Run off half back.

Thornton - no way, kicks sideways and holds the ball up.
Jamo - no way, all he does is punch.
Carazzo - pfffft.
Bower - when the headlights aren't in his eyes
Grigg - when he can get his hands on it
Scotland - kind of, but running in circles sort of negates it

Waite is a massive loss off half back. Walker will obviously help. Forget about him playing forward, we need his run off HB badly.

Until this is addressed we'll go nowhere. We move the ball too slowly, and it all starts in the back half. Little wonder Fev gets frrustrated, he waits a week for the ball to arrive, by then it's 3 on 1. How he must crave some space. Our midfielders don't kick well too him, by the time they get the ball, they're under immense pressure. How they must crave some space.

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"I had to eat"

From top to bottom this club has got it wrong nearly on every level.

It starts from the top. This club has endured the worst period in its history, so starved of success and so embarrassing that this club has been that the directive was to fabricate the old 'Carlton strut'. The club comes out with memberships slogan's saying we're coming..... what message is that selling to the boys?

I hear Essendon*'s focus and driving force over the preseason was that they are not respected, they have some scores to settle. I hear that Mark McVeigh pulled all the boys into a huddle after there round 22 flogging last year and gave the boys an all mighty spray and behind the scenes through out the preseason the same message was continually churned out by McVeigh, Lucas and Lloyd.

The Hawks did the very same end of the 2006 season. Clarkson and Hardwick told the playing some hard truths about how teams disrespect the Hawthorn football club and turned this into there motivation to succeed and fight for this club.

What do we do......... we try tell our boys that we are coming, we are world beaters. We allow our boys to have there photo taken for an article about the 'fab four', fly around like millionaires in Pratts private jet. So desperate we are to get back that Carlton strut that we spent Pratts money trying to buy it rather than the club fighting tooth and nail for the respect we deserve.

The direction from this club is one that has no idea. We are still operating like a club thats in the eighties and thanks to the work of some have turned this playing group and club into nothing but a bunch of pretenders.

Well we certainly played like a bunch of selfish millionaires last night

not like a team hell bent on revenge and out to prove a point

For all this talk of being revved up in the rooms and frothing at the mouth to get out there before the game , i thought we looked very very flat from the moment we hit the field - where was the agro at the first bounce?

none?

we strolled into position and pranced around for the rest of the game

Passion was a glaring deficiency for mine last night and something is clearly very wrong at the club at the moment

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

My thoughts exactly, especially about Walker and Waite.

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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.

How can someone fail to see the big picture so much? Do you honestly think these players are ignoring good options in order to go sideways? Or do you perhaps think there are no decent options to kick to? Maybe the mids aren't running hard enough to provide a decent option. Wpould you rather the defence just kick the ball forward anyway in hope?

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You want the flame? Give us the marbles!!

Thats exactly what concerns me.

They seem to be living the good life....oh well.....

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The problem will be made. for the solution to be sold, to your face before your eyes, tolerance is now the new danger

No, I'd prefer they run it forward and break the lines.

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"I had to eat"

Essendon* play as a team and are very even, more intense at the contest and probably have more skill on their list.
We have more A graders but after that they have us covered with more players in the B grade bracket...their play on at all costs game plan is our achillies heel...we dont have the leg speed across every line.

I was critical of Adrian Didorio but he has assembled a fair list and Knights seems to be developing his young team very well and extracting max effort from most.......

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

Have we seen any examples of Ratten or Judd giving the guys a spray ?? Maybe I missed it ??

We have looked so much better in games where Bower has dared to attack off half back. Geez even Stevo did it for periods against the Aints, and how much better did we look ? You'll turn it over sometimes (as the Bummers were earlier in the season), but when it works the game really opens up and accurate delivery into the fwd line is easy.

Ratts just seems to be so defensive. With the quality of our A graders, why doesn't he make other teams worry about us for a change ??

Essendon* certainly know how to protect the ball carrier, they hunt and protect in numbers. Our mids insist on running ahead of the ball if and when we take posession of the ball instead of assuring we keep the ball in our control leaving the ball carrier vulnerable. Essendon* played like a TEAM, for each other while we played a selfish game. Anybody who ever played alot of football at any level will attest that it easier to hit targets by hand or foot knowing you have mates protecting you. The basis of the game!

Rhys O'Keffe

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

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"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter" - Winston Churchill.