In todays HS, SC mentioned something about a couple of CFC players being on the juice just before we played last years final. Is there any substance to his claim?

(He raised in the context of predicting that we might finish 9th given concerns with our level of discipline ie Booze cruise and pre-final drink).

cheers

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/dogs-drought-over-shane-crawford/story-e6frf9jf-1225827482555


What a wank,,,,,,,,,,,,Crawford should stick to being a clown on TFS !!!

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i think he meant the garlett betts cloke drinking scenario

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shane crawford wouldn't know what the f#$% he meant himslef... total stooge

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Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.

He only said what the fans have said across all the forums over the pre-season.

And it is just his opinion....in which he included the opinion that this year would be a good grounding for 2011.

I won't be happy if we finish out of the 8....but after crap over the pre-season, this year will be a lot harder than I was anticipating. But as long as we learn and grow....

I think he was pretty well spot on for a lot of it.
Geelong showed a couple of chinks last year and this last week won't help if Stokes gets suspended. They also lost Mumford and Scarlett.
The Dogs weren't too far off last year and they have to do something this year or...adios. Hall will straighten them up. If he gets 50 goals, they still have the medium forwards and mids they had lasy year. I hope they win it.
StK is playing great footy but IMO they rely too much on one man and this makes them vulnerable IMO. Riewoldt has has a good long run since his collarbone but if he were to get injured for several weeks, they would struggle as a team. He is a great player but he also makes others around him play better.
We struggled for consistency last year as did Essendon*. Those who fininsh 7-8 are in the gun to stay in the eight every year. Our draw early will put pressure on the second half of the season.
Hawthorn had an annus horribilis last year and will jump straight into the top 4 IMO and will probably play off for the flag.
One of Essendon* or Carlton will probably drop out of the eight. If we beat them twice, we will stay in at their expense. The eagles I am not sure about. Let's not forget the logjam between 7-10 at the end of last year. We got there but it was a close thing.
I think this year we will be developing for 2011. We have a new fwd setup to get used to (read new game plan) and a new ruck division.
We will also be without Judd for three weeks early on.

Crawford might well be a second-rate comedian but he did play a lot of footy and that has to count for something when he states his opinion.

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each year you think who will make the eight and usually it doesnt pan out that way.
and there is usually a bolter.

i think its will be pretty open with no real domiant sides.
Dogs are old and rely on a running game.
Geelong as you say have chinks. ageing defence.. no forward line and no depth in the ruck.. but a bloody good midfield
Saints have a bunch of hacks with 3 vital cogs in their side... Hayes is the extracter.. Goddard the user.. and Riewoldt.. and a gameplan.. that other coaches have had a good look and some time to counter.
After that you can throw a blanket over just about every other club and it will depend on who has the right mix of players.. atitude.. fitness and gamplan

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txs for the feedback

must say, Adelaide always impress me. Have always bobbed their heads up and been very competitive. If their talent continues to develop = dangerous!

PS would have preferred the interview with Ratten on the weekend focused on culture vs forward line. having said that, i did appreciate the implied 'cone of silence' re the clubs drinking policy post the work done Leading Teams

Adelaide are doing a good job of making Collingwood look good in September. Neil Craig is a champion in the home and away season but for whatever reason the Crows can't go more than two weeks in the finals. StKilda or the Dogs for mine.

Let's hope Crawf is no genius

Loss of Fevola will hurt in the short term though

And I think fans might be expecting a bit too much from Hendo - Ratten himself said to not expect to much from the kid, who is "still growing into his career"

The concern will be the opening 3 rounds. Judd won't be there; we'll be Fev-less and trying to find our way with a new structure; and Murphy will not be 100% ditto Waite. Crucial we win some of these games, because we have 3 top teams in a row not long after that, so if we don't win the first 3 we could be staring down the barrel of a 1/6 start, or something like that.

This year the Round 1 clash against Richmond is more important than it has been in recent years

And then soon after we have the Bombers, and we need to extract revenge on them

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Generally a very good preview but I can't see how the Eagles are a better side than us.

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I dunno... I just don't see this Premiership 2010 side that many are predicting in the Bulldogs. Don't get me wrong, if Carlton don't win then I would be more than happy to see the Doggies get up, but I just don't see how their squad is strong enough to win a flag. Many of their key players are getting older, and I just don't think Barry Hall is the answer for them. If they had have bought Fevola instead then I may have had some enthusiasm, but I would just be really, really surprised if the Dogs won the flag.

Throw a blanket over Hawthorn, St Kilda and the Crows for the Premiership for mine.

Our list stands up well against most sides in the League. The fact we should win the midfield given our rucks and our onball division gives us a great opportunity against many sides. In the end, it will come down to how well we are able to cope with the tactics thrown at us by opposition sides, and how well we are able to instigate our own tactics against them.

Crawf is like ever other punter out there they cant get their head around that big hole in the forward line

What he and everyone else forgets we had 3 players who finished top 10 in the charlie and two are still getting better


We will make the 8 for sure

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I agree. I think West Coast will struggle to finish above 10th. And they only get that far, because there's a lot of poor teams in the competition at the moment. They've got a good fullback and ruckman, in Glass and Cox. A good but erratic midfielder in Kerr (who will get suspended and injured, and will struggle with hard tags). A couple of nice forwards in Kennedy and LeCras. And not much else. I reckon a lot of their young talent is overrated.

The maggies will be ready to pounce if the Dogs Cats and Saints fall away. The pies play the same groung virtually every week and in finals. It helps them. All they need to do is hit a purple patch in Sept and they could pinch one.

Oh please no.....nooooooo!!!!

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he obviously means betts clokey and garlett it was the 2nd last round and he said in the lead up

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It really hurts to say this, but think you're spot on. They now have an A grade ruckman and a good extractor. Their draw is tough opponent-wise but playing megga games at the G is sensational. This could be 1990 all over again.......

And in doing so, they've made themselves an even slower side. They need to re-engineer their game style IMO.

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Agree jimmea, just can't come at the crudpies, very very over rated