let Setanta be Setanta. A bit of character is always welcomed at the Blues ...if you ask me.

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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

It’s just a storm in a teacup nothing much to worry about.
The only think to worry about is that opposition players now know how easy it is to get the Irish temper up in a game, so now you expect more niggling will be applied to him, so to put him off his game.

Bullshit its bullshit!

Carlton fans love Setanta, and we have a passing disinterest in Ackland. Even if Ackland was smacked up without provokation, we'd still take Setanta's side.

Ackland will be a reminder of our long-term contracting tactics for hacks when he's at the Bullants in a year or 2's time. Ackland running out to the wing (and Setanta mind you) to get the loose ball while Street hangs out on the other as a shootout doesnt mean Ackland is our saviour. It means we won out of defence more than they did.

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Formerly: Ackland the Wonderkid / Army the Wonderkid / quivering mess / molsey / Tony Lynn Fan Club

BINGO ! .........at last,someone gets it.

Setanta is backing himself into a corner more and more with his carry on.Im telling you,he is riding for a fall.Sooner or later he is going to bite off more than he can chew.

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All my dangerous friends

Mickstar wrote



What happened? Is that how you saw it?

Was he really idiotic? Did he go psycho?

Was he deranged? A madman? How many did it take to pull them apart?

Should he have been charged for his actions by the police? Were the police there too?

What was the outcome? Feud? Impasse? Mediation? Counselling? Team meeting?

I'm in Sydney, and I'd love to know what actually happened. given you were there ...tell us more.

If not, I'll ring up people that were there to get the scoop.

This sounds awesome; antics, deranged, idiotic, madman...makes good headlines, or are you making a mountain out of a mole hill Mickstar?

Were you actually there, or have I sucked myself in believing you were? It sounds as if you were there:wink:

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

And yet he didn't lose his cool when Gehrig bitch-slapped him to the face/neck.

If he is a hot-head who can't control himself, then I'd agree Mickstar.

But if he's a professional sportsman who wants opponents to see him as a hot-head, then that's great. If he creates a bit of doubt in an opponent's mind about whether he'll lose it and snot him, then mission accomplished. If he can psych someone out who's intent on niggling or standing over one of our youngsters, Hallelujah!

For all of Gehrig's psycho stares, he doesn't often snot someone. For all of Barry Hall's fearsome antics, he doesn't either. But they intimidate opposition players because of the possibility that they might. Yet I wouldn't even be worried if I had a confrontation with Kouta. The worst he'd do to me would be to wrestle me to the ground. I'm sure he doesn't scare anyone at AFL level. He's too even-tempered to be a threat.

So, my advice for Santy would be to avoid making decisions out of anger on the footy field, but to act as if he does.

Hey Mickstar, I can sort of see where you are coming from, but in this case I think you are a bit off the mark.

One of the big lessons in life to me is that moderation is the spice of life.

Now this seemed to be a bit of a scuffle at training and a laugh afterwards. Nothing too serious.

I would be more concerned if this never happened at all or if this happened every second week.

At the moment it is neither so to me it is a good thing.

And you know what blokes are like, after a bit of a scuffle Setanta and Ackland will most likely be better mates now than they were the day before.

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|♥♥♥♥♥♥| http://www.blueseum.org |♥♥♥♥♥♥|

Lidd'le Blackers doesn't mind a stoush at training either...Scotto occasionally forgets it is not the real thing too...

Bondi,no,i wasnt there.Just responding to the newspaper reports.But thats not what i am on about Bondi.His behaviour is just symptomatic of this obsessiove compulsory thing he has got going.The deranged thing is about his antics in matches prior to the first siren.Mate,i love Setanta and i can see his huge potential.........But the guy has still got his "P" plates on and he has to get the basics right.Get them right and everything falls into place.Plenty of time for argy bargy when he has sufficiently learnt his craft.
I new i would cop[ shit when i dared to criticize a sacred cow.But im telling you,if he continues to carry on with this ridiculous aggression to the man rather than the ball,heis gonna come a gutzer.Its becoming common knowledge in AFL ranks Setanta is easily sucked in.Plain insanity to make a rod for his own back.........In fact i will go one better...the sooner he gets sat on his arse and realizes you just cant throw your weight around and not expect retaliation,the better.Concentrate on the pill Setanta,at least until you get your "P"
plates off.

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All my dangerous friends

big storm for a teacup,

but just because santa's flared up a handful of times in the past few years doesnt mean he's aggressive, watch the documentary, awesome bloke, and then there's the question of whether he's been directed to be aggressive during games, you dont know, i dont know, nobody knows,

yep,

Fair opinion Mickstar and good advice. It's one way of looking at it...as a father figure rather than a doubter.

Mickstar wrote



He has had plenty of opportunities to crack (if he is as easily suceptible to it as you suggest) when pushed to the limit.

Take the Lloyd incident after Lloyd kicked a goal when he just pushed Setanta in the back (behind the players and out of sight of the umps)...you remember that goal? Then straight after that goal, Lloydy attacked Setanta and sat him on his arse. Typically, no free against Lloyd, but Setanta got up and addressed Lloyd in a very scary, but controlled manner. Great photos are available of the fear in Lloyds face. Priceless.

I don't think it's common knowledge amongst the AFL ranks that he's easily put off his game or sucked in. I think people admire him and know that he's always on, even when the ball isn't anywhere near him (typified best when playing FB), as you refer to.

I reckon he's working on the opposition rather than getting sucked in; he's 'switched on' alright. I wish all our team were as 'on' for as long as he is in a game. Intensity 120 minutes a game, plus at training. Imagine how good our team would be if the 22 players each weekend were that committed?

Finals I say...here we come. Setanta is showing the way forward. He's a warrior and finals is war!

Footy is a physical game, and you have to think that way if you want to play that way. IMO Setanta prepares well for the foreign game full of physical surprises and no off side. He is in the right frame of mind for each game. Now that he's got that out of the way, in a way we all know he belongs on that level, including AFL ranks. Next is the opportunity, and he's got that, wehther it be at FB, FP, Ruck or follower...and now he is doing time addresing the things you talk about:

.

You see, for me the glass is half full.

Setanta isn't a sacred cow, he is our warrior!

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Just a thought too, for those who are treating Santy like a guy fresh off the boat: He's a seasoned competitor who has done his "Ps", just not in Carlton.

He's not an 18 year old trying to make it in a man's game.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Good point, KK. He won All-Ireland selection as a right corner forward in hurling, and anyone who has managed to keep his cool as a young'un while being whacked over the head with a hurling stick knows how to show controlled aggression.

Mikstar you are so off the mark. You know nothing about Setanta and yet are judging his character. Setanta is an intense competitor, nothing more. He's not a thug, he's not out of control, he's not indiscriminate. He's a mature, controlled man that who knows what he needs to do.

Certainly he gets more emotional than say a Houlahan when he's on the field. But imagine having a team of Houlihan's that don't raise an eyebrow when a goal is kicked on them. We would be a laughing stock. Setanta is like a Peter Dean. He is fully committed to the cause, both for the team and to get the best out of himself. That requires that he is at the peak of his emotions when playing. That sort of intensity is infectious for the rest of the team. And I for one want more players to follow Setanta's lead, rather than Setanta to stop doing it.

Cain got the better of him??????????
Both players went to ground, where Ackland then pushed down on his teammate's face as assistant coach Brett Ratten tried to pull him away. Once they both got to their feet a clearly enraged O'hAilpin went after Ackland as some impressive jumper punches were exchanged.


Sounds like it.


And one more thing........

OCD.....

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors such as handwashing, counting, checking, or cleaning are often performed with the hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these so-called "rituals," however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them markedly increases anxiety


Again, sounds like it.


Look you train as you mean to play, its not a tap that can be tunred on on a saturday arvo,
Now the blues have been in tough positions the last few years and indeed games, lacking intensity and reading through here at times, heart.

To me it shows its on the way back, anyone who has played at a high level in a team game knows this goes on.

Roy Keane in his book talks of it happening a good bit at Utd in the 90's when they were cleaning up, didnt do him or them any harm.


Controlled agression!!!!!!!!!




COME ON THE BLUES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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'Cause I'm J.U.D.D
I'm dynamite
J.U.D.D
And I'll win that fight
J.U.D.D
I'm a power load
J.U.D.D, Watch me explode

One of the highlights of my life to date was meeting Ali once in Los Angeles. Haven't met Setanta yet.

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Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

I agree with Mick on Santy......Santy needs to be more selective about who he tries to rough up and intimidate....Matthew Lloyd was a perfect target as he isnt that bright and Santy managed to take his focus off the ball and it worked.
Jonathan Brown wasnt a great choice and Santy got slaughterd as Brown laughed it off and concentrated on the footy.
I dont mind Santy displaying passion and dishing some push and shove out to players who get sucked in but not all the time and as I said you have to know your opposition and how they react.

Warren Tredrea I dont see as reacting where as a player like Cam Mooney would and loose his cool.
Bit of experience and common sense will see Santy right......

re: Ackland....be nice if he could show some agression on the field and not save it for his teammates....

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

Elwood, you couldn't be more wrong. Setanta isn't trying to rough up or intimidate anyone. That's not his goal. His goal is to be super competitive and show how committed he is to winning the contest. He is there to show he won't take a backward step, that he won't be intimidated or won't give in... just because his opponent is a big name player or whatever. I can tell you from the horses mouth that when he plays on guys like Richardson and Brown he is very humbled to be doing so. And he respects and admires those blokes and feels privilaged to go one on one against them. There is a big difference between a bogan that gets on the field and tries to intimidate the opposition (ala Dean Wallace) and someone who is showing intensity and his desire to perform and compete. Watch more carefully next time and you'll see there are no tactics to intimidate.

I agree with Elwood and Mick, he needs to pull his head in and concentrate on the game. He's coming along well considering his circumstances but he is a far away from becoming a fair dinkum AFL player with all the leeway he is afforded.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides