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

People seem to have very short memories these days and forget the club actually won 13 games last year with very young list and we had some big outs, Waite missed 14 games, Walker only returned late played 6 games all year , we had Cam Cloke as number 1 ruck for big portions of the year - or as a second forward target- Stevens was in his worst form of his career - Scotland struggled for most of the year with injury and he and Stevo were dropped - We had Bentely and Hartlett getting games, Chris Johnson was our leader in defense at the start of the season- Jamison was out when it counted- Even Fevola played the first half a dozen games with a heal problem and wasn't his usual self . Wiggins was our CHF for the first 8 or so games -Ohalpin Settled into the spot then got polaxed by Fev and ended his year , Russell was struggling up Forward and didn't really find his place until late when he played on Stevie Johnson . Warnock didn't get on the Paddock and we lost Jacobs for about 8 or so weeks maybe longer - Carrazzo missed almost half the games when he broke his arm in the preseason and suffer another set back later

Look I know similar things could all happen again but when you consider the significance of someone like Waite missing 14 games - when he went down they were saying it was season over for Carlton and people were declaring we would miss the eight


We will be Ok this year don't worry

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

Seems like a balanced view of the situation, you have to remember many of the hysterial predictions of us being 13th or wherever and many people thinking we will be rubbish, is due largely down to the fact we are a big club (like Collingwood and Essendon*) and people want us to fail.

When someone actually does rational assessment like Jon Anderson did, no one can see us being too far away from the 8.

The press expectations on us always seems to be higher than where we are really at, which is strange when all initial predictions usually have us performing poorly. I remember last year, people saying we wouldn't make the 8, then when we were certainties to make the 8, saying we weren't 'top 4 worthy'.

What happens when we are in the top 4? We won't be 'a genuine premiership threat'.

Apart from the 2002-07 black period, from as far back as the early 90s pre-season predictions were usually doom and gloom about us and had us finishing lower than we actually did (the only exceptions being 1996-97 and last season).

Missing the 8, in my opinion, will be a massive failure. The fact that we don't have Fev is no excuse for losing games. We need to go forward more times in 2010 than we did in 2009. That should result in more scoring opportunities and more goals which will lead to more wins.

It's a simple equation .

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end of message

Actually Duke, it seems like the focus is on having the opposition enter their forward less and winning that way.

Spot on, SB.

If we don't make the 8 or finish right on the edge it will be a rank failure and will clearly indicate that our list has not improved at the same rate as other clubs, e.g. Roos, Swans, Weagles. Hard questions should be asked of our footy dept if this is the case. There should be enormous improvement in our young guns to help overcome the no Fev factor.

Whilst I acknowledge that Fev the footballer is a huge loss, I think our main aim is to ensure we get the most out of what we do have.

If our ruck stands up, our midfield depth shows consistency, hardness and is disciplined, and our backline continue to evolve, then the likes of Hendo, Setanta, Waite, Kruze with Betts, Yarran etc crumbing will ensure we are posting competitive scores.

If we play wide, chip the ball around, fail to run hard, support each other and our skills let us down, and drop our bundle when things get tough, then Fev or no Fev we will fail.

I want the best out of what we do have, then if we exposed up front, then we know what to address.

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Supporting the Blues No Matter What

Aside from being the 1385727469875092th journalist to nominate Kreuzer to the forward line and playing another 2 ruckmen as a genuine option, he's written a very good article. Unfortunately, it appears in THE worst possible paper for such a thing, and it comes after numerous amateur efforts from people who are supposed to research and write for a living.

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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.

This is the first article that I have agreed with in 2010.

Yes we do need some 'B' grade players to step up and some new players to shine...true.

Yes Walker has been touted as an 'A' grader but has got injured on a regular basis.

We did not get a game out of Warnock...really.

Brock can be our 'feeder' to free up our runners to improve our F50 entries.

So realistically all we have lost is Fev and Stevo...whilst we have gained Waite, McLean, Warnock, Henderson, Lucas and Walker!

I reckon we could suprise after a slow start.

11 - 14 wins...8 of which come in the last 10 rounds of the year.

I am sure that the HUN will write us off AGAIN during the year...they can go and get £"!*ed!

Go Blues!

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

Decent article which is far too good for the rag it's in. Agree with most, though re Setanta: "There is no query on his courage or willingness, more on his ability to take regular pack marks. But we are talking about an athletic 199cm unit."

I wouldn't have thought pack marking is something we are looking for out of him. He is already a good mark. Making the most of his opportunities in front of goal and minimising rash decisions (eg playing on when he really shouldn't) would be much higher on my list.

It is a good article.

I'm looking forward to looking at the team sheet Wednesday (?) and thinking everyone deserves their place. You haven't been able to say that these past years.

Reading Ratten's interview on the CFC website does make me slightly nervous, as he's asking us to be patient as they learn to play rhythm football. Fingers crossed they pick it up quickly.

i love the idea of Kreuzer as a ruck-rover. jumps like a ruckman, runs like a winger, gets the hard ball like a centreman. impossible match up!!

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i don't wanna spend my life explaining myself. Either you get it, or you don't- Frank Zappa

It comes down to the fact that we have gained more experience plus fit and ready personnel to throw on the field this year than we had last. I believe we can cover Fev's loss because of this, so no reason we should not finish higher this season than last.

But what has the tinkering of the gameplan due to the absence of Fev done? We can only wait till Thursday.

Its now less than a week away!

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"Get ready, Teddy - you're on": Ron Barassi half time 1970 Grand Final

What makes Kreuz super-valuable on-ball is the he takes the hit-out and instantly becomes a de-facto midfielder, giving us a big advantage over teams that have a ruck that isnt a factor when the ball hits the deck.

Playing him as one of our midfield rotation alongside a Warnock/Hampson means we lose that competitive advantage, and risk fatiguing him for the minor advantage of adding one more player to our rotation

Kruezer has become my fav player.

He hasnt reached anywhere near his peak yet.

Kouta = Kruezer

Giddyup!

Go Blues!

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

The pre season to date - training and games played show the two that have risen to the top are Yarran and Robinson.

They were not present for much of the 2009 season but can offer a lot in the 2010 season.

It is unlikely that a tall will be the highest scoring forward in 2010 at this stage but who knows one of Casboult, O'Hailpan, Waite or Henderson could prove me wrong (Fisher playing for his career from the goal square could kick a lot of goals as a second or third tall in the second 1/2 of the season). I expect that Betts, Yarran and Garlett will be the main scoring options using the ball with a high degree of skill maybe sharing it between themselves to set each other up.

It is not a matter of getting the ball inside the forward 50 more than 50 times a game, it is a matter of getting the ball inside the forward 30 metre zone so that there is a high probability of a goal beying scored at least 15 times a game that will make the difference.

If the tall fowards cannot mark the ball, it is critical to keep it in play and give the smaller players a chance to get their hands on it.

If the defensive pressure is applied enough in the forward 50 when the ball is in dispute or in the hands of the opposition, set shots from free kicks can make a big difference.

So many ifs.

The only time I remember us playing Kreuz as a ruck-rover was against Geelong in the NAB Cup last year. Matched up against Joel Corey, you soon realised he's very agile and athletic, great across the ground for a ruckman, but no chance in the world he's a ruck rover.

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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

Yup.

Co-Sign. Plus it wasn't like Fevola took many big pack marks any way, his strength was one on one out muscling.

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#23: Lachlan Henderson

Jon Anderson knows what he is talking about - a good balanced article.

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There is no footy god