevens to play a more outside role and be more damaging.

Now you're thinking. Absolutely no chance of getting Coughlan who is already touted as a future Tiger captain though. Is Sherman a Melbourne kid? If so, then yes, we should investigate the possibility. We definitely need to target top homesick midfielders this year, but there's still an excellent chance we won't have first pick in the preseason draft. It's almost impossible to drive any kind of bargain unless we do.

 

[SurreyBlue]

I'll tell you why and that is because everyone knows it is only a matter of time before we become the feared and admired club we once were.

"Admired" is such an interesting word.
You can be admired in so many different ways .... doubt will be admired for the right reasons.

 

[Longy413]

Why did Marc Murphy pass up an opportunity to go to a successful club like the Lions and come to a club like Carlton?

Marc Murphy didn't choose Carlton FC over Brisbane FC. He chose the City of Melbourne over the City of Brisbane.

 

[SurreyBlue]

Marc Murphy didn't choose Carlton FC over Brisbane FC. He chose the City of Melbourne over the City of Brisbane.

Please don't let facts get in the way of a good story.

 

[Longy413]

Please don't let facts get in the way of a good story.

Apologies. I'll run along now.

 

[OZBomb]

I know Sherman's dad and he's really happy in Brisbane. He's Tasmanian.

If we got Goddard for free in the PSD I'd be happy. We could use a taller flank/occassional midfielder.

I think a Brad Murphy (WB) could be a really good player given some sort of run at the top level. Reminds me a bit of Matthew Lappin. He's young enough and if there was no one else about I reckon he'd be worth a punt for free.

No trading though.

 

[HBF]

^^^^ Agree with that. I don't want Carlton to trade just for the sake of trading. We need to put our faith in the kids, and depending on where we finish, pick up someone like a Hansen, a Thorpe, a Gibbs, etc, etc.

Our future is drafting kids, not trading for players that other clubs do not want.

 

[Fev0lution]

we need hard nut midfielders who can lead by example...Hayes , Goodwin

 

[blues76]

^^^^ Agree with that. I don't want Carlton to trade just for the sake of trading. We need to put our faith in the kids, and depending on where we finish, pick up someone like a Hansen, a Thorpe, a Gibbs, etc, etc.

Our future is drafting kids, not trading for players that other clubs do not want.

dont worry, we'll get gibbs from our 1st pick...

 

[Kahuna]

I think that we need some solid defenders and if we are lucky to pick up a classy midfielder we will be very happen.

Get Jamar he comes from my town and I know his family and they would able to get me all this free stuff.

 

[no. 4]

we need hard nut midfielders who can lead by example...Hayes , Goodwin

If only we had picked up a first round draft pick for Campo and got Hurn.

 

[therubbernub]

When are you guys going to realise, no one of any value, wants to come and play for us. In fact I'll go on record and say that the only person we might get is a some-one looking for their retirement cheque. That's it. We have tried for a few years now with no success. We are not marketable as a club on or off the field. Sorry but them the facts ... start shooting.

Sorry I dony buy this argument. The days of a side being on the bottom of the ladder for years is gone due to the draft system. Player managers know this and will point this out to their clients. The issue for the player is weather the deal is good according to his needs.

I will concede that a manager might advise against going to a club that seems to be going nowhere- and player/list management comes into this. If I was a manager I would have been advising against a move to Carlton in the late 90's due to the well founded fear that we were not recruiting young players and were not bad enough (yet ) to be taking advantage of the draft. But that was many years ago. A young player recruited to Carlton then would now be on the tail end of his career and would have gone through a terrible period playing for Carlton.
Fast forward to today and We are now a club with a new attitude and more importantly many good players coming through. Joining the Blues in 07 would be a very different proposition compared to the hypothetical player that joined us in the late 90's. The Blues are about to click in the next few years and all we need is the missing pieces- Our forward line has the potential to be very potent: Fevola Kennedy Waite Betts Fisher
Our Defence is stretched at the moment but has Whitnall Lappin Thornton plus developing defenders Hartlett and Bower.
Our midfield is starting to come together with the emergence of some youngsters. Murphy Simpson Bentick Blackwell Walker . Add these to Stevens Houlihan Scotland and you have the basis of a solid midfield.

The shopping can now be more focussed.
IMO our forward line is ok
Defence needs one elite KPP defender- whether Bower can develop into this remains to be seen
Midfield. IMO the addition of an elite inside midfielder is essential

If we could go to a player manager that could deliver 2 elite players one KPP defence one midfield, I believe he could easily sell the idea that we were now genuine finals material once again and thus remove that objection from the players mind

 

[bibi01]

very hard to target players unless they are out of contract, home sick, fringe player or money hungry

so FWIW i say Ken Mcgregor would be a great pick up

 

[murphster]

we need hard nut midfielders who can lead by example...Hayes , Goodwin

Got it in 1 that is exactly what we need, senior players that chase tackle win the hard ball and inspire others with there efforts eg: Jude Bolton, Lenny Hayes, Scott West, Brett Kirk the list is endless and we have none on this list, we should have gone harder to get Byron Pickett who is tough who chases, tackles and does inspirational acts every game he plays although not a midfielder well worth having. We need leaders that know how to lead by example and at the moment Lance is the only one we have and that has cost us dearly late in games when the leaders are suppose to stand up and inspire through hard running and corageous acts. Fevola did it in round 1 and we got up and won since then we have had nothing hence the losses.

 

[murphster]

If only we had picked up a first round draft pick for Campo and got Hurn.

I so wanted Shannon Hurn at Carlton as i think he will develop along the lines of Luke Hodge and would have given us a strong young body that was ready to play.

 

[Gumby]

Hindsight is a beautiful thing isn't it?!

We need players on all lines. One or two players won't make a massive difference.

Kids are the way to go. If we are to try and get some of the players mentioned - Goddard, Sherman, Jamar, McGregor, etc how would we do this?

Trade draft picks? No way!!!

PSD? Very slim chance of picking up a gun or very good player! Nick Stevens was a lucky one for us!

Trade CFC players? Who's worth much that we can afford to get rid of? We don't have this luxery!

Therefore, stick to drafting kids and keep an eye open for a bargain in the PSD but if not then draft a kid, ala Eddie Betts.

Our kids who are improving this year and last year - Simpson, Bentick, Walker, Waite, Fisher, Betts, Carrazzo and S.O'hAilpin are going to get better as 2006 progresses and will be much better again next year. They are the future for us, that is how it is and how it should be.

Throw in potential progress this year from Russell, Blackwell, Hartlett, Raso and our new draftees in Murphy (who's making an impact already) Kennedy, Bower, Edwards and possibly some of our rookies in Smith, Jackson, Flint, Batson and down the track A.O'hAilpin. They are the future people and we need to focus on them and getting at least 6 more draftees in this year's draft.

Look further ahead rather than just directly in front of you. We are likely to get one of Gibbs, Sellar, Gumbleton, Hansen, Selwood, Thorp, Riewoldt, Jetta or someone else depending on how they go this year and are rated at the draft camp and u/18 champs.

That's exciting! Frustrating also and inconsistent too but damn exciting. I want kids who are drafted to the Blues and remain there for 10 years+. No more trades unless in an extreme circumstance. It would need to be massively in our favour to even consider it.

Our kids will just get better this year and next. They will take over sooner than later as leaders, playmakers, KPP, etc. Add in great talent from this years draft crop and we are well and truely on our way.

At least we are more exciting and playing a better brand of football compared to the last few years. Go Blues!

 

[Blue70]

Hindsight is a beautiful thing isn't it?!

We need players on all lines. One or two players won't make a massive difference.

Kids are the way to go. If we are to try and get some of the players mentioned - Goddard, Sherman, Jamar, McGregor, etc how would we do this?

Trade draft picks? No way!!!

PSD? Very slim chance of picking up a gun or very good player! Nick Stevens was a lucky one for us!

Trade CFC players? Who's worth much that we can afford to get rid of? We don't have this luxery!

Therefore, stick to drafting kids and keep an eye open for a bargain in the PSD but if not then draft a kid, ala Eddie Betts.

Our kids who are improving this year and last year - Simpson, Bentick, Walker, Waite, Fisher, Betts, Carrazzo and S.O'hAilpin are going to get better as 2006 progresses and will be much better again next year. They are the future for us, that is how it is and how it should be.

Throw in potential progress this year from Russell, Blackwell, Hartlett, Raso and our new draftees in Murphy (who's making an impact already) Kennedy, Bower, Edwards and possibly some of our rookies in Smith, Jackson, Flint, Batson and down the track A.O'hAilpin. They are the future people and we need to focus on them and getting at least 6 more draftees in this year's draft.

Look further ahead rather than just directly in front of you. We are likely to get one of Gibbs, Sellar, Gumbleton, Hansen, Selwood, Thorp, Riewoldt, Jetta or someone else depending on how they go this year and are rated at the draft camp and u/18 champs.

That's exciting! Frustrating also and inconsistent too but damn exciting. I want kids who are drafted to the Blues and remain there for 10 years+. No more trades unless in an extreme circumstance. It would need to be massively in our favour to even consider it.

Our kids will just get better this year and next. They will take over sooner than later as leaders, playmakers, KPP, etc. Add in great talent from this years draft crop and we are well and truely on our way.

At least we are more exciting and playing a better brand of football compared to the last few years. Go Blues!

Well summed up Gumby! I am however hopeful that we may get lucky again this year in that a very good quality player comes out of contract and cannot agree to terms with his club (ala Campo with us last year - although it is debatable as to the quality of player he was in 05) as we will have a heap of cash after this year and will be in a position to grab someone. This in conjunction with 1 of the top 5 picks and a good second round pick, in addition to our current list of young talented players will see us with a very good list to take us forward.....

 

[HBF]

Any pick within the top 5 will be great for the club, although I suspect we'll get a bit higher than 5, so that will mean IMO someone like Hansen, Gibbs, Selwood, Gumbleton or Sellar coming to Carlton, which will help our club enormously.

If we can get someone good in the PSD then that is great, but we need to draft the kids, and draft well.