Whilst we consider who Carlton will choose to match up with Pavlich, Farmer, Medhurst and JLo in the forward line, and Bell, Haselby and Carr in the middle, I reckon the real pressure is on Connoly's Femantle team to win their first home game, and it will be a challenge for them to figure out who all these no names from the blues are.

All Carlton has to do is what it did against Melbourne; fight for everything and play a team game for 100 minutes.

Connolly will be conducting his post mortem on the one hand, and trying to determine what Carlton's new game plan is, on the other.

Post Wizard cup '05 it was easier for opposition coaches to plot a win against Carlton; shut down Fevola and Whitnall, and there goes their supply of goals, or , previous to that, tag Campo to the point he is not concentrating on the game, and curb Kouta's influence, that will stop supply to the forward line.

Not anymore. It's Connolly that is wondering how is he going to keep a Carlton midfield quiet that consists of Simpson, Carazzo, Murphy, Bentick and Betts....who?...and then 'oh shit', then there's the proven seniors in Stevens and Kouta to think about, and now Scotland and Houlihan are here to play too. How are they going to stop the run and cohesion of good ball users with pace in the backline such as Walker, Lappin and McGrath?

Who is going to defend against Fevola, Waite (if not suspended) and DeLuca and O'hAlpin's height is a problem? Sandilands in the defensive half?

I think Carlton finally have got the runners for Subi. Yep big ground, so the unknown for me is will the young guys be able to apply the same level of intensity on a much bigger ground for 100 minutes?

Bad luck about Fisher, but in 2006 we have pressure for positions and options.

Go out there and enjoy the day blueboys. Encore. Encore.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I'll be happy for Carlton to do anything to bring Harvey one step closer to that head job he so desperately craves.

Intensity and desperation as shown in the Melbourne game will get us a long way, especially against a bunch of handbags like Freo.

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There's a real perception in the media over here that Freo are a jekyll and hyde team, that their senior players go missing on the road and fire at home.

I'd love to see us win, but Freo are a different proposition at Subi. With us having to travel, i'm still optomistic, but not as confident as I was going in against the dees.

Pavlich got too much cheap ball over here last year, but we were still competitive, even though our delivery into the forward fifty and finishing were lacking.

If we can exert more physical pressure on the dockers than last year, and use the ball a bit better, I think we can win it.

It is great to be able to approach this weeks game with some confidence, especially now that freo are under the pump!

Our on-ball brigade has grown in numbers for '06 and this is where we can lift our competitveness. These boys need to keep their form up and put in like yesterday. It will be tough this week but definitely not beyond us. freo are a different team at home but as long as we fight and have a go then that is all we can ask.

Carlos and Saddo to come in to stretch their KP stocks? Or do we need another runner for Subi? I would like to see Carlos in for Fisher and keep the tall, mobile HF

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C'mon Blueboys!

Nice post bondi…hope you're proven right.

I think we're a chance but Freo will be mighty pissed off with their effort against the Hawks.

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#DonTheStash

Yesterday I was scared of Robertson kicking 6 goals - because the prick always does against us, he didn't.

Next week I am scared of Medhurst kicking 6 goals - because the prick always does against us. So shut him down.

Actually we could also try shutting down Pavlich as well.

Farmer too, he always kills us.

Okay Freo at Subiaco scares me.

But so does Freo at the MCG.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

We will be up against it make no mistake. One swallow does not a summer make. Connolly is a dead man walking and we are basically the AFL equivalent of the 'Governor's Phone Call' (stay of execution). If he can stop us he gets to be an AFL coach for another week. If not he might be down at Centrelink before Easter.

What I would say though is that if we play with the same passion and commitment that we did last night we are every bit a chance. Daniher has made mention of how bad Melb's delivery into the attacking 50 was. having seen us do the same thing for years, I reckon the answer is that our ferocious attack on the Melb ball carriers meant that they were under all sorts of pressure and they coughed it up time and again. The Anchor W@nkers arent known for being hard at it. If we can keep up the intencity on their midfield and 1/2 back line, and we can find a way to stop Pavlich kicking 8 goals we will be a good chance.

Dont know that I'd want to put the mortgage on it, but if the boys turn out to play again, then we will be every bit a chance. I just hope we have a red hot crack and we have their blokes being run down and belted. Eddie Betts to show the AFL world what a real 'wizard' can do!!

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"Who discovered we could get milk from cows, and what did he think he was doing at the time?" Billy Connolly

Freo has a very talented list of players - The only thing that stops them from going all the way is their attitude. I suspect a few of them dont like CC and cant wait to see the back of him .

We will get a good indication this week - if we knock them off it will be Bye Bye Chris hello Mark and hopefully launch the Blues back to where we belong

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

See Sydney its not hard we can agree on something.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

I'm scared.

It's only one game, and we played well, and Melbourne are a good side. But after the poor middle of last year, it's hard to get hopes up too high.

Still, if we play to that level again on Saturday night, we'll give them a shake.

i still remember the footy show episode before the wizard cup last year. someone asked Fev who we 'have to match up on the likes of fletcher, judd, wirrapunda, etc"....Fev replied, "who have they got to match up on us?"

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R A D I C A L B R O T H E R S

Inspired by the One-Minute Sculptures of Erwin Wurm

"All in all is all we are..."

I picked us to win by 24 points vs Melbourne but Freo on the rebound on their own hard and quick dung hill is a bit different....
With Connolly under the pump and Harvey breathing down his neck he will be desperate for a win....Freo have a decent forward line and onball division but like Melbourne have a no name defense and that is their weakness...its a case of winning the midfield battles again and keeping the ball down our end of the ground and cluttering up their forward line like we did vs Melbourne and not allowing their matchwinners any easy ball....
French and Mclaren vs Longmuir and Sandilands will be a big part of it ..thought we nullified White and Jamar very well....

One of the barometers of our team for me is Brad Fisher..when he plays I always feel we are a chance...with him on the sidelines I dont feel as confident....I think Freo will start favourites...

Look for Byron Schammer to tag Marc Murphy.....with Fisher out maybe Lance might play forward especially with perhaps no obvious matchup for Lance....Saddington might be inclusion for the injured Fisher...

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

Lance should play up forward, or is Sentanta available.

Hopefully Saddo can come into the team.

But who does Livo pick up?????

Hate too say it but a Chambers may have too come in.

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Supporting the Blues No Matter What

See relevan thread..... and BTW charge has been dropped...

Is it just me, or does Freo always cop an interstate flogging the week before we have to go over to Perth to play them? They always seem to have something to prove when we have to play them. I'm a bit sick of that, I hope we stick it up them this time round.

edited just as I got back too the main forum..... cheers

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Supporting the Blues No Matter What

mate they cop an interstate flogging before they play every team at home

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I support Carlton, Fulham and I'm an accountant - my mate calls me a 3 time loser.

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I don't think that they will risk Saddo on the hard subi ground. He is still not fit enough to tackle such a big ground, and that would leave his tender knee in danger when fatigue sets in.
When your unfit and push yourself you are most likely to hurt yourself i believe.

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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.

Freo used to kill us when they switched play so damn easy on us, I mean we were pretty clueless and just sent our whole team over to one side while Freo switched and had the whole ground to @#$%&! with us. Well, I think with our speed and new found willingness to work Freo just might find this harder this time around. If Sunday is anything to go by I think our positioning, determination and new found faith might just upset the buggers.

There would be no sweeter victory for me this year than beating Freo...

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The problem will be made. for the solution to be sold, to your face before your eyes, tolerance is now the new danger

The issue with Freo for me is Pavlich. He's too fast for Whitnall, too tall for Thornton and too agile for Livo. Livo will play on McPharlin so that's fine but Pavlich will kill us if Thornton doesn't have a very good game.

I wouldn't worry about the forward line.

Out: Fisher
In: Setanta O'hAilpin