Nah don't be dismayed T4. Short term thing...I'm still single if you play your cards right

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#DonTheStash

what horrible poker game in hell would I have to win for that?

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Love Cricket? Love me

Agree Chambers would have been nice today, even if for his fitness. It's a positive for us that he should be right next week too.

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SIMMO!!!!!!!

!!!!!!

!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Love Cricket? Love me

Good point Warby. I thought we missed the running power of both Chambers and Walker. Given our current gameplan of midfielders running hard to apply defensive pressure and then charging forward, you do need strong running power. Maybe the couple of extra on the bench in the Wizard Cup made it a little easier to sustain the gameplan during preseason.

I also agree with you, Mav, about Houla's effort near the end of the game.

Betts showed some obvious and much needed forward crumbing flair. We really need to be able to play Lappin up forward as well, I think. I was also super impressed with both Carrazzo and Teague. If Teague can continue to perform at his current level, he might surprise us again in the voting at the end of the year.

3 words to some up todays game.

Yeah but nah.

It was always going to be tough when you look at our bench in the 2nd qtr and all we had was Eddie and Archie. Good players but not players that will allow our mid fielders to have a break. We lacked freshness and run. We lloked flat and allowed the Roos to dictate terms. The signs were not good from about half way through the second quater.

Roos were more hungry, ran harder and always had fresh legs to throw on the ground.

Frenchy is now a possession-getting ruckman with an influence on games.

Fevola had one of his worst games in ages and still kicked 3.

Betts is a livewire and provided the contest and commitment most of the others didn't. I can see him and a straight-kicking Davies causing some real headaches.

Unscathed return of the Koutaman.

We got done by our bogey side.Reckon Kouta and Barney were our only 4quarter contributors for the day.Hence,huge room for improvement.Honestly not overly concerned about our established players poor form.Reckon those 2nd tier players were the big worry.Someone from the young guys have got to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and announce,i have arrived.Not a cameo,but a fullblooded 4 quarter onslaught.

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All my dangerous friends

The game didn't get televised down here so can't add much to what everyone else is saying...however one other positive is at least now we have some quality back up players...Wiggo...Norman...Chambers...Johnson...Simpson...Boyer...Setanta....and others that will surely be going flat out pushing for a game in the ones...unlike the last few years where we had very few options

Positives....Kouta(rusty though and cost us goals), Betts (isn't he lively ) and Waite.
Boys played dumb uninspiring footy today.

Hopefully they will be ready to play next week and this won't be the norm.

In the space of losing one game of football we have moved from 10th to 5th on the ladder. We ARE back in the eight, even if it is only for one day. How long has it been since we were in the eight during the home and away season? Keep the faith! Keep the faith!

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A Blues Supporter - not a Blues Bagger.

The clock ticking over to 2am and then updateing the clock due to daylight savings and it now being 1am.

We just gained another hour drinking.

We wore blue shorts

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#DonTheStash

As people have said Kouta's possession tally was a plus though his turnovers cost us three goals for mine.

Apart form that only Teague, Betts and Mcgrath on Wells had a decent game.

Laidley out coached Pagan all day and the kangaroos won with their 'soccer style' possession game, boring as hell but very team orientated and very effective. Our lack of class in the midfield showed out, Prendagast isn't an effective midfield option when your forwards are being double and tripled teamed as all he can do is kick long. Stevens had one decent entry inside fifty all day and Scotland/Camporeale had none. Didn't like the Mcgrath on Wells option, thought Cory had become an effective runner for us in the Wizard Cup winning some good inside ball as well. For mine with three taggers running all day Pagan coached too negative and a negative result is what we got.

Positives:

Kouta had a bad game, Fevola had a bad game, Whitnall had a bad game, Stevens had a bad game, Scotland had a bad game, Camporeale had a bad game, Thornton was out with injury, Livingston was gone by half time.

Yet we only lost by 20 odd points and we were still had a chance to win until the 20 mintue mark of the final quarter.

Kouta's posession count was good but one thing I'd like to raise (just to put a dampener on things) is the amount of turnovers his posessions ended up being - I tink the ratio must hae been around 40%...

I think Houlihan was also costly with some of his disposals.

Positives though:

Davies handpass to Stevens who sent it lace out to Fev... that was magic and more of what we need to see to be a winning team.

Barnaby impose himself on the game.

Eddie Betts two awesome goals. He reminded me of Winston Abraham when he used to kick those freakish goals.

However, the negatives outweighed the positives for me today. Seeing Livingstone in all that pain sucked, and to hear about Walker hurting his calf is another blow. What happens to the Carlton backline now? Two KPP down. Can Norman fill the void? I think Morrell did alright back there.

Now to try and get up to pummell Essendon*. If Carlton can't get up next Friday against the old foe, then the outlook doesnt look so fantastic

The biggest positive for me is the level of disappointment I have that we lost. Over the last few seasons when we'd lose a game I'd be disappointed, but I wouldn't necessarily feel like we'd lost one we should have won, and on some occasions I'd actually be relieved we hadn't been absolutely slaughtered. Now, with all due respect to the Roos, I feel like we honestly should have won the game and it's this feeling of expectation that I take as the biggest positive.

Player wise, Kouta is the master of clearances. His disposal did let him down, but at least he was getting the bloody thing. Eddie Betts was very good for his limited time on the ground. Quick, freakish goal sense, and a handy tackler. Waite is set for a big year injury permitting. Catlike and with a certain grace and fluidity about his movement. He has the dodgiest of beards though.

Don't forget his little toepoke through traffic at the top of the square to Scotland for a great assist. Great vision, great skills.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

With one game to go we have the second best percentage of the losers. Unless tomorrow's game is very tight we should be 10th. ATM Essendon* are 2nd bottom & the reigning premiers are 3rd bottom.