The third quarter was a very interesting one. Several times we really had them worried and their backline was looking a little shaky trying to move the ball out. It was just that they kept scoring and as mentioned kicked a couple of pearlers.

We really had a crack and plaued some aggressive attacking footy.

Our backline is still a worry, but there are very good signs that improvement is coming. Hats of to Hendo who stuck it out all day. Cloke was in good touch yet still only kicked 3.

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Everything before the word "but" is horseshit - J Snow

The third quarter was frustrating because it felt like we were in control for most of it but they just kept responding every time we got a goal and in the end they actually won the quarter by a goal. I guess that's why they are a good side.

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Formerly Blues-Back2003.

That's interesting because apart from Cloke I don't think they had another real winner. I thought Duigen did well, Laidler certaintly played tall and beat Brown, Joseph did ok, yarran certaintly held and ran well .... hmmm not sure why Wallsy would say that except as I said kp defender was required and he was on the bench for 3 quarters.

I think today showed that we are improving, but its a steady improving rather than a big spike up from last year. We now fight games out even if we are not playing well, the side of last year would of packed it in during the 2nd quarter today, but we kept plugging away, and if we managed to hit the front in the 3rd anything could of happened.

Collingwood are a super side, but put Waite, Jamison, Russell, Carrots & Hampson back into that team, a match fit Bower and we could give them a decent shake in the finals. Sure they would have Shaw, Dawes, Didak (though hes shown little this year due to his limited pre season) and Beams to come back in, but I think we have more upside with our outs.

We aren't the finished article, but it is happening.

I agree. I think whether the players that were out for each team are better/equal individually is not really the point. Their more mature playing style/developed list adapts better to "outs" than ours, hence I think we miss our "outs" just a little more.

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We're not on the young kids back rather the MC for the moronic selection.

Watto will be a good player and is part of our future, but he's not @#$%&! ready for senior football atm. Are we trying to destroy this kid? What will he take away from this season, two floggings against the filth? Confidence will be shot especially if he's dropped next week.

Austin and Bower are ahead of Watson atm and should be given ever opportunity to prove themselves now, while we have injured regulars.

Henderson did ok on Cloke but as last week, why the hell didn't we move him forward in the last qtr just to try and mix it up a bit and make us less predictable. A combination of Bower and a floating Thornton would have got the job done down back and would have made them scramble to cover our changes.

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“I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” ― Richard Feynman

Those calling for Henderson forward are ignoring the fact that they could cover him with Reid, Tarrant and Keeffe. Lachie will be a good lead up centre half forward, but at the moment, he isn't great at plucking one grab overhead marks like Waite and Fisher. Failed to take a contested mark and bring it to ground against Essendon* with our long bombs inside 50.

What did we have to lose, the game? Well we managed that just fine keeping the status quo... for the second week in a row we keep to a structure that clearly hasn't worked for three quarters and come up short. I thought we were going to be 'bold' this week...

We are too predictable. Thornton wasn't exactly Wayne Carey up forward. How many scoring plays was he involved in?

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“I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” ― Richard Feynman

I'd be interested to know the stats for Marks from Opposition kicks.

Wallsy says that a lot, many media commentators say that a lot. But for me, both this year and last, I worry so much more about our forward line than our back line. Without Waite in good form, we look so much worse down there. Losing Jamo from our backline is bad, losing Waite from our forward line is worse.

We have to get Setanta back into this team. To me he is the obvious selection up front. He takes their best backman. He is never outmarked one on one. His ground level work is excellent and he is a very accurate kick for goal. OK, he can be unpredictable but at least he can mark the footy or get it to ground. I couldn't believe it last night when Eddie was leading up and they were kicking it high to him. Harry was ll over him.

Last night I set up the projector, connected it to Justin and watched it with my wife's Mexican uncle, who had never seen a game of footy in his life.

Here are his comments on the game:
Carlton are playing like they know they are going to lose so are timid of their opponents.
Carlton are making too many defensive errors.
Carlton should kick it to a tall player in front of goal and not a short player.
Collingwood are putting too much presion on the Carlton players.
He (Swan) is a 'naco' (bogan)
Collingwoods top 4 players are more skillful than Carlton's top 4.
If they thought they are going to lose before the game, they should play more daring. If they don't they will surely lose.

Couldn't have analysed it better myself.

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

My point of view, bear in mind I don't know much about football:

- we were missing our book ends
- we need a tall forward
- injuries are affecting our structure
- the team has looked fatigued the past month. Most other teams have had there byes. We had ours in round 3 and don't have another till round 21/22. That is a long stretch
- seriously what the hell is in Arizona? The pies players each take a little trip there and suddenly they have incredible endurance . Steroids anyone?

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Alexander the Great was born in Greece!

Don't blame Watson blame whoever made the decision to allow a 3-gamer to take kick-ins in a high pressure match.

It was interesting to see the Collingwood approach in the first ten minutes of the last quarter - they came out and completely shut the game down, rather than try to blow us away, as they would do with most teams. I think we had them worried and if a few of our boys had managed to lift at the same time we might have had them.

In the end though the simple fact is that we were understrength to begin with, and they are a better team than us on our best day. We just have to be patient and slowly reel them in.

As an aside, has Dane Swan ever kicked a goal from further out than the goal square? Had about 4 shots at goal today from less than 20 metres out and didn't make the distance once.

They were gutsy marks - put his body on the line in front of a rampaging train coming behind him.
Lot of respect for him there

Interesting how we lament the lack of a forward line - and yet we that 3 goal kickers in the top 10 in the league - On paper that looks like one hell of tha dangerous forward line If not the most dangerous in the comp
Ratts saying he needs a big hulking Forward - well Ratts Fev is just waiting for a call


Where this match committee has fallen down its not playing to its strength It has tried to create a Forward structure even throwing Thorton up there- Setanta- Warnock - Twomey- Bower - henderson when the forward structure was working - It has tried to cover one tall down back by throwing kids down there
Like Austin- Watson - Henderson


We have a midfield it is up there with the best in the comp - Load up with more midfielders and play to your strengths - Stop trying to plug a weakness

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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

Jutstfinished reading today's Hun sports section. Who did the Filth play yesterday?

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"I had to eat"

I've been quite despondent about our effort in some ways, but I agree with everything you say here.

Taking a step back for a moment, we are still on a clear upward trend in terms of overall improvement and all-round ability.

We still need to work on being more frenetic/intense for four quarters and, of course, a man mountain or two for key posts wouldn't hurt (we may well have them already, but they're going to take time).

I guess if Waite and Jamo are fit then guys like Watson and Henderson can be given less demanding roles.

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I'm with Camelboy. I'm genuinely surprised the majority here are praising our efforts? I haven't yet had the opportunity to watch it on tv, but from my perspective at the ground the effort in the first half was diabolical.

There was no intensity, we were second to the ball, we were stagnant, we had no run, we would either chip it short to the wrong option or just bomb it long to the wrong contests. On a few occasions, the midfielders quite literally stopped when the ball went the other way. When the ball was in dispute, especially in the first quarter, there would be Collingwood players hunting in packs and ours were a metre off the contest. It was shocking football. But for some errant kicking, they would have taken an unassailable lead going into the half time break.

Again, for all his sublime skills, I saw Yarran shirk a contest in the first quarter that resulted in a goal and then again later in the match, he fumbled the ball when he saw what lay ahead. When it's your time to go, you go. It shits me to tears.

So whilst we have room to improve, don't kid yourself that Collingwood were anywhere near their best. They did enough to win the game, after barely changing out of third gear in the first half.

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--------------------------------------------------------"The only one that could ever love me..."

Except Reid is a Hack, and was consistently outplayed... by Thornton. Keeffe was subbed off and Tarrant was having Circles ran around him by Walker. Hendo was in the position to do some damage on the lead.

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#23: Lachlan Henderson

I agree with the general feeling we were terrible. Worst match of the year bar NONE. but also the weakest team we've had out there so no surprise really.

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#23: Lachlan Henderson