Had our lapse early this week. In the first qt and it cost us.

We either get a few goals in front and just lose or come from miles behind and just lose or in tonight case get damn close until a couple of late frees. Same result...we still lose!

Could be like this time last year. Lose the first 3 of the mid-season hard run then smack the Pies (hope so).

Interesting thing is you don't really want the ball in the hands of any of those too often.

Bootsma is a nice kick but takes too long to kick; his kick then gets hurried.

The others have poor kicking actions.

Mitch is the best natural ball winner - if you had them all ball winning then you'd just end up giving the ball to the opposition a lot.

Synbad has a point...lot of the midfield made up of rookie picks who don't have any class.

Murphy/Judd/Gibbs/McLean the classy mids...but even then there are issues with Judd's kicking or Gibbs being hurried when kicking from packs (club29's issue)

Menzel/Graham need to get games; Yarran needs to work his arse off.

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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

We get nowhere near enough reward for the substantial periods of the game in which we are the dominant side. Kills us nearly every time.

Think Henderson is just about our best player now. Gibbs, Simpson and Judd also did well but Judd's disposal lets us down time and again.

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Formerly Blues-Back2003.

WTF - did anyone else notice the somewhat premature Mandela death news flash after the first goal?? It appeared for a millisecond and then disappeared. My wife and I did a double take and tried to find the news on another channel but nothing.
Perhaps they got the graphic wrong - it could have been a death notice for our season!!

Sorry, off topic I know but WTF??!!!!

there was a thread here too the other day

vale mandela

was up for about 2 seconds and then the poster deleted it

weird

twighlight zone stuff

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

Less than 2 goals in it, Henderson gathers the ball inside D50, is tackled immediately, ball held to him and is penalised. That ended the game right there.

Throw the ball
Drop the ball
Just don't gather ball if you're going to be tackled

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"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

If I was Laidler I would be looking for another club. He deserves better than what he's been getting from Carlton.

Laidler is a footballer. I'd opt for him anyday over a kid who can run but can't kick or tackle.

Yes we did a lot wrong....but they are harder and smarter no doubt.
but walker's miss - to bring it back to 3 points was a major opportunity lost....kick the *&^% ball

started the 4 goal run - we dropped our bundle with help from the green maggots

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one you knock back is one you never have

I love Lachie Henderson - think he's our B&F this season. Which makes it so heartbreaking that his stellar performances seem, of late, to always end in a critical turnover that clinches the game for the opposition.

Good also to see Yarran fight hard when he came on as sub. You could say he had no choice, but he showed our other small players that when you go in hard you can overcome bigger and stronger opponents. Our first quarter was so meek, you could almost have made a case for a tactical substitution 15-20 minutes into the game and let his determination seep through the team. Of course that never happens - if the AFL introduces a second sub it may help teams to shake things up a bit. Until then, the sub will continue to be more than an injury reserve / late impact player.

Judd and Cachia were commendable, but you can just tell that Judd hasn't got enough left in the tank to inspire for four quarters. If only Aussie Rules had a loan system like English football - I know a club he could go to to refuel the batteries.

As expected, no impact from the talls. Tippett showed that a big man can still thrive in the wet, but ours just don't have the skills. Was hoping Casboult's hands might snaffle a few, but with his already dreadful kicking skills diminished further by the wet, is there any reason to get excited about his marks?

Some encouraging signs in the first half from Bootsma, but christ alive son, I'd have hoped those nice marks would have given you the confidence to pick the goddamn ball up in the wet. Show some belief, kid!

FInally, thanks to Kane Lucas for teaching me a rule I never knew.

Was a bad miss but I saw it more as the team tiring after working so hard to come back than it dropping its bundle.

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Formerly Blues-Back2003.

we lack belief

until we get that we will be middle of the road

Pretty much the same rubbish.

That gameplan and these players won't work consistently enough to make the top 6. No reward for effort.

If the time in forward half was the score we might do ok but its not. Need to score and this gameplan doesn't lend itself to scoring against smart, tough opposition.

That and we are carrying players. Casboult is being carried. Playing Boots and White were not really required. Carried. Lucas is neither here nor there. Garlett is off the boil. Betts not much better.

I don't think we have suitable replacements for these guys. As mentioned earlier in this thread we need more midfield depth.

We play our best football when we hunt the ball and attack -> walker/armfield/garlett/betts/yarran/simpson/judd/touhy -> all relatively quick and reasonable skills

On the game itself - bootsma forward was a mistake. Robinson forward was a mistake. Armfield needs to be released into a more attacking role - he has shown the abilty to hit the scoreboard previously.

If you think of our midfield -> curnow+cachia+walker+simpson+robinson -> all mid rotations that are either played defensively or out of the midfield.

Lucas -> should have been dropped weeks ago. Gets the ball but butchers it badly way too regularly.

He was dead unlucky tonight.

If that's holding the ball, I give up. I give up anyway, but geez...what are you meant to do?

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"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

Game was lost in the first quarter, too many taggers and we played dumb footy.
They had a crack but just not good enough, we are a middle of the ladder team.

Just one thing;
Melbourne's weather is better than Sydney;
There, i said it.

Lucas kicks it out on the full from out on the full....and no penalty...mad rule

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"I had to eat"

I thought that free was pretty harsh, considering the way the game had been umpired all night.

Feel sorry for Mick. This group of very average players (save for 4 or 5) are ruining his winning %. Rebuild must start NOW. We are deluding ourselves if we think this mob are going anywhere. No key fwds, no midfield depth, average rucks, below average skills.