I don't have an issue with Murphy and Simpson chairing Gibbs off. They're good mates and went through a lot together, fair enough.

The issue for me is the smiles on their faces as they do it, as though what just transpired was just forgotten.

Murphy, Simpson, Betts and Barker are the final reminders of the 'near enough is good enough' era, which is a poison that needs to be extracted from the club.

Yep. Murphy, Simpson, Betts, thanks for you service. We need to develop the kids, the next generation need to take charge (if they can).

The MC picked three ins that are ground level players. LOB is an endurance freak with a great left leg. It was obvious to me from the selection that we were going to run the ball through the middle.
Did they use LOB's strengths?
No.
Did they play Gibbo in the mid field where he has played his best footy for us?
No.
Did Eddie have space to move around in in the F50?
No.

So why flowering pick them?

LOB will be dropped because he didn't rack up possessions in a chippy chippy down the line for almost three quarters that doesn't suit his skillset. He had a few possies late and when he took that one hander I said to my wife's uncle,
"This boy is a beautiful kick. This will be a goal."
SPS was back to his 14 metre passes sideways this week except for a few times he tried to penetrate and it came off but he will probably be remembered for getting caught HTB in the last five minutes when he was trying to break the lines.
Willo has such a beautiful left foot but how many times did he use it to create aopportunities through the centre. Even on the TV I could see they are not allowed to do it. Two players alone in the centre of the ground and he just followed the team plan of chippy chippy or long down the boundary.

Where is the team that ran Geelong off its feet?
Where is the team that ran the Dogs ragged?

The expectation of most of us was that a 10-12 finish would be a good result for the year but they showed us in those early games that they had the capacity to beat the good teams and actually make a statement and finish inside the eight. I think that's why we are all so pissed off now is that we know they are good enough, all they have to do is turn up and play four quarters of attacking footy. But they have gone back to the BB/MM game plan that is twenty years out of date. It's OK to do it when you are trying to control the tempo of the game for a few minutes but it should be plan B to stop a five goal run by the other team and not the only way you attack the goals.

I wonder:

I wonder if this team is not Teague's team?

I wonder if Teague's team will have Cripps and Setters and Walsh; the rest he will cast off, not his type - whatever that means.
I wonder if the Gov will be set free, to wander some distant desert land talking a crock of shit while sipping tea - 'oh Lawrence, remember the good old days when the Arabs and we went dancing with the camels?'
I wonder if Fish is doomed to never dance in the center again, a bridesman never a groom? Or worse he too, to make room for a new crop of 'whomevers' that Teague claims as his own.

I wonder if this club is paid by the anguish is brings is a reverse bizarre world to the one that once brought joy, fishing up wins like a plethora of John the Baptist head's bleeding on the platter of our third quarters?And in my ears still rings the pounding of the signage, ah the glory of the yesteryears - who remembers? Who recalls with me the days of gold and plunder?

I wonder what side we might be when we scored every scored rather than one of our two or three?
I wonder if Weitering is sad and sore knowing his body carries the weight of a backline - will he, like Cripps, find Atlas was a god and so a mantle no man can maintain?
I wonder if Harry secretly loves Gov cos he shines all the brighter in that sow's ear of empty illusions - and if so beware, beware the Jabberwocky Curnow the younger, beware the jibbedy-jab that sends your talent trickling into this century's long line of Carlton could-have-beens - perhaps have a chat with Gibbs if you're around Curnow lad, talk to him about missed opportunities. Beware the tale that tells the story of Harry as the one who stood tallest while you fell into the endless cycle of disrepair.

I wonder if Kemp feels a strain on the knee already as expectations grow that he is the next in the hunched-shoulders and weary eyes of so many dismayed saviors?
I wonder if Essendon** and Carlton are in a heroic struggle to the bottom of the pit? It is too close to call that tussle between the pride and folly of two clubs so lost in the shadows, like moons fallen to the silent lands beneath.
I wonder if I will ever believe again?

Am I then damaged, fallen, lost, trussed up in the twine of too many gloriously explored avenues to losing?
Carlton my Carlton, I remember and that memory makes the present so much harder to bear.



I wonder what we'll be like next year?

Remember when Teague brought an offensive game plan to the club. When he wanted us to be daring and look to score. We used to use the corridor and take the game on. Now we just kick long down the line and lead to the pockets. So predictable and so easy to defend against. Very average to watch

No excuses for me, Teague has to wear this. 17 games of 27 5 goal swings. It is officially a joke let alone a nightmare for us.

We'll know in a couple of years about the culture. If you expected that to be changed in such a short time you are dreaming. Really dreaming. God knows how many years it took Hardwick at Richmond to change those years of horrible culture.

7 wins, doubt it'll be 8, is about 9.25 wins in a normal year. We'd have taken that at the start of the year. The culture and mental aspects has cost us finals this year. I'd leave that in no doubt, and it is really frustrating. 13-14 though is alot better than the previous 4-40. Those other aspects have alot of work ahead though otherwise we'll hit a massive roadblock. Get those right and the physical aspects will be more like the we showed in the Bulldogs game as they'll be great commitment. Years of a losing culture is really turned around in a year though. That's the next test.

7 wins this sounded sounded good at the start but now feels an under-achievement.

Then we defend too high up the ground so the other team has all the space to run into if they break through our initial line of defence.

We need to get rid of the dead wood and losing culture !! Gibbs , Murphy , simmo , Kruser a part of the worst losing history in our club and Simmo and Murphy need to be cut immediately

We have Kruger retiring and nothing for him , who is still on our list , and our season on the line !!
But no , we are hugging Gibbs before the game and on top of that , the bottom side wins 3 games in a row and we can’t even do that

Simmo and Murphy( he let sholl kick 2 goals on him ) leave with Kruser !!

And don’t get me started on Liam Jones and why Docherty played today !!

I can’t wait for josh Kennedy from eagles to kick 15 on us and then retire and we carry him off also

I'd like to think that someone like Weitering pulls that next generation together and says "Did you see that horseshit? That ends now. I promise you that in 10 years time you won't see us chairing an opponent off the ground with smiles on our faces after a loss..."