Welcome back for another year of pros and cons - and what a way to start!

Is this the light at the end of a 7 year long dark tunnel? I hope so.

I must admit I thought we could lose tonight - but we exceeded all expectations. It must be noted that Richmond were/(are?) pitiful.

I am sticking to the tradition of 5 pros and 5 cons no matter the result

PROS

1. Forward pressure - Betts, Robinson, Cloke, Fev - this wasn't good forward pressure, it was elite.

2. Waite - The game hinged on his matchup and he destroyed Richardson by hurting him the other way. Seemed hurt at the end, hope he's right.

3. Number 1's - How do you pick a favourite? Gibbs Murph Kruze - the Holy trinity.

4. Robinson - born to play

5. Team setups - credit to Brett Ratten - Kickouts are better offensively and defensively, players are looking for other forward options, structure is present.

So many more - Jacobs, Jamison, Hadley (important player!) etc. etc.

CONS

1. Fev's fitness is going to be an issue - so unfortunate the Bunbury incident

2. Chris Johnson's defensive skills are simply deficient. He kicks beautifully but was a liability in marking contests

3. The "slow down" - not the wrong tactic but we executed it so poorly in the second quarter.

4. Simmo's kicking was way off tonight - he still did get heaps of it though.

5. Dunno - and that's nice!


THEY KNOW THAT THEY WERE PLAYING AGAINST THE FAMOUS OLD DARK BLUES

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

Agreed Danny Boy.

Loved his game. Tough Uncompromising and he finally looks fit.

Con:
My regular tipping margin was WAY WAY WAY off.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Oh yeah:


BIG PRO:

Kreuzer's sticks-style helicopter goal in the 2nd 1/4; brought back some fond memories

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

Simon you are right, our kick outs tonight with Johnno were beautifully executed.

Fev will now have 9 days to get the heel sorted out

I noticed when he had his boots on he was limping but after the game there was no limp, so hopefully he will get heaps of treatment for the next week.

Pros

Showing up anyone who thought Richmond was going to win.
Contribution from everyone.
All our debutants played well, especially Robbo - Rising Star nomination!
Hadley a great inclusion. Has to be in our 22 all year.
We kicked 23 goals and Fev only kicked two.
JR's great goal. Hopefully he will take a lot of confidence from tonight.
A good ruck performance.
Better tackling.
Waite was really impressive.
Judd doesn't sound like he is hampered like Round One last year.


Cons

Intensity wavered throughout the game.
We should have won by 100+ points - inaccurate.
Not sure whether it was Richmond being so bad or us being good. Probably a combination.
Didn't get to see it live! Thanks a lot Channel Ten.
Unsure over Fevola's injury. Hopefully my worries will evaporate on Monday.


Going to watch it on TV now!

Biggest pro is that there were nearly a dozen blokes sitting in the stands thinking to themselves I better pull my finger out or I will be playing all year in red


Great balls by Ratts and the MC picking those young blokes

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

How did you not get to see it live? Weren't you listening to K-Rock (Geelong) for the telecast? If the answer to the 2nd question is yes, why were you listening to K-Rock??

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

Wonderful pressure all over the ground but forward pressure incredible
Wiggins - BOG for mine by a mile - I said yesterday that he wasn't in Hickmott's league as a player. Well he's there now! Exceptional only poor kicking let him down. Incredible attack on the footy and great marking
Judd - dominated when and where it counted, the step is almost back
Waite - Monster footballer. Richo got him a couple of times early, but imposing performance
Robbo - NRS for the week
Hadley - Massive upgrade on Bentick - excellent will sharpen up with more games
Murphy - All-Australian chance.
Ratten - He's got the boys playing positive, direct, super aggressive footy - superb
Fev - bad heel but worked brilliantly at ground level
Betts - exactly what we knew he was capable of. Worth the wait!
Jacobs - Excellent first up effort
Kruezer - Taken a big step up, exceptional link up play, nice marks and improved ruckwork
Cloke -Improved on pre-season form - powerful display
Joseph - Showed why he played before Army- hard body, great pace, good composure, great hunger
Depth - Walker, Stevens, Grigg, Carrazzo, Warnock are bona fide AFL footballers to return. Yarran, Hampson, Army, Browne, and plenty of others to choose from. WOW

Cons - Poor second half of second quarter
Richmond were unbelievably bad - I thought we might lose tonight with our debutants
Cousins injury - don't like the bloke, but felt for the bugger

Nup - the light was last year.
We are now out of the tunnel!

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There is no footy god

PROS

Robbo, Garlett, Sauce, AJ, Haddley
Continued improvement from the Holy Trinity
Only 2 from Fevs and still got 150
Juddy now at 90%
Eddie you beauty
Depth !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tiges a rabble

CONS

Would hate to be on the MC on a Thursdee night.........

Pro

Third largest Round One win ever.

Behind 1984 and 1967.

Largest Round One crowd ever for Carlton.

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Pro
Debutants

ROTATION THROUGH MIDDLE

Winning the Ruck
Kreuz contested mark and kerna helicopter

multi-dimensional forward line

Fev content to play team game

Tackle count -generally and in forward line

Midfield pressure

Ben Cousins hamstring (sorry never wished anyone to be injured before )

Pros
Tackling and general pressure applied to our opponents.

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Agreed. This has been a massive con for us in previous seasons, and it seems that we now have the structure to keep the ball locked in our F50 (the new rushed behind rule helps too...how many times do you think softcocks like Bowden and McMahon would've sprinted for the goal line if they could get away with it?). Seems one of the lasting problems of the Pagan era could be behind us now.

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#GUILTY

Pros

Jamison Bower all improving

Waite made Richo pay


Efficient kicking for goal

Eddie Betts

Ratts press conference - challenge to back up

Real competition for spots

CONS

Simpson report -bumping rule ridiculous

I got nothing.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

Pro - Talkback radio tonight (the bloke who phoned in to say he'd chucked his Richmond membership over the west gate on the way home )

Con - Bumping into dannyboy in the bar

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#DonTheStash

Pros:

Clearance work after quarter time was fantastic.
Hadlee was terrific in the clinches, and really enhanced our midfield balance.
We won in the ruck for the first time in ages. Well done especially to Sammy Jacobs.
Tackling pressure and tackling execution. We gave away very few frees from bad tackles.
Lots of goals from ground balls. We've really struggled in this area for some time. Not only did we have small forwards hitting the scoreboard, but midfielders helped as well. This for me is one of the really important signs that we're ready to compete against the better sides.
Johnson's use of the ball was elite.
All the debutants contributed. Good players now not getting games.
Biggest margin since when?
Very generous run with the umpires.
Richmond's kicking for goal.
Waite, Wiggins, Judd, etc.

Cons:

Kicking for goal from set shots.
Fev's obvious injury.

Hang on I got one:

CON:-

Ms Agro got the last Carlton Scarf from the Membership Tent near Gate 6 Tonight at the MCG - I was next in line.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill