Like the side. Happy to see Aussie in as well as Yarran (although a bit lucky I would have thought a few were ahead of him).

Hampson was a must.

Guys like Anderson, Browne, Bannister, Garlett, Robbo must have seriously been considered.

Very excited about the INS.

Congrats to Yarran as the 1122nd Carlton player.

Well earned by Hammer and Aussie.

Bad luck Carrots and a 'lucky' welcome back to hard man Hadley.

If Setanta lacked nous last week, the what was Cloke lacking in the last 3 weeks and in particular last week.

Blind Freddy could see that Cloke was the weakest link.

I also thought that over the last 3 weeks of Wiggo and Houla, Houla has been the better of the 2 and Wiggo had a real shocker last week. I think we lose class with Houla. Hopefully Wiggo can snag 3 this week if he plays forward.

I'd say Cloke and Wiggo are in a very precarious position. Cloke was obviously promised a lot over summer, and Wiggo is being rewarded for his great first 2 rounds and a good 3rd round.

Really feel for Setanta.

Next week Robbo and Anderson for Cloke and Wiggo if they aren't careful.

Go Blues.

Pissed off I've had to cancel my flight to the GC because my wife changed young Carlton's birthday party for saturday arvo. They know I can't stay at the party past 6.30pm

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

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It is not as bad as you are lead to believe.......it is %$#^& worse!!!

normally agree with you bondi....

spot on again

Agree though I think the change is more that cloke is a better forward/ruck than setanta, and for this game at least, hampson is a better ruck option than setanta.

I wonder...Cloke to be backup ruck? Austin and Kruise to play more as forwards?

Anyways I like the ins....

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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!

Great to see Austin and Yarran in the side. Im staggered that Cloke is still in there, he should go and buy a lotto ticket. Lets hope Hampson can take the next step.

fanastic too see hampson, austin and yarran finally get a run!
the line up looks great.

I cannot see Cloke circa 2009 as a better forward than Setanta, nor a better ruckman, for the life of me.

Cloke is badly out of form at this very stage and is not a good forward nor a good ruckman. So I wouldn't be comparing Cloke circa 2008 with anyone right now as he has no currency. Setanta at least can run, has height and can get to a contest and more...no argument.

Setanta did more than Cloke last week playing a cameo role forward, ruck and back. The MC couldn't get Cloke into the game no matter what they tried. Given that the MC had no other choice but to drop him to find his feet in the Ants.

Cloke who has been given every opportunity to cement his position with ground time and a position hence why Cloke's form should be under the microscope right now, and Setanta should not even enter the equation imo.

Very disappointing but as I mentioned, the MC must have made a lot of promises to the 195cm Cloke, and it's their call.

Go Blues. I hope Cloke kicks a bag.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Don't want to be negative (happy generally with the changes, although Houlihan a tad unlucky), but has Yarran earned his spot?

I haven't seen the twos play, but reports on here suggest he played well two weeks ago, but that's about it. I hope they're not rushing him.

Having said that, hope he burns em up, with loads of frontal pressure!

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Mens sana in corpore sano.

Bring back the laurel wreath logo!!!

The forward 6 will be Fev, probably Austin, Kreuzer / Hampson / Cloke (resting ruckman), maybe Waite from time to time, then Betts, Yarran, Wiggins, and resting mid fielders. There will be enough talls to allow Fev to be one on one and therefore at his best. Enough fast and creative smalls to shark the ball that is not marked.

Hadley will play in the mid field to block and clear the ball to running players.

Hampson to negate the advantage of Sandilands height with his leap and his speed over the ground to force his opponent to run with him. Judd, Murphy, Gibbs, Stevens, Simpson to do their thing in getting the ball moving forward as fast as possible.

The back 6 - 3 talls Jamieson, Thornton and Bower, 3 runners Joseph, Armfield and Scotland.

Waite and Austin can swing forward or back as is needed.

It is a fast moving and mobile team. Skills are getting better. Aggression at getting the contested ball is what is required.

What is needed is a focus to tackle a lot to keep the ball in play.

If the intensity to get the ball is close to that shown when we played Richmond, North or Brisbane then the result will be clear by half time.

Freo tend to start slowly so scoreboard pressure early is a key. Then shut them down when they trry to rally.

Now that Fev is allowed to kick the new footballs into shape in the warm up, he should be able to eliminate his yips and kick a few in the 1st quarter.

Good luck to Yarran, not sure he really earned his spot though. whats the story with Grigg, still injured?

Bloody AWSOME that the first game up here will have YARRAN in it for me to watch him live...ahhh...

Its all meant to be...whooo hooo

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We are Carlton....F##K the rest!

Clokey must be there based in his QLD form (was it 4 goals v Lions @ Gabba last yr?). Whatever, one of his best games for the CFC.

Other than that, astonished he's still in. Pity for Carrots.

Sure Houla's "class" may be missed, but Yarran has it in spades so a worthy replacement.

Interesting selections...I agree with bringing Yarran in against an unaccountable team like Freo..good way to ease him in. Carazzo must be injured it seems (it is the only explanation for him not being in) but I can't really understand the exclusion of Houla for this game. It's a game where physicality will be at a minimum and I would have thought he'd run rings around Freos defence. Unless he has a niggling injury this one bafffles me as does the exclusion of Carlos ahead of duds like Wiggins and Cloke...I just don't get it.

Anyway Yarrans debut will be something to look out for.

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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

Is this the youngest side Carlton's picked in a while I

The bench will need a creche if Scotland, Wiggins, Cloke and Hadley were dropped for a fit Warnock, Grigg, Walker and Robinson.

I wouldn't mind that happening either.

That is a very well balanced side. If we are to win a premiership before 2012, save for a couple on the injured list these are the names that will be there more often than others.

Re o'hAilpin or Cloke - in some ways, its pleasing to see that when two players are a similar size, an average footballer can still beat a super athlete. But, by the end of the game on Saturday night, the choice will have had no bearing on the result. IMO Cloke creates just as many goals as o'hAilpin. The other options that o'hAilpin brings to the table are outmatched by the rest of the names in the side, so he had to be left out.

We're sitting with 3 wins and 3 losses after losing a tough, physical match on the final meaningful kick of the day. If we get beat this week, then we're at the back of the main bunch and putting pressure on ourselves to string 5 or 6 wins together late in the season.

Freo have hit some form winning their last two including their marquee game for the year. They would have to think they will have their opportunities to win the game. Both sides are travelling, so crowd support will seem bi-polar compared to last week.

That said, we've got their measure on paper and our big guns are firing. If we can manage our midfield rotations as well as we have been and kick straight early, we'll cruise to a comfortable 40 point win.

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"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter" - Winston Churchill.

Hammer defintely better option in the ruck over Cloke and Carlos, but up forward Cloke ahead of Carlos? I would've liked to see Carlos given an opportunity up forward.

Like the ins =really like the ins
as for outs
bentley=should not have been in same applies for santy simply not good enough
carrotts unlucky with the hammy would have been selected for sure

Hoops I really like hoops but this year all his possessions seem rushed and he gets caught a lot
He has lost that burst of pace he used to have - could be a season out of the game that has caused it. He is to skilled a footballer to not continue but he either must regain his pace or learn to break a tackle otherwise he will continue to struggle


if he is good enough he will reinvent himself and come back better

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

Interesting comments re Houla...against Freo I'd pencil him in for about 25 to 30 possessions and probably 3 or 4 goals from 3 or 4 opportunities to score....as he he can actually kick accurately. I cannot see Wiggins or Cloke producing the same as Wiggins can't kick to save his life and Cloke is as slow as a wet week and gets outmarked by midgets.

I have a feeling Houla may have been rested this week.

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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