not sure if this thread is up and running,
my squad for north on the 21st,
browne jamison anderson
johnson austin bower
robinson gibbs stevens[c]
russell hartlett hadley
yarran cloke edwards

hampson murphy grigg

i/c; armfield jacobs ellard o'hailpin gartlett bentley

hampson and jacobs to rotate.
o'hailpin to rotate with bower and austin.
armfield, anderson and browne to rotate.
gartlett, ellard and yarran to rotate.
bentley, hadley, gibbs, murphy, grigg and stevens to rotate.


rest judd, fevola ,waite, thornton, kreuzer, houla and carrazzo think thats it?
walker, scotland and warnock are injuried.

huh? are you for real? rest all of them? are they injured? It's a practice game, not a practice rest...

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hands up if you're a sycophant!

yeah why not. do you think that judd, fevola, waite, thornton and kreuzer need to play?. maybe play carrazzo and houla but why not play some new blokes?
love too see robinson, yarran, gartlett, ellard, jacobs, edwards and austin all play.
-with warnock injuried why not give jacobs some game time? leave cloke at chf ALL YEAR!!!!

-give fevola a rest and play some forwards like hartlett and edwards because ''IF'' fevola goes down atleast hartlett and edwards have had a little run. we all know fevola can play.

-why not give austin and o'hailpin a game? experience is everything. if austin comes on it may release waite.

-yarran, gartlett and ellard can all rotate up forward to help ease the pressure on betts.

-having six on the bench helps but its only my opinion but i do believe ratts will play judd, waite, fevola, kreuzer and thornton but being a PRACTICE GAME only why not play some new guys? im sure there will be a hand full of practice games coming up so there will be plenty of time to play judd and co.
with walker, scotland and warnock injuried why risk our five or six stars for one practice game that know one cares about anyway!!!

Interesting...Interesting.

if you pick from yougest to oldest/ seniority...and play the pups to get a look at em...

Well i would pick this team.

browne jamison armfield
grigg bower anderson
johnson murphy bentley
Houlihan hartlett yarran
russell edwards austin

hampson hadley gibbs

i/c; robinson cloke gartlett jacobs ellard Pfieffer

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They coud'nt.....could they?

Simpson: The Forgotten Man

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Griggaisagun

Yeh i think his name is Kade. Heard he is pretty handy on a wing!!

Would like to see Jacobs get a run, if he deserves it.

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It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

Lose the first game and its off to Canberra and then 'who knows where' in the bush to play on grounds that are hard as a rock followed by a lengthy bus ride or overly-complicated flight during the recovery period.

Stack the side early in the NAB Cup and make a commitment to starting the premiership season 3-0 (Rich, Bris, Ess).

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"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter" - Winston Churchill.

dont worry about simpson he will be in like flynn!! {gun}
what do you mean hard travel? we have pratts TWO planes to help out.
i think ratts may play most boys as he is trying to enforce a plan for the home and away season.
but i would like too see these boys play,
robinson, yarran, austin and jacobs.
we know walker and warnock are injuried so having robinson and jacobs play i think it would be fantastic to get some game time in them. i want too see cloke play chf only not in the ruck. having six on the bench i think its a great oppourtunity to play and rotate kreuzer, hampson and jacobs.
austin can rotate down back with the boys while yarran plays up forward with betts.
so if ratts goes with a near strenght team so he can hoan he's game plan i would then like too see,

browne jamison thornton
bower waite johnson {scotland when he's ready}
simpson gibbs stevens
russell cloke yarran
betts fevola kreuzer

hampson judd murphy

i/c; carrazzo, hadley, robinson, austin, jacobs and armfield

still like too see edwards and hartlett play. maybe rest fevola?
injuired; walker, scotland and warnock.

I would not emphasis the NAB SNAB CRAPPADODDLE CUP.

No need to play Judd/ Fev/ Stevo/ Scotland/ etc...it has not done us any good in the past. (Paganworld)

Play the kids and givem a taste. we also need to see how the likes of Robinson/ Yarran/ Tiller go in the real game.

We have depth for once. So lets see how deep our pockets really are.

No one forgot Simmo...we just dont need to play our 'match winner' guys in a ticky touchwood comp when the round 1 starts in March.

The injuries to Fish, Texas and 206 should teach us that already.

There are umpteen players that need to be looked at before we play the tigers.

That is not crazy...in fact I see it as quite sane (conditions apply).

Of course we should play Jacobs and Hammer...bloody hell...the NAB means nothing except exsposure to the AFL competition.

I am starting to get a little worked up now....sorry.

I take it all back.

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They coud'nt.....could they?

maybe mix it up a little?

browne jamison anderson
johnson austin bower
waite gibbs robinson
grigg cloke yarran
gartlett hartlett kreuzer

hampson judd murphy

i/c; jacobs edwards hadley armfield houla o'hailpin

rest; simpson carrazzo stevens fevola thornton betts.
injuried; walker warnock scotland fisher.

want too see a few things for the north game,
-want too see what we have up forward if fevola is not playing, cloke at chf then?
-want too see if austin can play at chb to maybe release waite?
-want too see if we can find someone who can play a shut down role? ling, cornes type.
-but most of all i want too see what the new boys play like!!

With the NAB game creeping up on us, it looks to me like a few players will not be considered:

Warnock, Scotland, Bannister, Hartlett and Bentick.

I'd like to have a look at some of the newbies pressing for 2009 spots: Robinson, Yarran, Garlett and Johnson.

I would also like to see the back 6 spend more time to gel, and avoid experimenting in the back half.
I want Waite played on a wing, and believe we can cover him. I doubt he'll be missing from the backline from what I can summise from the training reports.

We must cover the super tall North forwards Hale and Petrie; they kill us everytime. Setanta is the only man for that job!

Anyway, what I want to see:

B: Armfield Jamison Setanta
HB: Thornton Bower Johnson
C: Waite Judd Walker
HF: Houlihan Cloke Gibbs
F: Betts Fevola Fisher

R: Kreuzer, Hadley, Murphy

I: Hampson Carrazzo, Simpson, Garlett Yarran, Robinson

E: Stevens,Browne, Anderson, Grigg, Russell (making space for the newbies to play)

OUT: Warnock, Scotland, Bannister, Hartlett, Bentick (Injured or underdone?)

What really stands out as a strength is our midfield/ rotation depth; Gibbs and Houla as HF's are part of the midfield mix.

Really want to see Yarran and Robinson most of all. Garlett would be a bonus and I'm sure he'd have us lickin our lips...but I can't see Stevens not playing given he's suspended for round 1.

I really hope we win this and we gain momentum as a club with a winning culture/ mindset.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Good Post BB, like it a lot!

Couple of points I want to make.

People seem to be wanting to fit to many talls in defence. The modern defence has effectively two talls and then mobile running players with one or two that can play tall or small which set up in a zone. After watching a bit of training I feel Ratts will run Waite at CHB but will try and create a situation where he runs as a loose man. Mids will also drift back as will the ruckman when a side gets momentum.

Two of Bower, Thornton, Setanta, Jamo & Austin will fight for those positions. Guys like Grigg, Anderson, Johnson, OKeefe, Walker, Hadley or Bannister can play as runners but can play taller if needed.

Browne, Armfield, Carrots, Simpson, Scotland can play small. Also, don't disregard Yarran having a run in defence this year! Smart and creative he could easily play a McLeod type role and would develop his game.

Fev, Cloke and Kruezer will be our key fwds with Houla, Yarran, Betts running around under them. Fisher, Wiggo, Russell can fill a lead up CHF role if needed. We will rotate between a 3 and 5 man fwd set up.

The rucks will be Hammo supported by Cloke, Kruezer and Setanta. I think Setanta will be valuable because he can fill so many spots and his aggression and enthusiasm is lifting. Watching his training he seems very focused.

The key for us is our midfield. Judd, Murph, Gibbs, Carrots, Armfield, Grigg, Walker, Pfieffer, Stevens, Browne, Hadley, Bannister, Scotland, Houlihan, Robinson, Bentick, Bentley will all rotate through.

We will effectively set up as: 7 defenders, 4 forwards and 7 midfielders who will fill zoned areas around the ground dependant upon whether we have the ball or not or it is in dispute.

The modern game is about being flexible and filling different roles and we are certainly going this way. Our draft focus was on guys that can break the lines, get the ball and use it well by foot. That is what makes Hawthorn and Geelong so good.

I'm not convinced Robinson or Garlett will play NAB Cup...I do expect young Browne and O'Keeffe to see a half each...BB has the spine right for mine...although Gibbs will play Centre for most of the year IMO....Setanta might not be played down back - rather as a pinch hitting player off the bench - if we're at all top heavy as CJ suggests, he's the one who misses. Thornton has the opportunity to have a very good season with the knowledge that if Jamo and Bower are injury free, he gets the third (or fourth) best forward - and given that scenario - Bret should win most battles.

Swanny indicated yesterday that Judd is keen for a run in the NAB cup. Considering its still 2 weeks away he would be right for a run

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C'mon Blueboys!

read this week that we can have eight on the bench with two being replacements only.
i agree i would like to see a settled back 6, although scotland being out makes it a little hard.
so,
browne jamison thornton
bower waite grigg
simpson gibbs robinson
yarran hampson russell
betts fevola fisher

kreuzer judd murphy

i/c; jacobs austin hartlett hadley houla armfield
two replacements; gartlett and edwards

still a few to come back, warnock walker scotland carrazzo cloke stevens o'hailpin

i believe its a quick skillful team with a few out for a rest or an injury.
-maybe give hampson a run around at chf see how he goes with he's pace and leap.
-gartlett to replace betts at half time.
-edwards to replace fisher at half time.
-like to see austin release waite to a wing or pushing forward.
-but i just cant wait and look forward to family day next sunday.

bower jamison bower
grigg waite austin
simpson gibbs russell
yarran cloke robinson
hampson hartlett betts

kreuzer judd murphy

i/c; jacobs armfield hadley houla gartlett joseph

two replacements; fevola for a half or so and thornton likewise.

You've got Bower in both back pockets. Replace one with O'hAilpin.

sorry its browne in the other pocket. think we have enough talls with waite, bower, austin, jamison and thornton as a replacement.

I'd be going in as full strength as possible:

B: Browne, Jamo, T-Bird
HB: Waite, Bower, Johnson
C: Walker, Gibbs, Simmo
HF: Houligan, Cloke, Russell
F: Betts, Fevola, Kreuzer

RCK: Hammer, Judd, Murphy

Int: Grigg, Austin, Stevens, Robinson, Jacobs, Hadley

Sub: Bentley, Joseph - Replacing Judd and Walker at half time.

I see Bentley having a huge opportunity to step up as our number 1 in and under with Bentick injured and Hadley a history of injuries.

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Mjonc signing off at 8888