My desired selected team is still available to me with the emergencies. It is a ridiculous team on paper at the moment.
No way can it run out a quarter. Let alone the game. Expect big fluctuations in our pressure rating.
Voss is probably thinking the game can be an old fashion final that is an arm wrestle. Contest to contest. Long bombs down the line. Muscle the ball forward.
My main issue is what we do with Kemp , Kennedy and Cerra? So I am hoping Cerra comes out. Kemp gets ommitted or TDK doesnt come up. Kennedy sub or plays if TDK doesnt. Forward line of H , Kemp, Kennedy or TDK , H .

Yeah... does seem like we're gearing up for a dour struggle... long down the line... first to 9 goals wins. Just don't know how we stop Bears playing the game on their terms without Cinc shutting down Zorko. Hope there's a plan... I ain't expecting a spectacle.

Are we allowed to do the same re: Cripps?
Poor bastard lugs an opponent around on his back most games.

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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

It’ll be interesting to see if we line up as named. Suspect there’s still a twist or turn left. Surely Cincotta has to be first in if someone is out. Could negate Cameron, Zorko or Neale. Maybe we’re foxing with Brisbane and then come the first bounce he’s tagging someone. We’ll see.

The ins are generally good and obviously Charlie just isn’t close if he can’t get named when we’re rolling the dice.

TDK and Pitto is a worry. Should only play one but I fear we’ve gone the half baked solution because TDK isn’t actually fit enough to ruck 85% game time. If he’s not hitting the scoreboard it makes us awfully slow and hinders our ability to pressure which is the only way we’ll win this game.

Then there’s Cerra over Lord. Putting a lot of faith in a bloke who has broken down 4-5 times in 14 months. Hope he has a blinder but suspect he’ll play short of a gallop as he usually does and we’ll end up with Kennedy as sub who could provide just as good value in the midfield.

Hope he has good knees…

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

hopefully the whole tdk thing is a ruse, and they're playing with the lions. if he's a late out and cinc comes in, that one move makes us fairly look good again.

stopping or at least hindering/ slowing their rebound off our own F50 is where we win or lose this game.

I'm tipping 2 emergencies play

Moir for Durdin
Cincotta for Cerra


If that's the plan, I'm partially happy but have 1 big gripe. Lord >>>>> Carroll as an emeergency

Lord is built for finals...mentally right now, and physically in the years to come

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If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!

Don't disagree there. Thought Lord should play.

It's a strong looking side but the thing that's missing for me is X factor. That's why I'm gutted Martin didn't come up - would have had him in for Kemp if he was right.

We really don't often play Young Kemp & Mcgovern in the same team so maybe that's why it all looks a bit top heavy

Durdin Motlop Fantasia don't seem quite level with Cameron Lowman Bailey.

But as others have said, there might be changes

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#DonTheStash

As long as their smaller are not allowed to get behind our defenders we should put up a good fight

Shit, I've come to the wrong Board. This is the Lions Board right?

Well Lions, we have picked our best available for this game.
We have put our injured in cotton wool and primed them for this game.

Our kids make way for the big boys to go up against a seasoned team of Gladiators: last year's Grand Finalist.

Like Des English suggested, based on selections, this can go like the Hawks game, or be a well executed win. That makes this a 50-50 ball game.

If we were to go in with Lord, Binns, Moir who have played 19 quarters of AFL between them, this Board would still be unconfident of a win.

Martin and Curnow were 2 players most had selected in their teams to play this weekend, but the MC/Medics deemed both unfit to play. There's the logical decisions made by MC some fail to acknowledge.

Most picked Port to win at home last night. They had their strongest line up, the so called best midfield group and got pantsed from the first bounce till the last.

So, I look forward to this game with great excitement. Our backs against the wall. 15,000 Blues supporters heading up not to watch their team lose, but in the hope and belief, on our day we can beat anyone.

Its a 50-50 game. Its an away game, and we are coming to get the chocolates babeeee

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I am not even going to bother replying to some of the rubbish posted above.
Some suggesting they look forward to seeing Cerra and TDK collapse, some looking for excuses for a loss.

Dixon always plays like an old man. That's Dixon.
We have won with TDK and Pitto both playing.

The only controversy I can see with selections is around the Motlop Durdin Cincotta selections.

Adding Cincotta will give us a tad more speed, but with him, or Lord, or Binns, or Moir, it doesn't make us as quick as the Lions. We are a different beast.
Its obvious we are going with hardened bodies, experience, class and largely contested game. We will apply what we have learned in the last 2 weeks and will be lowering our eye.

Loved the video on club website with Pitto TDK rucking and Cerra training...yes they are alive, and they look fit enough to play an important role.

Unlike most, I am so happy to be getting our troops back for this game. They look fit.

Lets face it, with 6 new players introduced into the team, no one knows what our modus operandi is going into this game. A quarter of the team has changed.

Contrary to some thinking, I'm sure the MC have a plan to win.

Go Blues.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I will say that the Curnow non-selection at least reassures me that there is some minimum fitness threshold involved, it's not a complete messiah punt.

Blues by 104.

IMO Cinc ticks all these boxes, certainly more than some others who made the cut. His omission still makes no sense to me except as Bear bait. We'll see.

Kemp bought us x factor against Weagles.

X factor? Isn't that what Motlop is due to bring to the party? Otherwise, what is he there for? Its due. Overdue.
All Motlops fans have been hanging out for Motlop to come into the team. Well here he is.

When TDK held his marks and kicked straight against GWS, that was x factor.

Williams gives the forwardline x factor. Kicked a handful of goals as a forward. x factor or opportunist?
Maybe we get them with opportunistic goals. Who knows.

Kemp is named on the bench. Our forwardline is small with 2 KPs.
When TDK rucks, I think Kemp will be in the forwadline with Harry
Kemp is mobile. He can help stretch their backline. He can tag Andrews.
He can create a mismatch when playing 3rd forward.

In the backline we have our 2 big boys, Weitering and Young to take their tallest Daniher and Hipwood.
McGovern will be needed to intercept bring his speed and height to take on Berry. Berry is 3cm taller.

Nah, I don't think we look too tall at all.

Too many reasons why we can win. Its a 50-50 game. We like playing at the Gabba. We like winning at the Gabba
Shit, this team is better than the team that beat Lions at the Gabba in ) round.

Alot has gone against us in the last 6 weeks but there's plenty of reasons to think glass is half full.
So good to see Carlton playing Finals, again!

Go Blues

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Mate, I agree, and I am spewing Chinka isnt playing. I wanted 2 Chinkas in my team. One in the backline for run and the other at HF to tag Zorko (and kick a couple sneakies.

...but I have to move on from that, and look at why we will win without him.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I had a hunch Doc would be selected given all the stories over last 3 weeks.

I had a hunch TDK would be selected if fit, to go in with 2 rucks in a do or die Final and keep Harry as a KPF target.


Other than believing/ a hunch we will win this, I have one last hunch that Chinka will come into the team for Durdin or Fantasia.

Why? Maybe Durdin's shoulder is too damaged to survive, and if Chinka was selected, the Lions would be preparing for a tag on Neale, Zorko/McKenna at HB. Maybe there's an element of surprise Vossy wants to bring to the game an hour before the game. Then there's an opportunity to release Saad and take Cameron or Bailey, and we still have Motlop, Durdin/ Fantasia and Williams at the feet of our KPF's

If my last hunch doesn't come off, we will still win.

Just had another thought....if Chinka doesnt play....Fantasia is sub incase Durdin break down. Durdin's pressure in the last 2 weeks before being hampered by shoulder issue has been brilliant and a standout.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Love it!!!!

Add Martin to that too.

Says to me if player can't be relied on to play 4 quarters of Finals footy, they don't play. Simples.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Ok, as I’ve stated last night, I’m not at all inspired by the selections. Particularly Cincotta in ahead of Motlop. But other choices as well.
HOWEVER…
If I had to rationalise, two key points come to mind:
1) Who, out of all of us and most of the other players and coaches, knows more about winning finals than Voss? If he is picking a big, slow, team to play tough, contested, somewhat stagnant footy maybe that’s the best way to go? Certainly, many pundits seem to think that if the game is slow and stagnant, that suits us and our competitors are always looking to get the ball on the outside and beat us with speed.
2) I could argue that we dropped the ball since July based mainly on our mindset more so than the players. I think we got ahead of ourselves and couldn’t flick the switch back on. However, IF - IF - we have our best players on the park AND they are 100% switched on, maybe that is our best chance to be at our best (vs a fit and enthusiastic group who don’t have the skills to beat a pretty in form Brisbane team at the Gabba)? Maybe Voss is backing our best to bring their best like we did in last year’s finals (we lost the last H&A game last year and TBH had lost a bit of our ball-busting momentum over the last month before that but went BANG during the finals).

So, that is the case FOR the selections.
I’m skeptical, and I’m concerned about the fitness of several players, but just imagine if we pull it off….


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Some good points bondi. Hope you're right!

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#DonTheStash