Stretching it a bit aren't you Juddy?

Inconsistency = Unprofessional? You can't go from playing such diverse games [great vs shizen] and not attribute that to inconsistency.

If you are looking to bag Ratts, try something else.

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“It is a state of mind, a system of belief, a way of seeing the world, a deep faith that, because you are Carlton, you belong to something great.” - Mike Fitzpatrick articulating what Out of the Blue means.

[quote
And that's why we are still not a professional outfit as yet...we look to excuses when we lose games against teams everybody has been hammering....of course we just happen to get them when they are hitting top form until they get beaten again the week after they play us...we really need to be accountable for our efforts week in week out...we may lose of course but not in an embaressing manner as we did yesterday....it's the effort and commitment that needs to improve right across the board...[/quote]


You think "professional" clubs never whinge and moan after losing? Look at Alex Ferguson, Rafa Benitez, Arsen Wenger in England...after every loss they complain about the refs, the pitch, the opposition but I'm pretty sure Man United, Liverpool and Arsenal are pretty professional sporting clubs. We are inconsistent and probably some of our good wins over the saints and cats have inflated expectations. Like the cats of 6-7 years ago we are building but we are still a couple years away. Sure we were rubbish yesterday but everyone has their off days and tyhe Hawks were certainly on. Its funny how after 1 bad game people hit the panic button yet after the saints and cats games the team coulod do no wrong and I'm sure if we bounce back against the eagles everything will be rosy once more...till the next loss!

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I wasn't going to go there, but I'm so glad I did

All this talk about development gettin abit long in the tooth.

Bombers in '93 won a flag at an average age younger than our current squad.

We are not developing - we are at a good age to win a flag.

Dawks were at the same age age as us today when they won their flag two yrs ago.

Development due to current age is a poor excuse.

Gibbs in an interview said "we can go all the way"...

He didnt mention "we are a young side" bla bla bla.....

We are young and developing. You only have to look at the two teams yesterday on paper and it smacks you in the face.
Even if we had the Waite and Houla in we would still be a young side.

3rd game in 13 days......so what.
We play on day 1, day 7 and day 13. Doesn't every team have to do that?

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I see you watching me watching you.

Wrong!

Essendon* '93 Premiership side average age = 24 years 105 days

Hawthorn '08 Premiership side average age = 24 years 218 days

Carlton on Sunday = 23 years 141 days

Yeh but this year is a leap year.

How about average games played?

Carlton 66
Hawthorn 08 GF 107
Essendon* 93 GF 86

There's the difference. Carlton has had an average games around that for the past 2-3yrs (Haven't checked the stats). What this means (IMO) is we are replacing the Wiggins/Fisher/Stevens etc with kids as well as getting more games into our stars and depth players. We are building experience by replacing experience with players that are more skilled and capable of delivering number 17 and 18. No offence intended to the senior guys I've mentioned, they've been great clubman.

Well done verbs...I nearly believed him.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

"Why we Lost" very good question very simple answer - We allowed a side to zone back with numbers into our forward 50. Giving them every opportunity to stifle our run and place pressure on our midfielders kicking into our 50.

Whilst watching the game it only took 15mins to acknowledge we were very heavy in the legs, we lost that ability to spread forcing teams to open up. It all stems from there, if you are able to move the ball quickly, the hawks backline will really struggle, as was proven when on the rare occassion it did hitting up a forward in space.

No excuses, but the last three weeks has probable taken its toll, not to mention the loss of players during and before the game.

Take it on the chin, learn from it and ensure we take the points against the eagles.

Agreed. 3 in 13 days is no big deal. Bomber Thompson also said how proud he was of Geelong's performance given they played 4 games in 20 days. Well guess what? Collingwood also played 4 games in 20 days.

I think there were a number of factors, as there always is. Of course missing key personnel doesn't help - Houlihan in particular has been pretty remarkable this year in terms of kicking a goal a game and locking down an opposing half back (generally one of the drivers of the opposition). That being said on paper we still had clear ascendancies in the ruck, defence and IMHO midfield so it wasnt a factor. Equally the games played - well' we won in Port after 5 days...

I think in the first half we really struggled to beat the zone. Hawks played some deep to stop our switching (and we gave up 3 goals to errors in trying to do this) and also some 75-90 metres away to stop us going long (and indeed over the zone). Clearly this means there must have been space but we couldnt find it. We panicked when we couldnt find it - there were a number of handballs to non-moving targets deep in the zone and a few goals lost to that.

The only time we had the ascendancy was in the third when Jacobs and hendo took some pack marks and we kicked to stationary targets. Not our Game A plan, more a back up plan. They didnt really find space here other than a couple of turnovers that went our way. We should have been closer at three quarter time but thopse misses were very poor. Betts' miss from 20 is very weak and not the first time he has done that. Bad kicking from that distance from your 2nd forward is shocking football and he must do better.

The last was a feeble effort and this is where the other factors looked like they were in play; in truth they gave up because they couldnt get through the zone and when the Hawks came through we gave up.

Clarkson must still be working on improving the zone. it worked better for him this week. We couldnt work it out. (Q. Are we a better MCG team this year, needing space?)

Overall i think we didnt structure up or modify the plan as it was rolled out. They tried switching the KPPs out to minimal impact, given we were missing the run and drive from having a more effective zone against us.

I reckon I'm allowed a bit of leeway today DUC...

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

What a difference a year can make!!!...at least now when we say we need time to develop we have put this into some sort of timeframe...the next 12 months....which may happen..however at the moment we seem to lack consistency or are just plain lazy or a bit of both..

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

Nice one Verbs

We're about to do another 3 games in 13 days starting this weekend - Sunday then Saturday then Friday.

A loss does send logic out the window for some

No, I don't think that's the norm; it happens occassionally.

Sorry Mark, but I don't know what the results are for those who do play 3 games in 13 days.

Perhaps you point out when it happens, to whom and what the result is. I really don't know.

If you don't know what the results are, then Please don't me.

My thoughts are that it may have had an impact. Maybe not.

Over to you Mark; you may be right. I'm curious.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue