We've lost the past few primarily on the basis that they've exposed an over reliance on the "kick it to the champ" mentality. Sewell's torn Judd a new one several times now.

Given a lesser reliance on him, and if Curnow and Cachia do a similar job on Lewis and Mitchell that they did on Watson and Stanton, I reckon we win it.

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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?

no way

their defence would be licking their lips right about now at the thought of intercepting all our misguided bombs into the F50

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

The issue is finding a decent opponent for Brian Lake.

I don't think Casboult is that guy - reminds me of the NAB Cup final, a similar type of defender in Merrett ran him around all over the place. Rowe may be a smarter match up.

Laidler may be able to play a defensive tag on him. I don't think we can afford to move Henderson forward with Roughead and Franklin at the other end.

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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?

Teams with nice disposal slice through us too; our ability to win it back from the opposition isn't great.

It's no surprise that Sydney and Hawthorn have lots of players who are excellent kicks; compare it to a lot of our list.

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"You are being watched. The government has a secret system. A machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because I built it." - Finch

Already ruled out.

AJ shouldn't get another game for Carlton if we are serious about improving as a club IMO.

Yep, Clarkson said the other night Rioli won't play til after the bye.

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#DonTheStash

Can someone tell our blokes that some of the Dawks kick with their left foot

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Cheats never prosper (except in the AFL)

Hawks by 45 pts

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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

Don't they consider the game against us as their extra bye?

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

Winston Churchill

Good point!

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#DonTheStash

Wont be a bye .. we wont be thrashed.. but we wont win

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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.

Their bye is this weekend.....

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Menzel for Lucas. Only change I'd make. Betts, yarran, garlett and menzel to rotate through the middle.
Still fumin Lucas missed a crucial goal from five metres which could've iced the game. Plus he is p!ss weak and has to go!!

Robinson needs a couple of " wake up " weeks in the twos . Drop him and bring Laidler in .
Start Laidler forward .

Carrots will need a run in the VFL if he is fit enough to play . Been out too long to bring straight back into the senior side .

Would like to see Menzel get a few games against these top sides in the next couple of weeks too . Not sure who I'd leave out though .

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Get the facts first.
Then you can distort them at your leisure.

While I agree with the thinking in theory, and was surprised we didn't see more of it on Friday night. Betts is clearly short of a gallop at the moment, so it's not going to happen. Yarran simply doesn't have the tank at the moment. And Menzel didn't do a preseason, and so is the most unfit of that group! So 3 of them would last for only a couple of minutes in there, and then would be too knackered to win the ball up forward or apply any defensive pressure.

No chance Menzel's going to play this coming Friday. Can you imagine what Sewell, Lewis, Hodge and Guerra would do to him?

Given that Laidler got slaughtered by Yagmoor for the last 3 quarters, because he couldn't apply any defensive pressure whatsoever, he's absolutely no chance of playing.

Are you tinkin' tankin' like around circa 2005 when Pies got Pendles and Daisy?
MM wouldn't do that...those days of 2 draft picks are over...or is it we need hight draft picks to trade?

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Lake has a new lease on life. Much more mobile and runs off his man...a lot....can be caught out if our defensive pressure up the ground improves. Waite/ Casboult combo at FF?

Would love give them grief by having Hendo join them Fwd....but who looks after Roughy and Buddy, let alone Gunston as their 3 talls? White (avearge), Jammo (yes)....Hendo it is.

One on one contests me thinks, and an extra backman.

What we have over them is pace and that is a weapon we have to use.

What concerns me is our fade outs in the last Q last Friday, against the Pies, Saints, Cats...we fought back against the Tiges in the last but we had conserved energy with our long bombs along the boundary strategy against them.

Do we have the engine to go 120 minutes?

Curnow does so I bet he stays. Carrots can but he's a bit underdone??? McLean can despite being slow (imo too slow, but we don't have alternatives).

Having watched the replay I would suggest that it was our disposal which let us down in the last Q. If Murphy, Judd, Simmo, Walker...genuine ball carriers can improve their disposal by foot then we have a chance to tear these guys up.

We need grunt in the midfield and for that reason I can't see Robbo going anywhere and Carrots would help in there too. We need to want to hurt them as much as they want to hurt us. That's a must in the guts.

The Hawks don't scare me, but by confidence of an improvement from our guys on last week wanes.

I'd like to bring Menzel in to add another goalkicker but we need runners for 120 minutes so can't see that happening.

Finally, is it important to bring in Warnock to at least nullify the ruck? WE can't allow them to give their midfielders first use or any advantage.

The questions, the questions...6 days to go. What will help us get over the line is precision passing into the forwardline because they wil counter our long bombing.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

In some respects this game looms as being more important than the Bombers game.

While we might not win, we really need to press hard.

It will show if the squad is developing any real belief in themselves, the game style and the coach.

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I hope Essendon* folds.

We will get royally reamed.

BUT:

I'll be like a deer transfixed in the headlight, watching the oncoming train.
Like a mouse in the steely stare of his executioner, the cat.
Like a frog mesmerized by the water krait, unable to jump or break the stare.
Like Lionel Rose against Ruben Olivares, standing there smiling as he got pummeled but unable to fight and unwilling to fall.
Like Tony Greig, no helmet, watching D.K. off the long run, wanting to run but knowing he has to stay and cop one between the eyes at 160k.

Are we getting the picture?

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Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)