Im far from convinced, but I do think we have a tendancy to over complicate what is a very simple game. you kick to advantage, you retain possession, you work hard and limit the amount of turn overs you are going a long way to winning a game.

a side can close you down because they are doing the right things, they are running hard, they are applying tackles, they are putting you under pressure forcing the mistakes.

its applied both ways. run had, retain possession, conversely when you don't have possession you run hard and regain possession. that's what teams like Hawthorn do well. Its not as complicated as we tend to make it out. Of course doing it, and maintaining that level intensity is why we are 1-4 and Hawthorn are 4-0, and that is the difference in my opinion.

now do we have the players to maintain that game style is another discussion entirely but for words sums up hawthorns game plan

run hard, retain possession
run hard, regain possession

we did that yesterday for patches of the game. not all of it. for us to be a top 4 side, we need to do week in week out, for 4 quarters (not saying we have the players that can do that)

simple game football.

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Got to love the stare Down by Setanta on Llyod

Re; Bulldogs vs Blues

88 tackles (our record as a club I believe is 90 tackles which has been achieved twice - around the season 2011)

Won the contested ball with 150 contested ball wins.

1%ers and team acts were a lot better too.

And guess what happens when these basics are at least competitive or better than your opponent? You invariably end up with a win or at least a competitive game. And in a game such as this, where the possession tally was about even for both teams, you usually end up with a win.

Lots of improvement yet - But I expect the basics to be ticked off week in week out for any team, not just the Blues.

i wonder why the last time a carlton team won more than 4 games in a row was over a decade ago when Brittain was coach?

(in fact since then, we have only won 4 games in a row ONCE - a disgraceful stat and an embarrassing reflection on the mediocre goals set by this masquerade of Calrton players

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Vice President, International Extreme Sarcasm Society (IESS)

There is no reason why "Basketball Footy" can't win you a premiership, even in todays zoning style of football.

But it does come with some caveats, when the pressure of finals footy is on, you need to be able keep possession or you will be burnt on the rebound.

Hawthorn get around this by stacking its side with left footers that hit their target every time and release pressure with series of short kicks and slow the game down by possessing the ball.

Geelong play counter attack footy, by having strong/hard mids that draw the player to them whilst still being strong enough to release the ball in the tackle to teammates who are free outside the contest.

We don't have the players to pin point pass ala Hawks, not do we have the tough stand up in a tackle mids the Geelong do, so until we have either, it's not a game style that we can take to september assuming we can get that far.

..it will get you finals.. ..with really good talent and consistency, it will get you top four.... ..but it reminds me of prelim peakers bulldogs under eade.. ....finals footy eats the open game styles for breakfast, all variants of them get found out and you wind up with a strong perhaps consistent top four team like eade's bullies and laid's roos that keep coming up short against hard top four teams during home and away and get found out in finals..

..however, if you can get fit enough to run all year, an outside running style might have your team in better shape come finals, in regards to injuries and wear and tear of your squad.. ..what you need is an effective plan B that can arrest tempo and can stand up in finals.. ..and simple man on man footy with high work rate, and an ability to create repeat stoppages when you also have a ruck advantage is an easy enough plan B that you can reliably switch to and trust all players out there can switch as a unit..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..

It's because we don't have the cattle as opposed to an unsustainable game style.

Give the doggies Barry hall in 08 or 09 and things could of been different.

Basically all your saying is we need better KPPs to win a flag.

Good team win. Funny what happens when you tackle well and kick straight....

It'll mean nothing though if we don't show the same spirit against WCE this week. The job has been made harder by the injuries to Curnow, Bell & Judd - unfortunately we don't have the depth to cover injuries like the good teams do (Curnow is the big loss out of that trio) - but adversity creates opportunities, so some guys on the fringes have the chance to show what they can do. If we play with the same energy we give ourselves a chance to win, any drop off will see us getting thrashed IMO. The Eagles will be hungry for a win and I reckon their forwards will be licking their lips.

Are Jamo, Robbo & Menzel due back this week? Sounds like Docherty might not be ready, so I guess the other players in consideration this week would be Armfield, Buckley, Brock, Cachia, Garlett, Graham & Holman. Johnson is on the rookie list, so I don't think he's eligible.

Like others have said, we shouldn't get too carried away with beating the Dogs. They are a developing team. Not easy beats by any stretch of the imagination, but not a top tier side either. Pumping up for the occasional win against a mid-lower table side is something we know we can do. Yes, we showed some g&d and it certainly was a step in the right direction....but I won't start getting excited until we can string 3 or 4 wins together....

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

The only team that got near a premiership with attack first footy was Geelong in 1989. Then it's carlton 72.

I don't think there has been one modern side who has won a premiership without a defense first mantra.
And the whole "if you don't prove it statistically argument" makes you wrong on this site gives me the s...ts. For one what access do we punters have to stats
Two it's a manipulative way of killing the counter arguement
Three on this point the burden of proof should be on those that support down hill skiing not the defense first side that has a litany of football history to support it

If you think they were downhill skiing yesterday,
you weren't at the game.
They worked their arses off, for4 quarters, and as a team.
If you want tedious crap to further infect the pretty much unwatchable games we already have..(mostly..)
then yeah, let's stop this showing the players skills rubbish, and go back to losing both games and the spirit of supporters.

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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.”

flippant comment backfired... sorry to hear about hammer's dad

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my last one was rubbish

We actually only played that way in the Grand Final.

We had the tightest defence all year but only the 5th best attack.

John Nicholls knew we had to change tactics to beat Richmond in the Grand Final, we threw caution to the wind and went all out attack and won the game with a Grand a Final record score.

But we actually got to the Grand Final with defence first tactics.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

Yep, sad to hear that. Remember him being a poster on CSC around the time Hammer was picked up. Really nice guy, rapt that he was drafted to Carlton. Think he "got" the online community, or at least gave it a lot more tolerance than most in his situation do.

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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?

Aaah, the memories. Big Nick to the pocket, destroyed spud Boyanich with 6 goals. The day the G rained goals.

We need to stop thinking we need to copy plans of what has worked for others.
Do what works best with what we have and build from that.

Yeah, God forbid you should have to justify some of the unsubstantiated crap you post here at some stage.

Being asked to actually back up some of your nonsense is a "manipulative way of killing the argument".
I've heard it all now. Thats pretty funny. Even by your standards.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

And while we're at it, what the @#$%&! is a "defence first mantra"?
If anyone can enlighten me, Id' appreciate it.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

I thought you knew everything.

Well. that's 2 of us that dont have a clue.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

We were attack at all costs, run it through the corridor which was correct strategy for weaker opposition but until we learn to kill the contest, close down space, run two ways, 2 on 1 in defense we won't beat the best sides. Sometimes I think if it was anyone but malthouse who delivered the message supporters like you would listen

I know Port won a flag with:

3rd lowest average contested possession
3rd lowest tackling average
3rd highest scoring average
Highest average uncontested possession

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Make Carlton Football Club your sponsored World Vision Child today

Reckon they lost at least 2 chances after finishing top with the same brand.....Geelong were good at the free flowing shoot out style in the late 80's and through to mid 90's.

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"I will rejoice in their anguish, delight in their failure and revel in our success"

We are Carlton, @#$%&! the rest !!!!!!