There where a lot of positives for the Blues in wining into the 3rd round of the NAB

I am happy with the fact that the blues got through to the 3rd round and kept the NAB Preseason alive. This is not getting ahead of ourselves as i am not going to base the main season on the NAB but winning through the NAB for our list and team especially with all the dramas of the last 4 years had to be seen as a positive.

We could win or loose the NAB and how we play through the year wont change to much.

So whats the positives of the Blues NAB campaign.
* 2 weeks in a row nobody has given us much chance to win and yet we have won both matches
* After both wins there seems to be more excuses for the opposition loosing than the Blues winning yet prior to the Pre-season the Bombers and sheedy where talking up the bombers and how 2007 will look to them... The Hawks are a team on the rise and Aurora is there home ground where they have not been beaten in there last 3-4 encounters.
Both outfits we played both wanted to play and maybe not full strength but where 90% to full strength sides.
* Do we expose our Game plan i think yesterdays game plan was to pressure the Hawks and stop there running game which we did in the endand if we play the hawks in the season proper we will still play that way as that is the weakness of the Hawks who revert to there chipping game.
* After both wins stated we are playing our best list which is probably close to correct the thing people are missing is that this list is hopefully going to improve over the season as all these new young kids get regular game time together. That should mean that we will improve and be better than what we where in the NAB when we hit the season proper.
* Winning in the NAB preseason means we also give confidence to the playing group who need to taste a win and sing the song... long time between drinks over last 2-3 years. Good for the players ... good for the coaching group... good for the president working on fixing the off field situation and will make his job easier. Great for supporters sponsers and members to see some success and positives. Remember the last 3-4 years we havnt had much to be positive about with the off field and the win loss ratio... The players need to taste some win even if it is NAB Cub
* Do you get ahead of yourself definately not but you hope the players carry on the ethic they have displayed into the season proper that is play 4 quarters and be competative throughout the season. History shows we can play and win the NAB or get knocked out in the first round and didnt change how our season turned out so stuff may as well win it.
* Winning through the NAB means we stay in the media and come Thursday the focus goes on the teams remaining in the NAB not the teams playing in the practice matches. As supporters we get to see the game live not read about the result in the paper. The players get some confidence and will get some self belief in themselves.
* After the Hawks game hopefully the coaching panel says well done guys we won but review the match and show the problems we have in turn over and disposal. But also encourage the 4 quarter effort and how we continued to preasure.



Anyway glad for the win know there are lots for the coaches to work on and hope we get through the NAB GF

GO BLUES

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CFC TAC Squad everyone over 25 must be traded sounds like Loguns Run

Apart from the obvious benefits in terms of morale and membership the last two weeks I have been really impressed with the fierceness of our tackling. Over the last four seasons was sick and tired of seeing our guys brushed aside so easily. It may be only the preseason but if they keep it up for the real stuff it will be a real positive.

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"Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot about puppies." - Gene Hill

Agreed if you take into context of how you rate a game with match conditions which would be TV coverage / Crowds / keeping in the spotlight

Here is how i deam the importance of the NAB

Intraclub / Practice matches / VFL / NAB / AFL Proper.

The NAB is the closest our player can get to the Real AFL season proper. We need as many games where we will be in close to real AFL season proper for the Players to gain experience and also play where there is a crowd / TV coverage / scrutiny..

The NAB is going to be better for Gibbs / Ackland / Cloke / Murphy / Jackson ect and many of the other young kids to experience near match conditions. They will benefit more than they would from a pratice match.

Add to that we have 3 new assistant coaches in our panel Ratten / bradley and Corsisca so they also need to get the experience of all working together and working on improving how we play the game.

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CFC TAC Squad everyone over 25 must be traded sounds like Loguns Run

Yup............

all good................!


kindest regards tommi


















i'm pretty sure we finished 16th last year....................!

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that'siti'mnotchangingthistagain......!

Need.to.pin.the.arms.

Otherwise you're right.

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

How good was Jackson last night?
Give this kid 4 quarters in the midfield...

- we broke this statement "Carlton has not won a serious match interstate since round 11, 2004," .. good for the team to win interstate,

- both fish and carrots kicked great set shot goals when the pressure was on, that's gotta be a positive (how many of us expected the sprayed wobbler)

- either way we'd still be playing a game on the weekend, so might as well have something to play for

- first time we've played in tassie , so by winning last week thats only going to help us in the future as we now know the ground

- we get to see murph play

winning is all good

.. go blues ..

Every NAB Cup win is a step closer to the $1 mil for the premiership double

Mate, I've been taught that ever since juniors... everybody get taught to pin the arms to prevent a disposal and, if possible, to sling the player around to alter their intended disposal destination should they get the ball out...

...know the above and doing it are two seperate things... and tackling that way - in the middle of a match - isn't easy at all... but I'm sure they're trying...

I know - but you'd be surprised how easily some fundamentals can be lost at the elite level.

Just have to be smart about the angle you attack the man from, how you gain leverage, how you strike, how you clamp down.

It would seem about three-quarters of our team fail to take this into consideration when training, and there's no time to consider it in a match - you need to know it.

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

I know the guys are playing a higher level and faster pace then I ever did, but I was always taught to tackle at about mid-chest level so that you pin the arms 99 times out of 100.
Imagine your arms by your side, the target area was just above the elbow area.
The hands are still free, but there is no movement in the arms.

Aghh, sounds so simple doesn't it!
It's so easy being an armchair critic!

My positives have been the following:

- Waite and O'Hailpin in defence
- The improvement in Jordan Russell

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There is no footy god

Very impressive Josh, very impressive. The kid has footy smarts.

Setanta in defence... has done quite well IMO - question though, do you think he was given a directive to handball off to a running player - or is he not quite that confident with rebounding from the back 50 by foot?!

By the end of the year I suspect he will be well settled in the backline...