We'' find out this Friday.

And I tell you this...if they lose against the Bumbers, then I give up on the players, because they have given up on their supporters.

If The Bumbers can turn it around as they have after losing against WCE a fortnight ago then we should be able to do twice as much if we show commitment and desire to win at all costs.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

by quarter time we will know if we are a chance.

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Koperek.

..why not both..?.. ..seriously, with good smalls as fwd talent, there's nothing wrong with lappin, provided he can teach/coach the skills he had.. ..skinny was great at protecting the space of the ball drop.. ..but we need someone that can focus on our talls.. ..if lappin can develope/coach the smalls great, he can stay.. ..either way, i think with such a young fwd-line, we may need a coach for our smalls and one for our talls..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..

My Fears:

1) We don't go hard this week. Just unacceptable.
2) We DO go in hard but give up possession when 2 or 3 of us dive in, crash into each other, leaving the ball to bounce out to Essendon*'s advantage... they seem to have this sort of 'run of the ball' every time we play them!

I hope Ratten doesn't go all defensive, we have enough players playing negative roles.

Concentrate on Watson and let the rest take their opponent on.

ALL players have lost their confidence let them enjoy their footy again.

I like your thinking BKB

Next question would have to be is Lappin the best person available to teach/coach our smalls?

Nothing against Lappin personally, I just sometimes wonder whether he is the best available.

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Lawrence Lawrence, The man who knows all the rackets and all the racketeers!

One of the best forwards our game has seen, like it or not. He's a lot fresher out of the game than Ratten was.

At worst he could certainly teach our tall forwards a thing or two.

Even giving him a part time job with our talls could be very beneficial.

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Lawrence Lawrence, The man who knows all the rackets and all the racketeers!

my biggest concern is when we start missing targets kicking inside 50 and give the ball directly back to the opposition. That is when the wheels fall off. The crowd then start to get nasty and the pressure builds up.

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Koperek.

I would consider bringing Thornton in to play on Fletcher.

Walker, who worked well up forward in the last quarter last week, to play deep on Hooker.

Yarran to play behind the ball to create and hopefully free up Gibbs to play a more attacking and less accountable role.

Joseph goes out and Robinson comes in to provide an effort and to harrass Watson.

Armfield on Mofries.

With Gumbleton out and Neagle hardly a star, it might be time to consider dropping Jamison back to the Ants to find some form - he has given us very little for months.

Ins: Robinson, Thornton, Armfield, Houlihan
Outs: Jamison, Joseph, Garlett, Johnson

Biggest concern - we don't seem to have any new players pushing for selection. It's a shame White is out for the season because he's a player we really need to develop into a key backman at senior level.

'snip'

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"You can't polish a James Hird"

I would have moved Eddie to the goalsquare so that Harry couldn't just stand in the centre circle and bomb it to 30m out all day.

Well I'll be.
I threw an on line I Ching reading...as you do....asked if we'd win on Friday Nite.
I got a Hexagram called

'Following.' (ha! following...that's us..the followers..spooky) here it is.

Your Present Hexagram

Following brings supreme success. You may not be able to change the direction of the wind, but by frequently adjusting your sails, you can arrive at your destination.

Those who would acquire a following must speak the language of their followers. Those who would be loved must become the envisioned lover of their beloved. Those who would prosper must bend with natural forces and the pressures of society. In matters of principle, stand firm; in matters of style and taste, swim with the current.

In all human affairs, change is constant. In order to stay fresh, old ideas and patterns must continually be discarded in favor of new ones. Only by being adaptable to the demands of the time can the highest good emerge. Only by adjusting to changing circumstances can you prosper. Remain flexible, and you will gain the confidence of those around you. Bend and you shall not break.


So Blues..ya gotta speak the language of your followers..that is..win or else...and the other important thing is...do your stretches.

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That’s not a political statement — it’s a harsh reality, and we must act,” she said. “He is a clear and present danger to the things that keep us strong and free. I support impeachment.”

The last couple of years have been torture. Just listening to Essendon* supporters go on and on and on and on about them beating us is driving me absolutely flower crazy!

What have they done lately? Absolutely sweet FA. They are turning into the new Ninthmond (Richmond). Their list is JUNK. I've heard they might want to re-draft Campo, Matty Allen, and Justin Murphy - might add some class.

I thank my lucky stars that our best player doesn't reside in the nursing home!! Old man Fletch. They'll have him running around with a carer in a couple of years, then they'll ask for special consideration so he can use a wheelchair or a seeing-eye dog!

I've had enough, it's time to show them who we really are. Get the flower whip out Ratts!

COME ON BLUES!

Can we please stop the following from happening this week!

BEST

Essendon*: Monfries, Watson, Reimers
Carlton: NIL

If we have wish lists then I wish that we would stop playing Gibbs in the backline and let him play in the mid-field. He is built like a ruck rover, why not play him there. He is having such a bad year and seems to be playing so poorly down back, please put him in the middle and leave him there. Let him get a lot of the ball. We really need him back and firing.

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"our guest is dressed by hand-me-downs, hair designed by pillow"

I give it ten minutes on recent form.

I'm loving the crap negative press this week..
Gibbs, get a hard hat...

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/blues-must-buy-bryce-gibbs-hard-hat/story-e6frf9jf-1225900800798

Maybe with the time off Gibbs could buy 20 hard hats.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/ratten-gives-blues-a-break-to-freshen-up-20100803-115fb.html

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31-3-2015 - R.I.P AFL, corrupted lying pricks
12-5-2015 - Go WADA
18-8-2015 - Suffer Hird* u lying flower
12-1-2016 - CAS goes bang, happy new year.. Drugcheats forever..

I don't know about that.

Ratten told Sheehan, Healy and Hird (OTC) that all Carlton need is to be equal to or near that at quarter time and from there we'll be right because it's our starts that have killed us.

That was not the case against Collingwood, we were down by 50 points at half time...and the week before against the WCE, thnk god the WCE kicking for goal was woeful otherwise we would have been down by more than 50 points at half time.

I really hope the players realise the intensity AFL players are expected to turn up with week in week out.
I don't know if they can, but I do know that last year and in the first half of 2010 it was our ability to get our hands on the ball first which was our strength...so it's there somewhere.

Maybe Setanta comes in and he becomes a target rather, like he was than wasting him as a decoy which is the role he seemed to play when his form went out the door.

I don't know...I'm clutching for straws atm.

I do want us to make finals, and then tohave our list and trade strategy well and truly sorted out when the season finishes.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

If you go by recent form our worst defender has been Walker who has had to be moved forward in the last couple of games. The next worst defender has been Paul Bower who for some reason has flown under the radar in terms of scrutiny. He got smashed by Cloke on the weekend and some of his defensive efforts were absolutely digraceful.

Have you read the age today? Ratten has given the players a day off??? Lol. "here guys, cause you played like 2nd grade pussies, take the day off.... You deserve it!" haha. flower hilarious.

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