The one that realised some players will no longer take this group any further

That may be right, but I'm not sure how it supports the point you made.

See we aren't good enough yet. No team is an easy beat for the rest of the year as we don't know which Carlton side will come to play.

_________________
Mjonc signing off at 8888

young team on the up - that';s the team thjat turns up every week, I say it again today - but hey, maybe they'll remember it is better to be in front than behind.

bloody hell I like Armfield.

_________________
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!

I'm not giving up yet ... Richmond, Stkilda & North are the teams competing for the spot, we can beat them on our day ... I know, I know ... but I'm not giving up yet.

Walking out of the ground yesterday my mate and I were saying that we were no chance to make it now, and I still think that our chances are very slim, but I think that was more of a reaction out of embarrassment because of yesterday's pathetic performance more than anything.

Don't get me wrong, we still have a long way to go and we should have won yesterday, but I said at the start of the seaon that it will be a roller-coaster ride and still reckon it will be from here on in. I believe that we will win a game or two that we are not expecting. And we may also lose a couple that we think we are a chance in and still miss out on the 8, but no big deal.

If we can pinch a win this weekend, then come out after the break with Walks back in the team and beat the Aints (which based on their form we can) we just may suprise another team or two in the run home. I have got a feeling that we will pinch a win against one of the top sides, Sydney, Bulldogs or Hawthorn. We haven't put 4 good quarters of footy together yet and it has to happen sooner or later.

If it happens to click for us against one of those sides, and they take us too lightly and/or have an off day it will happen. I think Walks is going to make a big impact on the playing group when he comes back. Can't wait!!!

_________________
"If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself" - Henry Ford

..i think it's been nailed back down..

_________________
..if you can't be good, be good at it..

We are only one game behind 7th.

Theres still a chance of finals this year - but we have to win 5 or 6 out of 9.

So we will know in the next 3 weeks where we really stand.

Carlton cannot really afford to lose more than 1 out of the next 3.

Which, barring a sudden and inexplicable improvement, is why I am realistically looking at 2009 or 2010.

We do come good and pinch a flag with a young side, but exactly which year this happens in is unclear - but I do think that it will involve many who are playing right now.

At the moment, a low 2008 finals position, let alone a flag - looks very unlikely, not impossible - but very unlikely.

_________________
My Blue Heaven

"It aint over til the fat lady sings".

Only trouble is, after losing last week, she's starting to hummmmm. Lose this week & that big old girl will have her tonsils warmed & ready to fire. Lose the week after to StK & she will be half way through the chorus.

Hey Blues Boys - How about you SHUT THE BITCH UP & stuff that song sheet down her throat.

All of a sudden the cards have fallen in our favour.

Brisbane and Adelaide are back in the pack opening 3 spots for 6 teams to make the finals.

We have the destiny in our own hands now, we play Brisbane, Sydney, North, Adelaide and Port, win these and we are finals bound.

The next 7 weeks will tell us alot more about which players have a future at Carlton, every game is going to be pressure packed and have meaning.

We've been critical of several players against the average or better teams, lets see if they can prove us wrong when the season is on the line.

_________________
Mjonc signing off at 8888

Sydney are several pegs up in standard compared to St Kilda, and it would be an absolute miracle if we beat the Lions at the Gabba.

Well miracles do happen, because I do remember Melbourne beating Brisbane albeit in Melbourne

Forget the eight in 2008 - Finals in 2009 - but there will be a few good wins in the remaining rounds that will give us a glimpse of the good times to come.

_________________
My Blue Heaven

We are starved of finals action and honestly i'd love nothing more than to be strutting my way to the G with a sea of fellow navy blues n sunny saturday August afternoon but.....

2008 should be about reform, development, fitness, progress, game plans, confidence, setups, plays, commitment, hard work but not about finals. Save it for 2009

No doubt we have made progress and honestly i think a lot of it is due to the inclusion of Juddy. I don't think we are top eight material in season 2008 and strange as this sounds i hope we miss out. I'd hate for our guys to make the eight and being such a young team some of the younger guys thinking wow how easy is this.

Missing out in 2008 may just make all our players more hungrier coming into the preseason and make them work that extra 10% which could only be a benefit them all

We have a lot of work to do regarding setups and plays, forward structure, players defining there role within the team, boys turning into men, the team having absolute commitment for each other.

I gotta agree with you here Melvey. Although the heart says yes, the head says no, to 2008 finals anyway.

I wouldn't mind if we did make it tho, just to give the kids that experience of being in one. It is extremely likely that's all they'd get - 1 , but IMO that would create another level of hunger for next year.

I suppose they will still have that hunger if they miss out on finals by a small margin also.

I just hope we don't fall away in performance for the rest of the season, because they don't believe they can make it & decide to rest on what they have achieved so far. The still need to throw everything at it & if it sticks, it sticks.

Here's hoping anyway

more interesting for us is that the teams we are going to be up against are starting to lose significant players through injury/suspension
From the weekends matches
sydney - buchanan gone with suspension (4 weeks with an early plea), davis dislocated a knee (season)
adelaide - porplezia, burton gone for the season with injuries
brisbane - leunberger out for the season with a knee, black/brown are questionable for this week
north - pratt facing a 3 game suspension

we also regain walker this week

of our upcoming games
sydney
bulldogs
adelaide
port
roos
lions
hawks

The only one that I'd say is a definite loss would be the hawks - we'd be a reasonable chance against the dogs as we have always matched up well. The other matches I'd feel reasonably comfortable going into those matches (ie better than 50%)

Me either.

(...says the supreme optimist!)



I'll have the crowbar on standby, just in case - for the Swans game...

I've convinced myself yet again that we win this week we are a chance

What a sucker for punishment i am

_________________
Mjonc signing off at 8888

What he said.

Wish I could count on your Lions "outs", though. If only.

Reminder - we beat Bullies in a very spirited Praccy at OO at the start of the year and beat them last yr, too. Not beyond the realms.