With Tuohy's emergence, I'm curious about what's going to happen with Gibbs and Russell. Will Gibbs be moved back to the midfield, like the start of the season? Or will he keep playing back, and Russell then becomes the midfield/utility runner as he has a bit over recent weeks?

Waite is surely our next best contested mark after Jamison.

This season he's been taking a lot of those big grabs outside 50 on the link up from defense.
Now Hendo's back and roaming higher up the ground, let Waite run out of the goal square so he can take his big marks a little closer to home.
How nervous would you be as a defender on Waite 25 out from goal?

Russell moved up onto the wing and half forward abit on Sunday. Just all adds to the versatility.

On the Waite issue I can't see why he and Hendo can't play. Bower for T-Bird in defense and if things aren't going well then Waite or Hendo can move down back. No reason why Big K and Hampson can't both be on the ground at the same time, at times. Big K can play as the Ruck/rover type hunting the ball as the midfielders do. One can sit a kick behind the play once the ball goes inside F50.

Re Warnock vs Hampson, I don't care who it is as long as they perform.

Regards Cazzesman

_________________
Ricky Gervais - “Everyone has the right to hold whatever beliefs they want. And everyone else has the right to find those beliefs f***ing ridiculous.”

It's great to have this debate.

OTC just then discussed the same thing:

Healy says that the biggest story of the year is the return of Kreuzer (and they showed highlights of his 'rusty' game) and how impressive he is as a ruckman, forward, wingman, or ruck rover, but Carlton are going to play him predominantly forward.

The result of Kreuzer and the return of the natural CHF Henderson (according to his admirers in Roos and Healy) have now released Waite.

I couldn't believe Hendo also had a fan in Mike Sheehan too. Sheehan loves him because he leads up with his mobility, can stand up tall as a KP target in a pack, deep or leading he marks and kicks goals. Roos says he moves like a good footballer should, a true CHF. I agree, many others do, and its great to see having Waite as the X factor is our trump.

It's not about boxing him in mid, forward, back etc. He is ours to use without damaging him. Having Waite 3rd tall and Walker at the 4th tall...those 2 are going to have a ball on anything Pies can throw at them.

I love the way Walker played in the midfield, late in the game. I liked Henderson going back at FB. I like the idea of having Waite down back for a while on Cloke or Dawes, then throwing him forward and sending Hendo back.

The 1 thing I remember about all the great Carlton premiership teams of the last 4 decades was versatlity within the group. That was clearly because they were damn good footballers.

Roos said in the early stage of OTC (and it almost got stuck in his throat) you can see Carlton's talent pool and the creme rising to the top...I think Sheehan to finish off the sentence.

Its not about us arguing alone as to where we play players but the possibilities against all opponents.

This is the most excited I have been about the Baby Blues coming of age. Everyone is seeing it and believing in it.

We have to win the next 3 games and make this about us and the reigning premier, or we are still building up a challenge like WCE, Swans, Freo, Bumbers, Hawks, Cats say they are. I prefer it to be the former so winning the next 3 paramount for us to warrant respect, and we have to win by 5 goals to be convincing.

No change is a good idea. Gotta win.

_________________
Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Tipped us to play in the GF before the season started (hopefully against the Filth).....and nothing has happened to change my mind

We've just improved all over the park. Our pressure on the ball carrier is huge, and make them pay on the turnovers. Loving the forward set up - just so dangerous. Backline is rock solid (Jamo, Duigan, JR) and we are rebounding really well with the elite skills of Yazz and now Zac (surely he hasn't only played 2 games ?).

On-ball division is right up there with the best, if not THE best, with Hammer finally arriving, and the big K man making it scary. Knockers will probably come back, but he's no automatic at all Judd & Murph a deadly duo, with great cameos from Ellard, Curnow, Scotto & co.

Gibbs has had a really good month after a slowish start, and then there's Robbo Geez even T-Bird is being creative

Get the feeling that the Cats' luck is about to run out, and they won't be top for much longer. Top 2 is not far away

We will be a better team when BOTH Waite and Henderson are playing

It's the first positive thing that Roos has said about Carlton all year.




Don't forget the obligatory Roos' swipe that went with this, about how we should have the talent given that we finished on bottom for 2 or 3 years.

The post-match thread for Carlton v Brisbane has turned into our plans for playing Collingwood in the GF.

Ellard stays.

It staggers me that Roos has this attitude.

In his time he really did not have to worry too much about going to the draft. He had this thing that was called a living away allowance which basically allowed him to fill in the gaps on his list not with kids but players that were ready to go. Hall, Jolly, Mumford etc. all went with the lure of cash.

We have a good problem which we haven't had since about 1995 in that there are deserving players who can't get a game. Long may it continue altho realistically some of our reserves will get their chance. I didn't rate Ellard in previous years, just thought he was a battler, but I love his attack on the ball and he is an okay kick, certainly a better kick than luke Ball. I think one area of concern is height in defence. Against the Pies Cloke and dawes are big bruisers and while Jammo is in scintillating form not sure about Bower or TBird ag Dawes. (Dare I suggest Setanta as a big defender?)
Tuohy is terrific, his intuitive understanding of where to run to make an option or protect the ball carrier is astonishing. He is a terrific long term prospect. I like Hammo and think he gets his hands to the ball as much as Warnock but doesn't direct the knocks as well but is much stronger and if he can use his size and leap and strength and pace might really have a lot to offer. We have well exceeded my expectations and while statistically we aren't far ahead of last year, we are actually miles ahead, have lots of grunt, will and of course nutty Mitch - as Mitch or Ratts or Joseph Conrad said "Madness alone is truly terrifying, inasmuch as you cannot placate it by threats, persuasion, or bribes" and that's Mitch's attack on the ball. He reminds me of the Tassie devil in Bugs Bunny. Whatever the other guy does Mitch is going to attack the contest likely lunatic and that is scary for the opposition.

I am officially excited.

PS Duigan, laidler - great picks (and I won't even mention the Brock word)

We have done so well in other trades that the Brock trade IMO is now irrelevant....No 35 confirms this....

_________________
"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

We're on a roll and there's been huge improvement. But the Brock trade will only be irrelevant if we win a flag.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/ ... fault.aspx



Well done Kade

Anyone notice how T-Bird looks so much better finally playing in a team that applies defensive pressure all over the ground??? No longer the gallant and frustrated lone ranger holding up a defence where inside 50's conceded were regulalry 60 plus a game.

Strange that.

Thornton is not the answer going forward and should be replaced by Laidler and or Bower.

He struggles in the one on one contests and is continually behind his opponent.

The moment Jamison went off he struggled on Brown, the week before against Schultz, he struggled again.

Its deceiving with him as the other defenders are doing the spoiling and he happens to get the ball fed to him, to make him look better than he actually is.

Sorry my opinion. He is being overatted in my opinion.

Will not be in the team, once laidler and Bower are fit.

Like I said it's irrelevant IMO....

_________________
"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

I gave my 5 votes to Simpson, thought he had a great 4 quarter game. Had a bit of a slow start to the season but was wonderful on Sunday. Just shows our depth at the moment. Judd and Murphy, while good, were kept under control only to have Simpson and Robbo bob up for good games.

So you want Laidler and Jamo as our only two "talls" down back, assuming rest of the back 6 is Yazz, JR, Tuohy and Duigan? Not on Drewgirl. Think Dawes and Cloke for a start, Vardy and Pods, LRT and Goodes, etc etc.

Laids is a fine player, but can we also throw him fwd like Birdy? Where does Laids play now? I want him back, too, believe me. Does JR get used more in the midfield to accommodate him? Interesting times.

I also stated T-Bird "looks so much better", not that he has the 2nd back tall spot sewn up. Going fwd, it is b/w him, Bower and Waite (possibly if fwd structure gets out of balance with Hendo and Kreuzer now back) as our CHB. At the minute, T-Bird has moved a bit ahead of Bower, something hard to imagine 12 mths ago.

Playing on Brown is never easy, it took a likely AA to keep him under control, Jamo is an elite, that T-Bird isn't. You say overrated, I say underrated.

Robbo accepted his reprimand. I would have challenged it as there was little in it I thought.