Not really wanting to dive in to the horror threads - expectations often get abused when reality hits the radiator.

So my grassy knoll thought.

First I'd like to dedicate this though to Melvey.

So what it is you all ask - having fled the burning Ratts effigies, the banish Fev to the hinterland screams, the trade everyone for new picks/tank to high heaven/can we move to Darwin threads?

Okay so here it is.

Relax, breathe and consider (I'm Charlie Chan to your Maxwell smart)

Imagine if you will Max we have a coach who suspects his side needs some pressure applied - after having been the crappiest side in the league for a fair few years it is turning the corner - but does it turn ala Cameron (and thus waste several seasons?) or do we twist like a Juddster in a Hawthorn bush?.

Ratts has opted for the quick twist.

So before the season even begins he tells the world - hell he uses the new years resolution slogan - he proclaims WE ARE COMING WE EXPECT TO PLAY FINALS and of course the media being media in the Maxwell smart sense - would you believe - and they do, every time - except for Patty Pat - he only believes in the shadows his own frame casts while standing naked brushing his bald head.

So the media claim us as darlings and add more pressure

and so we see the strain of expectations start to build and we learn about certain players

we notice the No 1's excel - pressure is a good thing to these Hothouse flowers

but we see some of the old names doing some of the old same old same old and so Ratts adds something new - do these things or we play the kids and see if they will do them.

So Players start to get dropped, not just the kids though, but other players too. And kids come in and though the season is not as good as the expectations

its a great season cos we learn a heap

we get games into the kids

we make some calls on some of the other players

and some players stand up, some grow taller even.

And we keep developing but now with clear directions and with our eyes firmly planted on that Grassy knoll that calls to us from the vibrant winds of September.

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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've seen your grassy knoll, and it desperately needs a mow.

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Danny, I want to believe mate. I really do.

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Congratulations CK95

I'm with you Danny, could turn out to be a dream season. Getting rid of the deadwood on the list early in the season while maintaining a good percentage and around a 50% winning ratio and then ripping it up in the second half of the season to easily finish in the finals.

Very good platform for the next flag.

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That's what that was about? Missed it by that much! Would you believe this much?

Clokey and Ratts - Clokey - I want the cone of silence

But Cam

Shh coach, the cone, someone might hear

Who Cam?

Setanata?

(Ratts shrugs lowers the cone - lowers not smokes tommi)

So coach how am I going

What?

What?

Huh?

I can't hear you?

Look Cam?

Clam? What clams?

no no Cam...

Lamb - are you saying I'm a lamb?

ham?

(Ratts pushes button cone lifts)

They sit staring at each other

got ya chief....

Two's this week cam and don't call me chief

oh yeah right, that's wiggo, umm chief...I mean coach... by the twos you mean, second tall forward right?

Ratts screams!

99 assistants come running.....

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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!

Hey Dee Boy.............

come here brother................closer...............................cloooo-serrrrr..........!










HERE'S a cuddle for ya champ.............!


kindest regards tommi












i know I feel better............!

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that'siti'mnotchangingthistagain......!

clammy hands

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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!

But dry mouth..........

go figure..........!


kindest regards tommi
















must be this grassy knoll bizzo...............!

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that'siti'mnotchangingthistagain......!

it'll all come to a head

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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!

Commentators have gotten onto what is basically the problem with our team, the reason we are struggling to put away sides like Fremantle who we should have no trouble beating is our bottom 6 simply isn't up to it.

Fevola Judd three number 1 picks isn't the problem, it's the players at the other end. The crucial point of tonights match for mine was when armfield ran into the 50 metre arc, and kicked a shocker straight to a fremantle player. A goal or a kick to a player in a position to shoot at goal would have had us on level pegging with Freo (well a point behind), instead Freo capitalised on armfield's error and scored a goal at the other end. 12 point play. Armfield is emblematic of the fact that the bottom 6 i nour side just aren't up to it.

You can deny it all you want, but it's hurting us now and that fact will continue to hurt us in the long run.

ya think

Armfield should be shot

wait I get this episode - its the two buses

we swap our crap players for their crap players - everyone is happy

Time for a bit of snagglepus - exit stage left....

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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!

The problem is that nearly every teams bottom six aren't up to it. Just a quick look at the reigning premiers show how quickly you fall back to the pack when you have to rely on these players.

I agree with DB theory of Ratts working out who his best 22 are. If we were to have a full tilt at finals, then we can't be making as many changes each week as we are doing. if we were playing for finals, then we need to have a much more settled lineup and only make small changes for injury or form. If we are playing for premierships (which of course we are) then we need to know who on our list can deal with the pressure to perform as it will be like a finals game for those players on notice each week. I believe that by the end of the year we will have learnt a fair bit about all our players and which ones have potential to improve and which are as good as they are going to get.

I was at last night's match and yes this was a critical turning point.
Armfield does provide good run/rebound however his disposal and decision making isn't yet up to AFL level. Saying that he only started playing Aussie Rules when he was 16 and hasn't played many AFL matches so there is every chance he will improve significantly.
My point is that I don't mind our "bottom six" players being of the young/improving type however it is frustrating when established players with no upside are in this bracket (we know who they are).

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There is no footy god

Can't help but think that if we'd stolen a couple of wins out of the close ones we've lost (but haven't deserved to win), that it would have papered over a lot of the cracks on our list. These losses may well be a blessing in disguise in regard to future selection and list management.

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"I had to eat"

I agree...look we still have many holes to plug and this thankfully is now obvious..more re-shuffling from the coach as the year rolls on...the filtering process must continue until we get enough games into the right mix of players..players that will be around the club for the next 5 to 7 years.

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

One doesn't

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"our electorate seeks less to be informed and more to be validated." Sad times.

I know we're coming.

If the MC is more stringent in judging players' form the we would not have to wait for players to find form in the seniors.

We've carried a few this year, and because of that we have failed to get over the line in all our losses.

We've been close, and novices like Armfield, Joseph and Bower have held their own and with that have helped reduce the losing margin because some of the seasoned players have not played whilst in form.

The MC are giving out of form players too long in the seniors to find form. Players should find form in the Ants not the seniors.

If only we can get that formula right in the lab.

I've got it...lets build a "form Detector".

We'll make the 8 in 09.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

No the critical turning point was al the others that DIDN'T run. Yes he could have made a better decision, but look at the game as a whole and only half the team took the game on (Judd, Murph, Waite, Bower, Joseph, Army, Kruez, Betts, Yarran, Gibbs, Jamo) Guys like stevo, russel, cloke, wiggins and a few others did not go hard enough or stay in the contect often enough for us to win the game.
Maybe if some of the guys (Fev included) ran as hard to provide army with a target inside the f50 then he may have given us the spark to get on top.

the critical turning point episode:

Max is jogging toward his car
he leaps (its a convertible)

and misses, crashing to the pavement

meanwhile ( this meanwhile has been 'borrowed' from Batman)

Craw (supposedly injured too) and the other Freo Dockers make good their escape

chief (via shoe phone - or runner)

don't call me chief (etc)

but coach
yes max
would you belive my car moved
you missed a stationery car max?
it wasn't stationery when i was in the air chief
dont call me chief etc.....

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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!