IIRC he had three kicks inside 50 to leading forwards tonight. Not all of them came off due to timing and Brisbane having players back, but all were perfectly weighted kicks. Give him some more experience and some more confidence and he'll be slotting footballs down our forwards throats for a long time you'd reckon.

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Goes to show what can happen when you recruit a bloke who's already a footballer, rather than recruiting an athlete and trying to change him into one. When I heard we drafted him, I just got a weird feeling we'd gotten our hands on a beauty, I can't explain it.

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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

PROS:
1. Betts. Always trying.
2. Wiggins. Pls let that game shut up the anti-Wiggins bleaters (for the next five rounds at least).
3. Jammo. The new Sexton.
4. In any previous year that was a 100+ point loss.
5. Browne. Not a fantasic game but a few passages of play showed he has great composure.
6. Simpson. Back on song.


CONS:
1. Ackland.
2. Ackland.
3. Ackland. Really cowardly decision by the Match Committee to not go with Hampson. Lost their nerve because it was Charman.
4. Fisher. Dirty night.
5. Hadley. Should have stepped up against his old side.
6. Lack of pressure (especially in the first half). Disgraceful.

Pros - Fev kept going to kick 5, could have had 8 or 9 if he'd kicked straight. Put in some great chases.

Kreuzer had a couple of passages that had future superstar all over them.

Browne will play 150 games for us.

Jamo killed Bradshaw until he was injured. Also thought Setanta was ok on Brown - most of the delivery was unstoppable, and then there was that super decision from the little man in green that had even the Lions fans near me laughing.

Murphy - gun.

Cons - Ackland

Bowers awareness and failure to sheperd Stevens in the 4th. Everyone at the ground knew what he had to do except him. Under 12's stuff. Please note I think he's possibly our most improved this year, but such elementary stuffups are worrying.

Fisher badly out of form - couldn't get near it tonight. Not sure if he's carrying an injury, if so rest him, otherwise he might be in red soon.

Gibbs failing to keep his eyes on the ball with opposition coming at him.

Tackling in general was pissweak - lost count of the times a Brisbane player was able to get a clean disposal away with one of our guys hanging on to him.

Hadley looked very underdone.

harsh but fair call on the MC

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They will know that they've been playing against the famous old dark blues

Pro

Eddie
Fev's 5 goals
Jamo
Browne
Margin didnt blow out

Con

Ackland should never play senior footy for the Blues again. Its patently clear he is not up to it and if further proof was needed the MC got it tonite. He was embarassing. Surely they will have to pay him out at the end of the season. he is taking up an important spot on the list for goodness sake.

Fishers kicking is woeful.

C!-L!-A!-N!-G!-E!-R!-S! In the first half

Without pressure.....
1. Some of our players can't hit targets
2. Some of our players choose poor options
3. Some of our players demand the pill when they are plainly in a compromised position

Frustrating, isn't it.

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They will know that they've been playing against the famous old dark blues

God I miss Lappin's experience in the team. He was so much better than Lance or Camporeale. Smart, confident, tough and would often bob up to kick those missing goals.

pros:
-murphy
-scotland
-i met and got the autographs of joe anderson and clinton benjamin. had a bit of a chat to joe. didnt seem to pleased with the teams performance tonight.
-eddy, fev was pretty good at times

cons:
-hackland. last game?
-fisher
-lost a winable game
-not enough pressure

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"You don’t get much more Navy Blue than Stephen Kernahan" - Marc Murphy

Pro

Losses like this one show the powers that be who is the future, who can be put on the table - who needs to be cut (Jamo can have Number 11 in 2009) and who needs a frickin' rocket up their arse. I can tell you now that Messrs Fisher and Carazzo can be added to the names on the table...hey - we learned something we didn't know - it's definitely a 'Pro'

Con

Ray Chamberlain...get off your knees Ray - you're blowing the game!

After a flat 1st quarter, I thought our work rate was OK for most of the game after that. We've only played 4 quarters in 1 game this year (vs Coll). But Brizzy were much cleaner with the ball all day. By the way, they are a better side than they get credit for - they still have a core group of quality leaders (match winning premiership players), and they have managed to quietly develop some good young players (and Travis was a good get for them). I wouldn't be at all surprised if they play finals this year.

Tonight's game confirmed what we know already -

- CHF & Ruck are big problems for us;
- we have some exciting youngsters but there is a long way to go yet.

Fingers crossed Jamo is OK, because he is a terrific young player we can ill-afford to lose. Anyone got an update on his injury?

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

Pros - we kept at it and kept trying to follow the game plan

Cons
Disposal and decision making letting us down

Not the difference between us losing, but it just seemed we were murdered by umpiring non-decisions. Whenever we tackled Lions players, it seemed if the ball came out to a Lions player it was play on and if it didn't it was a ball up.

The holding free kick to Brown was right up there.

By that standard Fev would kick 10 a week.

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Everything before the word "but" is horseshit - J Snow

Fisher has really struggled this year since coming back from injury. I've been saying for a few weeks that his spot should be coming under more scrutiny than it has. Maybe his hand is still not right, but he is giving us very little at the moment. He is an important player for us, and is good as the 3rd tall, but let's face it, he is struggling this year...

Unfortunately, Edwards is not putting any pressure on him (his form in the VFL this year has been very disappointing)...

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

I think it also needs to be acknowledged that Brisbane are a seriously good team this year. People underrate them because they are supposed to be in a rebuilding phase but the realistically will be pushing for a top 4 finish IMO. Very impressive.

I know Hampson did ok against the tall dude from Freo in the pre-season but, like other players coming in after injury, I would assume Ackland will get a chance to atone next week.

Michael Jamison is a player - so very, very consistent. Which is what Waite ain't. I hope we get to see Waite at CHF to take the pressure off ... Fisher. One man who is not standing up to the challenge put in front of him. Much like Gibbs, whose role I'm not quite clear on.

BUT YOU'RE BAGGING A YOUNG PLAYER, htp!!! Yeah nah yeah, I am - it's got to be said. Just not sure what to make of Gibbs - and I thinks it's solely the fault of the MC. He appears to always play in the one position he can't play - which is whatever position the MC put him in. Bizarre.

Setanta is very much in the backline. I hope tonight proved that to the coach. I would be very happy to see Setanta and Mark being rotated through the two key back possies - along with Bower. I have great confidence that, between those three, we can find a match up against every side. Perhaps not winning match ups, but containing games at the least.

Chris Judd. I wonder how long I'll say injury's holding him back.

Browne. Russell. Simpson. Betts. Bentick. Bower. All good youngsters. Grigg I never see - probably because he's too busy keeping his man out of the game. Can't tell on telly - and can't see well enough at games.

Kreuzer the in between man. Watching him over the next few years will be like watching Fevola's career. You know he's got it - but it just might take a while. OMG, I'm criticizing a young player!!! Yeah but it's only because our rucks are continually beaten and he's a ruck. Just forget about youth and realise he's picked to be a ruckman. End of the day, he's getting beaten in his position - just like Fev was.

To paraphrase a commentator but ... if the Carlton team had Bett's AND KRUEZER'S commitment, we'd be unbeatable.

Have I mentioned Murphy? Our best midfielder.

Great to see Ratten try Waite in at the bounce. Worth it for the first play in the third or fourth or whenever.

We were showed up tonight with our deficiencies.

We looked flat, as if we were unfit. The lions ran us ragged and their speed was unbelievable.

A fair way to go, but some good signs from some of our youngsters.

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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!

Pros
Judd. Just a class act.
Murphy's disposal is improving and 2 nice sausages.
Jamison smashed Bradshaw.

Cons
Waite - When body contact is involved he's stuffed. He did well dropping in the hole on a few occasions but let himself down with his shit kicking. You can't win a flag with that sort of football.
Rucks - Charman murdered us. Kreuzer did a few OK things but was taught a lesson by the more experienced player. I hope Ackland enjoyed his last game in navy blue.
Clearences - With the midfield we have what the @#$%&! is going on? We got slaughtered in the midfield. A lot is probably due to getting smashed in the rucks but still with the midfield we have they should put up a better fight.
Tackles - Need massive improvement in this area.
Poor disposals - I cringe when we run it out of the backline. I'm not sure if we have the players yet for our game plan.

Tonight was a real wake up call. We still have a long way to go. No doubt Thornton and Walker missing from our backline is hurting a lot but we are in desperate need of developing a CHB that gives a 50 50 contest. I'm a bit jealous of Hawthorn's recruiting. I hope we follow their strategy and pick players that can kick the @#$%&! ball!

Gibbs is a young player still finding his way in the AFL. I am confident he will become a quality player for us, but he is still a work in progress. I'm not totally sure why you're blaming the MC for the fact he's not playing that well (although I thought he was OK tonight). As a #1 pick, I think he's a victim of expectations to some degree...

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

I'm inventing a new category for the Pros and Cons tonight:

The Plain Old Crap category.

Pros:

- Browne is a gem.
- So is Kreuzer.
- Murphy was good all night
- Eddie was good defensively, not much fell his way.
- Fev was good when straight.
- Jamo smashed Bradshaw
- Gibbs was good.
- The Chief

The team was much better when they turned up after quarter time, but never looked like mounting a come back due to so many poor contributors.

Cons:

Waite playing in defence. Bradshaw never looked like touching it when Jamo was on him, then Waite takes over and he had 3-4 marks and should of had 3-4 goals. Waite turned it over time after time, an absolute Barry Crocker.

Carlos had poor disposal, decision making also, looked lost on Brown most of time.

Carrazzo. If Waite was pinned for wasting time a few weeks back, Carrazzo should of been pinned every time he touched the ball.

Our first quarter effort and discipline/skill level was deplorable. Not helped by the umpires mind you.

Plain Old Crap:

Ackland. Seriously what a joke, don't ever wear the Navy Blue guernsey even again.

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Mjonc signing off at 8888