Bombers going to win comfortably tonight, hopefully it leads to a week of the media pumping them up...oh wait, then it will be the same as every other week...

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Premierships: 1869, 1871, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1877, 1887, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1914, 1915, 1938, 1945, 1947, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1995.

"GIBBS."

They have been good - we will need to be at our best to beat them.

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"our electorate seeks less to be informed and more to be validated." Sad times.

Being a young team they're up and down like a bride's nighty. They may have a downer next week, but I think they're going to give us one hell of a run for our money. I'm not sure we'll win this one.

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Premierships: 1869, 1871, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1877, 1887, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1914, 1915, 1938, 1945, 1947, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1995.

"GIBBS."

From what i have seen today they will smash us next week. Too quick.

need a real stopper to shut down J Watson - he set up the bummers win (Ellard)

surely, bower has to be a starter if he pulled up ok (we need his height and precarious run........eeek)

i do think we will benefit up forward having henderson.....and if he cant mark it, for goodness sake direct it down to a drop zone for the crumbers

They're going to have to counter Waite, Warnock, Henderson and Hampson with Pears out...Hampson can lift if he isn't expected to be the go to man on one of the opposition's best...Kosi isn't much chop, yet he still draws a man from Riewoldt.

Betts is our version of Monfries...They usually struggle to contain Eddie...Betts v Hardingham, Dempsey or whoever should be in our favour...And they have to stop Garlett.

Would almost drop Duigan to play Bower and keep Watson in the team.

Game over!

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"our electorate seeks less to be informed and more to be validated." Sad times.

Looked good the bombers but beating the saints by ten goals using pace and long kicking is so (us) last year.
Saints look terrible and it is now easy to see how the tigers almost beat them.

We will want to sort out our defense. Should be a good game.

Interesting watching Collingwood live on Friday night. They get so much out of their rotations with all their smalls able to go on the ball and rotate through the forward line and off the bench. UNTIL we guys like Betts, Garlett etc can regularly push through the midfield we will struggle against the top few sides. Sides like Sydney, Hawthorn, Bulldogs ALL rotate more than us and have no smalls permanently stationed up forward. Garlett is getting better at this but Betts is a liability. With the new bench set up we cannot simply afford to carry that type of player. If we have Gibbs, Judd, Murphy, Simpson, Scotland, Collins etc all pushing through there I am sure they will kick as many goals as Betts would and would make us less predictable.

Another change needed is Waite to CHB. He is a talented player but he has played his best football in defence. It also fills a position that needs filling. He is our best match up on a mobile big guy like Hurley this week. His rebound will also help. He can always go forward when needed.

I would slot Gibbs back to HB. Gibbs is a talent and can frustrate people. Personally I think he works hard and gives his all but as Paul Roos said maybe we expect players to be something they aren't. Gibbs is a creator. Him running from defence with Yarran would make us dangerous.

We need to add a couple of bigger bodies around the ball. It was a big difference Friday night. Curnow is a great get. Ellard is desperately needed as he is a hard nut as well. Another player close to selection is Touhy. He is tough and has the body size we need. If those three can get up and running we will be a lot better.

The other glaring issue we struggle with (and have for a while) is kicking and decision making. Geelong and Collingwood over the past few years have shown how vital it is. Based on this guys like Walker, Carrazzo, Armfield, Bower have question marks over them.


I rate us a top 4 side but it is changes like this along with the additions of Henderson, Kreuzer, Lucas that are needed to be made to take us to the next level.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Not sure I agree with you. Hurley kicked 3,Ryder another 2, the rest were scored by small forward/midfielder types. If anything we need strong small to medium sized backmen. Russell and Duigan struggled against Collingwood and may be exposed again. We leaked a few too many easy goals.

This makes a strong argument for the inclusion of Bower (can play small), Lucas, Army or Ellard. Would love to see Watson go big head to head with Hurley. Watson does not have the body strength in marking contests but reads the flight of the ball pretty well when he backs his judgement. If Thornton is played down back I will scream.

Collingwood was not a test for us, because we are not playing to their level. This week's game will give us the best indication of where we are at, make no mistake about it.

Conundrum

We can't beat them playing the way we have for the first three rounds.

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I hope Essendon* folds.

Fortunately we will go in as underdogs

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"I had to eat"

I agree with those changes except for the Waite one. Keep him forward to give us a decent target. His marking looked good the other night.

Bower will be very handy at this stage. I am not sure he got enough of a run yesterday. May need a full game in the two's.

I would definately play Gibbs at halfback. We need him delivering the ball inside fifty with precision not getting scrappy kicks forward out of packs.

Never confident playing the Bombers. As much as it sucks, the fact is they are currently playing pretty good footy.

They have the capacity to make us look silly if we don't come to play.

Huge test for the boys this week. Going to be extremely tough imho.

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We are on our way back...

They are not as good as us we will beat them - St Kilda are shit - Sydney are not much better


blues by 40+

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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

This is precisely the problem with the Warnock / Hampson combination. If neither are doing any good in the forward line,
then what are we supposed to do with the non-rucking one? Get well soon Kruez.

lose to collingwood and its drop him no drop him, easy everyone. lose this week, and its a different story,
having saying that,
outs; thornton and collins[stiff]
ins; henderson and lucas
-carrazzo to take stanton.
-watson to all year, maybe he didn't play body on body, because he was told not to?, or the fact he new he was not strong enough?, give him a go
-need to stop jobe watson.
gee i hate the dons

IN) Armfield Ellard Bower Henderson Lucas
Out) Hampson Duigan Collins Carrazzo Watson

Thornton/Henderson to pinch hit in the ruck where needed. Hampson cant take a grab so he is no use to us as a forward. Henderson will provide much more potency.

Ellard in for Carrazzo is a no brainer. Ellard has been our best performed midfielder for the pre season and should have come straight back into the side after his suspension.

Armfield in for Collins provides Ratten with a few options. Armfield can play HF, BP or can play through the midfield and i think he was only dropped because Ratten wanted to send him a message.

Bower in for Duigan is a certainty IMO. Duigan is slow and his disposal by hand and foot needs to improve. A couple of weeks at VFL level should serve Duigan in good stead for the rest of the season.

B) Armfield Jamison Laidler
HB) Yarran Bower Russell
C) Simpson Murphy Scotland
HF) Gibbs Henderson Garlett
F) Betts Waite Thornton
R) Warnock Judd Ellard
I/C) Lucas Robinson Curnow
Sub) Walker

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You heard it here first!

Stick Walker on Jobe and make him wear him like a glove. He hasn't been the best so far this season, so maybe he can have an impact by taking a player out of action. He should be able to run with him you would think. He needs to be tagged out of the game. Walker or Carrazzo for me. Maybe rotate the 2 on him. Need Henderson and Armfield back too. Keep Thornton in because he can play forward or back, but poor Collins needs time before he is ready for the big stage.

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Bring the season on already. The wait is killing me.

I don't see us winning - we just love to lose to these pricks and that won't change this week

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I will miss you Kouta - thanks for the memories. ps. Kouta > * for ∞