Its hard to know if we really are top heavy. To me we look better balanced. Top heavy in a way where the tall players that usually play certain positions have been replaced by taller players. We havent added extra tall players. Infact we have lost one or 2. That will give us better flexability.

Not saying it is a great lineup but it is more the mix of tall players and smalls i have been hoping for for a while.

Except for the bolded red bit - I agree with everything you said, especially the 1st sentence. If those 2 big lugs can grab 5 to 7 marks within the F50 = game over! Hopefully they do.

Well said Club.

The 5 out are 3 injured players, a former whipping boy in Thornton, and a guy that plenty around here didn't want in the squad during pre-season in Bower so I cant see any great shocks in that group.

I agree the 5 in's hardly inspire confidence, but guess what that's our list! Add Curnow, Gibbs, Garlett or whoever else people wanted gone and that's another 3 average players you can add to the in's.

Tactically, unless we can turn the entire squad into contested ball winning beasts in 7 days then we have to try something. Doing the former though I guess would be 'reactive' anyway, so like Club said I look forward to seeing what those that are paid the big dollars have come up with. Like Malthouse said work out what you do best and try and do that even better...or something like that anyway!

It might belong in the sunshine and lollipops thread, or whatever it's called, but maybe it's a blessing that we have realised that in Rnd 8 we cant just coast to a flag via a natural improvement, rather than finishing say 4th and thinking that it will just automatically then happen next year.

If it completely fails, then try something else. This cant become a wasted year.

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"They're [REDACTED]'

I reckon you've nailed it.

The kids will play good footy when they can be the support crew, not the match winners. If the players you mentioned go in and start to find form, they'll lift the other players around them.

It's basically what's happened to Essendon*. Watson and Stanton start tearing it up in the middle and their other spudly spuds have all of a sudden started playing like superstars. I mean come on, Jet-setter, Davey, Morefrees... these are the same spuds as last year. They just have a massive amount of confidence atm...

It's what's sorely lacking at Visy Park. But watch how well everyone seems to go when it turns around.

I'm tipping a late change or two. Either Kruezer or Hendo to not get up and one of Bower or Watson to replace.

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The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

Ronald Reagan

That's confusing to me....Bower is one of a few willing to take the game on at present. His kicking lets him down, but so did Armfield's for so long and we persisted with him. Bower very, very stiff IMO.

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"I had to eat"

Got no choice.

My worry is if 2 ruckmen in the key forward positions goes ok against a spud team like Melbourne our stupid match committee will think it will work all the time, given their rigidity, and persist against better teams to our detriment (not that we really want anything to fail). We know that it won't work as 100 years of history has told us. Barring the odd week it generally has no hope of working so I'm not sure why we are bothering. So, in my mind at least, I'm not keen of giving it a go, especially when you don't have to. I'd have left out a ruckman, played Bower, then played Henderson forward for a week until Waite returns. Would've make way more sense.

You are right. I thought Bower was one of the half a dozen players or less that is in form. Personally i expect him to play.

Thanks for the effort Rhino. That's a great summary.
So what's right and what's wrong? There are rights and their are wrongs.

I noticed Geelong, Crows and WCE have done it with success this year.
I know the argument that 3 ruckmen does not equal 1 ruckman, 1 mobile ruckman and a KP or 2.
I notice that if other teams play 3 and have successfully), they go unnoticed by some Carlton fans, but here at Carlton land, it's an impossible ask to play 3 top line ruckemn who are very mobile, and dangerous when fit and in form.
That's an opinion without us even trying it. FFS, Let go, we have to try all options without jeopardising 4 points.

Give it a go. Suck it and see. It may be the differentiator we need.
We need something more than what we thought would do it before the season and 1st 3 rounds, but wont.

A 200+ cm young player can become a mega KP. Sandilands can play FF; no doubt. He's known as mega ruck...a lumbering ruckman carrying 120 kgs.

Hampson has shown signs he can cut it as a KP.
Kreuzer has caused headaches up fwd and kicked 11 straight goals to kick start his career. Kernahanesque.
Warnock use to kick goals from all sorts of distances, and has been a forward target at Freo and Carlton.
His kicking since THAT miss has been unreliable, but can come back. He's our tallest and best tap ruckman. Da man.

We have the players to feed off theseKP targets. They are targets.
Their success , like that for defenders, depends on the help they get from the midfield.
A good lead and mark needs a good kick from the midfield.

The onus for success comes from the midfield.

It just so happens that we have Carrazzo and Murphy (1st choice mids in th AFL 2012), and Laidler who'd push out Gibbs or Yarran out of defence missing from the midfield. We have the personnel to help fill the void. We need a change from the last 4 rounds.

Go the 3 ruck sized mobile ruckmen/KP's.
Go Blues.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I reckon this would be the only way you'd accept playing our 3 tallest players in the same game club .
Good reason to do so too. Should be wet and we need to play shorter for that...we just happen to do it by playing taller.
We don't want to get an injury to a tall during the game.

I hope we play as selected.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Wet MCG is not a good thing for us.

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TC suffers from the social media illness - the death of respect and constructive discourse by keyboard.

I've been liking Bower's run and he needs to practice disposal at the end of his run in the V.F.L. – if there was a V.F.L.

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Bawditawaba

haha that is correct Bondiblue. I've always said i would do it but one ruck would have to replace Waite or Walker in the forward line.

We have dropped/lost some sizey/lumbery players and in doing so look like a more mobile and quicker team even with Brock, Ellard and Curnow. You will notice it on game day.
Pace will help cut off a lot of opposition fast breaks and when the ball hits the turf in our back fifty it wont be so scary. We will cop a few marks against in our defensive fifty but we should balance that out going the other way and not letting teams take us on the fast break.

More rotations too which will give us better legs for the 120 mins and hopefully we work tough in the congestion and still be smart enough to spread hard when the time is right.

An injury to a tall will test us but lets hope that doesnt happen.

Bootsma selected as a diversion.

If we are losing Ratts will activate the sub (Bootsma ) and while we are all cheering he'll make his escape via helicopter on the roof of the Ponsford stand.

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I hope Essendon* folds.

The thing bothers me though R2 is that if we're at least half fair-dinkum against Melbourne we should win comfortably. Then the punters walk away thinking whatever odd ball tactic or selection happened on the day is the answer to all our problems. I'm not convinced that so called "easy" games are the best places to experiment with tactics. I do like them to blood youngsters and players down on confidence though and they are doing that.

I liked that.

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I would like to thank Collingwood for helping me keep faith in my old man. He always told me that 'People are thick'.

Thornton injured at training yesterday............. However would have been dropped anyway.

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Life is made up of 3 things: Pre-Season, Post Season & Footy Season.

I like that post Kouta except when you talk about the depth issue last paragraph.

Carrazo Laider and Murph are in the best 22.
Duigan Waite are struggling and in Waites case hes been struggling for 4 years.
Thornton Russell and Bower have been omitted.. so hardly a depth issue.... cos if they are wanted they wuld be in the team
White and Davies are non contribution types.
Lucas hasnt come on.
Casboult Mitchell and Rowe are unavailable but have done nothing to illustrate that even if available would make a difference.
So really its Carrazzo Laidler and Murphy who are our main outs

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

I'm excited that a win against Melbourne will have the whole football world take notice that we're back. and the confidence that will spew out amongst supporters and players will be hard to contain. All the naysayers won't know what to do with themselves on TC next week.

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If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!

If we can work on our structures ill be happy.

But im not gunna be leading any ------ session right yet.

However , if we lose this or win it and were having trouble finding clear inside 50 opportunity and have a hard time in the stoppages... ill be cross!!!

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.