I fly back from South Africa late on Thursday night. Jetlag should have me thinking its a 10am bounce down. Bring it on.....I'm cricketed out and need a footy fix!

I can't remember ever feeling this flat about a new season. Not sure why, but I feel very little excitement or anticipation. Hopefully things will change later on the week.

You have to remember Surrey, that for every year that gets clipped from our lives the less enthusiasm many may have for the year at hand.

It doesn't have to be that way but most of us just fall into the same patterns.

Plus Essendon* have [REDACTED] the game by being a pack of dirty doping cauliflower.

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"One of my favorite philosophical tenets is that people will agree with you only if they already agree with you. You do not change people's minds." - Frank Zappa

This.

It's drained a heap of enthusiasm from footy followers IMO

For Round 1 my team would be

Tuohy Jamo White
Yarran Watson Walker
Simo Gibbs Everitt
Thomas Hendo Menzel
Garlett Waite Kreuzer

Warnock Murphy Brock

Curnow Bell Robbo
Scotland

In time would like to see:
Docherty for Scotland
Judd for Robbo
Carrazo for Curnow
Cripps for Bell
Graham / Lucas - to improve and demand a spot

I'll jump on that wagon.

The sooner they're infractemated, the sooner I can concentrate on how average we are this season...again.

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'People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.'
Soren Kierkegaard

Feel the same Surrey.

At least for the past few years we've had the blockbuster opener at the G on the Thursday night against our perennial bitches. There has always been something about that game, starting with Judd vs Cousins and so on, full of excitement and hope.

Remember Frank Dardew's post last year about the best walk in football. That great stroll from the CBD on a balmy early Autumn night for the Thursday opener.

I'm pissed off that we've been cheated out of that this year and the Carl Rich game has to wait a week and a half and will be diluted.

That and the realisation that we aren't close to winning a flag and it's no longer in sight.

Let's hope once the ball is bounced it will feel different

We have been grossly distracted, waiting for a hanging I think. I've got mates saying I'm obsessive about Essendon*. Went away with two other mates this weekend (very keen rich, haw fans) and they are pretty much taking the sen/HS line. Once I detailed all that I know through here they were gobsmacked.

So, we are (rightly) obsessed, but it is draining us I think of our boyish enthusiasm, as Harker suggests.

One other thing: 7.40pm Sunday against Port as the season opener is a $)&jng insult to us. We'll have something to talk about Sunday (I won't be there); the season starts late Sunday night on TC/SEN!

..can't wait, sux to be such a last game gig,, but by the same token am really looking forward to it and just gotta look towards it a bit longer..

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

Agreed with Surrey

We don't seem to be going forward

Mick needs to get improvements simple as that. I've backed him but he's now got to get runs on the board at Carlton

At what time exactly did you back him and at what time exactly did you decide that "he now needs runs on the board"?

Of course he needs to make improvements......that's what coaches are asked to do but these days improvements are far more than just what happens on the field.

We were much better there last year than we had been for years.

Same here. You'd have to think Gold Coast and GWS will dominate the competition from about 2017, which further dampens the enthusiasm to invest. Nothing magical about a game at Etihad.

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Get comfortable being uncomfortable

I just think that playing Port in the first game just does not have the spice of a Carlton Richmond game ... thats why we are a bit flat.

Still I am looking forward to those big reckless bombs into the forward line.

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

Yep. Super dooper tricky micky with his big reckless bombs. We get it.

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dane's trolling again

..except they won't be aimless bombs when you have 2 real forwards working together..

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

Hendo playing according to CFC website

That`s debatable i reckon. The slight gains i.e., Hawks (loss), Geelong (loss) North (narrow win) Port (good win) were completely undone by the StKilda and Dogs losses.
We have already chalked up a loss there this year.

yeah..I think it's more that than what Harks has suggested. Also a fair dash of the reality juncture meting up with the crossroad where faith and hope live. (unfortunately!!)

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That’s not a political statement — it’s a harsh reality, and we must act,” she said. “He is a clear and present danger to the things that keep us strong and free. I support impeachment.”