Not LoB, please. Like Dow he's shown us what he's got and it won't take us to where we need to be.

I do want to see more of Carrol. We've got two bona-fide stars in Cerra and Walsh (both 23) but Cripps is getting on a tad (in footy terms at least, at 27)... we need to find another one. Carrol showed a lot when he did play, I thought. We need to know if we've got one here.

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O say does that star spangled banner yet wave.

Really?!

It is the exact opposite of last season to me - last year we started strongly and limped home (literally with some of our injuries to key players), whereas this year we started shakily, but have come good at the right time of year and are now playing fantastic football.

The only similarities for me this year is our position within the 8 with 4 games to go and the injuries. The difference with the injuries now is that our system is standing up, despite all the personnel changes.

It is likely be an ugly game, but we should win comfortably and maintain the momentum.

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"If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself" - Henry Ford

And Martin can also go in for a burst.
I agree with the obvious Dow in for Cerra.
Re sub, depends on what our next major concern is:

Ed will be sub if we are looking for a 'general replacement option'.
Fisher, if we are looking for a bit of zip (he can go mid or forward).
Young, if we are concerned about Charlie getting injured (and then swap with one of the key defenders).

TEST
C Durdin - Shoulder

OUT
Cerra - Hamstring
Walsh - Hamstring
Kennedy - Knee
McKay - Knee
Silvagni - Knee

SEASON
Williams - Knee
Philp - Foot
Mirkov - Heart

_________________
"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter" - Winston Churchill.

I totally get the skepticism - although we are doing really well, it will take a lot for me to really trust us to deliver - our history is that we believe our own hype too easily and then take our foot off the gas, often against weaker opposition.
In this latest run, the media constantly making excuses for our wins has had the effect of keeping up the challenge. But after defeating Collingwood and Port in recent weeks, we will now be believing the hype and will be expected to beat the Saints. Hopefully, Voss keeps our heads in the right place. But until we have actually nailed a finals spot, ideally before the last round, I will remained a bit stressed!

Yeah, agreed - all fair points.

I guess my main point to disagree is that it is feeling like last season. We are now finally playing as a united team and with real belief. Last year we were just running on hope in the end.

At what point will our supporters start to really believe in this team? Hopefully this week can be the turning point by getting a comprehensive victory over a bogey side.

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"If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself" - Henry Ford

If we win this week the lid won't only be well and truly off, it will be smashed and destroyed.


.....and then we will lose the last 3 games and miss the finals ..... #mentallyscarred

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

:lol:

Sent from my Nokia G21 using Tapatalk

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#DonTheStash

it's more about at what stage do the injuries start to effect us.

walsh and cerra are as close to irreplaceable as we have right now. you could see dow going off script a few times last week, and just head down, and bombing it long or hand-balling to no one. that stuff becomes contagious if we get put under the pump. and st kilda will apply that kinda pressure .

Your 5% off against a team
that’s 100% on means you lose
Cerra and Walsh combined loss for the whole game will test the midfield

As usual a lot of posters going the early crow
We have been up 100% for 6 weeks
Very hard to keep it going
Without doubt the Power Pies game was the best game of the year
The Pies were ready for a downer
And I know I’ll be accused of the usual crap but we were lucky against The Pies
The frees to Curnow were there but often those arnt paid
Martin made sure that push in the back was noticed
Sometimes those frees arnt paid
The Pies missed some sitters
With Kennedy still out and Cripps clearly hampered our midfield will be tested
Crouch has been fantastic recently
Steele is building some form
Sinclair is very good
And Marshall is a ripper
This game isn’t a certainty
No game ever is
To win I reckon someone else has to step up in the middle
Fascinating game awaits on Sunday

....and there it is, right on cue!!

Nah, to be fair keogh you make a lot of valid points. St Kilda will be no easybeats of course, but we SHOULD beat them based on the way we have been playing and their recent form. It's not an early crow, it is just the reality of the current situation.

The key question is whether we can handle the expectation - I now think we can. But it doesn't matter what you and I think, it's about what happens inside the 4 walls at Princes Park this week. I am sure the players and coaching staff will prepare as well as a they can. Injuries will be difficult to cover for sure, but we have done it well for the past 4 weeks, even during games. Agree that it will be a fascinating watch and I really look forward to it.

But sorry, I cannot agree with you on us being lucky against the Pies - we heaped so much pressure on them that they crumbled. That's why they missed sitters that they would normally get and gave away silly free kicks. And we took full advantage of it.

P.S. Did you hear the news about Badlands Bar? It is closing at the end of the year due to the cost of insurance going through the roof.... So you'd better get in there ASAP to see some more bands!

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"If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself" - Henry Ford

I must admit LOB was on my shortlist of 5 who could play AFL level at the pointy end of the season. I didnt base that on "solid" form.
I had Ed, Fisher, Carroll, Young and LOB for midfield role: Young for a tall but with Marchy in there, we have enough talls to move around.

No offense Farmer but you and I agree to disagree with the definition of "solid" form, a lot. But I luv yu.
You make me feel warm and fuzzy, and I pitch Carlton the same as you to the non believers, but I don't do that on TC.
I don't think I'm a harsh task master.

LOB has been really disappointing. He's the senior of the 2 wings in the VFL, Binns being the other, and Binns shits on LOB, like so many others.
Cerra and Walsh are midfielders.
LOB is a wing. He has to get past Acres, Hollands and Cottrell. Wing isn't what we need to fill with a like for like policy.
So I forget about LOB for this game. I doubt we will see him again in 2023.

Binns was BOG.
Carroll hasnt been consistent, but had a good game last week, so he should be considered, having been exposed to AFL in the past. Same as Fisher, but I've never been a big fan of Fisher at the AFL level. But he would be fkn hungry if selected. I'd bet Carroll as emergency, but wont be surprised if Ed guzumps them all, not because of form but experience and physical ability to play the pressure contested game and put his strong body on the line.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I agree with the first 3 lines.

How many StKilda games have you watched recently?
Last week?

We had a hard fought win. Not a lucky win.
Ask anyone who is not a Pies supporter.
We were the better team after those 3 umpire assisted shots in the first to Pies.

Owies missed a sitter vs Pies..right in front, Martin missed a gimme, Fog's effort for goal only 35 out was fkn childish, Cottrell usually kicks those, and Cerras snap on the left 25 out usuaLLY hits the mark
Pies are the form team.
Umps had the rub of the green with umps and it was only sensible to give frees that are obvious.
Umps missed a LOT OF FREES BUT THAT DOESNT SUIT YOUR AGENDA...oops sorry about caps.

I knew we were a different team after the Hawks game and went the early Crow then. We have won 4 since then.
I wish I made a bet with you over the last 6 weeks. Do you want to place a bet this week?
We might not be so lucky ... with the umps

Lets hope we play for a Finals spot and bring pressure and contest again, and again, and again....and we have a beer doen at Margaret river over summer celebrating our Finals campaign I will be there! I'll get on stage and sing "Wild Thing, You make my ring sting" Maybe I will leave the singing to you. My voice will be coarse from the GF.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Yeah
Sad hope other venues don’t suffer the same fate.

If I sang I would be out of the job
Pearl sings and I play guitar

Type in google
Vicandpearlmusic
We will come up and go to the Facebook page
Clink on about and you can see where we are playing

Love to
Meet you
Despite my left of centre view about the CFC I do want them to succeed
And I actually am a good bloke

OUT: Cerra

B: Newman Weitering Kemp..................Marchbank
HB: Saad McGovern Cincotta

C: Acres Cripps Hollands....................Cottrell
F: Pittonet Hewett Docherty....................Dow

HF: Martin DeKoning Cuningham
F: Curnow Owies Motlop......................Fogarty

SUB from Ed Young Fisher Carroll Binns

Not much has changed from last week.
We can't replace Cerra who gave us the start we needed v Pies, but we have to move on.
The unit is still together.
If Doc can repeat his last effort in the midfield group, at centres bounces and all....we win.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Nah, that's incorrect. If Weitering committed those infringements, he'd be called for all of them.
Everyone seems to forget Moore was lucky to not be called for a blatant arm around the neck earlier in the game. A 100% free kick. Except the umpires were unsighted. Or do we only count the ones that suit?

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Had his charge downgraded so is available this week.

Dow has been OK but he's not a LT player for us. Throws it on the boot way too often. Lacks composure.

Also despite being in the system a number Iof years now he's still physically weak and struggles to tackle the bigger bodied mids. Still has kid shoulders.

Time to unleash the 'Cun in the midfield..

It's Voss vs Ross.
Who'll be BOSS?