Think you mean Andrew Lovett.

Lovett-Murray didn't play.

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

I disagree regarding Houlihan. Lets assume however that you are correct. Why is he continually played in the back half. Up forward when he hasn't got the ball he won't hurt us as bad. We can no longer carry passengers in defence (we are piss weak enough as it is down there).

Yes we do need rebounding players off half back who can break the lines but Houla and Scotland have shown time and again that they are NOT this type of player and never will be.

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

Correct. Ta.

I don't know why Houlihan is constantly played in the back half. Its something that has mystified me for years and yet the Coach and match committee somehow see it as a good move to play him back.

The guy is one of the best disposers of the ball in our team and has the ability to kick a few goals consistently. The problem is that he is rarely played in the position that allows him to utilise these skills.

Surely when you put a player in a position that does not match that players strengths, then your are adding unnecessary pressure on that player which in turn has impacts on the team performance. Its not like we don't have alternatives to play the position Ryan somehow seems to always play. Its like Playing Fevola in the backline, it does not make sens make sense.

Infact , by making players play in positions they are not suited for, then surely you are giving your opposition an advantage????

Front half/back half doesnt matter, you need to apply pressure at both ends of the ground....the idea that we accomodate players who have certain skills but lack in other areas is why we have so many problems.

You chase, you lay tackle's, provide shepherds anyhwere on the park......when we have a list as good as Geelongs we can carry our version of Shannon Byrne, Travis Varcoe etc but we are along way off and need to shed C grade players who will never improve.

Houlihan and Scotland will never improve regardless of their kicking skills, they are not the complete package as players...they should be traded or delisted come seasons end......

The maligned Paul Bower can improve his disposal and decision making but a player like Houlihan will never take a mark running back with the flight of the ball like Bower has done in several games....thats why Bower gets an opportunity to play more games and improve and the other two get shown the door.....

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

I understand what you mean about needing to apply pressure no matter where you play. However I would argue that the type of pressure you apply depends (in this case) whether your position is as a forward or a back. Houlihan is not a backman and as a result does not know how to effectively apply the type of pressure or defensive skills required of a backman as this is a role he is not skilled at nor suited too.

On the flip side - if he is played to his strengths and given a role on a HFF, then I would argue that the type of pressure he needs to apply in that position would be more natural for him. I am aware that Houlihans defensive side is not his greatest asset, however I would argue that the reason why it isn't is because he has been forced to play a defensive role that he is not suited to (on a HBF) and this may also shed some light as to why the forward pressure he applies is not perhaps at the level of someone like Eddie betts fdor example.

I think its worthwhile at least giving Houlihan a reasonable opportunity to play in the position he is suited to and give him some confidence to do the things he does best. Once that is achieved then I beleive he will also improve the defensive pressure side required of a HFF.

Some fair points but we need a Paul Chapman playing at HF...a desperado who kicks goals, chases hard, puts his body in......makes defenders work hard both ways....

Betts is value and I misjudged his preseason form.......Eddie is working hard and improving, full credit to him.....Houlihan and Scotland are giving us the same old same old.....

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

Elwood Blues wrote


I'm hoping that Pfeiffer can fill this void for us.

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There is no footy god

I am sick and tired of but he's a great user of the ball

Houlihan should never have played 50 games for Carlton. He is soft - oh I don't care about soft going in - plenty of footballers are outside types I mean soft in the chase, the shepherd, the demand at each and every contest to win or stop or support or slow down or retard or, @#$%&! anything but a slow lumbering effort in both mind and soul.

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

We need Peter Bosustow back in our forward line - he knew how to play HFF with ATTITUDE...

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Carlton - Nothing's changed
I still love you, oh, I still love you
Only slightly, only slightly less
Than I used to, my love

HF: Johnston Maclure Bosustow
F: Buckley McConville McKay

*sigh*

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Mens sana in corpore sano.

Bring back the laurel wreath logo!!!

I agree..............it's like a cancer that spreads through the team. Younger blokes coming into the team like Russell, see the likes of Houlihan running next to his opponent and unable to lay a tackle. Since he knows that Houlihan has played the most games for the club from this group, Russell then begins to think and believe that Houlihan's attempt at 'pressure' is the norm.

A friend of mine who follows junior footy including the under 18's religiously, tells me that Russell never displayed intensity of any nature in junior footy so it was a bad bad pick by WH. Lack of intensity sticks out at any level of football so we should have spotted it prior to drafting Russell.

Drop both of them

They arnt the future

And weigh Stevo make sure he is at playing weight so he can run out a game

Ratten needs to change things now

I am sick of soft players in the team

After I posted I also started thinking about the rest of the forward line. There was no way the footy was going to waltz away from that lot...
*double sigh*

_________________
Carlton - Nothing's changed
I still love you, oh, I still love you
Only slightly, only slightly less
Than I used to, my love

I remember in the day how we used to joke that Carlton had the best defense in the competition, and the second best defense. That's how hard our forward line worked to keep the ball in.

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Mens sana in corpore sano.

Bring back the laurel wreath logo!!!

Maybe its time that the like of Buzz, McKay, Johnno, Maclure et al rock on down to PP and show our band wearing loving players, what it means to harden up!

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“It is a state of mind, a system of belief, a way of seeing the world, a deep faith that, because you are Carlton, you belong to something great.” - Mike Fitzpatrick articulating what Out of the Blue means.

QFT.

Two of the most selfish players at the CFC. They dispose pretty accurately but then do they then go forward and provide run and carry? Hardly.

Stevens at least, for all his poor defensive work generally, runs and tries to create a midfield running option (which having a big gut doesn't help with - hence his relatively poor output so far this season).

It gets worse with Houlihan and Scotland. If we turn it over, then they're usually nowhere near their direct opponents which means we get slaughtered coming back the other way.

You look at the Dogs and Cats HBF. They are defensively extremely secure and their skills are good in attack as well. Milburn, Enright, Bartel, Ling, Harley, Egan, Scarlett - these kinds of players all very good defensively but run hard when on the Cats are on the attack.

Houlihan and Scotland are lazy. Should be replaced by Simpson and Pfeiffer. Push Anderson into the back pocket and play Simmo on the left HBF and Pfeiffer on the right HBF.

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky