As some of you may know I'm a country bumpkin so i was at the game last night in Lavington. I can't say I have an eye for these sorts of things because I just get wrapped up in the moment but I did observe a bit.

We had numbers. The Doggies on several occasions found themselves kicking backwards because of our ability to get numbers back fast. We supported eachother too, better than what I have seen for awhile. Allthough we made some skill errors by blindly kicking it into the forward and just hoping, or just busting a pack with no thought about how to gather the ball and dispose of it, there was always hope of us coming up with the pill because we made a real effort to make it to the contests.

We didn't use the space of the oval to our advantage. I am no football expert but I find that most teams will make some kind of effort to run into any sort of space to get posession but we didn't do this. Far too often it came down to some stupid contest in the middle of the oval instead of a clear mark and posession forward of the wing. I lost my voice because of it.

Some individual performances. Fev is so talented I wish he could stay that way throughout the whole season he actually took a pack mark!!! and several on the lead. Sporn had some silky skills last night! But be buggered if he can be relied upon to take a mark...He just seems to fall into pieces when the pill is above his head, well last night anyway. Deluca got a bit of it and I didn't see him drop one mark!!! he is so quick for a big bloke....I still think he just may have something to offer us.

EDDIE!!! He played in his natural position for the most part and he did it with spark, kicked 3 I think. He also ran hard all night and played in the middle in bursts, he dished it off precisely to Fish once. Lappin was good as was Stevens. Barnaby was his usual dependable self and took some crucial marks deep in deence.

Couldn't really spot Russell, allthough he did drop a sitter. Murphy glides and glides and just reads the play so very well, he had 2 shots at goal from about 45 and missed them both but he, unlike some thinks about what he's going to do whether it be a handpass or a kick he chooses pretty good options everytime. McGrath played pretty deep in defence and got a bit of it and Lance seems slimmer again and his chases were more effective than usual. Simmo is so different he has this self belief about him he kicked a lovely goal on the run from about 50 and he is fast turning into one of my favourites. Fisher just runs and presents all night...he is a real workhorse and I am proud of him.

Bit dissapointed with Scotland, couldn't really see Bentick in amongst it and Waite was a bit halfhearted at times. Carrazzo did some strange things...He was waiting outside the pack on the left forward flank while Murph was fighting for posession, Murph got the ball and did a lightning speed handball straight to Carrazzo to run onto but Carrots was almost confused and kind of hesitated and stopped to gather it as opposed to just running straight into it at speed and running some more to go for goal. See, if Murph or Simmo were in Carrazzos situation they would have had their mouth watering at such a great handpass pounced on it and ran into an open goal. We lost possesion after Carrazzos effort. He stopped chasing a couple of times way too soon.... I was shouting to "drag him drag him!"

Anyway I had just a ripper of a night and there is NOTHING better than watching my blues

Hope you got something out if this post.

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The problem will be made. for the solution to be sold, to your face before your eyes, tolerance is now the new danger

Ta for the report TBM

Great to hear Carlton are trying to play as a unit.

Thanks Muse,

Great report and glad the game was a ripper.

Go you BlueBaggers!

Gee the things we're hearing about Murphy just make you sigh with relief. You know the stuff:

- runs to the right places
- chooses good options
- reads the play

etc etc

It's one thing to have it said about him before he was drafted. It's another to have him come out and actually do it in competative matches.

Would I be wrong in saying that the last player who did those sorts of things on debut was Lance? Don't tell me we've got another one of those "smart footballers" on our hands!

Thanks for such a great report BluesMuse. I like country bumpkins. They say it as they see it. No fluff.

I heard the same from people who were also at the ground. Carlton played as a team, and tried to get to the hot spot moreso than the Doggies. It sounds like it was a combination of will and desire...but they other ingedient I was being told was that the Blues looked more capable to do this than the Doggies; and the Doggies were trying to win the game; praccy or not. The bouys had a dip; proving to all that they can get the ballwhen committed.

Another thing I was told, and youtouch on it, was that Scotland has lost accuracy and effectiveness with his disposal, and that Bentick was very quiet. Disappointung to hear that about Carrazo. That's 3 midfielders who were down.

Great signs, and a different spin on the efforts of a young Carlton team of the past couple of years.

It now seems that he defeat at the hands of Port a couple of weeks ago, was the right medicine for us, and at the right time of the year.

Go Blues.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

i think its good that with 3 midfielders down ( bentick , carrots, scotland ) we still won !!

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

Exactly grrofunger!! Really promising.

And for these guys to be down and winning, Simmo and Stevens must have really blitzed last night; as the reports suggest.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Bentick played about 10 minutes and Carraz just over a quarter. AB was basically rested as he has a big year infront of him and they wanted to give Murph plenty of time onball.

Scotlands disposal has been messy so far this year. He is better than he is currently showing.

Regards Cazzesman

I think we've done really well with out draft selections the last few seasons. There have been lots of positive things said about Walker and Murphy, Hartlett seems a great selection for a mid-20's pick and Josh Kennedy, while he hasn't been able to show anything since being at Carlton, seems to have been the best of the KP players in last years draft.

Hopefully Jordan Russell can step up to that grade, along with Jake Edwards, and we're on our way back.

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

Well put TruBlueBrad....I'm sure you're correct in your assessment.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I love the honesty of country folk.At quarter time I was going for a beer,and realised I had lost my wallet.Just then an announcement came over the ground P.A.,asking for a" Mr.Walker from Echuca to come to the broadcasters box, your wallet has been handed in."
Upon receiving the wallet,I noted that all cards,cash,photos and docs were intact,a great relief,and a restoration of faith.Just thought I'd share some other nice positive stuff.

Well in that case the honest country folk should recipricate and give a 'reward' back....

Ill have $50 thanks!!!....

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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.

Hehe DOA I was saying to my my friends at the game "That's Probably Walkers Dad". I am pleased to hear that it was all intact. It wasn't the only one either, there were another 2 announcements regarding the same thing.

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The problem will be made. for the solution to be sold, to your face before your eyes, tolerance is now the new danger

But you have already admitted that ya werent there!

Yes!!!.... but i told the person who did find it to hand it in...

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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.

The other 2 wern't mine

Would ya buy a used car from this man?

Thats another 2x 50 bucks thank you very much ....

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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.

Tight arse!!!:P

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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.

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The problem will be made. for the solution to be sold, to your face before your eyes, tolerance is now the new danger