The Pies actually moved up the ladder very quickly after they reached their nadir in 1999 - remember the last game we played them at PP - 20 goal win and spoon for the Pies. 3 years later they ran the greatest side of all time to a hard fought 9 point win in a GF while we opened our spoon account. So in Malthouse's time they have risen twice. The first model arrived quickly with nowhere near enough talent but with a side with several stars and lots of journeymen, got to the GF and fell short, and they have rebuilt on lesser picks than us. The only player from their 02/03 GF who played a final this year was Heath Scotland.

We just keep looking for excuses. In the 2000 draft we had five picks including 3 in the first round Wiggo (love him but he was a battler) was the only one who got to 100 games. 01 we exchanged two early picks for McKernan!!. In 02 we lost our first three and ironically got Simmo who is great and Fish who was good before injured and Norman who was a real talent but not interested. In 03 we got Walks who has loads of talent, has had lots of injury and now we seem to want to unload him> Why can't we turn that talent into a player? In 04 we got JR who has been a good top 10 and no-one else etc etc.. Collingwood have rebuilt their side twice in the time we have been thrashing around at the bottom. We should be looking top four not just for a home final.We should have had a home final this year or last year. In the second half of the season we couldn't beat anyone above 13th, that's why we missed a home final.

The improvement over the last three years hasn't been because of inspied drafting or innovative coaching. Ratts hasn't been reading ancient history to come up with defensive tactics (Malthouse can coach but he is a wanker) Our improvement has been 80% due to Judd.

Top 4 next year or serious changes. We can't set our sights on medicocrity and then slap ourselves on the back when we achieve it.

We need a lot of improvement from the young players. We need Gibbs to be top 5 in the league. He has the talent, he needs to find the toughness. We need to be devising the tactics no-one else has so they are catching up with us, rather than copying last years tactics.

Professionalism.

That's what Collingwood has displayed over the last 5-6 years.

They've made their mistakes as all clubs do, but I don't think anyone would deny that they've been at least as professional in their approach as any club in the competition.

I know as Carlton supporters it's our birthright to hang shit on them whenever possible, but I'd hope our board and executive management admire the way they've gone about things... because it's the gold standard.

Ben Johnson, Alan Didak, Leon Davis, Rhys Shaw

But you still make a valid point

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Ecclesiastes 1:4, "One generation passes away, and another generation comes: but The Blues abide forever."

If anyone had said that Carlton would have made the finals without Kreuzer, Stevens and Fevola, you would have said they were nuts.

TC's usual suspects just loves thrashing about in a straight jacket once they get a chance to vent.

I didn't feel any dirtier watching that flag as I have the last ten.

They're just another rival club now.

well, i am only aware of a couple of interstate supporters groups and the club doesn't want to know us.

a far cry from the days of, dare i say this, john elliott who knew how to treat supporters. this current mob (and i say overthe last 8 years since jack got the sack) just want to take and take and offer nothing in return. how many get supporters functions now with current players?

it starts with the grass roots

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one you knock back is one you never have

They did tank one year to get Pendelbury and Thomas, which was very professional of them.

And in reality, the more they give, the more they will get.

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THEY LIKE TO SEND UP!!!!!!!!

Until each team plays each other the same number of times, the AFL, as a fair dinkum competition, cannot be taken seriously.

He (Mr Swann) said the honour and pride associated with the club's traditional navy blue jumper was priceless.

I wouldnt be at all surprised if Collingwood's success is very shortlived.

Who talks about Clarko's cluster these days. In their premiership year ?

It was being carried on with about as much as the 'Collingwood dominace' issue is in the days after the curent grand final.

These things are good for a while - but ultimately these strategies can have a very short day in the sun.

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My Blue Heaven

After 2000 Essendon* were going to dominate the next 3 years.
Same deal with the Eagles in 2006.
The Hawks still have a hangover from 2008.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

They're a great team...but we thumped them last year.

They clicked this season as a team, good luck to the maggots.

Hawks another example of a team "clicking" and winning a flag then falling away. Pundits were claiming they were going to win a string of flags.

We just need to click and get it together....potential is definitely there depth is definitely not.

This lack of depth will not able us to make the top four.

You could argue all things in life are short-lived....change is always a happening....but if a strategy nets you a premiership then what does it matter how long that strategy lasts for after that....

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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

You and some others in this thread are delusional if you think it took those cocksuckers twelve years.

They were bottom in 1999 and then with a team of hacks, they played in the 2002/03 GF's and nearly pulled off the first one.

They then stripped back the list, took their medicine and rebuilt with a purpose. When did that start? About five years ago by my reckoning.

Do Like these pieces of shit?

No.

Do I even respect the Filth?

Hell no.

Can we learn siomething from our enemy?

Yes we can (sounding like Obama now).

The scum started rebuilding AFTER us and have won a flag BEFORE us...how can that be so?

Someone here mentioned that they tanked to get Thomas and Pendlebury...errr, didn't we have the picks before them? At first I thought Murphy was a master stroke...now I think he is a midget who is capable, but hardly a five star mid that will propel the team to the flag. How about Kennedy? We disposed of him along with picks to get Judd - so we obviously didn't rate him as indespensible.

Yarran ahead of Sidebottom and Beams?

Isn't that Ben Reid the son of a former Carlton player?

Isn't Brad Dick the nephew of Syd Jackson?

Does that dufus Wayne Hughes even know what he is doing?

The mind boggles...

Yes please.

Yarran's going to tear those two a new one in the next couple of years

(Although it's possible Bubba in Cell Block H will have already torn one of the two Collingwood players a new one)

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

I think you discount the fact that Gartlett is the cousin of Buddy.

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

Oh yeah, I forgot the part where the three Amigos are ghoing to lead us to salvation. That is all I heard from fellow Blues fans at teh footy this year.

Seriously, we should put Betts on the table now while he still has some currency...before it is way too late.

Ofcourse.

Gibbs will be better than Selwood in a few years.

Livo will be better than everyone.

Walker is a soopastar.

Wiggins will be the saviour.

But don't worry, we paid through the nose to get Brock McLean...he will really strengthen our midfield.

Well, atleast his uncle Ricky and grandfather Rod both played for the Blues...that is pedigree I suppose.

First post today.
You're very prolific now.

Good stuff

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T E A M

I hate collingwood...
but I hate stupid Magpie trolls even more.

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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.”

Always slam what you don't understand.

Try reading "The Secret"...one of the fundemental truths is "your wish is my command".

If you (and other Blues brothers and sisters) are content with mediocrity - then that is all we will ever have to look forward to.

A loser is a loser.

I want to see flags. What exactly do you want?

....and I used to post a fair bit on TBV only a few years ago...but I do have a (successful) life away from the internet.