Commenting as someone who actually went to the game. Gibbs began the last quarter in the full forward goal square and played most of the quarter in the forward line. Thought he was okay tonight, not great by any means but probably on a par with everyone else in the side. Would like to see him play more in the midfield where his clean hands and neat disposal will shine a la the Collingwood game.

I think we should all keep in mind that you don't expect a second year player to be a matchwinner. The fact that he is positive contributor at this stage is fantastic.

I agree that Waite had a shocking second half but that was almost entirely due to skill errors. I don't see how that relates to whether he's a backman or not. Skill errors are terrible wherever you play. I think he'd almost be leading our b&f as a backman and he was picked for his state as a backman. To me, he's been doing a great job in the backline and I'd keep him there as much as I am exasperated by the gaping chasm that is CHF.

Don't think we have a solution for CHF on our list at the moment and that has to be our focus in the off season.

My overall impression was that Brisbane were much more physically mature, stronger, faster etc. They are also more seasoned footballers who are confident that they belong at this level. They will definitely play finals if they stay injury free.

Finally, a positive, Russell kicked a goal at last! He finally didn't miss when he had the chance. Well done Russell. He really is improving by 1% each week.

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Don't blame it on the sunshine, don't blame it on the moonlight, don't blame it on the good times, blame it on the WIGGINS!

PROS:

Fevola -
With the SHIT he was delivered tonight, he might as well get BOG.

Murphy
For the love of jesus just sign the kid up. Whatever he wants, just give it to him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CONS -
SOMEBODY tell me RIGHT NOW how Ackland's admission into this team is a better choice than Aisakie or even Hampson for that matter. For @#$%&! sake just get rid of him. Disgraceful. I'd rather see Chris Judd play in a collingwood jumper than watch that piece of shit play for carlton ever again. @#$%&! me........ just piss him off already.

DISPOSAL
I got ridiculed and abused for bringing this up a couple of weeks ago but holy shit............how are our skills so @#$%&! bad????? It boggles the mind.


WHY ARE WE PLAYING THE FLANKS?
I'm starting to see a pattern in Ratts's game plan, and that is, play the flanks and try and go for fev. It's just not working..............

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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

We got smashed by a side willing to play hard tough contested footy who back them selves with hard running.

We don't like it hard and tough.

We don't like contested footy.

We don't run.

This game was to see where this club is at and.... The real Carlton showed up tonight

You're kidding arent you? What in the hell is with this fascination with Russell?

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Corinthians 9:6- 8

I agree with that comment, HTP.

And he should stop looking sideways first every time he gets the footy. No more crabbing.

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

BOG - Stevo/Fev
WOG - Carrazzo

Pros:

-Browne - will be a champ

-Betts - bleeds navy blue

-Wiggins - the chief is back could be a fill in CHF for all I care

-Simmo - contested contested contested

-Fev - must of had a celebration drink after the hall of fame game, it affected his first quarter.... well didnt it ? I like when he gets infuriated when he misses a mark and his 2-3 defenders do hand balls over his head and he just goes in and smashes each to the ground and keeps chasing...
-Superstar Jamo - made the clown shoe bradshaw look like a rookie, from what I saw up close I barely saw that motor mouth bradshaw say much like he usually does.

-Bower

-Giving some crap to Steve Quartermain before the game infront of the social club - didnt know at the time this was my best highlight.

-Murph
-Scotland
-Judd
-JR

Cons:
-Errors errors errors and some more errors. Seems like not a lot of following up was being done when an error occured.

-tackeling - they cant run without legs

-Ackland - I think in the 3rd when he made his 3 errors in a row, thats when i wrote him off, tried to give him a chance as he hasnt played senior footy for a while then comes up against a good/decent or just better then ackland ruckman, and got spanked - maybe its the real big kick in the ass he needs.
But we all know how he plays - i was a little miffed the MC decided to go with him rather then the young "immature" unpredictable hammer. Might have paid dividends at least he can take a mark anywhere on the ground.
I dont think brisbane even bothered to put a man on him when he was pushing forward.....

-Skills - skills pay the bills

-Telstra Dome - always hated playing night games there, the last decent game was Port Adelaide last year

-Haldey - looked a little overwhelmed playing his old side ? maybe still nursing injury.
-Seeing Jake edwards is a relation to shane O bree from collingwood.

- Playing geelong in 2 weeks again (That more times then Hawthorn will have in the last year pfffft)

-back of the record, thats not a pretty lady.

-Umpires never giving carlton a free kick to our advantage. Seems we get them deep in defence or not at all when they are sometimes there.
Time wasting by brisbane by refusing to hand the ball back and making the kick in taker walk up get it, wasting more time then waite could ever. more then one occasion.

-The kicking in going 10m to the boundary line either right or left as the start.

-Fisher - Freakish mark - crap shot for goal - still Id have you in the team.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please be gentle its my first post

Pro's

The cream is rising to the top and the future is looking clearer by the week.
We are a brand new Ferrari still on the production line missing a coat of paint. When she's finished ..oooh la la!!!

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There's so much I could say...

PROS Murphy
Simmo
Browne
OHailpin(gives a shit)
Bower
Fevola
Scotland
Wiggins(unfortunately)
Jammo( a natural defender)
Kreuzer

CONS
Judd Isnt fit. lacks power in his kicking. Hopefully get better
Ackland
Stevens
Waite( cut some slack He was due for a bad one)
Fisher

Gibbs Seriously concerned about this guy. The argument that he is 19 and young doesnt cut it.
The reports of him when he was at Glenelg was of a midsize player lacking in leg speed but a fantastic footy brain and an ability to kick long and precise and terrific in close.Good dukes overhead and tough.

He hasnt shown enough and took his eyes off the ball tonight.
if he wasnt a number one pick he would be spelled in the 2s.

I reckon a few weeks in the 2s would be good for him. He needs to find the ball.


We desperately need another tall up forward and another crumber.

Some more Pros:

- We are talking about 5-6 goal loses as smashings
- Cain now knows he can start planning for his future.
- The Chief. Hard Runner, Good Hands, good kick for goal, tackles and chases, puts his body on the line.

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

Bagging Gibbs really shows how stupid some of you are.

Pros - jamo
Betts and Big K show some more senior players about desperation and head over the ball
Russell is improving and looks like a developing AFL players rather than an intimidated kid
Judd - shaded early but his efforts in close showed why he was the only choice as captain
Murph having stellar season
Fev should have kicked 7 without playing that well
Bower not a great game but showing great signs
Setanta - I know I am a fan, but as a third tall backman, he at least made the best player in the AFL work.

Cons
Coaching panel failure to have the players ready to go. Intensity early when the game was there to be won was woeful
Centre square work - comprehensively thrashed
Ackland - forget the effort - he just isn't much of a footballer. Wouldn't mind Jacobs being elevated, need a bit of weight and grunt in the middle
Waite - shown up badly by Bradshaw in the one on ones after Jamo went off
One key forward. Fish was ordinary and would be much more damaging if within 40m of goal where his overhead work would hurt opposition. We need Waite up forward despite his faults, but with jamo out that is unlikely to happen
Gibbs - I hate it when oppo supporters claim he is soft, but he does take his eyes off the ball when he is expecting a hit and did again last night. He is a number one draft choice in a superdraft. I would expect faultless courage to be a given. I am not expecting too much of him, just expecting him to have the intensity and hardness of Joe Anderson, or Eddie Betts, or Big K. He must keep his eyes on the ball and also show more intensity.
How many times in the last seven seasons have we taken solace from a 'comeback' after the game is alll over that stops us being thrashed
Stevo, one of the worst players in a one on one marking contest. Is spoiled easily and can't spoil others
Fev needs to encourage his team mates and not bag them because they don't give it to him every time, no matter where he is or what is around him. Didn't notice Paul Bower giving Fev a spray when he missed easy shots. He needs to be a more than a talented player. He needs to lift players when the going is tough



Dane, why aren't people allowed to point out occasions when Gibbs takes his eyes off the ball when expecting contact. Everyone wants him to be a star but it is becoming a pattern and is holding him back as a player and is disappointing from a #1 draft pick

Dane I reckon you have the blinkers on like a few others in relation to Gibbs because of his reputation.

Rather than replying with something personel and stupid have a look at the review of him in "Talking Recruitment" then compare that to what he has dished up this year.

Any 16 year old who can kick 6 goals and get 37 possessions in the SANFL has to have something special about him and there are times where he shows this

But Gibbs is lacking confidence. He coughed up the ball too easily at times last night.

He is also soft a view shared by many including opponents.
Only Gibbs can turn this reputation around.

He has quality but needs a few weeks in the 2s to find the footy.
Frankly he looks lost and isnt playing with intensity.

We played poorly tonite but this side was Brissies strongest they have fielded in 2008 with a pretty good attack and midfield and a defence that is strengthening up a six goal loss isnt so bad when we are missing for us some important players
Cloke - walker - thornton - houla / now Jamo


They are a quality outfit and i guess not getting thumped by 10+ goals is something to take from the match

Pros we faught out the second half out scoring the lions the deficit from the first quarter was what we lost the game by.
We have lost some key players which is limiting our options at the moment

Cons - 1st quarter was woeful we obviously where still watching the dreamteam game from last week
Ackland not going to be answer would rather see aisake or Jacobs being promoted and getting some senior games under him

So far this year i would penciled in losses to Crows / Lions (Near full strength) and Saints - though next time if we have some players back we should be able to beat them

I am far more pissed off that we lost to the Tigers and Bombers - Especially the bombers which have a worse defence than we have

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CFC TAC Squad everyone over 25 must be traded sounds like Loguns Run

Pros

Travis Johnstone kicking the first goal @ $12
Some of the most unrelenting abuse of Ray Chamberlain coming from the social club I've ever heard. He heard it too. He smiled. but inside he cried. Coz he knows he's a shit bloke.

Cons

Not being able to trade Ackland for J Brown.

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Congratulations CK95

Blinkers are for those who point out the times he takes his eye of the ball, but fail to recognise the times when he has gone in hard and earnt the free kicks.

Gibbs like everyone last night coughed the ball up, its called pressure, lack of options and lack of team work.

Gibbs has found the footy plenty of times this season. Averaging high teens in disposals, high efficiency rate and plenty of contested footy for a flanker.

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

I dont agree mjonc.

He is playing with a lack of confidence.
The trouble is there isnt much to come in
Possibly anderson if he plays well today
As for taking your eyes off the ball you should never do it.
Easy to say I know but the effect is enormous when you do it.
Its a tough game and unforgivable.

Pros

Murphy - UNDERATED. A grader heading towards A+
Judd - Going about 80%
Wiggo - Our only option across half forward
Jammo - Stepping up

Scotland Fev and Simmo

Cons

STEVENS - B grader. Went missing when the heat was in the game in the first half then buttered his stats in the 2nd hanging out on the wing and backline getting cheap stats. 2 contested disposals in 27.

All the people that didn't have Stevens in the Cons and the 1 that had him BOG

Ackland

Dane,

I do not think anyone is bagging Gibbs but you have to give posters credit for asking the hard questions. Looking at Gibbs, you have to be suspect about whether he has enough pace to be a midfielder. If he does not have pace we have picked a half back flanker with a number one draft pick, when we needed a midfielder. No one is writing him off it is just this forum has gone through a honeymoon period with overly optimistic predictions and value judgements on the players and coaching system. It is like watching a dog with D---cks......We want constructive criticism that builds a top four side not a love in that results in decades of finishing 8 to 12.

Injuries have depleted our backline at the moment. Add Walker, Thornton, Bannister and Houlihan to the team and then we will see more of Gibbs in the midfield and forward of the centre. Don’t think Bannister does not have a role to play in this team, we missed his tagging last night big time. He has a role in our team and had been playing it well until injured.

Gibss is only 19, can people get their head around this at all. He is 19. I recall Hawthorn supporters being very impatient and thinking they had made a massive error when it took their high draft pick a few years to settle into the tempo of AFL football. Luke Hodge was his name. Whoever calls Gibbs soft is a disgarce, go and watch the Collingwood game again and see how soft he is.

Fact is anyone that really thought we were going to win last night ( including me ) were probably looking through rose coloured glasses, we were never going to win this game. Brisbane are a good team and they just happened to field their best team for the year last night.

We lost to a team that's been rebuilt over the last two to three years, they play well together now.

We are building a team this is learning to play together.

There is plenty to like about the future. Patience is the key.

What I hate is seeing players like Acklan in the team ahead of a Hampson, but hey Ratts rolled the dice and lost. I doubt we will see Ackland again.

As a side note what really pissed me off was the umpiring. Not just yeterdays game, not just Carlton games, umpiring in general.

They killed the game as a contest after Fev kicked a goal in the first minute of the 3rd quarter. The 50m penalty to Drummond and the free kick to Brown were two of the worst decisions I have seen in long long time. Talk about momentum killers, that's the ugly influence of umpiring at the moment and the AFL better have a damn good look at this. They are killing games of football. I pay good bloody money to see contests influence and win games of footy, not the bloody umpires!!!

Spot on Mjonc.

All players have strengths and weaknesses. It is what they contribute to the team overall that matters. One poor moment doesn't make a bad performance equally as much as one goal doesn't make a good game.

Gibbs will get better with time but he's going okay at the moment.

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Don't blame it on the sunshine, don't blame it on the moonlight, don't blame it on the good times, blame it on the WIGGINS!