Cant go defensive on Saturday, we have to take them on and back our midfielders in. There´s no way we´ll shut down their forward line. Even with Livo and Carrazzo, and Norman firing we´d struggle. Fev, Campo & Chambers out just restricts our flexibility more. Our strength is our mid field. SHOOT OUT! Play Houla and Lappo in the forward line, Waite, Whitnall and De Luca as tall forwards, Betts and Davies rotating off the bench ... with a contribution from midfielders kicking goals we´re not exactly impotent. DARE TO WIN.

Agree blue2bone we cant go defensive we have to back our abilities there is no way to cover all their tall forwards for an entire game. Richo and gang are gonna kick goals.

We have to win the ball, keep the man/ball in tight and make tigers play scrappy football. Our best chance of beating them at this point is to make them look over their shoulder everytime they attempt to get the ball.

I think if we make them nervous enuff we will block their supply and most importantly we cant turnover the ball easily.

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Can smell the gf its there for the taking we are the form side

Says it all

Don't it?

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Stay tuned We're in for a BUMPY ride

Inclusions Prender, Cory McGrath, and I think a tall backman. Prender and Cory will add pace to the side Now that limits it to either Digby or Karl as the tall backman. Digby has the edge in experience and stength but Karl may have the edge in pace.

I did think that perhaps we would be better going all out attack and including a small backman but I don't think Dennis likes to coach that way. Also given that without Fevola we don't look like kicking over 20 goals it is imperative that we keep a clamp on the Tigers forward line. If it comes to be a shootout they have proven capable of kicking a big score.

I think that Tambling Krakouer and Meyer will be the major concerns. We do not have a lot of pace in our backline and the 3 of them rotating through the wing, half forward, and forward pocket will be hard to match up. It may end up being man on man and Simpson may get Meyer and run with him wherever he goes. SimilarlyWiggins on Krakouer and McGrath on Tambling with Bannister running with Brown.

The height of the Tigers forward line is a concern with Simmonds, Richardson and either Knobel or Stafford roatating through CHF, FF and FP. Thornton on Richardson, Teague on Simmonds but the third tall or an alternate option if one of the Tiger talls gets on top needs to be addressed. Hence IMO the inclusion of a tall defender is the best option.

What might be tried is to play Prender as a loose man to drop back into the holes, and get Barney to push forward. Tigers defence isn't great, we must win the ball and push forward at all costs. Pressure on Tiger ball-carriers is a must so that supply isn't good into the forward line. With good supply the Tigers will kill us. Wouldn't mind trying Prender on Simmonds either, actually but his lack of smarts worries me.

Thornton plays on Richo that's a given - might try Teague on Stafford - the defence will have to play in front an awful lot and try to read the play better. I'd experiment with a small forward line as well because the Tigers' backline isn't quick.

Waite should play as a CHF and play at CHB if we're getting desperate.

Bannister has to stick to Brown like glue - that is obvious.

B.Johnson on K.Johnson.

Kouta on Coughlan, push forward to keep Coughlan accountable and expose him in the air.

Most importantly there must be space within the F50. The Paddock actually works well against Richmond because their backline isn't that quick and Port only had Tredrea who could take a mark - we on the other hand have multiple avenues to goal - pity Fevola is not playing. Whitnall must put in for 4 quarters. Gaspar will get him.

We have to keep the ball within F50 when it gets there and we need players who are desperate to keep it in to play there.

My forward line is fairly small but it's better on the ground than in the air. Crumbing goals are the order of the day.

B - Simpson, Thornton, Prendergast
HB - Bannister, Deluca, Teague
C - Walker, B.Johnson, Scotland
HF - Lappin, Waite, Houlihan
F - Davies, Whitnall, Betts
R - French, Koutoufides, Stevens
IC - Wiggins, Bentick, Sporn, Longmuir

IN - Prendergast, Bentick, Davies
OUT - Carrazzo, Camporeale, Chambers

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

Deluca must be good to play 2 positions.

Agree with Clem we need someone say Prenda dropping into the spaces so Richo cant lead and get it easy.
Fair to say Richmond will start favourites in this game based on form and our missing personel.
Tigers are enjoying a honeymoon period under Wallace and its going to be hard to break that cycle. Without Fev we are struggling to kick goals and we cant expect Jarrod Waite to be kicking five every week and getting nothing out of Whitnall, Longmuir and Deluca. Eddie Betts is doing his job but we dont have players taking contested marks down forward and we need some other options.
Richo, Stafford, Simmonds is some fair size and I dont think we want players like Teague ending up on ruckman sized players.
We would have to think about Norman , Morrell or both coming into the team to give us some options...even Morrell up forward as another target just to get some heat off Waite and Lance.

Our main hope is that French, Stevens, Kouta, Johnson etc can control the midfield and limit supply to Richo and co...agree with Bannister on Brown.

What a day. The Tigers fans standing in a line near their soc club, giving shit as we trudged off to the station.

I reckon this is the most important match for the CarltonFC since that game. Should be a huge crowd too.

GO BLUES

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#DonTheStash

Lot of talk of Tiggers talls up foward, but what r we going to do to kick enough goals. We cant xpect Waite to do the same as last week. Lance and Lappo will be our 2 best foward players. Gasper will take Lance and beat him IMO, Bowden will take Waite and that is our 2 marking fowards beaten already. Betts and Lappo will be warn like gloves and thats our foward line ppl. Tigers are not same side as last year and there Midfield can match it with ours. Our guys just dont even look like hitting a target up foward 50% of the time. We will need to work super hard this week.

I dont want to sound like i am coming across as Mr Negative but this is how i feel about this weeks game.

fullmont I hear ya brother!!

I am really worried as well.

TC community just wondering is Chris Bryan really an option for this game? I haven't really seen him play so maybe someone could shed some light on if he is ready for the bigtime or not.

We could definitely use his size....

I think you might have failed

I tend to agree with most of the posters here. The way we will win this game if by stopping the ball from entering our defensive 50 too many times.

This not only requires the midfield to play tight but more importantly needs the forwards to fight tooth-n-nail to keep the ball in our half. I would have loved for Karl to be putting up his hand but it is simply not happening so he doesn't deserve a chance at this ppoint in time. Morrel is a chance and although I think he should have spent an extra week in the Bullants I reckon Davies will get the nod.

Personally I would prefer to give AB a chance - an untapped talent at this stage

As far as inclusions are concerned, I think Prenda and McGrath are pretty certain

Very Interesting that even with the lack of talls we got, Neither Norman or Morell are likely to be inculuded... Denis must have totally given up on those two already

If Richmond is got 3 big Ruckmen, and they play 2 of them forward, then its about time Deluca learns to play in Defence and count for one of them....Worth trying....

Although I normally disagree with those who say Prender could be a backman, 3 years ago he beat Richo and kept him to 3 goals. I think Prenders will come in and take Richo on the day, leaving Thornton to take the spare ruckman ie Stafford.

Simmonds is a nuffy but we do need someone of pace to keep up with him, he's not a big pack marker and only takes marks on the lead. I think Norman will have to come in for him as we have no other players of height.

[NB - on CSC some bloke called RiverRat said that Norman was in the VFL squad at training and looked unlikely to make the top team]

The other main worry is Brown but I recommend someone find out his route to the MCG and sideswipe his car. I'm sure the damage will scare him off turning up. Other than that, Bannister is needed on him when going forward. Wiggins is just too loose to play on a deviant like Brown.

I agree with posters who say its out of the middle. Our clearances are good and our tackling needs to stay at a high level to keep their inside midfielders from running off us. I think Brett Johnson is a key player this week, he needs to make sure their fast break players dont get an even chance, so him holding the ball in when Kouta or himself doesn't get the clearance is key.

As for the forward line, no idea at all as to who is going to turn up and who is going to kick straight. I'm betting an accuracy of about 50% and lots of missed chances for that is how we're playing.

Nick Stevens will want to improve on his 1.5 for the year so look out for that extra bounce to get him within 40 metres rather than his pot shots from 50.

Oh you better believe it.

If Johnno fires, which I know he will, we will win.

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Twitter - @johnfeeney24

I didn't get to see the game against the Dawks till yesterday and I thought Johnno did some really good things at the contests. Reminds me of Scotty West. I agree if Johnno fires we'll be hard to beat.

Ah ... why not exactly? Waite is a fourth year player not a first year player and we should be expecting him to perform consistantly if the supply of quality ball is there. Same goes for Whitnall and Lappin.

Betts is the only player we shouldn't have expectations of, yet strangely, I think he'll kick 4 this week.

Against Port - Richmonds touted tall line didn't really fire and it wasn't until they went a bit smaller that it all really clicked for them.

What worries me is Brown taking Bannister to the goal square - don't think Jordy will be able to cope with that one.

We have to stop Shane Tuck too he was everywhere against Port.

Richo pushed up the wing alot against Port and will be happy for him to do that again. - Thornton has to play on Richo and punish him the other way.

Deledio has slipped under our radars and is playing well.

Pettifer also

We need Prenda/Digby dropping back into holes and then rebounding quickly through the middle. Or preferably winning the clearances.

Go Johnno - Think we need Bentick or Davies in the guts too.

I really wanna see someone fly in off the line at the first bounce and give a huge LEGAL - LEGAL BOYS ! - shirt front .

We need to set the tone early and some hunger and fight from the get go would be nice, not at the start of the last quarter.

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

We've got the hardest players at the ball in the AFL. None of them are hard at the man though, only if that man is in the way of the ball.

We'll win this game by being hard at the ball in the clearances. Huge role for Kouta and Johnno. Would like to see Bentick as well for support.

It might come down to a choice between an extra tall, Morrell, or an extra midfielder, Bentick. What to do?

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

Still want to see a big shirt front by one of the boys.

Richmond would fall to pieces being tested like that at the start

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

This one's for Nick *down goes Simmonds*

This one's for Southby *down goes Richo*

I agree with Grrofunger, let's put someone down with a good legal shirtfront, right under the ribcage.

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky