Ive changed my tune a bit since Thursday night.
I think we underestimate just how much we were dominating that game for 3.5 out of 4 qtrs.
I was very impressed with Curnow.. just makes the McLean trade hurt even more knowing we couldve added a valuable first rounder to throw into the mix.

Areas we NEED to improve to ensure we arent once again a bubble team:
* goal kicking- its patently obvious that many of our forwards have absolutely no confidence when they line up for goal
* decision making- this comes from the coaching staff. Repetitive game simulation drills need to be ramped up- still too many players pick the wrong option with the ball.
* lack of talk: This was most prevalent when we have a 2-1 advantage, both of our men would go up for a contest leaving nobody on the ground for the crumb.

Love the look of Laidler. Seems a very steady hand in defence..

Our backline was fine Cazz.Also criticism of Thorntons game is plain ridiculous coz as far as im concerned he knitted them together.......................forward line was the problem.Not that i want to have a go at them coz they need time to gel...................but i still feel we need to develop a Buddy-Roughie.......Cloke-Dawes type setup..............i have that old fashioned belief in a good CHF is the key to ultimate success.

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All my dangerous friends

Despite injuries, it's called list management.

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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.

Our back line was poor on Thursday. I know riewoldt is good but took too many easy marks for my liking. I expect more body pressure on the forwards but there was none.

Richmond had around 5 inside 50's at one stage in the first quarter for 3 goals. Not good enough.

Some other teams don't have tall back men but use their bodies well and work for each other.

No plan C for riewoldt just white and Thornton. How about trying laidler or just to stir him up and for the sheer contact and frustration - out of left field robbo.

Or play an extra man in front of riewoldt like they did in the last.

Try something different coaching staff fie goodness sake. Would have personally played Watson that night too.

we let ourselves down during the 3rd qtr and perhaps in the first 3 minutes of the last.

after watching the game again , the stats confirm, in the 3rd qtr we stopped winning contested possessions. take another look......the tigers get their hands on the ball first. the take more contested marks than us. they earned themselves more free kicks. we looked sloppy, less committed and second to the ball.

Thanks for that Donstuie.

I don't know why he'd even say it.

Creative, artistic people are not necessarily articulate or academic, so I'm not surprised.

Too long? What constitutes 'too long'? ADD perhaps. You didn't really have to comment.
I wonder why my 'long' post attracted KK's comment when there's shit loads of other posts KK would define as long posts he hasn't commented on?

I'm not a member of KK's TC seniors clique, so I don't expect him to read what I post anyway, but I reckon KK's still upset about the serve I gave TC and his group (the TC seniors secret handshake clique) who decided to close down Talking Players.

Anyway, I'm glad Talking Players is back...and the secret handshake group's ignorant views were in the end ignored and decision to close down Talking Players was over turned. TC is a much better place since that decision was made.

Yes I am annoyed with the lack of value KK's comment(s) provides to this forum, and I'll keep on posting my opinions as I see fit.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Steady on bondi, I think the quip was intended as tongue-in-cheek.

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

Haha, none.

But i tell you what, i was VERY CLOSE to jumping on Richmond at half time. $11 a win is pretty good value for a team that's only 2 goals down.

Won a bit betting against Australia over the cricket summer though!

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

Come to the conclusion that 1AW has to be a strong contender for the most selfish player in the competition. The fly for ridiculous marks despite never having looked like holding onto one since his first game, the constant running to the boundary to attempt the impossible snap/banana rather than running straight and constant unwillingness or inability to do the 1%'ers, such as make a tackle stick is constantly infuriating.

Can't wait for Houlihan to return for this very reason, but I get the feeling that Armfield will make way for him instead. Collins should overtake him also if he continues to put in performances like that.

Reckon Duigan should probably take responsibility for a couple of Riewoldt's goals given he was caught out of position on a couple, thought White wasn't too bad at, at least giving us some drive off half back, but inevitably got outclassed. Think Thornton just got a fairwell game..

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

Hip? Me? I'm too old for hip, unless you're talking about replacements, and I'm too young for that.

TL; DR is 4chan shorthand for "Too Long; Didn't Read"

I didn't mean to cause offence by it, I was just 'aving a larf. I actually did read it, and as usual, you make some excellent points, and express them very well. Your posts (long or otherwise) are among the minority I actually pay attention to in regards to a good analytical eye on the team and the game.

Maybe we can catch p before the SCG match and I can buy you a beer and we can cheer on the Blue boys.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

you read bondi

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

Beats having to read your stuff....

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

He knows we can read long posts... HE KNOWS!


Quick, everyone hide!

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

re: Curnow...nice debut, quick hands and knows how to find the footy, not elite by foot but adequate.

Laidler....good disposal by hand and foot and makes good decisions.... a safe mark but lacks some body on body skills in the air and will be troubled by the
stronger marking flanker types..eg Ryan Okeefe(swans) wouldnt be a good matchup IMO. Those suggesting he should have had a go on Reiwoldt
need to think again.

Duigan.....some good dash and he knows how to put his body on the line in contests

Hampson....dissapointed me...seen Kamran Akmal catch the ball more and felt Hampson had very stiff hands and no give in them when he tried to mark
the footy, kicking was equally as poor....ruckwork was ok but he will need to improve his other skills to keep his spot.
When Kruezer is fit I cant see Hampson staying in the best 22.....

Match Committee left Ratten high and dry with no tall options and nearly cost us the game when Waite went off....Ratten was good enough to make a counter move to stop Reiwoldt by making Thornton play loose and block the corridor in front of Jack...made Hardwick move a player onto Thornton and it was the defining move of the game.

Yarran down back.. I remain unconvinced....CY didnt like the tag of White and lost interest, and other coaches will have been watching.

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

Also worth noting that the likes of Supercoach have changed the view on "good football". Safe, sideways, 15m kicks make you a champion for efficiency, but they don't win games. I thought Murphy was BOG at the game, but the HS "points" had him about the 7/8th for the Blues in his points tally. Gary Ablett dominates it for a million dinky handballs a game (and has been known to check his score before leaving the ground).

The point is that Robbo sprays a few, but he brings heart and fight to the contest. In the past, he has struggled through lack of petrol tickets, but his engine has improved. I agree he sprays a few, but there were a couple of contests that he made on his own in the last quarter that no SC rating can give adequate credit to.

Its a measure of the lazy journalism in this business, that the votes and media awards are dominated by SC legends.... And why many of them don't seem to rate Judd anymore (despite the fact that the players obviously do

I thought AW was good on Thursday night. The handball to Eddie for a goal a case in point. We jump over our players more than a little on this site.

When Walker has the ball, I think he's quite handy, his disposal is quite underrated by foot, and is a decent shot on goal.

Everything else is either not of an AFL standard or is in his own interests of getting on the highlight reel. His tackling is terrible, his positioning appears to be selfish, either to get on the end of a cheap handball in the square, or runs to the boundary.

His cautiousness at avoiding contact after the shoulder injuries isn't as bad as it was last year. In theory, I think he'll stay in the team for a few more weeks, based on injuries and a want to justify keeping him on the list, but I don't think he's in our best 22 as a forward.

_________________
BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

[youtube]hBOLU8p1zE8[/youtube]

If Walkers crashes into a Carltn player going for a speccy then call hims selfish. What I saw was a lot of 2 on 1 and 3 on 1 where he was caught behind the the speccy attempt at least brought the ball to ground.
He was our main target till hampson started taking marks in the last.
Thats not his go. I think he will complement waite and Henderson well as the 3rd option.

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T E A M

The higher emphasis on long kicking to position will help Robbo a bit as his precision kicking lets him down at times.


Just on Judd...I think it is more about the injustice that is seen to have been done to Swann. Many seem to have forgotten that it is the system that means that players in dominant teams have votes taken off them by team-mates playing well. Gibbs and Murphy didn't take many votes off Juddy last season, so in a year when he averages career highs in a number of key areas he wins the Brownlow...go figure. I expect all season to hear how well Swann is playing and that Judd is off his game