The ruck debate - do you pick a player destined to be delisted over a player destined to be a star in the name of 'protecting bodies' - has been carried out on many a thread in the past year.

I thought we'd moved past picking players of questionable AFL quality. I'm a big believer in picking any of our 3 youngsters, perhaps all, in the medium term aim (which is what we should be about) of being a very good team. Filling our 22 with players on the outer just serves no purpose for mine.

Back to the game though - really looking forward to seeing the Blues in action. At times in recent years we've done well against Port - the draw in 2005 (?) and the win last year and at other times, particularly when we hadnt countered their flood - we've been smashed. Port looks like a young team but we've got a lot of quality coming through the lines now. Can't wait for it.

Is it 24 players in the NAB cup?

You're getting senile, Blue Beatle.
Thornton IS in our best 22.

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

I agree...for those who think Thornton isn't in our best 22 surely you are kidding yourselves...Please don't tell me that you see Setanta and Waite as better and more consistent options..Thornton and Jammo are the 2 most natural defenders we have. I reckon Thornton gets a bad run on this board. The poor bloke has held out defence together in shitty times since he was 19. Sure he might give the odd spray but his coolness under pressure and dfensive mindset is far beyond that of Setanta and Waite.

I like your team surrey and have made up my own team, though it is more for RD1.

And i am pleased to say it was hard work leaving some players out!!!




B: Jamison, Thornton, Gibbs

HBF: O’hailpin, Waite, Scotland

C: Simpson, Stevens, Walker

HF: Fisher, Hartlett, Houlihan

F: Betts, Fevola, Kruezer


R: Hampson, Judd, Murphy


Inter: Bentick, Carrazzo, Grigg, Cloke

I would like to have squeezed in Pfieffer, Anderson, Bower, Jackson and Hadley, but i can't fit them in!!

I have no Russell as i can't see him being around for too long, Grigg is coming along nicely and will almost certainly take his spot IMHO. Griggs instincs at this stage are already better than Russels, and Grigg will be much more skillfull to boot.

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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.

Fevs,

I reckon Russell will play every game this year. I am not the world's biggest JR fan, but he has bulked up to an extent that Ratts will want his body in the team. He will play the role that the Wiggler used to play across the HFF.

And Pfeiffer will also play every game barring injury.

Then again, you'll say to me, well who would you leave out then? That is not an easy answer! From your squad, I think Grigg will be given cameos in the seniors, and allowed some more games in the Bullants. Other than that, I struggle to find a spot for either of the blokes I've mentioned. It is great to have competition for spots!

All good points Molly - Saturday will be very interesting and as I will be briefly back in Tassie, I get to watch it live!

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"our electorate seeks less to be informed and more to be validated." Sad times.

Tend to agree...JR has some problems with keeping his eye on the footy but I would have him ahead of Grigg at this stage.
Grigg played the sweeper role vs the Dockers and was ok but I think Russell has done the hard yards and I'd like to see him get a reward for working hard on the track and being a good clubman which he is....

Re: Pfeiffer....likely type, ready made player and could be a bargain pickup...

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

I head Brett Montgomery on the radio this morning. Being questioned about the heat forecast for the game (30 odd) he said that they hadn't really factored it into their planning. Quote: "Maybe we should think about it".

I might be nitpicking, but that hardly filled me with confidence that the coaching panel has meticulously crossed their t's and dotted their i's.

Professionalism is easy to say, slightly harder to spell, and a lot more difficult to consistently implement.

How long is it going to take you to realise you don't need twenty top 5 draft picks to win a premiership??? You keep talking about multiple premierships - lets not get ahead of ourselves. Lets win one and see what happens. The days of 3 premierships in a row are over, and frankly I wouldnt want to spend another year at the bottom to increase our chances by 1% of getting more than one. We already have the talent to win a premiership, nows its time to start winning and get the structure right. I look forward to Betts, Russell, etc showing you how wrong you are.

No Setanta in the named squad???
Interesting......Is he injured??
Would have thought he would be a certain starter.

Where did you get the squad from???

Oh Sorry AFL website.


Saturday, February 16, 2008
AAMI Stadium, Adelaide

PORT ADELAIDE
1 - Warren Tredrea
3 - Steven Salopek
4 - Daniel Motlop
9 - Jacob Surjan
10 - Travis Boak
11 - Marlon Motlop
12 - Nathan Lonie
14 - Paul Stewart
15 - David Rodan
16 - Danyle Pearce
17 - Robbie Gray
19 - Ryan Williams
20 - Dean Brogan
22 - Greg Bentley
24 - Damon White
25 - Domenic Cassisi
26 - Nick Lower
27 - Alipate Carlile
29 - Nathan Krakouer
30 - Troy Chaplin
32 - Matt Thomas
33 - Brett Ebert
34 - Adam Cockshell
36 - Michael Pettigrew
37 - Fabian Deluca
38 - Jonathan Giles
39 - Justin Westhoff
44 - Tom Logan

CARLTON
2 – Jordan Russell
3 – Marc Murphy
4 – Bryce Gibbs
6 – Kade Simpson
8 – Matthew Kreuzer
9 – Jason Saddington
14 – Brad Fisher
16 – Shaun Grigg
18 – Paul Bower
19 – Eddie Betts
21 – Mark Austin
22 – Shaun Hampson
24 – Nick Stevens
25 – Brendan Fevola
27 – Dennis Armfield
28 – Cameron Cloke
29 – Heath Scotland
30 – Jarrad Waite
31 – Jordan Bannister
32 – Bret Thornton
33 – Ryan Houlihan
34 – Simon Wiggins
36 – Darren Pfeiffer
37 – Jake Edwards
38 – Ryan Jackson
40 – Michael Jamison
44 – Andrew Carrazzo
46 – David Ellard

so the injury to Hartlett was serious enough to warrant his omission. shame

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C'mon Blueboys!

No Setanta, along with Bentick, Blackwell, Ackland, Hadley, Anderson, Aisake, Browne

Is it 8 on the bench now? Means 2 will miss out.

No Harts and Santy not picked. If its not an injury keeping out Santy, I'd be very disappointed.

Cloke will have to play CHF, with Hammer and Kreuzer doing plenty of ruck work. Thank God Lade not out there!

Who else can play CHF? Fish only supposed to play half a game, too.

Is Browney injured too? @#$%&! I hate Pre-season injuries!!

Is this new fitness guy doing his job??

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There's so much I could say...

Considering the above list, Id like to see the side line up as :

B : Bower Jamison Jackson
HB : Scotland Waite Thornton
C : Simpson Stevens Gibbs
HF : Houlihan Cloke Fisher
F : Betts Fevola Edwards
R : Hampson Carrazzo Murphy
INT : Russell Grigg Kreuzer Austin
Saddington Armfield Pfeiffer Bannister

I've been working on a new website where you can move the players around just like a coaches magnetic board. It is not open to the public yet, still needs a lot of work, but I thought I would make up a page for this game so TC'ers could play around with it.

http://www.footymagnets.com/carltonvpower16208.htm

Please excuse the crappy graphics at the moment.

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

The graphics are fine by me.

Jimmae made one last year, but spelt Kreuzer incorrectly.

http://home.people.net.au/~mailjimbo/teamboard.swf

He has participated in every training session I've been to, it might just be form related. I've got a feeling Ellard has just shaded him.

The rest of the ommissions are pretty much the blokes in the injury group or guys like Hadley who are only 2 sessions back.