The kick was ok by Bower but Lance got pushed off the ball

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"You are being watched. The government has a secret system. A machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because I built it." - Finch

Remember Matty..."quality".

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Writer for SuperCoach Paige www.scpaige.com.au
Twitter - @johnfeeney24

Lookup Quality in the dictionary come 2007 and you will see Jordan Russell (NAB Rising Star - Sorry Murph)

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

Personally, I was super impressed by Jordan Russell yesterday.
Has filled out into a really good size and has maintained his pace.
Was minding Chad Cornes in around the centre at times, while also taking significant ground off Danyle Pearce in a chase.
Works hard, but moves with an economy & efficiency of movement.
Skills were solid too.
Very excited about him.

Bower minded Dew when he was on, and much like his National Champs, balanced tight defence with attacking and running off to create.
Is also channelling Vin Cattoggio with the hairstyle.

Murphy was Murphy and just moves with class all the time. Enough said there.

Simpson has taken 'the step' in case we didn't know it already. Ditto Fisher.

Like Hartlett. Was giving away kilos to better-credentialled opponents and was beaten at times, but as a defender in a 99 point loss is it a suprise? Took some good marks. Is very athletic and makes good decisions. I like him in defence and always saw him being projected as our future full back, but would love him to pinch hit in the forward line SOS-style on occasions in future.

Jackson, briefly, also appeared to relish his opportunity. It may have been a case of stepping in when the pace and intensity of the game had gone, but his work ethic in chasing and his 1%ers didn't go unnoticed. I'd love to think he could be promoted and play senior football this year. But then, there's alsono rush to get him in. If he plays well enough that he's at least considered, then that's a good thing.

We won't win heaps of games, but the building blocks are there.

And Chad Cornes will win the Brownlow Medal this year.

Thanks barrel47, most informative post game review I've read so far.

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There's so much I could say...

The kids are showing something..

Its not important whether we win games.. its making sure theyre progressing.

Russell showed alot of promise as did Hartlett....

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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.

Can't agree about Russell yesterday. I thought he was a liability playing on the Gardiner Stand wing in the 3rd quarter. He seems incapable of winning the ball in close. He is quick and chases hard but like so many of his team mates is a weak tackler. Port were able to ''play through'' his wing with contemptuous ease in the 3rd quarter.
I saw plenty of Russell in the VFL last year and he gets outmarked far too often when playing on the backline, often by smaller opponents. He ''plays below'' his 188 cm and he doesn't win the hard ball in close, so it is hard to understand why a club so light on for midfielders would draft him with pick number 9. It looks like another case of drafting an athlete and hoping he develops into a footballer.

Russell showed promise yesterday and you must have been watching a different game.

JuzzCarlton, I already knew Russell could run quickly and kick, so I may be taking for granted the talent that he does have. What I'm saying is that he offers us nothing in the area where we are most deficient, that is the ability to tackle strongly and win the contested ball. It was no coincidence that our least competitive period of the game was the 3rd quarter when McLaren was in the ruck and when Russell was on the Gardiner stand wing, where there was alot of heavy traffic and where young Jordan was found wanting when it came to being physically competitive.

Hacker sat in the Gardiner yesterday and Russell is a massive concern the other Edwardstown boy also needs a compass.
Complete with 20-20 hindsight Russell's pace is classic recruiters fools gold, anyone remember his carnival?

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Green Shooter

He does need to add bulk to me more competitive with seasoned players and he will improve, but why are you expecting a rangy half back flanker to set the example?

He wasn't drafted to win the ball in the clinches like AB and Murphy but bring badly needed pace, versatility and carry the ball. We shouldn't be expecting Russell to lead the way with the example Houla and Scotland set out there. He'd be a different player if he had teammates who set the example and showed him the way like Campo when he waltzed into a competitive team not a rabble.

Would Egan, Bates, Thomson and Monfries have been more effective out there? I doubt they'd be any better out there and better players in 3 years time.

How can you bag him by saying we were less competitive when he was on the ground in the third quarter?

The game was over at 1/4 time and some Power players were already showered and changed.

That kid may have taken our only contested mark for the day and you should pull your head in before bagging a kid playing his second senior game. You're about as bad the peanut in the Gardiner stand who abused Walker when he was in earshot.

From what he sounds like he will be a natural playmaker running of the half back flanks.

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"Dont count the games, make the games count"

Spot on JuzzCarlton, add Smith and maybe Jackson as good extractors, hungry to play and will inspire with time.
Put a big and talented hard worker like Kennedy ( When ready and not before ) forward , Bower & Edwards maybe a Hansen or Thorp (later)down back and things will more balanced and competitive.
There is no magic to it, It's just going take another 2 to 3 years and more talent to turn this mess around.
These youngster will do well, let's be patient.
We all want to stop the pain, but there are no shortcuts. Enough with rubbishing the youngsters. They're our future.
Ciao

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Go Blue Boys

JuzzCarlton, from what I've seen of Monfries, he is a much more effective inside midfielder than Jordan Russell.
If the Thompson you're referring to is Port Adelaide's Adam Thomson, then Adam Thomson certainly looked a much more effective inside midfielder in yesterday's game than Russell.
I'm not bagging Russell, JuzzCarlton. I'm bagging the decision to draft an outside flanker with pick 9. IMO early draft picks are for ''spine players'' - key position players or front line midfielders. It's not Jordan's fault if he was drafted earlier than he should have been.
I've got nothing against Jordan Russell. He could still develop into a useful player with his pace, balance and skill. If I'm bagging anyone, it's Wayne Hughes.

Why not bag the board and the MC fopr not turfing out Lance and bringing in another runner???

And russell never came across as an inside midfielder.. he came as a ball carrier..


Why are you under the impression we recruited Russell to play inside???

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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.

Yep the board is another story it should be dynamic and creative, basically have the balls to led us to the light.
At the moment it just ain't happening. Synbad will there be any real changes soon or are we both just dreaming?
Ciao

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Go Blue Boys

Synbad, I'm aware that Jordan Russell wasn't recruited as an inside midfielder. As I said earlier, IMHO first round draft picks should be used on key position players or front line midfielders, especially with a list as soft and light as ours. Obviously you and Wayne Hughes think otherwise.

As for trading Whitnall for a runner, the only problem with that is that Lance is our only strong bodied key position player of any quality, and strong bodied key position players of any quality are the hardest types of player to find.
As important as they are, good midfielders are not as rare as good key position players.
However, I've just got this crazy idea that you're not going to agree with me on this issue.

Where's the emoticon for ...'Big shake of head and deep sigh'

What is it some of you people want from a 19 year old kid who has now played a total of aprox 60 minutes of Senior football. Did you read that clearly......F#@$* 60 MINUTES OF SENIOR FOOTBALL!!!!!!

Sorry to be blunt but subtlety obviously doesn't work here.

Let me say firstly..........Forget Judd, Cooney and Deludio. They are freaks and will be stars. The rest of us got what is left.....simple really. JR is not a star but he will be a good talent of CFC given time on the ground to find his feet.

JR came to CFC as a skinny kid who had some real football skills and a great attitude. He struggled in his first year to come to grips with moving to Vic and playing against men. To his credit he has done everything right in the preseason to get his body bigger, fitter and stronger.

He got 1 game in 2005 and played a miniscule amount of time. Yesterday he had 2 minutes in the 1st, 1 minute in the 2nd and most of the 2nd half......when dare I remind you we were 10 goals down and heading towards a 20 goal defeat against a team that treated us like 'witches hats'.

What did you expect a 19 year old to do at that stage......take the game by the scruff of the neck and lead us to victory.

Lets get real for a moment.......forget about JR, where was the rest of the support from his senior team-mates out on the Gardiner Wing. When the Tsunami came tearing down the Gardiner wing, which were the Port runners, JR was like the small boy standing on the beach. Tell me one CFC that won his position on Saturday.......Just one??????

Get off the kids back and before you have a crack at the choice maybe you need to know more about what goes on behind the scenes. Get back to me at the end of 2006 when the kid has atleast hopefully been given some game time.

And if you weren't having a go at JR then re-read what you post. Here's one I read earlier......

Can't agree about Russell yesterday. I thought he was a liability playing on the Gardiner Stand wing in the 3rd quarter. He seems incapable of winning the ball in close. He is quick and chases hard but like so many of his team mates is a weak tackler. Port were able to ''play through'' his wing with contemptuous ease in the 3rd quarter.

I saw plenty of Russell in the VFL last year and he gets outmarked far too often when playing on the backline, often by smaller opponents. He ''plays below'' his 188 cm and he doesn't win the hard ball in close, so it is hard to understand why a club so light on for midfielders would draft him with pick number 9. It looks like another case of drafting an athlete and hoping he develops into a footballer.

Regards Cazzesman

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Ricky Gervais - “Everyone has the right to hold whatever beliefs they want. And everyone else has the right to find those beliefs f***ing ridiculous.”

dont bother Caz, there are more agendas here than at a United Nations Meeting.

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

I feel sorry for the youth in our team. So much pressure on them cause Deenis got rid of all the old guard too quickly and kept his golden boys Wiggins and Sporn. Guys like Walker and Russell have been thrown to the wolves who expect top picks to drag us out of the s#$%.
Most kids take 3 or 4 years in the system before they deliver, even champions like Kouta and Ratten took a few years to come good.
I don't understand why the same supporters here crying out to play the kids are then critical of them. I liked it better when we didn't see them in the firsts till they were 20.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides