Bit more hardness in the side at the moment with a lot of players who can rotate in the middle
Thornton very unlucky but you couldnt drop Bower after last week

Duigan very lucky

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They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

How does Joseph relate to Curnow? He is in to play on Milne.

I guess having Ellard and Curnow is similar to Curnow and Carazzo. Ellard replacing Carazzo. The lack of pace with Curnow and Ellard does concern me but hopefully the stats/ gps data prove that is not a concern. Small ground and surround them with pace and we should be ok.

I hope he does a better job than the same game last year. Milne torched him.

I agree that Bower played well last week but he really played on no one of any note. If Ratts continues to expect the third tall defender to swing at both ends of the ground then Thornton is more suited to that role. Thornton would have been able to stretch the Saints in defence as well as go back and play on Kozi. Baffling selection!!!

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When the whole team was playing like crap last week and kicking points, Bower took it upon himself to put us 10 points up at half time, and then set up the first 2 goals of the third quarter.
Ratts gave him 4 votes. It's hardly baffling.

is that the game we went home at half time to prepare for Essendon*?

Thornton is officially Ratten's new whipping boy. His first omission earlier this year was a joke. Look forward to seeing the MC show consistency with poor form when other players play poorly. Bet they'll be given more opportunities than BT.

The player most deserving of a blowtorch up his arse is Gibbs. Was supposed to be his breakout year. Still see him picking up cheap possies across HB. Is one year behind Murph but is light years behind him as far as importance to our structures and impact on games.

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That's very harsh on Gibber!

When was the last time Gibber lost out against any opponent he's had the job on?? I'd go as far as saying he's our best one on one defender we have & he's reading of the game is light years ahead of most!

He can play anywhere & on anyone.

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'The Carlton people are spirited & I'm the same as them, they have life in them, they have humor, they're arrogant, they're cocky & they're proud. And that's what I want my team to be.'

If Gibbs had spent the last 4 years in the midfield while Murphy played fwd pocket.....
Not Gibbs fault what role he's given

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"I had to eat"

I agree. There are no cheap possies off HB anymore. He is not like 2003 Campo sheep dogging it for easy numbers. He playing a legitimate role back behind the ball because he reads the play better than anyone in our team and his delivery out of the back half and his delivery into the forward 50 is top notch. You can tell when he is not there. Id love to see the stats for how many score involvements and inside 50 involvements. It would be close to the top of the team id imagine.

Gibbs is have a fantastic season only letting himself down against Essendon* and perhaps the first half last week when trialled onball.

This is a ridiculous post.

Waite back in means a tall out. He was a bit unlucky, but who would you drop instead of Thornton? Kreuzer? Hampson? Jamison? Henderson? Bower?
Note that Bower played his best game in 2 and a half years last week, and was given 4 well deserved votes by Ratts. He did a hell of a lot more than T-bird.
Having a good team means that good players miss out each week.

As for Gibbs, he does his job, even though it is not his most suited position. He's been pretty solid in all but ht Essendon* game, when the whole team was down.

Gibbs plays HB bec he's not naturally hard enough to play onball, so comparing him to MM is valid. Dont get me wrong, as a defender he is just about elite, but he has not become the midfielder we all expected when we used pick one on him. Robinson has gone past him as an onball option because he gets Down n Dirty. Gibbs was played onball in the first half last week against GWS n didn't impose himself at all then was sent back. Look bottom line is he doesn't go in hard, doesn't throw himself into packs etc.

Gibbs plays HB bec he's not naturally hard enough to play onball, so comparing him to MM is valid. Dont get me wrong, as a defender he is just about elite, but he has not become the midfielder we all expected when we used pick one on him. Robinson has gone past him as an onball option because he gets Down n Dirty. Gibbs was played onball in the first half last week against GWS n didn't impose himself at all then was sent back. Look bottom line is he doesn't go in hard, doesn't throw himself into packs etc.

Bump.

Please, please, please bury these flowers on Monday.

only we way we lose this is mentally

mentally getting ahead of ourselves and the opportunity of taking top spot

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

There's a reason MM has spent the last four years onball n Gibbs hasn't. It's all about hardness. If Gibbs was good enough, trust me he'd be playing onball for us, but he isn't.
It's pretty bloody simple really. You just don't want tO see it

That is only because some people expected an onballer. Cant judge him on fans expectations. Gibbs is no onballer. Not the right type. Not zippy enough, the skills he is blessed with are not utilised when in the congested bubble onballers have to play in. Forget about him as an onballer. He is a gun attacking defender who is rarely beaten, an occasional run with onballer who is rarely beaten and a handy forward who is rarely beaten.

Please rewatch the games he has played this season. Round 1 against the tigers he was outstanding, brisbane another good game, a fantastic game against the pies, rubbish game against the dons, a great game against freo where he completely domintated the first half, and a good game against GWS once he was moved away from attempting to play onball.

I don't care what they recruited him as he's damned near perfect as our sweeper, cleaner uperer, attacking defende r.

If he'd played in Perth fina last year we'd have won it's that simple..

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I hope Essendon* folds.

Yep true....we were lacking that one extra bit of class....

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There's more bitching in here than among a bunch of WAGS out at a nightclub.
Why is it so hard to just trust the match selection comittee?
We're doing alright aren't we?

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