Some observations from today

1. If the umpires did a head count at half time and found that Richmond had 19 men on the field and cancelled their score back to zero we still would have lost

2. At the start of the third quarter The Carlton Seniors had kicked 1.3 and the Carlton little league had kicked 4.6

3. I left the game at the 20 minute mark of the 3rd - took a leisurely walk to the car parked at the Hilton. Drove home to Caulfield (listening to the Geelong game) and switched on the telly to see the Irish kid get his first touch for the day with 3 minutes left in the game

BUT GUESS WHAT
We've had worse losses
-St Kilda last year kicked 30 goals against us
-Roos in 03 beat us by 20 goals
-We kicked 1 for the day in 91

I BET I"M NOT THE ONLY POSTER ON THIS SITE WHO WILL BE
- Tipping Carlton on Friday Night
- Happy to see Fevola back
- Happy to see the back of Longmuir

IF WE ARE TO GAIN BACK RESPECT WE NEED TO

- Beat Melbourne at Optus Oval
-Play Wiggins on the Ball (for all you doubters did you see his his sublime game today - It was so advanced it was as if he was playing a different opposition at a different venue and the rest of the team are starting to finally play in tune with that)

Insert the following emoticons where appropriate

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Ecclesiastes 1:4, "One generation passes away, and another generation comes: but The Blues abide forever."

DarkNavy we'll need to meet in person I think. I've located an appropriate place for the emoticons.

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The great are great to us only because we are on our knees. Let us arise.
--Robert Collier

I actually thought Wiggo tried did ok..and stayed positive when all others around him were falling to pieces and dropping their heads.
You must have missed some of it as you were driving your car from the Hilton to Caulfield listening to StKilda Geelong.....

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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.

Actually on a serious note I thought Simpson had his best game for the club today and really showed something in patches. I hope this guy get's more game time in coming weeks. I'd like to see him given a position and persisted with.

I thought Deluca was down today (whole team was really) and he looked tired, perhaps it's time for Bryan to have a go and give Deluca a spell. Walker had a go at times and Johnson whilst I like his effort just doesn't have the pace and skill to really hurt the opposition. I think Bentick might be the man to come in.

I think more than anything its the skill errors that kill us. The costly turnovers (just can't establish control when pressured) and our inability to deliver clean ball to our forwards. This must be fixed.

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The great are great to us only because we are on our knees. Let us arise.
--Robert Collier

It's the cold steel of the next day now, and I can't bring myself to read the newspapaers! I thought the next day was meant to bring relief?

I was underwater during the game, and don't feel like the replay.

Couple of questions:

1. Seems Setanta got limited game time and limited touches. Did he go as well as could be expected?

2. How did French go?

3. When did Pagan move Lance to defence.

4. 44 points down at quarter time Shit! Was it their midfield that killed us, or were we like "soft custard"?

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"Two roads diverged in a wood,
and I,
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost

In the warming glow of Sunday morning and after a good nights sleep, what do I realise.

Boy, is our team sh.!t or what?!!???

I am sorry, but yesterday has left me so devastated that I cant be positive at all. What has heppened to my once mighty Carlton Football Club...

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C'mon Blueboys!

I watched the game impassively after the first 10 minutes because it was all over - you got the picture from the general demenour and effort we put in. Kaput. 10 mins into the first qtr.

I've tried to find a winner or a positive and I can only barely mention French for being tireless, and perhaps Simpson for being average.

I'm now resigned to the thinking that we'd be better finishing well down to get quality talent that we need.

Yesterday is a culimination of five lost draft picks - you can't plug holes for long with discards with questionable pace, skills or endeavour.

I want high draft picks and i will support the club all the way but pretending we'd be going ok to finish about 10th is doing ourselves an injustice.

I'd like to see some passion and attack on the ball. Is that too much to ask?

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This might sound extreme in the context of alleged sexual assault, drunken violence and a drug trafficking charge...

Wiggins showed some passion at least - and we can see why he's picked each week. Because he tries, he has limitations but he tries to force a contest, something that couldn't be said for 75% of the team yesterday. Simpson, French, Thornton, Waite, Lappin excluded.

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

- Igor Stravinsky

Very disappointing team effort. Showed no passion and interest all day except for one or two.

We need to inject players WITH SKILL and ANGRY PILLS.

We need to chase these types, and aggresively at season's end.

However, can't wait for Friday night - our next chance to redeem ourselves.

Problem is Wangers if we finish 11th again this year we´ll have nothing to chase with! The only player of any decent trade value is Fev and do we really want to trade one of the few young, genuine goal-kicking full forwards in the comp? Dont think so.

Wiggins was solid, he played like he plays every game. That´s what I like about Thornton, Wiggo, Teaguey, Carrazzo and French ... there´s consistency of effort, there´s intensity if not skill ... u arrive at the game and u know what u r going to get = a contest. French and Wiggo have really shown something this year. Thornton said he all he needed to about hoimslef yesterday when he completely lost it when Richo took that mark ... he´s got pride, pride in himself and the jumper he wears. What´s with the rest of them? Pagan himself looked like he´d just had a bad meal, "that was unacceptable" ... what about a bit of fire Denis, a bit of anger in the eyes, Sheedy would have done his nut. His and most of the team´s calmness and resignation ... that´s what was F$&%&% "unacceptable".

VET - will try and answer these:
1. Seems Setanta got limited game time and limited touches. Did he go as well as could be expected? Seemed a bit bewildered at first but the ball hardly made it down to him and when it did the entry in the 50 was terrible. The one decent ball in he marked and goaled. Needs more games and more game time. Did ok given the circumstances.

2. How did French go? Solid as always. Rucked and sometimes roved his own tap out. Gets little support, needs to be given more of a rest. Maybe Bryan can help, De Luca´s too slight.

3. When did Pagan move Lance to defence. He was doing nothing up forward, Gaspar exposed him for pace. Went well down back, zoned off well and had numerous intercepts but by then the game was winding down

I really felt sorry for Setanta yesterday. He didn't get much game time, and the time he did get on the ground was spent at FF, so he didn't get to see much of the ball as it was. He made a couple of good leads that were ignored, the player preferring to kick to a 3 on one contest instead

Prez & I were hoping that he would just get put in the ruck or stuck in the backline somewhere to get a bit of the ball & see if he could work himself into the game.

Saying that though, he looked extremely lost, but no more lost than 3 quarters of the team I guess.

Me too Danielle - I was screaming at the tv in the second quarter when houlihan (I think) continued to run and bounce and ignore a Setanta lead - only then to kick it to a three on one Lance contest, kicking at just the right height so Lance had to stop his lead and get jumped upon.

Oh and memo Lance: The umpiring fraternity simply won't allow you to use your brain and brawn in one movement anymore. Predicting the flight of the ball and changing direction because of it is apparently now illegal. Stop it immediately.

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Richard Pratt - A Carlton legend.

I noticed too that players seemed to not want to kick to Santy. With the way we were playing yesterday, it was pretty stiff, as obviously the kicks to packs with Lance weren't working.