Just cast your mind back to a good game by Russell and all your questions will be answered.

First half of third quarter.
How exciting was that!!
Seriously thought my heart might whack the guy in front of me it was pounding so hard.
Next week...we get to try on St.kilda, with an extra days rest this time...
and presumably Waite...maybe Hadley and dare I say...the person formerly known as Brett Thornton,and now known as Much Maligned Brett Thornton...(how happy is JR!!! )
We were beaten by a better side today...
But I came away feeling really positive about the boys,and the rest of our season.
Cons
Looks like my tidal wave vision ended in us being dumped on the beach.

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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.”

6 goals to us from turn overs.....
16 goals to them from turn overs.....

_________________
Stay tuned We're in for a BUMPY ride

Pros:
The big Stetan
Not sure what else, at least managed to get excited in the 3rd......
Ratts tried a few things - Gibbs in the centre andWhite forward
Tempo footy in the second, 4 goals down and kicked the next 2, still went in 4 down, but limited damage

Cons:
Hendo - due for a rest
Defence - somehow gave up multiple goals in the 3rd when had all the ball
Midfield - We truly got smashed most of the day
Turnovers / fumbles - man these cost us a lot of goals
Pies won and was there with a Pies supporter
Spanking in the last - pretty hopeless

Pros
Came to play
Setanta
Judd, Murphy, Gibbs, Simmo, Bower
Comeback in the third

Cons
McLean - is in trouble, Hadley may offer more. McLean's bad games seem to be really bad.
Lack of defensive pressure
Smashed in clearances (see McLean)
Looked smaller physically, and were generally out muscled

Cons:

Prime in Canberra are a pack of cauliflower. Seriously, who the @#$%&! actually watches V8 races and why do we have to wait till three to see the game. If you don't want to show it give it to Foxtel - at least they will show it live with non retarded camera angles so you can actually see what is happening in the game.

Henderson is totally shot in confidence.

Setanta's little helpers found what Didak, Medhurst and Davis have found. In finals small forwards, unless they are exceptional, do not prosper. The pressure is just too great.

McLean was shit. No sugar coating, just shit.

Pro:

White up forward seemed like a reasonable move.

Chris Heighington scored first try in the Wests Tigers game @ 26 which helped the kick. If I wasn't waiting for the game to come on I wouldn't have bet on it

Irish was tops

Simpson had a crack again.

To be honest we weren't that bad, they were just a better side on the day and we know where we really are in the scheme of things.

_________________
The only way for some people to understand is for them to be on the receiving end

Left wing moralists
In self serving denial
They shit me no end

Pros
Hard to come up with after that
Good effort to get back late in the second and in the third
JR has turned into a very good player. He has improved slowly each year and is now a genuinely good defender, took some great gusty overhead marks
Army - terrific competitor, really quick
Bower great run, pity AW wasn't there with him
Setanta - terrific game, showed what he can do if they look for him, not really strong overhead but tremendously agile, pity we refused to move the ball into the forward line until halfway through the second
Kane Lucas - very classy
Sauce gave us a bit after half time, give him four or five games and tell him to throw his weight around

CONS
Who the hell decided McLean was worth pick 11!!?? You look at Lucas at pick 12 and think we have given away another similar talent to get a woefully slow midfielder who if anything looks inferior to AB and Hadley. We got him to help Judd did we? Well how come he dosen't, we could have recruited a tackling bag who gave Judd more help. We may have well started with 3 in the square at bounces. He was worse than a man short. I understand that drafting is an inexact scinece but recruiting 100 game players from a club where two of your coaches served time should be a very exact science. If Grigg or Hadley are fit they have to get a game. If he is injured don't play him, and if he is fit don't play him. Melb supporters were delirious when they got #11 for him. I can understand why.
Overpossessing. I know Ratts identified that as a problem, but why does it happen? We have a forward line with three very quick small forwards but refuse to move it in quickly when they have space.
Fell away badly
Barely noticed Carrazzo
Who was on Dane Swan???
Jolley towelled up Big K in the middle.

Mclean is a real worry. He is so slow, not just in terms of running, but also in terms of disposing of the footy. Every time he got it in packs he couldn't dish it off, just got tackled. I think we made a blunder giving up pick 11 for this guy. Could have taken another Mid at 11 to go with Lucas.

And Henderson had a shocker. Poor fwd and also back. Then dragged. He has given us very little and yes he is young but for the time being he isn;t doing enough and so should be given a spell and Waite comes in.

A decision needs to be made on White too. Pods could have kicked a bag on him last week, and he was beaten today too. Maybe Thornton comes in until walks is back.

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

Pros
Big Irish, love him.
Armys Dash.
Gibbs.
Judd.
Murph.

Cons
McLean = Bentley
The margin we lost by, not really true indication.
Henderson.
I miss Walker.
Looks like Thornton may be back!

_________________
Happy Days Are Here Again!!

Pros
- I thought we had a real crack against a premiership contender and most of our team can hold their head high
- Setanta

Cons
- McLean was terrible
- I like Henderson but he needs a spell in the magoos

_________________
There is no footy god

I've been wondering about the wisdom of the McLean trade for months. There's so much about it that concerned me.

It's possible that he'll turn it around but it seems beyond him. I reckon the club took him expecting at least 5 good years- 100 odd games, at least 80 good ones. Whoever is responsible for the trade must be very disappointed and should be looking over his shoulder.

pros
we had a crack

cons
we aren't up with the best yet

PROS:
setant - great effort and great heart gets really excited after every goal
DENNIS THE MENACE - burned off his opponent, side-steps jolly and ends with a good disposal. i like
simmo - since rd 1 one of the most consistent, under-rated and hardworking midfielders, tippified by his great smother in the 1st

CONS:
having 36478273 more possessions in the first half and not doing much with it at all
brock mclean's kicking
hendo

Agree VB on both Hendo and Mclean, both Cons. What really disappointed me about McLean today was:

(i) not just that our clearance specialist had 3 clearances and 3 CPs the whole game (Judd left to pick up the slack with 18 and 11 respectively), but worse ...
(ii) he did very little to block, bump or show any physicality ... looked like a spectator as Pies players went flying past him, did the same as they chased Blues players with the ball ... he looked shocked at what was happening .. or was he admiring Luke Ball's display of what a real inside mid plays like.

He'll play next week I'm sure but is he injured? What's going on with his consistency?

Pros
* White up forward looked interesting, right behind his kick for goal ... brilliant kick
* Lucas often showed older teammates how to move the ball forward, some lovely foot skills
* Setanta worked his butt off and was richly rewarded
* Army and JR manfully fought the flood of turnover ball coming in

_________________
"It was like calling your ex girlfriend after a night on the booze, just a really bad decision".

Joseph is getting off too lightly

Joseph needs to learn to get his football like how army, jr and bower do when they run off their man and go hard at the ball to help their mates. He is so soft at the ball.... dunno about this kid - very selfish and one dimensional .. not hard enough..needs to do better and go hard at the ball rather than worrying about his tackle count..

Con

Kroooooooooooooooozer. should be taking big marks. 1 al day

Pro's
- Forwards and mids actually worked - kicked over 100 points - cant ask for too much more
- Ratten coached to win - I liked the idea of the switch up between super tall forward line (Kreuzer, White, O'hailpin, Houlihan) at one ball up. The next centre bounce it was super small (Carrazzo, Garlett, Houlihan and Betts) - didn't work today but I can see it causing headaches for teams down the track
- Judd, Judd, Judd and Judd - I cant believe he only cost us pick 3 and Kennedy - bargain
- Lucas, O'hAiplin, Murphy, Armfield

Cons
- Collingwood are really good
- Gave up in the end

_________________
Ecclesiastes 1:4, "One generation passes away, and another generation comes: but The Blues abide forever."

Pros:

Judd
Lucas
Sauce
Core of a very good side

Cons:

Lack of midfield pressure
Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers.
McLean - should be banned from wearing a blue jumper ever again. Houlihan not far behind. Purely frontrunners and way to slow
People will want Thornton back in the side
Missed Walker badly
Henderson - time for a spell for the kid.
Grigg and Hadley injured
Giving up - inexcusable.

_________________
#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Pro

Judd - I think one of the best games I've ever seen him play cause i didnt watch him much at Weagles.

Irish - I'm so glad i've stayed faithful in supporting him

White and Lucas - for young players I reckon they're doing brilliantly but still a lot to learn.

Armfield - the Canberra lad (who's dad I went to school with etc. etc) is coming on really well - heaps more confident now

and my player of the week

Jordan Russell!! While he's playing this good Thonkers is gonna really struggle to get back in.

Joseph - Sorry, but he's a fantastic tagger for a young kid and I reckon will do a great job on Milne.

Jacobs!!! Did a fantastic job and Warnock's not gonna be a look in for a while yet. Jacobs did some fantastic second efforts and has obviously been watching Kruezer closely.

Cons

We should have played Waite and if he's not an auto selection in place of Henderson next week I'm gonna go Ferrill..

Mclean - time for a break in the Magoos Robbo had a 40+ game and will be a perfect replacement for him against the Saints.

Our size... Can't wait for a couple of years when as a team we're a lot bigger.

TV Coverage - did I mention #Channel7sux by chance

OK - bring on the Saints. A very big ask but I reckon we're learning whole time and I hope we make the finals so our youngens are encouraged.

It was good to see Setanta and his little helpers score 11 between them.