If the Saints beat the fockers like they are expected to do, and we give the tigers a flogging by over 4 goals, we can sneak in.

That means a top 8 showdown with collingwood at the G next Sunday. Man, that would bring back some memories.

C'MON BLUES!!

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end of message

Carlton will NOT make the 8 this year!

I'll be keeping positive by watching our young stars continuing their development and slowly improving their perfomances.

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There's so much I could say...

It would be nice though, Budzy, if we remain a mathematical chance of playing in the finals until late July and maybe even August. Otherwise, it will be depressing to be on these forums.

Nothing depressing about watching our young stars grow.

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There's so much I could say...

At least there will be 2 optimists posting then

Budzy, I never said we would finish the season in the 8 - but how good for the finances to have a Blues V Pies game at the G with us in there.

It will also be Scottos 100th AFL game on the day.

You can follow it further and get really optomistic and say the following week end we can anchor the bummers on the bottom (wouldn't that be nice

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end of message

I agree Duke. I am not optomistic about us making the final eight, but would be good to take early opportunities to creep in for a cameo appearance in the 8 especially if it improves the gate for upcoming games.

I am not advocating tanking, but I will not be too displeased if we do not win many games this year as long as we keep demonstrating that we are having a go and our youngsters are developing.

Walker, Carrazzo, Kade and others are continue to improve and we can look forward to JFK, Bower, Russell, Hartlett, Setanta, Blackers, Jackson, Flint, Raso, etc. But even though we are all anxious for it to happen, there are some developing players who may take a couple more years to really contribute.

I am astounded that posters here jumped on O'hAilprin after one game where he looked a bit lost. Hell he came into a side that was missing Fev and Waite and therefore copped lots of attention. He chased well and attacked the ball when he could. The fact that he does not appear to read the game as well as players who grew up with the game is perfectly understandable, so lets give him time. I have faith in the Irishman and the other youngsters but am prepared to be patient.

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“Before you criticise someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you're a mile a way and you have their shoes."

Good point re O'hAilpin NTBlue. It really makes you wonder just how much our supporters want to play young players (and you'd have to include Santy in that category given his lack of experience of AFL footy).

If they are played before they are ready, they are labelled duds. Not really what you would like for young players who need confidence as much as anything else.

A lot of people want to see Kennedy in before he has gained a good level of match fitness. Fine, if they are willing to put up with him looking slow, fumbling marks, and failing to chase as a result of being underdone. But you could imagine that this would not cut the mustard as an excuse. You can just hear it now "If he wasn't ready then he shouldn't have been playing, period" as a response to that.

As long as we don't get another spoon!

I'd like to slip into something more comfortable thanks.

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Its actually funny because the people who bagged Setanta are the same people that say "drop the Scotlands, and Teagues because they are not part of the future, and bring in the Bowers and Edwards and they will grow into there role"...

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"Dont count the games, make the games count"

A mate at work has hated Carlton usually, is a mad Bombers man although he dislikes sheedy and thinks he is a very lucky but over rated dud.

Id say he is a pretty good footy judge, he also plays tennis with Libba regularly and hears a lot of candid opinions from him...

In the past he has hated Carlton with a vengance, especially after the losses we have inflicted on them over the years.

But lately he is saying many kind things about the blues.

He readily admits that Carlton has much more future potential than his team has,

He likes a lot of our players, especially Kennedy, Waite Fevola.

He thinks Setanta lacks footy smarts, but says that Stynes took 5 years to get there and then became a good player. (But I dont know whether Setanta will hang around that long if he has problems that are that bad)

so its easy to have a bad week, have a lot of losses ethrough the season, but its important to look at things from a wide perspective.

If any of you think badly about our young team, just remember that people like him, who have no reason to like Carlton actually are actually secretly admiring our 'work in progress' a lot more than where their own team is at...

No we wont make the 8 this year, but we will improve significantly therafter...

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My Blue Heaven

Good post blueman... I like the sentiment.

I think this week is our last chance to slip into the 8 for the year, but not real confident of us doing that or staying there for long if we do.

Still stranger things happen at sea.

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"our guest is dressed by hand-me-downs, hair designed by pillow"

POW for me blueman

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Great post blueman. I'm not interested in making the finals this year but, like everyone else am just interested in watching our young team grow & gain more experience.

And also agree with NTBlue about Setanta. I think he should play a few more games this year but not without our key forwards playing to help him out. He will learn better this way than just throwing him in the deep end like last week. But we probably didn't really have many other options - again, part of the rebuilding process.

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Witty signature required.

I would like to change my signature at some stage this year.

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

I predict by 2007 possibly, but 2008 definitely, we'll be the "darlings" of the footy industry, particularly in Melbourne. Our kids wll be developing nicely and time will ensure that we're slowly moving away from the Elliott/salary cap sagas. While there will always be an negative element towards us, I can see our kids paving the way to brighter future in many more ways than simply on the field of play.

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I'm with you on this camelboy.

As a hoby (addiction) I mess around collating under 21,22,23, 25 teams with our current list, match them up against other teams and I am convinced we have enough good ones that will develop and be stars. I look at this week's team and it's starting to take shape; the future that is. To add to that I read about the performances and potential of Kennedy, Bower, Flint, Blackwell, Hartlett, the O'hAlpins as probabilities, and then there's Edwards, Raso and even Batson who may be added to the list. Not all will succees, but jesus, we certainly have a lot of kids that will move forward, add another 6 new ones over the next 2 years, and the focus from the football world will be on our kids and our rise up the ladder, and the post 2002 black period will be a blip.

2007-2008 looks very exciting, and I'm really enjoying the ride so far this year, with the future and not the past in the back of my mind while I watch ou boys grow.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue