Having been fooled by previous pre-season cup campaigns - dont really want to get ahead of ourselves.

But there were enough positives - such as Hampson's performance, Bower's and little cameos from Edwards.

The fact that Murphy and Gibbs didn't really do a lot (apart from Gibb's amazing little front and centre and goal) and we still won shows a lot.

As well as the fact that we were blown away in the first 10 minutes of the game and still hung in there - last year we probably would have dropped our heads and lost by 16 goals.

So its onwards and upwards AFAIAC - and Hawthorn next week will be the barometer and show us how far we have to go - (last year it was a long way) hopefully the gap wont be as large.

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

Winston Churchill

The tackling was a concern. Some of PA's lightweights were brushing us off. Not stressed out about it but I hope we improve by round 1

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C'mon Blueboys!

I felt a bit 'blah' about the result... too many years of watching us win the Pagan (Oops NAB) Cup to feel happy with the win.

In fact, watching it, I couldn't help but think we still have a tough road ahead. However, for the first time in a long while, watching kids like Jackson, Hampson, Grigg, Kreuzer, Gibbs, Murphy, Edwards, Jamison, Pfeiffer, etc. I just began to think to myself that we finally have the talent on the list to eventually become a good side. One more draft this year should hopefully top us up nicely (and no... that's not tanking talk!)

it was fun to watch, the kids are coming along, they are still kids, not much can be done about that, the rest is about using their time to learn, so when they are bigger/stronger the team is ready. Patience. We have an excellent list and now we must develop it.

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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!

Lurker, did you notice the temperature when it was displayed on the scoreboard. It went from 28C to 32C as the game went on.

It was definately cooler in the stands than on the ground.

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With 12 seconds to go in the 1947 Grand Final Fred Stafford snaps a left footed goal. Carlton beat Essendon* by one point..

Number 17 in Carlton's 25 Greatest Moments.

db, quite right - it was fun (apart from the first 10 minutes). They are coming along quite nicely. Ratten has them playing with some enthusiasm, and a first up away win with a young list cant be bad.

I think we can approach this year on the basis that we will push a few teams, and win a few more games than last year, but best of all, we will see the kids get game time and develop. hooray!!!

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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

I had 2 serious concerns about their Performance


1- Nothing has changed as far as Clangers/Terrible kicking/Terrible handballs & missing easy shots at goal from 30m out. It was just awful to watch. Both Senior & the young kids were missing Targets and turning the ball too easily


2- I have a major Concern over our Forward Line. It has become a one Dimensional Fevola Line. All Teams will put three players on him and will rebound at us with Ease. The Question is, Who can fill in a key Forward position to assist Fev? i looked at our list, and could not find a single candidate... Can someone plz help me out??


Fisher- Too Small, drifts in and out of Games-already plays taller than he is, cant ask more of him

Hartlett - Injury Prone, will be lucky to make it on the park

Edwards- Showed a bit but too inexperienced to make an impact- have terrible kicking and missed few easy goals

Cloke/Hampson/Ackland/Setanta : All are Ruckmen, and at best they are all hacks when it comes to playing a Key Forward Position. They have very little infleunce on the forward line, may chip with one goal, max two, but can not win games or assit Fev with a 4 or 5 goal performance.


so who is left????


Waite- will play in Defence and should stay there

Thornton- Showed he can play a bit up forward, i like to see him there

Midfielders: thats our only reasonable solutions. the Midfielders must start to kick goals and lots of it.

I hope that at all times we will have front and square crumbers down there with Fev AT ALL times - this includes:

- Eddie Betts (very good at this role)
- Marc Murphy (very good at this role - when resting from mid-field duties)
- Bryce Gibbs (very good at this role)
- Ryan Houlihan (was very good at this when playing off the half forward line)

Will be happy for any of these 4 to be playing at Fev's feet.

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

Winston Churchill

11 separate goal kickers and no specialist centre half forward

Fev kicks only 2 and we still reach 100 pts

We did not have our best midfield available to hit the forward targets

They were undermanned but hell ..... so were we

We were looking like falling over several times during the game .....
(well we certainly would have in the last couple of years in the same situation) ....
.... and we fought on and won well

I'd say there are a lot of positives out of Saturday's game
We will improve massively each week and with our best team on the park (esp. midfield) our forward line will be pretty hard to stop IMO

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^^^

Don't worry Essendon* ....... We still hate your guts

^^^

Anyone know where I can find a download of the Port game?

Thanks

BBE

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A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject - Winston Churchill

https://savemidownload.com. Authorised Game and Software retailer.

Did anyone else notice the commentors mention Pratt's slip up at the family day about Kreuzer? They even said his new nickname is Freddy. Do you think they've been reading our threads as that was exactly what Georege Harris suggested in the thread http://www.talkingcarlton.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=19923

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Housewife,
mother of three,
navy blue always for me!

First quarter highlights

Second quarter highlights

Third quarter highlights

Fourth quarter highlights

1 - I hear what you're saying, but things won't change overnight. Remember how young we are. Some of our kids still need their skills to settle down a bit. And some of them don't provide the protection to senior players that the senior players expect when they have the ball. Teams that have time to gel together always look more skilfull. And don't forget it's February too...

2 - If you are talking short-term, I agree. If you are talking longer/medium-term, I disagree.
You didn't mention Kreuzer or Aisake. They will take time, but I think they are very good key position prospects. Edwards is also a promising long/medium term prospect. And Hadley may end up as a good mobile tall-ish forward.
Fisher had a poor game on Saturday, but he is a good 3rd tall and would be in the best 22 of most AFL sides.
I also think you are a bit harsh on Hampson. He's in the early stages of his career, and may end up being a match winning forward/ruckman. He is not a 'hack'

Let's face it, if you were expecting a top 8 finish in '08, you have every right to be concerned. If you recognise that success lies further in the future, then I can't see why you wouldn't be feeling positive about our list.

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

Thanks for the links

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A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject - Winston Churchill

https://savemidownload.com. Authorised Game and Software retailer.

The game showed us that we have a very talented side. Yes players drifted in and out... that's youth for you. But we have a lot of talent now and its all about execution rather trying to find talent. Guys like Grigg and Bower and Hampson can be anything.