I should add the Keystone Cop situation with Houla made to be the ruckmen because we were interchanging our ruckmen was one of the few times we took the clearance.. because....... Houla didnt even go up for it so we had more players on the ground for the clearance... .. accidental type hero stuff.. really staring amateur hour in the face!!!

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He wasnt on much..it was too hot ... !!

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

For those interstate fans it really was a repeat of Round 21 v Bombers last year. Promising start, good ball movement, then the opposition tried something different and well, it worked for them over & over again. Port had this flood / run forward plan that we just didn't match, and as they hit the 50 they centred to straight in front where invariably they had 3 people ready for the pass, easy shot at goal---- Game Over. I estimate at least half of their goals were kicked in this manner. For all of Whitnall's supposed footy smarts not once did he or anyone else seem to pick up on this and play loose 50 metres out from goal. The nature of this movement was like clockwork - you could see it 4 handballs / kicks ahead.

Positives - really the performance of Russell, Murphy only.

Bentick got a lot of the ball but wasted it terribly, but I guess when you're up against 8 defenders you have to be precise. I'd love it for the more tactical ehre to explain how they always had 8 defenders yet managed to have so many players free for shots on goal from 50 metres out?

A final thought, with Waite still struggling and Whitnall in defence the only real option we have at CHF is De Luca (sorry to say it Luke). Soemthing mobile and big would have been useful to break up the monotiny of yesterday's forward forays.

Great result.
Finally we are treating these games for what they are worth....NOTHING but EXPERIMENTS. Can't wait for ROUND1 when we truly arrive.

The Carlton Football Club during successful good years never wins irrelevant practise matches. Over the past 3 years we have been winning these games and for what result.

Well done team, show them nothing until Round1 and then ........ LET THEM HAVE IT.

Well-said Wolfe.

No-one can expect a 180 degree turnaround in a single off-season. We were a very mediocre side last year; why is there such hysteria over this?

Did we expect a complete turn-around from last year? Would Murphy in his first season as a senior, a 2nd string ruckmen from the Lions and a knee reco patient from last year's premier make THAT much difference?

What should we be realistically looking for? Improvement in our younger kids? That seems to be happening with Simmo, Bentick, Setanta etc, and yes Walker's position in the team does appear incongruent with his ability, but Pagan clearly feels he needs a defensive education. A restructure of the game plan? Well maybe it seems to have gone backwards ATM, but maybe it takes time for things to settle down. After all they have only had 1 intraclub 1 NAB and 1 praccy to work on it under match conditions.

I expect that we will struggle this year, no mistake, and anyone who expects more than 5-6 wins may be more optimistic than they probably have a right to be.

But what should we expect from the year? In my opinion, this year will be the emergence of the new Carlton.

By the end of this season I expect to see a team structure focused less on Koutoufides, Stevens, Febvola & Whitnall and instead have a team where Walker, Bentick, Fishwer, Waite, Simpson, Hartlett, Russell, Murphy and O'hAilpin are the new team lynchpins. Then perhaps next year we can look for some overall improvement.

Molesy the smarts stems from the lack of effort and his pace.
For example at one point he ran down the wing... there was a three on three scramble for the ball... Lance left ther contest and went forward side of it... that left 2 of our guys against 3 of theirs..
We lost the contest and the ball went straight to inside 50 and ended up a goal.

Now if we had won the 2 on 3 contest and shovelled it out to Lance he would have been smart...
and he would have been off and into our inside 50
But we weere never going to win that contest.. and maybe there was a time with the Deans and Rattens that we would have... but not with the kids we have today.

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SHUT UP!

Didn't we beat the Swans by 100 points a couple of years ago in a practice match?

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

Listen twirp! do what you do best and go play with your plastecine or something...

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they had 15 players out and we had a full side.

Cant compare apples and bananas.

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There's no questioning your passion and your knowledge of the game of Aussie Rules (contributors).

Everyone who has seen the 2005 team and the last two games has an opinion. Their opinion is how they saw the game, and you can't take that away from them...and then there's the crew who have attended numerous training sessions, who should have an even better insight than most. I've only been privy to see the Newcastle intra club and Geelong games live, and replays of the Geelong game, so my exposure has been somewhat limited.

I'd be interested and love to see some of the supporters' best team for the 2006 season (including 6 on the interchange), and we could go from there to determine what the season holds for us. There will be two schools of thought; the team that has a better chance to win games, and the team we develop for 2007 and beyond. I am more interested in the former, as my Under 25 team looks the goods for the future and naturally there will be a few more good and great inclusions over the next couple of years.

I for one am an optimist, and may have a foolish outlook, but last week's game and the improved list in 2006 (recruits, skills and bodies) shows we can field 24 competitive players on the field. I guess that the hit out yesterday must have been full of experimentation from DP but most importantly I believe it as a wake up call to the whole club, let alone each and every individual taking the field as to what it takes to be a winner in the AFL comp.

I struggle with the game plan, as I would prefer an attacking style, and developing systems (some from accidents that worked) without bombing it into the forward line, and a backline that is building some sort of system and understing of each other's style, strengths and weaknesses. Whilst not a huge Livo in the backline fan, he did excite me at the beginning of last season before he was injured, hence I would have had him in playing in the last two games as well as Bryan and Bannister, just to see how they are at this stage, as an in form Livo and Bannister in the backline could release Thornton, and Whitnall from KP. Would Bryan make a CHB? (I know nothing about his pace). But to me it starts in the middle, and it's the backline that withstands any offensive from the opposition, whilst the forward line takes advantage of the delivery.

I would also like to hear that in trying times like these last 4, that supporters stick together, encourage their team, and show up to see the team that has given us gold over the last 40 years....that's the only way to shut up the opposition's supporters, and build our young guys' confidence. We've got to give them a sense of belonging to the Blue Brotherhood.

THE EMPIRE WILL STRIKE BACK!

Incidently my best team for the year (picked in January), and I'm happy to change with good reason:

B: McGrath Saddington Hartlett
HB: Bannister Thornton Carazzo
C: Walker Stevens Lappin
HF: Whitnall Waite Fisher
F: O'hAlpin Fevola Houlihan

FOLL: French Kouta Bentick

I/C: McLaren/DeLuca (not convinced yet with McLaren as Ruckman)
Scotland
Simpson
Murphy

Betts
Kennedy

and was I saying in another thread that I'm a fan of Prendergast (yep) as a HF running up the wing (could't fit him in) although I've traditionally earmarked two running 6"4" wingmen in Waite and Prendergast.

Bryan strong possibility at CHB or ruck if McLaren/DeLuca don't cut it
and Russell is on my radar . Blackwell 2007.

Scotland looked lazy in the Geelong gameafter a contest, and better watch out.

Any opinions on McLaren? Bannister? Hartlett? Kennedy?

I look forward to seeing some of the Blues legendry scholars' teams.

THE EMPIRE WILL STRIKE BACK

Calm down boys. The testosterone is overflowing and the season proper hasn't even started. Save the personal abuse for the real stuff.

Can anyone recall when we last lost by 99 points in a preseason game and where we finished on the ladder?

You can look at it thatway.. if you show me where Sticks Williams Bradley Dean Silvagni Johnston etc are...

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Hey Synbad, just listen to pagan when he says it won't happen again this year...

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Corinthians 9:6- 8

We need a coach who is interested in developing and not his own ego.
We need a board to allow a coach to be that bold.

Were becoming North Melb... never to win a premiership ever again.. because were trying to stay safe and thinking about today / todays memberships/ todays everything.

Id hate for us to be so worried that we have to stay competitive that we give up draft picks for old hacks.. and live day to day.

Were at a position right now tht if we do this properly we can come out the other end BIG.. not competitive.

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That's a shame Thornton is struggling, but is to be expected against bigger blokes...

Funny thing is FB is were Thornton has been told he will be playing this year, and Lance at CHB....

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Circumstance has no value. It is how one relates to a situation that has value. All true meaning resides in the personal relationship to a phenomenon, what it means to you.

As a matter of fact I believe none of those boys played. If my memory serves me correct we got thrashed by a Fremantle side back in 1979 by 99 points before the start of the season and went on the win the Grand final.

Can't see history repeating itself with this side...... unless we get relegated to the WAFL of course.

No one

in blue

gave a shit.

That isnt true... a few players gave a shit... the kids did!!!
Lappin tried.. Stevens tried.

Whats hard to take in is how confused we look when we have the ball.
surely getting into your fourth season you have become a master of a game plan?

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Yep.

Nope.

Nope.

Wouldn't it be clever if we weren't bothering to show our game plan... oh wait.

You bet.