Is it too late for Murphy's kicking action to be changed (along with a few others?) He just seems to kick a lot of helicopters or sky the ball so it hangs in the air, allowing a defender to come over the top and spoil. His opponents seem to chop him up quite a lot; they just appear to run harder than he does.

Seems that one way or the other tonight is a turning point for our club. It's either blue skies ahead, or another year face down in manure.

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WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

I think it's a bit premature to be saying one way or another that we'll be rubbish or stars based on one game.

Point taken but he is only looking out of one eye in regards to The Scum. On face value I thought he was fair.

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

Well that's what some people here are saying

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WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

zOmGgggGGZzzZZzZzZZZZZZZZ where gonna win the wooden spoon and not win anything ever again. bring back pagan. if only we kept pick 3. ratten cant coach, where was Saddington? we cant compete at VFL level. FOLD FOLD FOLD





















ffs is pre-season

Just got home from the ground, and here are my thoughts:

- Murphy has the yips (saw it last week against Port, during the week at training, and tonight) He will get over it, I'm not too concerned.
- Saw the best qtr from Gibbs since arriving at PP in the 3rd (if this is a glimpse of what we're in for over the next 10 + years, then we have a beauty) He was on Mitchell in the 3rd qtr, despite some saying Mitchell did not play in the second half.
- I thought Bower, Grigg, Jamison, Kreuzer, Hammer showed they have a future at the club (I got the most out of watching these guys show signs of improvement, than interest in the scoreboard)
- Ellard looked good in a few passages. Needs more meat on his tiny body. Got caught out a couple of times, but he's showing enough to suggest he wants that last position on the senior list out of the rookies.
- GLad to see the the boys fly the flag when that sniper Brown charged Kreuzer (he will get weeks)
- we won 2 of the last 3 quarters on the scoreboard and broke even in the last (great fightback after a poor 1st quarter)
- Am concerned about Russell (seem him last week and this week, and just cannot get into the play - he's one of the guys we need to see massive improvement this year if we're to improve as a side)
- Glad to see Ratts give all the untried players good ground time
- the players will learn from the first qtr debacle.

All in all, we are a developing young side and need more time. I have confidence in where we're heading so not disappointed with the result.

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For some silly reason, you people want to assassinate him, and it's just rubbish. You people. All of you, ALL of you!

how old are you and what does your kicking action look like?

man we ar all hurting when we loose but if you're going tom bag someone atleast back it up.

bower will be an awesome player who will set up attacks from the back half game after game. his confidence when he has to kick, is down but that doesn't stop him from backing himself or going into his shell. that is itself is a very very rare quality. you also have to consider well what exactly does he have to kick to?? no one home? then what are his options? run and carry or a 45 meter turnover down the ground.

ease up on the lads they are all learning on the job with limited support.

Agree..the Hawks are top 4 material, aiming for a flag, more mature, more advanced and with more depth.
They did to us what you would expect them to do and then took the foot of the gas when it was junk time.....they have moved into the window of opportunity, we are still looking to get there.....no time to panic, just tune the list and game plans.....
Judd, Walker, Setanta and Fisher will lift us.... we need our best team on the park every game, we dont have the depth to cover like the top 4 teams......not yet....


re: Essendon*...all fizz and no bang....Knights is having a Denis Pagan honeymoon courtesy of the NAB cup, lets hope the Dons sign Knights for another couple of years. They wont make the eight......while they have Peverill and Johnson as frontline mids they wont go anyhwere..

Lucas is patching several holes which will open as he get the double team that Fev gets every game.....

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

Thanks Wangers. Russell seems to be the one great concern from those who watched the game. What do you see as his problem(s)? Is it confidence?

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

SLOW SLOW SLOW!!!!

Silvagni wasn't a great kick, but he had a great head under pressure and had a knack for spoiling.

If Bower is a quarter of the defender SOS was we will have a beauty.

His handball and kicking style reminds me quite a lot of Glenn Manton. Regardless of that, Bower is getting better each game and I like the way he carries himself when under pressure.

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

Its not always a who is at fault when the ball is being moved forward, sure he must have a look, but the forwards have to present themselves so that the players upfield have targets. this is why quality half forwards like Jonathin Brown are worth their weight in premiership, they know when and where to lead to

Oops, that should have been,...
Its not always a DEFENDER who is at fault when the ball is being moved forward, sure he must have a look, but the forwards have to present themselves so that the players upfield have targets. this is why quality half forwards like Jonathin Brown are worth their weight in premiership, they know when and where to lead to

Bower has his strengths. I too hope he will be an awesome player for the Blues.

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THEY LIKE TO SEND UP!!!!!!!!

Until each team plays each other the same number of times, the AFL, as a fair dinkum competition, cannot be taken seriously.

He (Mr Swann) said the honour and pride associated with the club's traditional navy blue jumper was priceless.

february.

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"Two roads diverged in a wood,
and I,
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost

ture that, and i think thats the very point he is trying to make.

The supposed pre-season focus on skills has thus far amounted to nothing. I suspect it's merely an anomaly, but in the case of Murphy and a few others, it's been worse, if anything, in the two NAB Cup matches.

I know Murph is built of the right stuff and will put the past fortnight behind him quickly; those putting him in the best tonight are kidding themselves - he was awful, and I suspect he'd be very disappointed with his own performance. Having said that, at least he's still getting the thing, which is better than not being involved at all.

Best we just put that one behind us; the scoreboard flattered us terribly, and frankly, the gap between our best and worst football appears to be so broad that it's hard to predict what's in store for 2008. Many ups and downs, I suspect.

Anyway, off to bed to have sweet dreams of Bryce's third quarter, where I thought he was the most influential player on the park. Now that is something to get excited about.

I think confidence is definitely something he's lacking, but his positioning on the ground and running to the right spaces is what's lacking as well. He has got his body right (has now the size & speed and disposal is better than more than half on the list), but just lacks that physical presence to really make an impact, as well.

I hope he improves and these games are just an aberation cause we all know the match committee are expecting big things from he and others that have been at the club 2, 3 & 4 years.

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For some silly reason, you people want to assassinate him, and it's just rubbish. You people. All of you, ALL of you!

It was pretty obvious to see what we were trying to do in the first quarter. Handball to keep the ball moving as quickly as possible. The players weren't able to carry it out though.

Ignore it and pretend it didn't happen.

It finally came off in the second quarter and we scored. Once the players get the game plan down pat and can move the ball quickly, consistently and under pressure then we'll be fine.

Hawthorn were just good enough to first of all pressure us enough to cause mistakes, but secondly to punish those mistakes when we did turn it over.

The turnovers will be less frequent when the players are able to execute under pressure. The only way they can do that is through practice. Sometimes they're going to make mistakes. Tonight they made lots, but they'll get better at picking the right option and also at running to the right spaces. Too often early the player running to receive was in the wrong spot and immediately under pressure. Blue Vain will tell you the players aren't used to making decisions, it'll take time for them to learn that again.

This is easy to say after the fact, but even at quarter time I was content enough in the fact that what we were trying to do was correct, it just needed a little tweaking and the players just needed to start making smarter decisions. I was just worried it wouldn't happen tonight and we'd be facing a 150+ thumping.

Well done to the guys for getting their heads back in the game and to Ratts for making whatever adjustments he had to make.

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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