Used to be glass half full until last night. Any faith I had is now gone.

They deserve everything that is coming their way for that insipid performance that disgraced the jumper and our once proud club.

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We are on our way back...

The question is IF we're 1-8 what will your feelings be? Disappointment or joy that you can come on here and bleat about what we should do?

Shame we'll never find out as we won't be 1-8 and to suggest we will answers the question I just posed.

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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

Perhaps the use of the word "when" instead of "if" has lead to my earlier post coming off not as I intended.

My posting history will show I'm not one of the pessimists that can frequent these parts. With the exception of my posts since last night's game

I'd be absolutely gutted if we end up 1-8, believe me.

Last night though was completely unacceptable. To me, it is incomprehensible how we could dish that up in such an important game against an imho inferior opposition.

I am still livid about last night and stand by my comments that it has completely dented my faith in Ratts and the boys.

If we can turn it around and beat a bogey side away this week, I'll stand and applaud and be as happy as Larry. I just have my doubts we'll be able to get the job done.

More than happy to be proved wrong.

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We are on our way back...

Is that TrueBlue Brad or TrueBlueBrett?

The gameplan was to get in a time machine and return to 2004. That's what it felt like.

claim the Sudetanland, annexe Austria and invade Poland

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NG
S M C , S F L

Saw my first game live for the year and this stood out like the proverbial. So many times we won the clearance and the player running through HB/Wing held the kick up instead of going long to the leading forwards - this allowed Essendon* to close down the forward line and there was nowhere left to go except wide or sideways.

IMO there was a lack of faith from midway thru 2nd qtr in kicking to Santy or Hendo or any other tall forwards; after seeing repeated forward opportunities wasted the guys in the middle didn't want to kick it unless there was a Carlton player 20m in the clear. Until we have a tall forward who can consistently hold marks and convert the advantage in midfield, we'll continue to see players running wide and waiting for a perfect opportunity to present.

As the independent pundits have said for last six months, Fev's absence and lack of any other proven KPP up forward will take time to work through.

This is what i struggled to understand Saturday. In the past Essendon* have always killed us through the middle of the ground. Us as supporters know this. Yet we, for whatever reason persisted in going around the boundry (and as a result of our poor skills kicked it out of bounds), only to have Essendon* rebound back through the middle anyway. I think i remember one time we went straight down the middle and this resulted in a goal.
I just dont get it.

Can somebody help me explain to my kid, does anyone disagree or wish to add to this concept:
When Essendon* zoned up tight, i.e twenty minutes of my life I won't get back on Saturday night during the 3rd qtr:
we had basically three options:
1) try to kick over the zone to a lead up target.
2) run/play through the zone using short passing or handball
or 3) switch play across the ground quickly and create movement to effectively move the zone and our targets to kick to.

Thanks in advance, yours in real estate Denis Pagan.

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Green Shooter

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That’s not a political statement — it’s a harsh reality, and we must act,” she said. “He is a clear and present danger to the things that keep us strong and free. I support impeachment.”

I couldn't see any game plan and again I think this is ratts fault. Think of any coach in the league and u will automatically think of one or two thngs ie Lyon at saints, defensive,zone,kick it to roo. Clarkson, tough, physical, hard at the footy, bomber, free flowing, use there awesome mids to cover there not so good forwards, now think ratts, wat comes to mind? For me, not a thing! Can anyone honestly tell me if they can associate ratts' coaching with anything positive?

Zen coaching. If you're unable to recognise a gameplan, does a gameplan actually exist?

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Congratulations CK95

IIRC, halfway thru 2nd qtr Mitch had broken from backline and was streaming down HBF, Hendo was on a lead to HFF running through 50 with his man 1/2 metre behind. I was screaming for Mitch to pass but guess he didn't hear me ; instead he held the kick up while Hendo kept leading all the way to the boundary line. I guess Mitch was waiting for a better option which didn't come, in the end he was forced to kick to Hendo anyway but by then Hendo had slowed up on the boundary and the defender was all over him so the mark was spoiled.

Either Mitch didn't see him (unlikely), he didn't rate Hendo's chances of marking (possible) or the gameplan is not to kick to anything at all like a contested situation unless no other choice whatsoever. I'm picking it's the latter?