Barker's body language is quite a give-away when he says "healthy list"
You guys are right though, in that round 1 is what matters, but just concerned we don't start topping up the injury list too hard.
We've gone in with a very tough pre-season, so only hope that the balance coming out is right for us.

Barker reminded me of a dog on the movies/TV, always looking stage left at his trainer, waiting for a signal.
The comments were positive and to emerge without injuries was a bonus. Collingwood lost someone for the season during their NAB hitout.

_________________
Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

I hope we havn't done an Ess and gone too hard too early. They are notorious for coming out all guns blazing at the start of a season and falling away badly toward the end....simply cos they're spent!

I'm all for training " as you play " but the focus must be on 22 rounds plus finals!!

Essendon* come back down to earth after playing above themselves in the early stages. They don't maintain it because they intrinsically can't. Why would the "healthy list" mantra even exist if we didn't mean it in some way?

_________________
Just because I'm offended, doesn't mean I'm wrong.

We're in terrific shape generally speaking, but we can't get away from the injuries we've loaded ourselves up with.
We've gone in with the hardest pre-season ever and may be paying a price for it, in the short term at least.

Not sure you can put most of the injuries down to workload. Judd's was a dooner, Rowe was a soft type fall in general training, Duigan was floating cartledge from last year, Mitchell marking contest in general ball work and O'Keefe has been going on for quite a while. Fair enough on Jamison, could be workload

_________________
Go BLues

I assure you there has been plenty of other injuries that have taken players out for a week or two, but fair point on the boys you've highlighted there.
Judd is apparently saying that his shoulders have never felt better, so we may have actually scored a positive after that infamous doona fluff.

Yep...i have noticed quite a few players missing from time to time from general training and the practice stuff. For me thats a good sign. It indicates to me that the Footy Department is really thinking its way through workload issues for individuals balanced against keeping up the fitness and touch. I like the fact they have been loaded up a bit early. I may be wrong but I am getting a view of an even more professional approach to preparation of course given that injuries are always an issue

_________________
Go BLues

Nah Essendon* were just shit who got lucky early via a good draw

_________________
If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

And a lucky draw against us. That draw cost us a top four position...

_________________
Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

we finished 2 1/2 games behind WC
That draw didnt cost us top 4

_________________
If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

We gave up in the second game against St Kilda and should have won against the Dogs. Had we won against the Dogs we would have really given a shot at top 4 a serious go.

we played shit against the dogs thats why we lost, footy teams have those days and we were 2.5 games out of top 4 , we simply were not good enough in 2011

We lost our last two, one we never really bothered with, which made the 2 1/2 games very inflated. We were sitting 4th for most of it, albeit the Eagles had that game in hand. What did kill us was the draw the Eagles had. Forever just falling in against injury-hit sh1t teams they were handed in their soft draw. They were the luckiest side on earth the way that panned out for them. Then the final they won they did by 3 points against our injury smashed team too. The home and away game we played against them almost our entire defence was out then we lost Jammo and Waite during the game. In the final we had no big blokes left up forward after losing Thornton, not to mention missing Gibbs too.

Let's not go with "not good enough". More very unlucky, or even more to the point the Eagles were the luckiest side ever.

Does Kreuzer missing half the games and being just a good ordinary player count?

Our tall stocks have never been fit at the one time.

Every team has their injuries.

Every year, every team has injuries.

Amazing isnt it???

_________________
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.

Should of beaten Geelong, and as mentioned before Essendon* as well.

Dont think anyone is trying to say we deserved to be 4th, just trying to make the point that in reality the gap was probably closer than the 2 and half games suggested.

_________________
"They're [REDACTED]'

Your spin is amazing.

You should be one of those Agents in The Matrix who can dodge bullets.

Chris Scott admitted that we should have beaten Geelong.

Momentum.

_________________
Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

That may be your point, but there are certainly others here who are certain West Coast only finished 4th because if their draw.

_________________
"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010