In a few games where we've been written off, we've performed this year ... thinking of Saints and Hawks. We've suffered the pressure of being the betting favourite a fair bit this year ... will be good to go in as the underdog, no expectation. Go blues, push them to the line ... and over!

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"It was like calling your ex girlfriend after a night on the booze, just a really bad decision".

Hey Juddy why don't you Melvey ,Synbad and 99 put your heads together come up with the game plan to end all game plans - PM it to Cazz and he can pass it onto to Ratts and see how we go

If it is successful we can post it he in 8 weeks after we have won the flag


If you cant do that just give us one tactic he should employ to help us beat the cats

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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

I actually don't mind our chances tomorrow night. I think part of our problem this year has been the weight of expectation. Last year you could just see an unbridled joy in some games... a team that was growing belief in itself. I can't help but think that has been knocked out of us a bit this year because everyone expects us to be winning. My two 'favourite' games for the year have been vs St Kilda and Hawthorn. Make no mistake, Hawthorn were at their absolute best that day, and there weren't many teams that would have beaten them (and we should have). Anyway, those games were matches we weren't expected to win, and you could just see the team start to play with a little more freedom or something. I think tomorrow night gives us that chance again.

Go Blues!

..if true, bad luck for him [and us] once again, but especially vs the cats,, bringing in cloke would be horror-movie stuff.. ..i wouldn't worry about replacing him with another tall fwd option, unless Krooz is used mostly fwd and Sauce gets a recall to combo with Hammer in the ruck vs the mummy and tomahawk.. ..i mean, the cat's are down on their rucks so it's a good opportunity to use krooz as a fwd with fev for the game, and bring back sauce.. ..cos the cats mummy is an old school lumbering tapman like sauce so they'd be fairly even..

..would also suggest to keep most of our pace up fwd to help lock the ball in.. ..and look to the crow's 2nd half short chip passes into the fwd line as a way of getting thru the cats defense..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..

we are gonna smash these pussies

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

Plan A looks extremely slow across the park...

How about...

B: Joseph Thornton Armfield
HB: Austin Bower Walker
C: Houlihan Hadley Stevens
HF: Gibbs Setanta Carrazzo
F: Betts Fevola Simpson

R: Kreuzer Judd Murphy
IC: Russell Scotland Robinson Hampson

But no changes? Hmm...

I'd still drop Robinson for Wiggins or Garlett; you're bound to get more on last week's showing.

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

I thought this was a family friendly forum.

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

If Stokes is left by himself to kick a bag of goals........again, I'm going to break something.

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"One of my favorite philosophical tenets is that people will agree with you only if they already agree with you. You do not change people's minds." - Frank Zappa

Plan A is what I expect Ratts to go with: defensive to keep us in the contest (and protect %)

I do have a preferred team:

OUT: Robbo IN: Garlett

B ......Austin Thornton Armfield
HB.....Gibbs Bower Russell
C......Simpson Betts Walker
HF....Stevens Setanta Murphy
F.......Kreuzer Fevola Garlett

R.....Hampson Judd Carrazzo

IC....Hadley Houlihan Scotland Joseph

Bettsy on the ball in bursts swaps with Murphy
Carrazzo and Hadley as the stronger bodies to help Juddy
I suspect Joseph will tag Ablett (and agree)
Russell can look after Selwood if need be, or Bartel and Ablett when forward

If Setanta doesn't come up, then I'd go with Jacobs.
Unbelievably, Wiggler is also on my radar (rather him than Cloke)

I doubt Robbo will be dropped after just one game back
Grigg did well in the Ants and also against the Cats in the NAB, so maybe he may get a look in.

Otherwise, I think if Ratts doesn't have any injuries I can't see any compelling changes.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I actually wouldn't mind seeing both Cloke and Gartlett come in.

Leave Cloke and Setanta playing deep near goals for contested marks (for when we just bomb it in and hope ) and have Fevola leading into space. Harry Taylor and Scarlett out is bigger than it sounds.

But i think the key to winning is two-fold.

#1. creating preasure.
Something we have FAILED consistantly to do for 4 whole qtrs since perhaps the StKilda match.

and

#2. Run & Carry out of the backline.
Watch the Crows game............. watch how Geelong struggled to keep up with them doing this.

Geelong are a great side, still the best in the leauge. HOWEVER, they have played more football than anybody else over the past 3 seasons. They are tired and they are starting to show the signs of this.

We can win.


(However i really don't think we have the mindset in which to do so, sadly! But i believe we can!)

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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

Unless Robbo isn't fit, then I'd prefer him to stay in. Noticed two traits of his that really help this side:

1. his pressure is contagious, other players become more frenzied in their efforts .. he forces them to follows his example

2. his first instinct is to look inside. Time and again he brought the ball back into the corridor going forward. A great trait to have and straightens us up ... desperately need that

No changes for mine.

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"It was like calling your ex girlfriend after a night on the booze, just a really bad decision".

Horrible weather forecast for tomorrow, hail and thunder. May influence the selections, cant go in too top heavy.

by all suggestions from the club, jamo will not play this wk. play bower on johnson and thornton or setanta on mooney.
gotta get kreuzer playing foward. which means may need to bring cloke or jacobs in to help ruck. pref jacobs as cloke cant ruck for peanuts. Jacobs though still finding his feet in the VFL so doubt he will play.
dont think we can play cloke, krezuer/setant and fev in same forward line. too top heavy and will get swept out with ease.

i know this website sponsors JR, but how is he getting a game. He plays lots of minutes for not many touches. his ball use is erratic at best, forward line pressure not sufficient and he doesnt offer the same qualities the other poor ball users do e.g. hadley awesome in and under, armfileds pace and line breaking carrazzo defensive ability and ability to win ball.

Welcome to TC nevin, I mostly agree with your points.

IMO, I think Clokes papers are stamped. We have better options for every role Cloke plays.

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There's so much I could say...

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There's so much I could say...

If that wasn't for some match-sim, they're idiots.

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

If the weather is meant to be wet and greezy, there's no point going in top heavy up forward..

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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

can see why everyone is saying we have a chance of winning due to geelong players being out, but we just dont play good clean consistent footy, and geelong do. They beat good teams when they play shit, we dont. im just hoping we dont get smashed.

HAIL !!!! oh shit.

If so, it's going to be a slog...yuck...unless we win of course.

So height advantage can just about be shelved.

Have to wait and see if selections reflect the weather.

Wiggler and Garlett may be a chance for their forward pressure displayed in the Ants. Wiggo is a tough unit; perfect for the slog.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

This sounds like ... Bentick weather!!!

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"It was like calling your ex girlfriend after a night on the booze, just a really bad decision".