But it doesnt get in his hands forward of centre in space when playing on ball much. With the press working it can get in his hands forward of centre plenty if he is playing off half back picking off passes in the middle.

I wouldnt call Shaw, Obrien and Johnson wastes in the collingwood side. Gibbs to HB would be a step up from his current position and in my opinion is wasted in that role scrapping around for a rushed posession in congestion.

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

Gibbs is leading (equal with Ryder) assists in the League this year. This is where his highest value is.

I actually thought Gibbs was good..had the better of Pendelbury in their head to head..So he clearly did what was asked of him.. Carazzo will not be dropped after 1 bad game, get over it, its not going to happen.

I am not the biggest fan of his, but i can see his value to the side.

As for the Bombers, we must win this..To me their game plan is very similar to last year, except they have added the "forward-press" as has every other team in the league..Their speed wont be as evident on the MCG compared to Etihad..For those that watched their game against the Swans, they didnt look that quick in that game.

Changes i would have for this week -

Thornton- Henderson...Dont care for those that believe that Thornton has a spot up forward. His time has come and gone. I wouldnt mind playing Hendo at CHB for this year either.A bigger body with a few years experience to help out. I think when Kruezer comes back and plays Hampsons role, this will be Hendo's spot.


Bower - Watson - Big fan of Watson and will be awesome, but needs to go back and dominate. Will be a gun once he adds thickness to his frame..He has the body shape to suggest he will add serious core strength once the puppy fat goes.

No other changes for me - (unless Ellard/Armfield for Collins/Duigan)..but none of these changes will be game-breakers either way

Gibbs did ok on pendles,.............. The problem is that if you put Gibbs onto a tag, you effectively take out one of our key players from the game. That costs us more goals than Pendlebury would if you left him un-checked.

Gibbs needs to be a full-time midfielder pushing up around the forward line. I don't think we have ever really used him correctly.


Carrazzo NEEDS to be dropped.................. but wont be. Ratts just loves him too much. But he's been woeful for a good 12 months now and i'm sick-to-death of him! Disgusting that he's even in our leadership group.

Lucas, Henderson, Bower and Armfield.............. i'd like to see all of these players in this week.

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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

In: Bower, Henderson
Out: Thornton, Duigan

Would love to find a spot for Lucas but not sure he'll come back this week. Soon enough though, really looking forward to him and Kreuzer being back in the team and in full swing for finals.

They need to get Betts pushing further up the ground and running back into the forward line as the ball is coming in rather than staying deep forward and jumping for marks.

Need another tall against the bummers. Henderson must come in.

And can anyone say they would prefer Carazzo to Ellard. 8 clangers last week. He does it every week.

So out Thornton and Carazzo.

Give Collins a full game. Bit hard to make an impact with a new team in a quarter and a half.

How did Colonwood win the flag last year. Dropped the older players - Medhurst, Lockyer, O'Bree, etc and brought the kids in. Look and learn MC.

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"Get ready, Teddy - you're on": Ron Barassi half time 1970 Grand Final

I thought Duigan was okay and could be persevered with and reasonable under pressure.

I think Watson needs some development time in the VFL. He looks like he is going to be a beauty.

Where's Denis Armfield?

God, some of the negative nellies in here are doing my head in.

It's always there leading into a scum game, and it's understandable in some cases. I'm not the only one here who's had some form of psychological damage because of these red&black cocks.

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WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

Kyle Reimer should be coming in for the Bombers. Any thoughts, Don?

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Premierships: 1869, 1871, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1877, 1887, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1914, 1915, 1938, 1945, 1947, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1995.

"GIBBS."

I understand that and I too have years of pyschological scarring, but if we've improved we'll win.

This is probably the best chance we've had so far this season to prove ourselves.

[youtube]lSPNQ82Sq4E[/youtube]

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WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

Surely if you were Hird your team sheet this week would read: NO CHANGES

Although it is a 6 day break for them, so there may be some sore players.

I didn't see the game. Were Essendon* THAT good or were St Kilda THAT bad?

Too True............ They seem to just have our number! anytime these guys need a Form boost they need only look to Carlton for assistance.

Take the first game last year - we should have PUMPED em........... instead, we played like sissy's!

This is a very winnable game.................. having said that, i'm not confident at all! The bombers are playing with faith and confidence that far outweighs their ability.............. THAT is a very dangerous opponent!

_________________
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

Saints played just how you would expect a team who has lost 3 grand finals in 2 years to play. Every sports psych in the country must be on the phone to Seaford this morning

The key to stopping Essendon* is stopping their run and the run is generated from stoppages. You have to shut down Watson, Howlett and Hocking and of course it helps if you win the ruck. These guys distribute it and they spread in numkbers often wide - so there will be three or more options spread wide from a stoppage feed from Watson Howlett Hocking etc.

Sydney stopped them at stoppages and stopped the spread on the outside. That's what we need to do.
It requires huge accountability from midfielders going head to head in the grunt - Murphy, Judd, Robinson etc but also very careful checking on their spread players.

If we play with 100% intensity for 100% of the time (we played patches of 100% intensity against the pies) we will beat them.

Essendon*'s game plan is simple but effective because opposition don't pay respect to their lesser likes spreading and their grunt no-names likes Hocking, Howlett etc dishing it out.

This year they've added a forward press.

In Armfield, Henderson, Bower (maybe Lucas)
Out: Thornton, Watson, Duigan, (maybe the Richmond bloke who's name eludes me.)

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

Allowing for 4-5 goals from 'contentious' (ie blatantly incorrect) frees and the Bombers still on a high due to the St James honeymoon period I reckon this is a tough ask.

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"One of my favorite philosophical tenets is that people will agree with you only if they already agree with you. You do not change people's minds." - Frank Zappa

We better not concentrate on tackling the aforementioned clearance men; we need to disrupt the ball as it makes it's way out to the runners, leaving them doubling up and back pedalling and running a lot of junk metres without purpose or possession. They'll run themselves ragged if we force them to present repeatedly for the same receive.

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

I can easily see 2-3 players being sucked into the contest/going at the player with first possession, leaving 2-3 scum players already forward of the play and running without pressure into goal.

Watson is really too good to tag; Clint Jones went to Stanton last night instead and he really shut Stanton down...if he'd gone to Watson the captain would still have had 25+.

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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