I don't think AJ will be dropped. He best Rioli and his disposal was much much better.

yep, not enough pats on the back this week after all the vitriol he's copped

time for Touhy to spend more time in the midfield

This makes a lot of sense. His kicking is exceptional and he likes the rough stuff. He's still learning about positioning, which is why he doesn't get enough quantity of possessions in the backline, and it would help his education to be where the ball is more often.

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"The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, and the young know everything." Oscar Wilde

We need some presence in there most of all, JW, and Tuohy will at least take it up to the opposition

Nah he should just be freed up.
Hes always minding a man too tight.

Watch Hurn and do the same with the Irishman.....

You know ???

The smart coaches dont over complicate footballers minds.

Like Collingwood.

They get players and play them to their strengths. They all are given 2 or 3 roles to do.
Krakouer is a crumber.. not a CHF chaser etc

Ball is an extractor.
MAxwell plays his role.

Swann runs around does what he likes....its his go


When they chase a player they have a spot for him earmarked.

Consider C Johnston.

Took him as a kicker and played him on Lucas one night... got kileld obviously.

McLean... inside player.. playing in flanks.. and wing.. lol

Kills me ..!!!

Ratten doesnt have a picture in his head what individual players should be doing within the structire of the footy team playing...

Unless its a tagging role....which is pretty ridiculous the way the game is today



no flower idea.....

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

CHANGES:
Jamison (inj) - replaced by Bower
Kreuzer (inj) - NQR atm, replaced by Thornton
McLean/Joseph - replaced by Curnow
Bootsma - not ready, replaced by Lucas
Garlett - enough is enough, replaced by Collins

Two changes out of necessity but the other three need to be rewarded for decent NB form and development

B: Yarran - Watson - Tuohy
HB: Lucas - Bower - Duigan
C: Simpson - Judd - Gibbs
FOLL: Warnock - Robinson - Carrazzo
HF: Scotland - Thornton - Collins
F: Betts - Hampson - Walker

INT: Armfield - McLean/Joseph - Curnow - Ellard


Maybe, just maybe we'll keep this under 5 goals...

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

Is this a product of the unbalanced list that he has had a hand in creating?

A list so unbalanced that when missing 4-5 of its best players we go 2 months only being able to beat GWS and Melbourne.

Watched that game as well. Both teams played with more aplomb than we did on Friday night. Pretty good viewing.

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We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion.

You just know that they are going to revel in dishing out some more misery for our club. I'm expecting an absolute smashing and a heap more pressure to come the clubs and ratts way.

This is going to hurt. For so many reasons.

The powerbrokers and people who have the kahunas to do the review could do worse than compare the fortunes of the two clubs since rd 3.

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We are on our way back...

We are going to get bent over and flowered. They will use this game to impart a 100+ point humiliation on us for last time. It wouldn't matter if we had a full senior list PLUS the northern bullants on the field we would still get pumped.

Sounds like the Carlton match committee. One okay game every four and you retain your spot, unless of course you are a talented new kid.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

..Betts?, he's both.. ..excellent crumber and FF.. ..it's why coaches these days are putting taller marking defenders on him.. ..and he'll keep playing this 'dual' fwd role cos he's got the fwd craft and genuine presence.. ..simply put, this year he's our best fwd option/target by a fair margin..

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

Cant play three ruckman again. Has never worked.

Kruezer out (inj) in Thornton
Jamison out (inj) in Bower (no choice)
AJ out. In Lucas
McLean out. In Collins
Warnock out (not fit enough). In OKeefe

Play a mobile side!

B: Ellard Bower Bootsma
HB: Yarran Watson Scotland (Mobile defence)

C: Simpson Touhy Lucas
Foll: Hampson Judd Carrazzo

HF: Garlett Thornton Collins
F: Betts Walker Gibbs

Int: Armfield Robinson Duigan (OKeefe) Lots of midfield rotations. Duigan and Touhy to provide size, strength and mongrel around contest.

Dont worry about marking targets. Kick to a lead. Make it about run and carry and creating a contest. With this side we can create pressure and win contests on the ground. This will also stop us getting caught behind the ball when it is turned over.

Leave Walker at FF. He has best year playing deep and he will love being the main target. Thornton is the worker and Betts, Garlett & Gibbs plus the rotating mids have the class.

Hampson to ruck most of night. Small chop out from Thornton.

Lesson for Ratten. Dont try and create something from nothing. Work to get the best out of what we have got.

Go back to our strengths. Speed, running the ball and creating scoring opportunities from stoppages.

Its about putting on the pressure.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Agree with this. I wouldn't be expecting much because his awareness still needs to get better and he can be slow to make decisions but it would be good for his development.

Sounds fair enough. We need to carry the ball to 65m out to kick over their wall of defenders. If we can do that quickly all the better.
Pressure is our only hope. Take it off them and run. If that fails put the whole team around the ball to create stoppage after stoppage and make the game an eye sore like what Malthouse did in 2009 when they had a lot of injuries. We won by 10 goals that day but it was an ugly game.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/mcinnes-makes-his-mark-20120630-219ry.html

Interesting, given that his thread has been active this week.

Interesting, too that Thornton, Curnow and Lucas have been getting a bit of it. It at least gives the MC someone to pick from and have a look at, even though Thornton isn't the future. He is the present and is still on two legs. That's a plus in itself..

North did us a favour by beating StK. We are only one game out of the four instead of two. If and it's a very big if, we were to win on Friday, we would possibly be in the eight, depending on other results but certainly we would still only be 4 points out with an improved percentage. A win over Collingwood would possibly be the injection of confidence we need for the rest of the season but a loss is a definite end to the season.

I agree with dropping Kreuzer and Warnock and selecting a side with pace and grunt. Our defenders will never be able to hold Cloke and Dawes so the game has to be won in the midfield and forward. The side the Psychologist has is one way. I do agree that we need to have a look at Touhy in the middle and just tell him to chase the footy and move it forward. It's the Sheedy formula and the one that beat us years ago when he put one of the young Johnson boys in the middle for the second half and he tore us to shreds. If we are going togo small and fast, though, it is no time to drop Garlett. he is having a shocker but one thing he hasn't lost is his speed. He might easily have kicked three in the second half last week, which would have been a good return.
Walker has to go back to the FF line.

I know nothing about McKinnes but if he does get a run I wish him luck. We have to blood these kids at some stage and if he is killing it in the NB, he has to have his chance. And not just for one week.

All of a sudden, I think the game will be worth watching and if we beat Collingwood twice in the year and finish 11th, we'll have something to talk about over the summer.

Blues by one point after Walks takes MOTY in the square one second before the siren.

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

Kids doing his best with what he's got. He doesn't select himself and as bad as some of his games have been at least he has a go.

If he plays well give him a wrap, it doesn't cost you anything.

Garlett and Yarran have been taking the piss for a month and they get picked.

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I hope Essendon* folds.

Spain scored 4 against Italy - we'll be lucky to kick 4 goals this Friday Night.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

Kids doing his best with what he's got. He doesn't select himself and as bad as some of his games have been at least he has a go.

If he plays well give him a wrap, it doesn't cost you anything.

Garlett and Yarran have been taking the piss for a month and they get picked.[/quote]

AJ has had his chances, tries hard, but we need to move on and develop the future.