Three things stood out yesterday:

1/ Body strength

2/ Inability to grab the ball cleanly (one grab) off the deck

3/ Inability to hit a target on the chest even kicking the ball one metre high and over 15 - 20 metres.

Number one takes time, number two is a skill / confidence thing, and three should be just a skill thing but is quite alarming really.

Straighter kicks would have brought us within 40 points.

So slightly disappointed, but it's what we do this week that shows us our character.

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Supporting the Blues No Matter What

What is killing us is our inability to work through our HF line efficiently, we brake down there time and time again.......

We need a dominant CHF.

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Circumstance has no value. It is how one relates to a situation that has value. All true meaning resides in the personal relationship to a phenomenon, what it means to you.

Give the kid a chance he is only 19.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

Not only that they kick it over his head .

We dont break down at the HF line we just dont use it the way it should be .

We clear the forward fifty and Fev plays deep they kick over the half forward line to a leading Fev who either takes it and has a ping from fifty + or they opposition fill the hole and clear it out . Occassionally we might get a goal if Fev brings it to ground or there is a miss kick that happens to fall into someones lap

When was the last time you saw a ball been taken 60 -70 from goal and the player stopped weighed up his options and hit the bloke 30-40 out clear on the chest as the others had created a path for him to run into .

You know the type play that every other teams seems able to do except Carlton we have to grab it a 60-70 and bomb it to the hot spot .

No HF player is doing any good- Fish has to come up to the wing to get a kick - Whitnal- Waite Kennedy - Wiggens they are all struggling . the resting ruckmen when moved forward doesn't get a look in

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

SB have a look at the 2nd half of carlton Essendon*

Yes fev was on fire - but if you notice, lappin kicked 3 goals, all of which came from 40-50m out by leads that were hit from walker, stevens, fisher who had marked 60-70m out

And fev's goals were the exact same - from a true wing/CHF position (in between these 2 positions) about 70m out to the leading forward 40m out..

Eight goals in half of football by a superstar against tired old fullbacks and a fossil coach. Thats what I saw in the second half

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

OK just ignore the strategy and the way in which the majority of these goals were kicked

Get Judd off them for next season will be a good start.

Fair point AGRO.

Your right Sydney Blue, i am tired of seeing the opposition hit targets inside 50 consistantly, while we struggle to find Fev amongst a crowd....

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Circumstance has no value. It is how one relates to a situation that has value. All true meaning resides in the personal relationship to a phenomenon, what it means to you.

a player like judd sets the tone early
and lifts the whole team..when a player like kerr follows..it just sets an example and a standard early.
kouta did with the blues in 1999/2000/2001
diesel & bradley did with the blues.
buckley did it for the magpies
voss did it for the lions
hird did it for the bombers
etc etc

so basically we have no leadership atm
our best leader in stevens is out for the year
and we are doomed.

- We still lack some talent (ruckman, midfielders mainly)
- We lack a solid and flexible game plan
- We lack leadership (for the only time ever I agree with WB) ... and not the talking type. We lack players setting on field examples - running hard, hitting hard and getting the footy a helluva lot.
- We lack enough stars (time will take care of that when Walker, Gibbs and Murphy develop into the best midfield combination in the league)
- We need time... time to develop our bodies, skills and confidence levels. Confidence is a funny thing, it is very infectious.

What made us so good in 2000?? We definitely had some duds in the team (Mansfield, Fletcher, Freeborn, etc.)

I think it was a few things:
- Best midfielder/player in the league (Kouta)
- Best ruckman in the league (Allan)
- Strong team with seasoned bodies and some of the hardest at it players in the league (Hamill, SOS, Hickmott, Brown, Ratten, Mckay)
- Good key position players - SOS, Whitnall, Hammil

We weren't the most talented team, but we were tough and reliable and had a game plan which everyone followed. Same can be said for 1995, except we had more talent that year with Deisel, Sticks, etc.

it cant be real

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Got to love the stare Down by Setanta on Llyod

I watched the game again last night and I must say, I felt our guys where a little, well in awe of WestCoast and expected the loss. Most just seemed more intent of going through the motions ie. looking as if trying to tackle and chase, instead of executing it with belief and desire! Played exactly how they have over the past 5 years previously.

This might shit most of you but currently Collingwood looks more advanced in team structure and belief than we do....again.

Motivational stuff Winnie.
I feel like running through brick walls as you speak!

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Na, it looks like a close up of someones body with a distant head shot morphed on.....

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Circumstance has no value. It is how one relates to a situation that has value. All true meaning resides in the personal relationship to a phenomenon, what it means to you.

I think we need time and persistance as well as a couple more good midfielders with good skills. We have a few ruck possibilities, a couple of young key defenders and potential key forwards plus some tall flankers. I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel but how far away it is and how soon can we get there are debatable.

With Setanta we seem to have a good tall defender for the last line but CHB is still to be finaliised. Can Waite get and maintain the consistency we need ? Could Austin be the answer and will he step up this year or next ? Should Hartlet be given a chance down back? I thought we were going to try and develop a consistent back 6 but CHB has been anything but settled. We have tried Waite Thornton and Whitnall at different times.

Bentick, Russell, Gibbs, Murphy, Betts, Blackwell, Simpson, and Carrazzo have yet to play 50 games. Walker has passed that mark and this year started to demonstrate a consistency in his play and looks capable of playing a big role in future. IMO Walker Russell Gibbs and Murphy are all class and will only get better but they do need more and better support.

I think we also need a non stop runner in the side but I have hopes that Jackson may give us that edge. Anderson, Grigg, Benjamin are just starting out and we have yet to see Raso's or Edwards potential.

Kennedy is getting his education although the injury last year did set him back and I think we'll see some glimpses this year but IMO next year should be his year. Should we play him in the square where his height and bulk would give us a better chance of a contested mark?Hartlett also needs to be given a few games to show us what he has to offer. Should we just play Hartlett and Kennedy in the two key posts and play only one of Whitnall or Waite?

a massive home ground advantage helps alot .. guaranteed 4 - 6 wins a season

It used to be posts that we need to be like Essendon* then it was Brisbane then Port then Sydney then West Coast then ??????????

All 5 clubs created their own style to become the best. Yes we need to get bigger and better etc etc but I hope we develop our own style (minus Denis).

10 bags of ketamine , 5 bags of pills , 40 lines of cocaine, a football department full of pretentious wankers and a set of chardonnay sipping arrogant clueless whiney whinging supporters and we would be halfway there

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.