CONS:
Yet again, dismal lack of intensity, desire and fire
Fev appealing to the umpire during play rather than putting in a second effort. Given that it happened last week and this week, unlikely he will ever get it out of his game.
Tackling no good again.
Game plan looks awful, but give it time. Where Ratts should not be given time is in preparing a side that can match the opposition for effort. You don't need talent to do that. We looked better last year under Ratts when we were supposedly tanking.
Judd looks quarter fit, we better know what we are doing, rather him rest than do more damage
Dinky little passes back and forth across the half back line, total refusal to try and move the ball quickly and decisively

PROS
Natanui or Rich or both? No I am not advocating tanking just can't see where we will get a win unless the players look like they really want it.
Murph - showing good signs
Gibbs - did some classy things but only playing on talent, needs to roll up his sleeves and get dirty. Looked more intense last year.
Cloke - embarrasing that one of the guys showing the most pride in the jumper is a C'wood reject
Backline - was okay. Waite I prefer up forward but was terrific up on Riewoldt. TBird thrashed Kosi. Setanta did okay, beaten in a couple of one on ones through shear strength, but so would most defenders. When he could get a run and use his athleticism spoiled well and Gherig had five kicks and 4 shots at goal, which is worse than Fev, and Fev wasn't up to much. 2 of Gherig's goals werer technically hands in the back, a third came from a super pass by Fiora that Houlihan could have cut off if his effort wasn't so half hearted. Setanta better suited to half back line where he might give us some run
Bower - Quick, agile, tried to create, brave, Schneider hardly got a touch in a dominant side. PB bombs it, but not convinced the 15 mtr passes across the half back line are a better option. At least he actually carries the ball towards our goal. Who knows, if we keep doing that we might actually kick goals as opposed to racking up unconteset possessions before short passing it across the ground to the opposition.

I don't know if Bentick is up to AFL standard, but he is up to Carlton standard - he is too slow, but is tough, determined, can tackle and doesn't mind getting his hands dirty, give him a game.
Wiggo also isn't up to AFL standard but he has kamikaze courage, something in short supply at present. Play him.

Let's get a few more guys in the side who look like they really care if we win or lose. Give Armfield and Ando a try if they show some form.

I had us 3 from five before the season and now we will be lucky to be one from five.

That's fair enough Josh and rejecting constructive commnets or criticism about the state of the team was not the point of my post. I am just sick of a handful of posters who monopolize every thread.

Also, if people think that JR is the root of our problems they are the ones who are deluded. Some of the posts on this thread have bordered on scapegoating. It makes a mockery of the flower banner on our site. Do you think we are proudly supporting him!

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I send an SOS to the world

PROs

* Smurph and Gibbs - Murph looked in the horrors in the preseason and has really turned that around, looks confident. Gibbs is all class and was led the possie count (FWIW) with 26. Murph had 4 score assists and zero clangers!

* Waite was superb on Reiwoldt ... indeed the whole defence played well.

* Hadlee played great. For those saying he went out of the game, you're right, but that's because he was on the bench for half the game (more than any other player).

* Bower ... still looks like he's holding a bomb rather than a football but he's slowly getting more composed. Delivered the ball inside 50 more than any other player on the park ... had also one of the lowest efficiency rates on the park ... at least there's something to work with.

* Cloke and Pfeiffer ... love 'em. Carlton list - please take note.

* Stats wise we raised our Contested Possession count from 100 against the Tiges to 112, matching St Kilda in contested ball.

* Stats wise we had 6 more Inside 50s this week, and one more that the Saints ... makes u think.


CONs

* Simmo - Ratts ... please, he's the most damaging winger in the AFL ... why are you playing him down back? Bring in Ando or Browney.

* Fitness - Judd, Stevo, Hadley, Setanta ... they're not fit and it's costing us.

* Forward line - the stat above tells the story: "we had 6 more Inside 50s this week, and one more that the Saints". The ball's coming in there and out of there like a bullet ... no forward pressure, no locking it in ... very disappointing.

* Fevola - as one of the most senior players out there, Fev needs to understand that all the young kids are taking their cues from him ... his game was like poison for our developing list. He's an outstanding forward, but if he's going to continue like that he needs to leave the Blues.

* Stats wise, clangers were up by 9 from last week, to 54 and we had 3 more than the Saints (who also had a shocker). To give an idea, Adelaide in their game against the WCE had only 36 ... that's a huge difference.

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"It was like calling your ex girlfriend after a night on the booze, just a really bad decision".

we have a number of players who lack intensity on the field. Russell is one of them. Pfeiffer effort puts guys like Russell's efforts into perspective.
I pay my membership and will travel most weeks from Geelong to support the club I love but it hurts t see guys who simply dont put their body on the line.
And until we have 22 goers it dont mean jack shit what game plan you have who will stay down the bottom. That may sound unfair and over negative but IMO its a fact. We have been crap for 6 years. Ratten must show that he wont stand for that sort of effort.

I hope Anderson, bentick and co show something today so adding to the case for certain players to be dropped

CONS:

The rot still exists at our club. The lack of spirit, commitment and intensity from our 22 is extremely saddening. I also think this complacency is starting to rub off on the Carlton supporter group as a whole and we are incredibly forgiving on the application and performance of our team.

That effort was deplorable last night. No run and effort to provide support, a bit of overlap, or some genuine commitment to the contest. Sloppy and half-hearted. I know these are all generalisations but overall the game consisted of this and even moreso than last week.

There needs to be an immediate turnaround in the application and ticker of our boys. Otherwise more vocal discontent needs to be heard from supporters. The sh!t we saw last night is unacceptable. And the aints aren't much of a side either. We rolled over and thats bullsh!t!!!

I'm devo...

PROS:

You have to be flowering kidding me!!!

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C'mon Blueboys!

QFT - i refrained from negativity and berated those who lashed out last week - but not after this week.

There is one thing we shouldnt have to accept as supporters and members and that is heartless, lazy displays

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

It's been going on for years!!!

To steal a quote .. you people "are fair-din-kum-un-be-liev-able!!"

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There's so much I could say...

So, we should appreciate what he has been through and realise the courage it has taken him to come back. Not treat him like a machine who just needs a service, he's human and he should get better as the year get's longer. Flower, Judd can't even sprint or kick it long do you think he is 'ready' to play? But no ones bagging him. we know where he's at. We just have to remember also where Stevens is at.

Oh, I love Bower and the fact I noticed his bombing so much just meant he got his hands on the pill more than others. Go Bowerbird.

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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

I have a question to ask- why are the players like Fev, Houla, Scotland being shown up for committment, passion and pride in the jumper by so-called "rejects" in Cloke, Pfeffier and certainly not he least, Ohailpin (a player who ahs only played for 4 years)?

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

We cant cover both stevens and judd not being ready. Judd uses the ball better and hurts the opposition more than stevens. Id give Stevens a couple of weeks in the 2's. Means Murphy will start copping tags again.
Stevens is smart enough to know he is playing rubbish.

Malthouse reckons he doesnt play players who arent fit. We should take that approach except for Judd.

We miss Walker.

So is the best response for something you have observed for years! Kind of vindicates some of my post

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C'mon Blueboys!

PROS: Waite on Reiwoldt.
Betts worked hard to provide a moving option when others wouldn't
Murphy good game but faded.
Gibbs has real class in close.
Pfeiffer hard physical effective player. Leave him in please.

CONS:
Our fwd structure is shit. In the last we seemed to take Fev out of the fwd line so we couldn't bomb it to him at every opportunity and it seemed to work. Betts needs to play the crumbers role, not be forced to continually play a lead up forwards role.
Houlihan is not a defenders asshole. For Gods sake play him forward where he can put his skills to use. I thought Houlihan the back pocket ended when Pagan left.
Bentick in please. Yes he has limitations but we are soft in the middle.
Waite is playing well at CHB but I'd love him in the fwd line so we looked dangerous up forward again. Fev is too predicable, Edwards needs more time and Fish is underdone.
Judd looks limited, we may benefit from starting him at full forward as an alternative in the fwd line and not force him to bust his nuts in the centre as he builds up his fitness.
We move the ball to slow, partly caused by not raising our eyes and kicking more than 15m.
Our team seems to not be willing to gut run as the game wears on. How many times do we look good for the first 10-15 minutes then just stop.

Great post. Agree with all that !!

Yeah, great!

Heaven forbid if we ever want to trade Fev; you would never dare do that. We might get draft picks in return for him and we could never live it down if our untouchable recruiter did not deliver us champions.

Better if we just give the mongrel the boot if he goes bad. It would be so much easier for all concerned.

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Just because I'm offended, doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Fev is out of contract at the end of season, so we may not be able to get anything for him.

Last year I advocated trading him or signing him for 3 years. Now we need him to lift or we may lose him for nothing.

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"You can't polish a James Hird"

Lets get a sense of perspective here and as you know I was filthy about last weeks performance because the Tigers are very ordinary and we should be able to beat them and were 27 points up and should have nailed them.
.However I think realistically we are 40 points worse as a side at the moment than St Kilda who will be a top 5 team and therefore last nights performance gave me much more satisfaction than the week before - I didnt enjoy losing to the Saints but expected that the result would be similar to last nights score line
Last night was infinitely better than last week for the following reasons
St Kilda whether we like it or not is a good team
We had Hampson playing his third game showing something - Bower in his 10 th showing something -Gibbs and Murphy starting to assert themselves as senior players
Found a player out of nothing in PFeiffer
Cloke is providing us with solid performances
Our backline held the 3 stkilda dominant forwards rather well
Big test next week but I reckon we will beat the bombers this week provided we exert some early scoreboard pressure.

Yep. I agree

memo to Ratts and his assistants. When Stevo & Juddy gooffed the the give me goal from bettsy, one of the most defining acts of a good TEAM was absent! THE SHEPARD. Juddy should have protected the ball carrier and stevo should have goaled. It is a glaring weakness in our SIDE and a side that has loads of young talent that we very rarely Shepard. We seem to want to run past for the receive instead of assisting a team mate. No offence to Juddy as he is quite new to our side but if we are to become a good TEAM and not just another football SIDE, we must lift this part of our game 100%

Pros: Our first quarter, the younger kids led the way...

Cons: Gives some rubbish talking posters on here more to crap on about...