We played a very young and inexperienced side on Saturday night and it showed. We barely scraped home against the wooden spooners. 23 years and 1 month with an average of 73 games. If we go in against the Pies who played with 110 games and 25 years, we'll get a pants-ing.

Playing more young kids on the MCG in front of 80,000 would be a massive mistake in their development. We need experience and strength.

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end of message

True words.

We have lost Fev, Stevens and phasing out Thornton along with Houla being out. That is a lot of experience.

I just think back to the game against the Dogs a couple of weeks back. There is a difference in class between the top 4 sides and everyone else. In order to beat Collingwood, we need to maintain pressure and focus for 4 quarters (so far only done this in 2 games this year) and we need our disposal efficiency up around 70%. Against the dogs and swans neither happened and we were smashed.

Twinone

..i think we need our best speed out on the wings.. ..under pressure our foot skills fail us, i'd rather few handballs and just run and carry it out of defence.. ..turn the middle of the ground into a foot-race.. ..also, pies do tend towards playing the wings, so speed out there may pressure and cause turn-overs.. ..betts yarran and garlett have the speed, i reckon they should get rotated fwd and wing.. ..and when up fwd kick it to their space, not up high for contested marking..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..

Snipers in the grandstands. It's a fool prrof strategy!

Can't drop Jeff this week. Having the three helpers is really our only point of difference against the top sides.

I thought Hendo was pretty good last weekend. Looked really strong on his leads and was a genuine target.

Waite should miss in general principles for stupidity, but if he does get off, I would like to see him forward. I don't think Presti would like to play either one of Waite or Hendo (purely based on their mobility), which means that Maxwell may need to pick one of them up..... One thing in our favour for these matchups against zoning backlines is that we'll honor a lead from anyone.... so if we can avoid those stupid bombs into packs and target players in space, it's harder for zone based back 6s to cope with us.

Although given we're at a major experience gap with Collingwood we will by rule (ie Ratts pointless statistic rule 32.3) get smashed around the clearances and contested battle and won't have too much pin point delivery into the forward line.

I think we're a sneaky half chance if we get some clear weather, we get a break even in the middle and are directed/smart with our entries. That's a lot of ifs though.


If Armfield gets up I'd be tempted to say no moves, unless Johnson makes way for a big midfield body.

Who gets Swan? I'm guessing Joseph gets Didak, Armfield gets Davis and Jordan gets Reid?

Would Carotts be a good defensive matchup on O'Brien? Hoops would ahve been a good fit there if he was in the team.

We need to minimise turnovers and plenty of defensive pressure in our forward line and midfield. Earlier this year when we played Collingwood what was highlighted during the review of that game was the amount of missed tackles. Make the tackles stick and put them on the back foot as they have plenty of players who love to run forward of the ball.
I am looking forward to the game.

we will win this.

Carrots to Swan. (Plan B: Walker, Plan C: Grigg)
Russell on Didak. (Plan B: Jamison - with Waite back to cover the extra tall)
AJ on Davis (Plan B: not required... AJ will have crying for his mummy)
Gibbs to Pendlebury (offensive run with role... just beat him!)
Houlihan on Shaw or Yarran, if Houlihan doesn't make it (Plan B: Grigg)
Ellard onto Sidebottom
Grigg onto Ball with instruction to run off him from the contest.... (Plan B: Carrots, depending on how going with Swan)
And Braddles & Harvey will double team Bucks in the coaches box!!

They will have to choose to either tag Judd or Murphy. If they choose Murphy (as did Geelong & StK), Judd will run amok. If they choose Judd, Murphy will run amok. And so will Judd, despite the tag.

We will spread the goals around - Waite, Betts, 3 each; Hampson, Henderson, Yarran, Houlihan & Garlett 2 each; singles for Murphy, Judd, Gibbs, Walker, Simpson. And then in the 2nd half....

Gotta disagree with you Punter. Our side is as soft as butter and we supporters have been bemoaning the fact that no one gives Juddy a chop out. Well Waite did, and fairly. Shame it didn't happen earlier in the game, but when an opportunity arises you gotta take it. That barnacle Selwood had been hagging off Judd most of the game, at least next time he'll know at least one Blues player is keeping an eye out for him.

I do wish it wasn't someone as vital as Waitey dishing out the hits, but you take what you can get with our young side.

Yes.
Make the tackles stick.
Make the tackles stick ... Ratts should have 'em chanting this in their sleep.

The thing I don't want to see is anymore free kicks because our opposition has gone in low for the ball and toppled us over on top of them. Happened a bit against WC and there's no excuse if we're hungry.

Turnovers / Goal kicking yips ... don't know what do about these. If we're on we're on, if not.

Nice reply.

Don't mind me Melvina I'm inclined to be the sort of person who's happy just to have a glass, let alone worry about whether there's anything in it, (half full / half empty). I do seriously think we can win though. IMO, Collingwood is the best team in the league at turning a 35 point domination into a 70 point thrashing and that makes a lot of commentators think that they're better than they really are. They've been front running a lot recently, (and they only beat the Saints because they had the yips). I think if they get hit hard early on and can't open up a margin they might find themselves feeling decidedly uncomfortable.

We will lose this one ... but we have to go down fighting.

I keep thinking that Melbourne drew with this mob ... so maybe there is a glimmer of hope.

Walker on Swan is the key.

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I am as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!!!

At that stage in the game, it was moronic. The guy had kicked the ball, and the action was going to result in a free kick at a minimum, no matter what.

What, exactly, does bumping a bloke like that achieve after he'd got rid of the ball? It's not tough, it just means you're a great chance of watching the team play Essendon* and Collingwood at the G in massive games.

What happens if it was at Etihad (or if there had of been some dew on the Subiaco surface), and the Eagles player slipped a little as he kicked?

He's shown pretty conclusively that he can't bump effectively given the current rules surrounding the act.

He seems to be a very rare footballer, the type that gets more stupid with experience.

I do agree with you that he shouldn't miss any time for what did actually happen. It's what could have happened that worries me.

Yes....BlueRob...I have been applying my massive footy smarts to this problem.(be afraid Doc S..be very afraid)
I believe the solution lies in giving those Pies some very special almond flavoured cookies at quarter time.
(I have a recipe)
or.......I was there the nite we pantsed the Saints...oh what a nite!
I watch the replay quite often, cos I haven't seen us play a more fulfilling game that that this year. Geelong was good..but not fun to re-watch.
So...you know...if the fellas felt like ,,you know..being brilliant and tough and all that...t'would be RATHER good...if it wasn't too much trouble...you know...tackle hard ,then harder...then run...run harder...and NEVER EVER ...never give up.


nah...probably the cookies methinks.

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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.”

Collingwood is the inform team going around at the moment, beating them is going to be a huge task.

When we played Collingwood in Rd.6 this year we lost by 53 pts. I cant see us winning this game and as long as our loss
isnt greater than 53 pts then i say its an improvement. As long as we go down fighting, i think that puts us where I expect us
to be.

Wow,,,,,Now I sound like Ratten !!!!!

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BRING BACK PERFORMANCE BASE PAYMENTS !!!

nah..you'll need more stats.

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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.”

cool, his thumb's ok

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#DonTheStash

..they won't tag Judd.. ..instead they'll rotate players thru him with head to head instructions, since Judd is defensive in a team sense, but not always for his direct opponent.. ..they may tag Murphy..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..

Not sure why you are attacking me Jimmae - I know what I know. Whether its from my education or from my general reading or from talking to people who know what they are talking about, I file it away in my brain you never know when you will need it.

Not sure what context you are using the word "hubris" in - but if its the context I think you are getting at if I claim to be a humble person then I am probably not so I cant win either way on that one.

But either way if your profile is correct then you are not long out of University so you should know what a VCE education can or cannot provide you with.