Ed who had 30 possessions, our equal most tackles (7), our most clearances (8), our most centre clearances (4), our most inside 50's (10)?
How does this "protected species" keep getting a game?

BTW, who "cleaned him up" exactly?

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Think he meant Eddie.

I hope so.
Mind you, there's a couple of posters here who call for Ed to be dropped every second week.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

The fact there isn’t anyone pushing him out the side is more concerning. Will never forget when Licuria and Lockyer got pushed out of Coll midfield was when they announced themselves in the early 00s. Ed is a similar player to those two, but with us the rung underneath are either or both underdeveloped or not ruthless enough

Ed was minding Zorko after the 1st BV. But I assume you knew that. Too clean for him and kept losing him easily.
I stand by that we need to move on from players such as Ed, Gibbons, Newnes and Cottrell, else we aren’t moving forward. You don’t have to agree.

You need to play in the role and allow them to keep him out. They can’t push him out, if they don’t get an opportunity. Playing SPS on a wing for 1 game and then dropping him, is an example of incompetence in development. Kennedy, Stocker, O’Brien are other examples. Anyway - let’s see how wrong I am.

I think the MC are worried about their speed through the middle which is why Dow got the nod over Settefield.

SPS to be the sub... and still yet to play reserves

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“I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” ― Richard Feynman

Apparently Andrew Russell is the best in business , when he was at the hawks comes to Carlton and everyone is injured !!

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#sayerscouldbetheman!!

..MM dropped for output, or actual injury ??.. ....if he's not injured, or Carlton style not injured enough, I think he should be played.. ....with time through the middle.. ....and use him, if not now, then later,, as an offensive player.. ....all out attacking play.. ....give him license to roll the dice..

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

Well said. For some strange irrational reason they seem to love Dow who is not good enough to tie SPS's bootlaces. But they keep flogging the dead horse because he was pick 3. Apparently Setterfield was BOG last week but they recall can't kick, can't mark, can't find the ball Dow. Go figure !

We have hit a point where we are cycling rookies (kennedy, owies & parks) and playing out of form kids due to injury list being too long.

I am surprised that Dow has been recalled so quickly - I would have thought his challenge was to learn how to get to more contests and get the ball more. I think he did do that in the VFL last week but would have thought he’d need a string of performances like that to embed that capability.

I was also surprised that SPS has been dropped but we don’t know what has been said to him - e.g. we’re going to move you out of the backline but your challenge is to maintain defensive pressure and accountability. I’m pretty sure he was not all that accountable at times against the Lions. So perhaps, that is what is behind him being dropped.

Perhaps, overall, the MC is telling the players that we are going to put a higher premium on intensity and accoutntability than on nice skills?

I don’t know, hard to tell - just trying to work it out?

Been carrying a leg injury since first quarter round 2 vs Pies.
Carrying a bad corkie in last 2 weeks.

He's done OK considering.

Needs to get over injury.
Glad he's been rested.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Dropped to the VFL to find form.
Teague suggested players will be judged from a body of work ie, no call ups for one good week.

He played 3/4 of a game last week in the VFL.
Played with intensity in the guts. Looked great. Tough at the contest.
Was BOG when taken off to rest. Strange decision.

I guess he wouldn't have been recalled had it not been for injuries to first selected Williams and Murphy.

There's 7 best 22 players out injured this week, plus the developing Kemp Philp and Carroll.
Newman and DeKoning back for their first game in the VFL.

Makes Dow best available, I guess.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

...and that's the game today.

Starts with Pitto.
If he can't dominate against this first gamer and the non-ruckmen likely to give Bryan a chop out, Wright and Stewart, he's definetely a VFL standard ruckman.

He wins the ruck, and he directs play for Cripps and Dow whilst Ed tags Parish. With support from Walsh, Cuningham and Newnes, we should be too strong in the mids

Plow has to blanket Tippa. He's done it before.

Owies will add to forward pressure mantra Teague has been talking about all year. With Fog and Betts that's a lot of forward pressure. Gibbo has to make amends. With Murphy Williams back next week and if Owies holds his spot, pressure to perform is today.

We are not carrying injured players...Crippa? He's a beast when sore.
We are the bigger and stronger team. The external heat has been on High.
Hopefully Effendrugs* played their GF last week and today is deflating despite being their home game at the MCG.

I'm expecting a 5 goal win to the Bluebaggers. Maybe more.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

What's Williams said?

We've been playing him injured since round 2.
In one week, out the other.
He needs to be given time to recover.

Playing injured doesn't do anyone any good.

Good decision.
We need to play fit players on the G

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Its strange in a way, but posters have named SPS to be dropped or play midfield for a long time.
I thought SPS was really good last week playing further up the ground.

As for the timing of this change...maybe Dows pace is preferred.

Who knows

Glad Owies and Parks are in.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Re SPS fair enough.

Newnes is more important on a wing than Gibbo of late.
We don't know if Owies is not AFL ready. Its a forward pressure role, and he can do that, and can kick goals.
JSOS isn't playing any football this weekend.

We have 7 best 22 players out injured.
2 best 22 players returning for first game today in VFL.
Developing players Kemp Philp Carroll on sidelines.

Setterfield, Kennedy, OBrien are the only other players to consider replacing Gibbo, Newnes...cupboard is bare

I don't understand your attack on Ed.
Who cleaned up Ed last week? He was tagging.
I'd suggest his opponent got beaten with the numbers he produced last week....anyway, the cupboard is bare other than the above 3 mentioned.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I'm of the opinion that our midfield group getting the ball into forwardline quickly is a Teague directive.

Hence the hacking forward, the long bombs, the lack of planned connection between Midfield and Forwards.

Ed is strong enough to stand in a tackle and pass it to a player running past, but I can't see these options presenting.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Thanks for the numbers.

Proves the point.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue