I wasn't expecting to win tonight but was hoping we'd tough it out and keep them honest which we did. Things might have been different had Fev nailed a few easy ones.

Little Blackers was awesome. Pretty dominant display from a kid in his 4th or 5th game - so watch out for this kid. Gotta be a monty for the NRS this week surely?

Simpson was really hard at it, as were Houla ( ), Carrazzo and Walker. I thought Setanta looked quite composed out there and will improve if he is given similar game time and roles.

Our disposal was pretty good in the first half but wilted a bit under the increased pressure. HOWEVER, I though the boys went out and took risks with their game - they took on the man and tried to break the lines, they did little speculative kicks out in front of a passing teammate, they went for pinpoint passes. The flipside was that it often led to being caught with the ball or turnovers, but I liked the fact they were willing to take the Lions on man-to-man, despite giving away a bit in size and experience.

I enjoyed the game, despite losing - It was a real tough, uncompromising contest and a great experience-builder for the boys.

My number one highlight of the night was seeing that filthy dirty thug Copeland cop one in the head from that other filthy dirty thug Charman in a marking contest, and then have the ball drop in Stevens' arms at the back of the pack.

I thought it was good that they 'protected' Setanta a little bit last night. Instead of putting him on Bradshaw and putting a heap of pressure on him, they gave him a much easier match up. Good work MC. Hopefully they'll continue to ease him into the backline, giving the major responsibility to Whitnall and Thornton. Then perhaps towards the end of the year, give him a little taste of what it's like to play on the power forwards.

That's another positive that I forgot earlier - T-Bird looked far better than he has for a long while, IMO. His defence was better, and he had more poise, and his disposal was better than I've seen this year.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Simpson was outstanding. I'm now convinced that this kid is a leader.

Blackers...wow!! Now I understand all the fuss about him. That haircut makes him look bigger and older. Held his feet and showed poise. Wow.

Houla's successful hard tag on Acker released the young blue midfielders to concentrate on their game...and they blossomed. Bentick in the engine room is as tough as. Houla was a great chooice to match up on Aker.

DeLuca is showing what a man of his size has the potential to do, and that is he provides the x factor in marking duels because of his height advantage.

Throughout the game I felt that Murphy was the missing ingredient for a win. His ability to bust the lines was missing. He looked like he was in for a big night whilst on...bad luck...but from his injury, another door will open. We already know enough about this kid.

Thornton was fantastic, smart, contolled and back in form.

Setanta, showed some real ability to find space. He will make it. Looks good down back, and on the wing.

Russell looked great, and seemed to have found even more pace...confidence and experience will no doubt play a big role for our kids and our team.

It's slowly coming together, and as for trade baits, I'm happy to keep everyone if we do happen to get a PP for 4 wins. Picks 2, 18 and 20 will do the job I reckon.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Simpson and Blackwell were both awesome through the midfield.
Those 2 kids keep running and running and their kicking skills are A1. David Cloke must have been right when he thought that Blackwell would have been a first round draft pick if we didn't get him under the father sun rule.

Setanta actually looked pretty steady in defence. Thornton was like a brickwall in defence
Walker when they finally released him as an attacking midfielder in the last quarter looked really dangerous.

Another positive is that we are still in a good position to get 3 picks in the top 20.

On a negative note why are we playing Fev when he is clearly not fit?!?? Also Kennedy looked like he was playing hurt as well. Didn't attack and run like his usual self. Hope his knee is ok

Liking what I see with the youngsters at the moment. Carlos showed enough last night to confirm he has what it takes to make it. The last couple of weeks also show how much we miss Waite and Fisher as well.

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A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty" -Winston Churchill

L.M 35-06

Young Luke was terrific....
Simmo is a definite leader, (Good call to add him to the leadership group).
Thornbird is looking confident again.
JR is showing a little more each week.
Houla was terrific.
Scotland played well ….Again!!!

Kids, kids, kids !!!!!!

I was at the game and my positives were:

Blackers - will be a quality inside midfielder.
Russell - one of my favourites. Has pace, height and good disposal.
Walker - played with poise, good kicking in general play.
Simmo - fast becoming a class AFL midfielder.

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There is no footy god

The young ones - Blackers, Simmo, Tex, JR
Carlos - roaming free on the wing
Houlihan on Aker
T-Bird in defence
Scotland
We didn't miss Kouta
Collingwood lost

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“It is a state of mind, a system of belief, a way of seeing the world, a deep faith that, because you are Carlton, you belong to something great.” - Mike Fitzpatrick articulating what Out of the Blue means.

It's no coincidence that Thornton's return to form coincides with a midfield that is more determined, faster and harder at it than the previous 3-4 years.

Good on the young blokes for applying pressure to the more experienced and bigger Brisbane mids.

Once we recover our forward structure of Fish and Waite, we'll be a lot harder to overcome .

Thornton must be just as excited as anyone.

My oath it is. It's where it starts and stop. Soon he won't even be able to use the list as an excuse either and that is starting look ok. Winning percentage at Carlton now under 25%. Take away 2004 where we won 10 games (probably a little unfair) it becomes 15.7%. Not to mention 10 goal losses running at 1 at 4 since Pagan's reign although recent efforts have abeen better albeit the last 2 losses were against sh1t sides. We are half a game WORSE off than this time last year. Surely that record gives people a message, at least everyone but the blind, desperate ones that want to clutch at straws!!!


Positives........we're getting a midfield. That young mid-field did well and is coming along. Our defence is getting better!! Soon we'll have a team. No excuse soon for not winning some games otherwise they'll be some real heat.

That loss to WCE didn't shatter our confidence.

If there was an emitocon with your face in your hands and head shaking, this is where I'd put it ___ but I'll have to stick with

I am getting a bit tired of the "playing for picks argument". we did that last year, and the year before and the year before and the year before etc etc.

We just have to face up to the fact that this team is hopeless. Even if we get a priority pick at pick 20 or whatever will it mean we are any closer to a victory? the evidence would seem to indicate that we can't win football matches this year, as with last year and the year before that.

But our "kids are developing" so say all of us. so say hawthorn, so say everyone mediocre hopeless club.

The main positive for me is that i didn't watch another carlton loss.

No tap, we argued it last year but definitely didn't do it in 2004. We went the other way.

Sure our kids are where are hope is, and every Club can trot out that line, but who can actually mean it? For the first time in my Carlton following life we have a bunch of kids coming through that are forming the nucleus of a new, good side. In the 1990's we were still in the business of buying players, and did so spectacularly poorly. our young picks went nowhere.

In 2002 and 2003 we didnt have the chance - or threw away that chance -to actually pick up youngsters. Simpson, Walker and Fisher are all we have from those years. In 2004 we won 10 games giving us a couple more youngsters, and now, we have 3 top flight guns coming through.

The core of our team is no longer 25 year olds or Kouta or Campo or Whitnall or anyone. Its our young players, Simmo, Murphy, Blackwell and our seasoned youngsters Walker, Thornton etc. who will take us forward.

The result looks similar but thats very one dimensional. Who's getting the stats? Who's getting the hard ball? We are in the best position since 2001, and will only get better. Get on board, I say.

Methinks you need to bone up on the depth and quality of the talent available before you thumb your nose at getting another pick.

Mojo rates approx. 40 players this year as opposed to just 25 players and has another 30 players he considers OK.

Four top forty picks is an advantage 14 other clubs would want once the season is over and another pick will be a bonus if a young ruck or mid comes on the market. Trade week will be a sellers market this year and any edge over the opposition can't be sneezed at.

We certainly didnt play for picks in 2004 and look what that got us. No disrespect to Russell and Hartlett (I hope they become 200game players for us) but I would certainly have liked a shot at Brett Deledio and others in that draft.

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

Winston Churchill

yeah that would have been a good year to finish 2nd last with a priority pick we could have had any 2 of this group: tambling-roughead-franklin-griffen. i think i would have taken griffen for sure and the other 3 would have just been good enough.

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Last edited by true_blue3 on Mon Sep 26, 1981 5:07 pm; edited 92 times in total

T Bird regaining his composure is the biggest plus for mine.He is as natural backmen as you will see. He is gonna be a cornerstone of our backline for many a year.The tantrums seem to have gone walkabout also.

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All my dangerous friends

yep T-Bird, developing nicely

or being developed nicely... Depends on which side of the great divide your cattle graze.

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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!