True, in the end who really cares what these buffoons think.
But I think people fail to realise that there are many very good teams vying for a top 8 spot and I really dont see us being much better than most of these sides.
Certainly top 4 is no fait accompli

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C'mon Blueboys!

- In 2007 most had Geelong finishing outside the top 4 after missing the finals in 2006...many had them not in the top 8
- 2008 Hawks weren't expected to make top 4
- 2009 St Kilda (unlucky not to win flag) most considered a side in decline and outside top 4
- Collingwood similar last year.

I'm not too worried about these "predictions".
Providing we have a good run with injuries I think top 4/5 should be expected and we are an outside chance of challenging for the flag.

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There is no footy god

Every year before Round 1, the media fire up the Tigers, KB gets excited, journo's start trotting out headlines with cliches like "ROAR" and "CLAWS" and "BITE" and "FIGHT"
And every year they come out with nervous stories about how the Blues are teetering and nervous, "got the Blues" etc etc

Then if we beat the Tigers round 1, the floodgates will open and all the "TIGERS ARE STILL TERRIBLE" headlines will flood in, and all the ferals will call in and say they are tearing up their membership, it's Terry's fault, etc etc


If we focus on just playing our game and not making bad skill errors we should win and everyone will shut up again.

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#DonTheStash

I still LOL at the "Judd is still winning the B&F" doomsday theory. Imagine, one of the all time great midfielders, at his peak, winning his club b&f, ahead of the kids.

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"I had to eat"

I have yet to read/hear any kind of reasoned argument from media commentators and/or opposition supporters as to how and why we will be worse in 2011 than we were in 2010. It doesn't get much more unconvincing than Connolly's "What's Worse?" segment in his article about us - he doesn't actually pinpoint any particular discrete thing or things that are "worse", instead opining that we rely too heavily on Judd and that Murphy and Gibbs need to step up in order for us to take the next step. Most Carlton supporters would agree with his viewpoint in that regard, but it's hardly a strong justification as to what is "worse" about us in 2011. He'd have been more convincing if he'd given something substantial, for instance a brief discussion of Matthew Kreuzer's recovery from his knee reconstruction and the adverse effect his absence might have on our ruck division. But his weak effort means that he has not adequately addressed the criteria within his article.

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Formerly Blues-Back2003.

meh....who cares.

geez the Adelaide media have the Power & the Cows playing in the Grand Final.....

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Go to http://www.snoutslouts.org/ for a look at the mighty GFC...

Oh no, we rely heavily on the player adjudged the best in the competition in 2010.

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"One of my favorite philosophical tenets is that people will agree with you only if they already agree with you. You do not change people's minds." - Frank Zappa

Yeh, imagine the Brownlow medalist winning his clubs B and F, who would have thought?

Connolly, along with every other football scribe has us standing still or going backwards, while every other club is improving.

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

the HUN actually has us improving ie 14-15 wins......pretty realistic.......should read it before blowing off all the pre-season predictions

That's a reasonable point you make there.

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1945 - End of round 3 Carlton was last.

Last round Carlton made the final four for the first time.

Eventual premiers.

That's what I'm talking about!

FWIW Rohan picked us to finish 8th in 2009 and we finished 7th. I couldn't find his 2010 prediction.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

double post

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

I guess the thing is there are a lot of teams in that middle bracket who could end up anywhere between 5th to 11th, give or take, and you have to slot them in somewhere.

But I'd have thought with the Blues making the Eight two years running, and with a host of high draft picks and youth developing, plus Waite in his second year after a knee reco and Warnock 'arriving', that we'd be seen as at the very least holding our spot.

Rohan clearly doesn't think so, and I hope we well and truly show him up in the coming 26 weeks.

Critics never predict a drop off from the top 4 sides. Although it obviously does happen, since new teams rise to that level.

Whereas I predict both Geelong and Saints to drop out of top 4 this year.

I wouldn't be surprised if one of them did, don't reckon both will.

I agree with Sugarcane, we've made the 8 the last two years and have a more experienced side. Logic says we should improve or at least hold steady.

We've gone from having a Fab Four midfield last year to not enough silk this year although I do think Murph and Gibbs need to have a season where they both dominate. McLean cant have another injury ridden season otherwise he' gone and it'd be nice to see genuine progression with Lucas.

The Aints have been very good for the last few years but sad to say (he he) the window is now slammed shut. Fancy losing or not winning those two grannies when they shoulda won 'em both . Cats will hang around for one more year, but they're also on the slide - 4th or 5th at best for them. We are a massive chance for top 4 this year

Interesting in today's piece on March stars (players to shine in pre-season), he managed to squeeze in 3 Essendon* players, 2 from the Crows and all of 6 others across the rest of the competition.

Not surprisingly, in the accompanying photos, the photo of Essendon*'s Heppell was about 6 times as large as the other 3 photos.