We need Jezza circa 1978.

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

Winston Churchill

Ahhh the good old days how I long for them

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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

A new Scorponi, or the old one under another name?

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Just because I'm offended, doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Absolutely spot on. Blind Freddy can see that.

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I am as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!!!

I agree. Obviously with some easier opposition and some more confidence among the playing group and some more time to adjust to the new regime we'll improve. But Melbourne and GWS are the only certainties. Beaten Saints about twice in the last decade. So no certainties there. Should beat Port over here. But they're a much better team at the moment. Brisbane at the Gabba will be hard.

And then we've got Essendon* (who we always lose to first time we play each season). Hawthorn at Etihad, and we're absolutely no chance. Sydney at the SCG, not much chance. And then Collingwood again.

There looks like there are 4 dud teams this year: Melbourne, GWS, Gold Coast and Western Bulldogs. And we only play each of them once.

I like the way a lot of players are getting a look at the moment. But I suspect it's making it a little bit harder to get over the line in these close games. Unsettled sides tend not to play with great cohesion.

Did anyone really think we'd be anywhere near the top 4 this year??



I'm with you on this one. Its annoying that we've had a few forced changes through injury/illness already as well.

I thought we'd be closer to the top 4 than the bottom 4.

Does anyone else think that the downward spiral started when Icke left??

..it's silly recruiting.. ..as simple as that.. ..we value flair over substance.. ..we think a few core players are enough.. ..at the draft, we've been clearly in the bottom half of teams [possibly bottom 4] for drafting players the last 15 years..

..2011 is looking more and more likely to be the aberration season..

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

after the first few rounds?

yes so did most ..... wow!!!

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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.

Should have got rid of him earlier. Lightweight at Freo and then played a big hand in sending us up the garden path.

Not sure what Andy Mackay was thinking not making sure the list got a shake up at the end of 2012 either.

We weren't able to shake up the list because our players such as Davies and Joseph were on multi year contracts and we weren't going to pay them out as we already had to absorb Rattens contract. This is the year we can start to clean out the list.

Considering we were'nt too far off last time we had a relatively injury free list, yes.

Besides, the board recently sacked the coach because he failed to make Top 4, so why should we lower our expectations now?

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

I don't get what you are saying? We could have traded and put a new mix together. It was clear we were flogging a dead horse.

trublu says we have a plan and are frontloading contracts with the hope of landing a big fish end of year. Maybe that is what Mackay is thinking. I would hope that is the case.

I think its both. When we Bomb the ball ... it results in quick turnovers that hurt us at the other end.

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I am as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!!!

The lack of realism in our support base (and hopefully not our Board!) is frightening.

Ratten was sacked because we had not taken the steps necessary to make the jump into the top 4. Even in our best year in recent times (2011), we only finished 5th, beat up on Essendon* on the G and then had an honourable loss in Perth. For the last 3-4 years we've had questionable depth (particularly our talls in attack and smalls in defence) and a midfield mindset focused almost entirely on offence (Carazzo and Robinson excluded). These areas were exposed by our injuries last year with reality finally setting in after the Gold Coast loss.

Malthouse was brought in to fix these deficiencies. These will take time to address and will require personnel changes to ultimately achieve. The contracts in place (another legacy of the Ratten era) made it difficult to move this year but that's why he has a 3 year contract. Who seriously believes that wins over the likes of Gold Coast and Bulldogs early in the season would establish our top 4 credentials??? The hard start to the season has highlighted what needs to be fixed and who's not up to the task of applying the kind of defensive pressure expected of a top 4 side.

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In WADA we trust

I don't agree with your presumptions ... but time will tell ... I hope you are right ...

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I am as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!!!

Questionable depth, a midfield mindset focussed entirely on offence (I'd like to know how you quantify that) and yet we progressed from wooden spoon to 3 years of competitive finals participation with a young developing side.
Perhaps the board and the unrealistic supporters know more than you think?

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Our scoring is coming from acts of brilliance or fluke.
We cannot manufacture a straight forward structured forward attack to save our lives.
We are a open forward line with our runners running onto the ball that need to out run the oppositions multiple defender, out marks stronger taller opponents or have a long shot from outside 50, not to mention the shit delivery to the oppositions advantage.
This all coming from a boundary line offensive and if we really get corralled then and only then do we try and center the ball which is then rebounded through the corridor or the opposing open wing.
The ease of which the opposition is entering our defensive 50 is largely attributed to our attack and its structure.