Just a horrible horrible nightmare last night.

Can't do much about it now other than proving over the next month that we aren't pretenders.

Can't sack everyone ..just have to lift the chins and get on with trying to improve...

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There's so much I could say...

Just chimed in, but a few threads refer to us not being "mentally ready".

We were up 14 pts midway in the 2nd, 6-6 to 4-4. 12 scoring shots to 8. In general play, going OK.

Not being mentally ready is when we're down 7-8 goals at 1/4 time - read second time we played them in 2008.

They decided to play one half apparently. Fitness?? Lack of mental resolve after 1/2 time when the Bombers just kept coming??? Leadership???

This capitulation is especially galling after Gabba and Saints efforts. Unbelievable when you reflect on it.

Have come to one conclusion - Bombers have us mentally shot. Intimidated even. I lived through Sheedy's "12 in a row", feeling now getting a little similar. Back then we had match up issues we couldn't counter, as we are now with the likes of Lovett, Monfries, Watson, LLoyd etc. Their speed overwhelms us at the moment and we may need another pre-season (or two) into the likes of Robbo, Garlett, Yarran and the inclusion of Walker and Waite to rectify this. Banno, Houla, Stevo, Scotto etc will be long gone by then.

We've lost a few battles and it hurts like hell, but in the next few years there is the war to be won. They can beat us all they like for the time being, but beating them to No 17 is still there to be taken. We lost to them in all 4 games in 1981-1982, but did back to back in those years. Think about it.

as does our lack of it...

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THEY LIKE TO SEND UP!!!!!!!!

Until each team plays each other the same number of times, the AFL, as a fair dinkum competition, cannot be taken seriously.

He (Mr Swann) said the honour and pride associated with the club's traditional navy blue jumper was priceless.

We are not the slowest team in the league
Essendon* is noe the best team in the league.


But what do we do in the middle on gameday and how do we handle their strengths?
Well by attempting to play slow over possession and reactive football.

We used to say we would lose to them cos they have Hille... (the difference)


Its just a coach that worries about the opposition more , each week, then he worries about what we can inflict upon the opposition...

Loser mentality..by a coach who has no idea...

I wonder if he knows what our strengths are... this bloke..!!!

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

I don't know why people are pointing the finger at Scotland, he did nothing wrong at all. Perhaps it's fashionable to do so as he's from the same era as Hoops, Fev and Stevens??

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You want the flame? Give us the marbles!!

I am getting tired of Fevola. He is an emotional barometer for the team and is a child in a man's body (and got beaten by someone with less than 30 games experience).


Think about the emotional grit of past forwards - Kernahan, Walls, Pearce, Sheldon etc... you didn't know what they were thinking... Fevola is so transparent. Those other forwards concentrated on what had to be done and never sulked.


I remember that even when Kernahan was beaten by all-time great defenders such as Langford (not rookies like Pears) -Kernahan still put his body on the line and made an effort and had an impact made a contest.


We can't have one player (a child) who is the focus of 70%? of Carlton's attack - Fevola can't handle the emotional responsibility of that and until they solve that problem carlton are not going to go anywhere.
Where are the other forwards? Houlihan is obviously not up to it physically and is carrying injuries - get Garlett back in...Sentanta, Robinson, Kreuzer these guys have mental steel. Use them.

If you were full forward and the ball was coming to you on the back of a snail youd spew too...

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

I have to disagree with that.

Mental strength is over 4 quarters, that's what seperates good sides from bad sides, that's what wins Premierships.

We lose games because mentally we aren't strong enough and lapse for long periods and against lesser opposition on paper.

In 2009 we have in the most part rectified our "red time" lapses and fought games out when down, but we now have two cases Adelaide and the Bombers were things have gone horribly wrong in a half of football. If mentally we are on this won't happen, especially when it happens twice in the space of what 5-6 games?

Mental readiness is both the responsibility of the individual players, the on-field leaders and Coaching staff. The odd lapse has to be expected, but we still have a serious issue as far as I can see.

Fair point. I don't discount the speed factor as well, but seriously why should Fevola be the target for 70% plus of our forward entries. Doesn't that mean that we will rely on this child to supply us with wins?
Doesn't that make it easy for opposition coaches to plan when playing against the Blues?


On another point (not related to above), looking through the goal tally for the year to date - what has happened to Gibbs? He has kicked only 4 goals for the year. His goals have real impact as they are usually goals of substance/team lifters.


Last year he kicked 14. Surely he can be used a bit more forward of centre from time to time?

Munro the opposition strategies coach should be looked at not just Ratten. 3 times we've lost the same way except this time we lacked the heart to fight.

That probably galls more than anything else. I haven't seen such a heartless Carlton team for at least 2 years - it was the Pagan years all over again.

Scotland wasn't too bad. He had heart. Stevens, Houlihan...don't get me started...

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

Can someone tell me this bloke's best position, once and for all.

Jack of all trades, master of none?

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THEY LIKE TO SEND UP!!!!!!!!

Until each team plays each other the same number of times, the AFL, as a fair dinkum competition, cannot be taken seriously.

He (Mr Swann) said the honour and pride associated with the club's traditional navy blue jumper was priceless.

I'm counting down the days until we have Warnock (even Jacobs) back and can use Krooze as a permanent CHF. The Waite injury didn't help in solving this "2nd forward" problem either. Even Tex can lend a hand.

The beauty about Waite/Krooze - they WILL kick it to them.

70%, 80%, 90% to Fev is just the fallout of no second option. Agree, he is a child and we're stuck with this dilemna, you just have to manage a special case like him as best you can. Like any child, if things don't go 110% his way, he grabs his toys and wants to go home.

I am really surprised no one has brought up Armfield here. I'm sure he's a lovely bloke, but FFS, until he learns to dispose of the pill he shouldn't be playing.

Granted he does get his own ball, but he is possibly the most unbalanced player I have ever seen. Tima and again he rushes when he doesn't need to rush, he fresh airs kicks and constantly puts the other players around him to disadvantage by sub-par disposal. Not to mention how easily he loses his feet, gets turned around and is led to the ball by his opponent.

Running like a lunatic means nothing unless there's at least a minor level of skill and smarts behind it.

There's a difference between getting experience into players vs basic learning of the mental and physical skill set required to play AFL. In Armfield's case he needs the latter, and the place for that is the Bullants, not the seniors.


I very rarely get into a player like this, but right now he just isn't up to it. Hopefully one day he will be, but we still have a chance to make something of this year, and he costs us every time he's around the contest.

Just watched the game. The whole team and coaching staff can get [REDACTED]!. That is all.

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I've learned that life is one crushing defeat after another, until you just wish McGuire was dead

Fair enough Raf, but I also added that we lacked "mental resolve" after 1/2 time.

At the start of the game we were "ready" and played with good intensity, but when the chips were down it was white flag stuff. Lack of character amongst certain players (usual suspects), moreso than not being "mentally ready" is what I'm arguing.

BTW, did anyone notice how vocal Carrots was before the game? A true blueboy who was going to fight to the death and he played like he meant it too. One of the few who could hold his head high. Makes a difference when you bleed for the jumper, doesn't it.

Nothing but a bunch of posing, immature, heartbreaking, gut wrenching, money wasting, over paid, under achieving, over estimated, mediocrity accepting, rat choking good for nothing hack footballers.

Judd, Murph, Carrazzo, Betts, Gibbs aside. I am sick of being tortured like that by a side that does not have the talent on it's list that we do.

This year was dedicated to Dick Pratt they said?? Well Dick would be rolling in his yamulka!

We come out in the press, talking the talk. But once again, we just cant walk the walk!

An absolute disgrace.

Stevo and Hoops? Time for change.....

Now let me take a deep breath and go back into the foetal position!

Linchy..........

Maybe it's about time we gave Ando a crack @ the HBF, but I'd keep Army in the 22 for his run and intensity. Bench? Army was so good v Lions/Saints, I'd keep him in for a while longer. Houla for Ando a good start.

Can we have a new rule for the site which automatically bans anyone who declares we'll smash Essendon* in the leadup to the game???

People that were in the room before the game say that we had never been that revved up before a game.
Frothing at the mouth...




.... but then we went out there and realised we have not been handed the tools to play AFL football against sides taking the game on...

Reactive coaching means reactive footballers....


We play with no balls...



Ratts is that safe that when we are expected to win he wants it even safer...
safe coach is Rats... likes it when we have the ball and they dont... hold the ball up.... let everybody know were going chip chip chip till we weave ourelves a web get caught in it turn it over... and get a slap..

.. or slow it down have no options cos the opposition has set up... and then WOOF the ball anywhere in hope...

weird....


... anyway... thats rabble material just there....

Thats what teams that are a rabble do....

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Linchy, your spleen can be vented here.

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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.