to be honest i don't think we are quite there yet - will go close but not just yet

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We will be back as a force - keep watchin this space !!

BUMP

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░L░I░N░K░I░N░B░I░O ░

lol

dont think we will make finals, and nor should we.

when we drop games against richmond, 2 x Essendon* and lose by 2 points to sydney

we dont deserve to be.

however, winning against the dogs and collingwood is a good start.

back it up next week with a win against the crows then who knows.

still say, the top 3 are the teams to beat, despite us beating the bulldogs. they are miles ahead of everyone else.

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Got to love the stare Down by Setanta on Llyod

Don't think we'll make it, but you never know with this mob.

If we knock off the Crows next week on their own dunghill, I think all doubts about whether we DESERVE to be there will go down the toilet.

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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

wonderful win today - but I still think maybe 10 wins for the year and finals in 2009.

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My Blue Heaven

definetely finals time in 2009, theres no reason why we shouldnt make it.

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Blue Boys fow life!

I think we should be at least even money to beat the Crows on Saturday. When we last played them Burton was close to BOG and he is now gone for the season whilst we are a significantly stronger side.

- Collingwood will lose to the Hawks
- Richmond will lose to Geelong
- North Melb play the Lions....as long as it isn't a draw I'll be happy

I also wouldn't be surprised if Port Adelaide beat the Saints at the Telstra Dome...they always seem to play well there (unless they tank).

If we can beat the Crows..yes we are a real chance IMO.

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There is no footy god

we have also won at AAMI stadium already this year which will help the confidence

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

I don't think it's fair to say we don't deserve to make the finals.

If we win enough games, which at this stage looks to be 12, we deserve to be there as much as any other team.

If 12 wins gets you into the finals, we need to win the next 5 from 6, knocking off top 8 teams like Adelaide, Kangaroos, Brisbane & the Hawks.

I hope we don't need to beat the Hawks in the last round to make it.

It'd bring back horrible memories of when Richmond put us out in the last round at OO.

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The Future is Bright, the Future is Navy Blue.

On the bright side we're just a game and percentage away from a home final. . If we'd beaten the Swans last week we'd only be 6 points off a double chance. Pity we weer underdone early in the season.

Think we will just miss sadly but it's been great to be in contention for so long.

I was just thinking the same jim after looking at the ladder's nuances.

To think if we had won against the Saints and Swans (av loss 15 pts) we would be 4th right now.

Given the surprising results on the weekend it confirms the thought that only the top 3 teams are there to stay.

5 games left. Our % is in defecit is an av of 14 pts wins for the next 5 weeks to break even at 100%.

We aren't that far, and those above us aren't that good; including the Saints and Swans.

I think Synbad is right that we should be in the finals this year given the stock we have; he has his reasons why we haven't.

We've all talked about how we are more aligned with the development cycle of the Hawks to undersatnd our development process to keep ourselves in check; except 2 years behind.

Now if you look at how they finished their ordinary start in 2006, they were quite impressive, albeit left their run too late. The next year they could've played in the GF with a bit of luck, and we know how they have emerged this year.

Now we're closer to the 8 at this stage than the Hawks were when they turned it on, in similar style as we did against the Doggies yesterday...and to think we could have easily changed those last 2 losses with a bit more discipline.

We are ahead of Hawks in 2006.

I believe, and the players believe that we can beat anyone if we put 4 quarters of our best. If we have just worked out how to run the ball through the centre corridor (including our ruckman Kreuzer), then there's no reason why we couldn't beat the next 5 opponents (including Hawks) if we play like yesterday's 4th Q for just 3 Q's...and save the 4Q effort for the GF.

We're not that far off...compared to the 9 teams above us. It doesn't matter whether we do or don't make the 8, but being in the run is a chabge from where we've been.

If the cards fall our way, or better still the kids make it happen, we can possibly drop 1 game and end up 4th....with a percentage of approx 106% with av 25 point wins; so we take 4th with our points advantage or with a % advantage. It's not unrealistic.

I'm guessing we may surprise everyone and put ourselves on the footy map again by ending the season at 6th or 7th; 5th would be good.

The kids should give it a burl with belief and effort, and a taste of finals will be the tonic to aim and train for aTop 4 fimish in 2009.

I just want 1 BIG name recruit and 1 good kid from the draft to add to the list for 2009.

Whilst there's a blue flame, we're hot to trot.

We belong in the finals; the past is the past and that's long gone.

GO BLUES!!

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I totally agree with myself!!

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

What about Adelaide, Brisbane, Collingwood?
I don't think anyone's safe, and we still have Adelaide and Brisbane to come, if we win both we may well knock one of them out of the 8.

The way i see it we have 4 very winnable games coming up, particularly with confidence soaring after knocking off the dogs.

Adelaide - nearly beat them last time, w/o burton this time, lost 5 of last 6, huge chance
Port - threw in the towel after showdown, looking to next season. We beat them once and this ones in Melbourne.
North - reckon this one will be the decider. They have been very up and down and have dropped games against the lower teams while beating the top ones. Looked ordinary against dees after quarter time. must shut down Harvey.
Brisbane - bogey side, though they have also been very up and down. I think we'd be odds on if it was at the G. But if we get the first 3, confidence will be sky high. Again, we are a great chance.

We really could win all these games. If we do, we'll make finals. Or even win 3 of them, we'll be on 11 wins. Hopefully with a slightly better percentage. Then going into the Hawthorn game.. well I won't be expecting a lot, but then I wasn't expecting a lot against the dogs.

The key to the whole thing is that there are a lot of the 7 teams in the race playing each other in the last 5 rounds, so we know there are going to be losses. Playing Brisbane, Adelaide, and Roos, we really control our own destiny as each of these games will be an "8 point game"

I know we can do it

Show off!

If we want to play finals, we have to beat the crows this week. If we dont then we wont make finals.

Port and North MUST be wins in my opinion... so if we beat Crows, Port and North we will have given ourselves a massive chance to make it.

Finals or not, im very happy with how we have progressed this season, been in every game and in all except Geelong.
MASSIVE improvement from last few seasons.
Next season MUST make finals

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Matty Kruzer you star!

The swans are a top 4 side, and in our most recent encounter against the tigers, proved too classy in the finish even without Judd..

The bombers game was disappointing, played average and still nearly pegged them back but i certainly believe were playing like a top 8 side, undoubtedly, certainly on potential anyways..

We'll have to win at least 4 out of 5 and the last game play the hawks, and with our inexperience, dont know if we'll have enough to make it.. We could come 9th or 10th though, and with our development were in for some good things to come!

But give us some credit, we beat the dogs, ran close to sydney and beat the pies twice, who despite their recent indifferent form have been a pretty good side this year..

Were well and truly on track to becoming a very good side over the next couple of years.. Now let's just sort out our Ruck division!

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Corinthians 9:6- 8

f we win this week we WILL make the finals, at least we should.

Paying $4.25 for us to make the 8 - don't worry about backing us head to head at $3.20 this week, go the $4.25 for the 8.

I might put down the hungie I shoulda put on us to beat the Dogs.

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end of message

If we don't make the finals this year, doesn't that mean we get a 'kinder' draw next year?? I thought I had heard that somewhere.

Pretty simple. Each week is a make or break for the next 3-4 weeks.
Must win the next three for any chance(if other games go our way), if we beat Lions too than we are a very good chance.
Thats a winning streak of 4 games needed, when was the last time we were able to do that?

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The climbing has alread began

If we get the 4 game winning streak happening, we can release a DVD collection on it.

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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.