You seem to be missing a ruckman.

Krooz had one tap on the weekend and clearly showing signs of fatigue.

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I hope Essendon* folds.

can someone tell me what the go is with bower? its like a recurring @#$%&! nightmare!

one minute he is emergency for the west coast game and then the next he doesnt even play bullants?

Tell me why Rhino.

Feeling pessimistic?
Don't fancy the fit players we have available?
Don't think we can bounce back?
We are a one man team and now he's out for 4 weeks?
The MC and coach haven't got a clue?

We'll win by at least 5 goals.
I expect Waite, Duigan, Robinson and Curnow back in the team.
I still rate Setanta too.
I don't care who the MC decides to drop.
We have to win. Have to!!

Robbo to take Martin and Cotchin when they in the guts...if they have the guts to face him.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Mixture of Richmond having a fair bit to play for, our injuries, and I reckon we're timing our run in terms of fitness levels and match conditioning to peak in September. We're due to have a lull period, and I suspect, with the introduction of some rather left field selections in recent weeks in O'Keeffe and Austin, and some fairly low key last quarters over the past month, whilst I don't think for a second we won't give it our best, I suspect that winning this game isn't the bigger picture, but rather ensuring that we're doing due dilligence on the depth of our list for the rest of the season, trying players in different positions, giving guys a go to prove that they have something to offer come September, and avoiding injuries and running our players into the ground too early.

If this were round 20, rather than round 14, I'd fully expect us to come away with a 5 goal win. As such, Richmond competing with the Roos, Melbourne and St Kilda for 8th spot, perhaps even 7th if no Sandilands for the rest of the year, they'll come out firing.

_________________
BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

Out: Armfield, Jamison (inj.), Ellard
In: Waite, Bower/Laidler (which ever one is fit), Robinson

FB: Bower/Laidler Thornton Tuohy
HB: Russell Austin Yarran
CC: Gibbs Murphy Simpson
HF: Garlett Henderson Scotland
FF: Walker Waite Betts

RR: Warnock Robinson Judd

Int: Carrazzo, Houlihan, O'Keeffe
Sub: Krezuer

Emg: Kerr, McLean, O'hAilpin

Warnock to take all centre bounces, then send Hendo into the ruck with Warnock going forward for general play when Robbie needs a spell. Sub for Krezuer shortly after half time.

None of the fit midfielders sitting outside the 22 I've named deserve a gig this week; I'd rather back the run of Bower or Laidler in defence, and release Gibbs into midfield.

_________________
29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

Bloody he'll Jimmae that is different.

Bower and Laidler struggling to play with injury.

Kruezer as a sub??? And Hendo rucking, wont happen.

Ellard out when Curnow isn't available.

You do realize we only just lost our second game is 8 weeks?

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

I made 3 changes, bringing 3 regular senior players back? You made three changes too...


Laidler is set to resume, and Bower was on standby for Thornton as far as I knew?


Kreuzer looked very spent very early on yesterday, have him come on and tear a new one for just under two quarters against a team with a poor ruck division.


Robinson in; Ellard is in awful form and does not win as much as hard ball as people suggest on here. Word is Curnow & Duigan will miss another week.


Yes, but we're set to bring back Waite & Robbo already, and why wouldn't we?

_________________
29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

The theory sounds plausible.

Cordy has his finger on every player's pulse, so I suspect he'll know whn rather than if players need a rest.
I'm curious if the captain would allow Cordy to enforce a rest before our next bye?

Don't throw your money away. The Blues will be seething.

_________________
Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Richmond playing for their season.
Carlton undermanned.


Blues by 94 points.

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"I had to eat"

I don't think its a matter of specific players needing a rest, or whether we'd treat it as a bye, but rather, in the scheme of things, a win here is not the absolute be all and end all, with a greater goal being for the team to peak in it's fitness base around the time we do actually have the bye. Things like interchange rotations, time spent on ground for the big guns, perhaps even more time spent up forward as well.

Richmond would be prepared to flog its guts out for four quarters to get the four points here, whereas I wonder if the coaches would rather put squad development and the greater plan as a priority here.

Fair chance this could be 5th vs. 8th come a few months too.

_________________
BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

For those of you wanting to drop Austin, is a half-fit Bower going to do any better?

He has size and ability, just hasn't had the body right to show it.

Those of you who've written Austin off have short memories. The middle part of 2009, he was clearly our first choice 3rd tall defender until he got injured.

Before you start having a go at guys like Austin, have a look at the poor performances of some of his more seasoned colleagues in the midfield before you start flinging mud at KP defenders. Ellard poor, Judd quiet, Murphy quiet, Carazzo - where was he all day, Simmo quiet.

Some people on this site don't seem to understand the art of defending and the fact that Austin continually make look out of position but always seems to be able to get the spoil in.

_________________
"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

Particularly if we go in with the attitude that it's not all that important whether we win or lose it.

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THEY LIKE TO SEND UP!!!!!!!!

Until each team plays each other the same number of times, the AFL, as a fair dinkum competition, cannot be taken seriously.

He (Mr Swann) said the honour and pride associated with the club's traditional navy blue jumper was priceless.

I want to see brock back and given a solid run!!! he is being wasted in the ants!

I think 15.5 will get us top 4, so 6 wins out of the last 9 shall do it.

Put it this way, if we beat Richmond and Hawthorn lose to Collingwood, we will be back in 3rd. Don't know why Hawthorn are home and dry for top 4 because they beat an insipid Essendon*.

Sides will drop games, history suggests Collingwood and Geelong will drop at least 1-2, 3rd usually wins no more than 16, 4th usually 15, and 5th I can't ever remember winning more than 15.

Still an awful long way to go, not everything will remain static personnel wise. Hawthorn's outs could hurt them against better opposition (no Rioli will hurt this week), Eagles have no real injuries at the moment, but if something happened to Cox, Glass or Kerr it would hurt them. Collingwood could lose this week, and if we win we are suddenly only 2 premiership points behind them.

If we lose to the Tigers though, we can then begin to panic.

Our percentage is worth a game.
We will win this week.
Robbo and Martin will be interesting. Robbo has a lot of carry over points and I expect him to be reported once more before the end of the season for something reckless but not intentional.
Setanta would be my first 'in' if he is available. I'd start him at FB/CHB and see how Henderson/Waite go up front before deciding whether or not to change them around.

Didn't see or hear the game so am only considering forced changes, plus Waite, who is an automatic selection if fit, as is Robbo. We are a tall short down back and unless we replace Jamo with a useful tall, they will exploit our lack of height and make life hard for the defence. Ratts indicated that four changes may have thrown out our plan and group cohesion so don't expect four again this week. It'll be Waite, Robbo and someone to replace Jamo and a good kick up the backside to the rest of them for not playing hard footy. If Kreuzer is tired, play him as a marking forward 20 metres from goal and see how the opposition copes.

This game, like most of our good wins, will be won in the front half. Warnock has to get a few hitouts to advantage and we have to win the clearances against a pretty handy midfield. The small forwards and mids will have a field day this week. They showed last week for ten minutes that they can win games. They just have to get a bit more experience and come to play every week. ATM they seem to think they are Ashman, Keogh, Buckley, Sheldon, Catoggio and Alex Marcou who could win a game by playing one quarter of footy a week. Not yet, boys.
Maybe soon, but not yet.

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Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

As much as you'll all bag me for it, But after winning $$$ on the Eagles last week, i'm whacking $30 on Richmond to beat us this week.

I don't think Richmond are the better team mind you - in fact, their effort against Melbourne was terrible.

However:-

- No Jamo is a BIG loss. I might be biased here, but I reckon he's EASILY All Australian Defender.
- Warnock is useless. He looks unfit and lazy. Not sure why. But around the grounds, he is just too slow and a liability.
- Kreuzer is going at it 110% but he'll surely tire soon.

And finally...............
Playing on Eithad for 3 weeks straight is going to take it's toll. Look at our injuries.
- Hammo, Knee, Etihad
- Curnow, shoulder & Thigh, Both Etihad.
- Duigan, calf, Etihad.
- Waite, Hamstring, Etihad.
- Robbo, ????, but I know it was at Etihad.

Seriously, I love that ground, it's great to watch footy at and is close to the city! But the actual surface (along with it's crap overpriced warm beer and cold pies) is a disgrace.

And it's not just us too. Look at Essendon*'s injury list. In fact, look at Dane Swan............ played a couple of games at Etihad and next thing you know he's flying to Arizona.

I really think playing too many games and especially too many games in a row @ that Stadium is gonna cost us big time.

But even if i do put money on the Tigers, i still believe we can pump em by 50+ points!

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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

..if our greater goal is to peak come finals, we're screwed.. ..we're not good enough to 'flirt with form'.. ....and now with recent injuries/soft tissue concerns around players like jamo, waite, duigan, robbo, hammer, laidler, curnow we need to be winning every game cos you can bank on players coming back from injuries hitting peak form quickly..

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

In - Waite, Duigan, Curnow, Robbo, Setanta, Laidler
Out - Jammo, Hendo, Aussie, Tuohy, RoK, Ellard

Let's stop @#$%&! around!

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end of message

Post of the week.

Seriously

I was shouting the same thing all afternoon.
Carazzo was lost, and Simpson had an absolute stinker.

We lost it in the clearances & hard ball