@#$%&! me I hope Adelaide bring yesterday's level next week and leave this pack of flowers bleeding and demoralised

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WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

there was a moment where juddy showed a little frustration with a crows player, after a tackle near the boundary line. i cant remember what quarter it was, or who the crows player was, which tells you how memorable it was. nothing was made of it at the time. and rightly so. nothing to see here

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i don't wanna spend my life explaining myself. Either you get it, or you don't- Frank Zappa

IN: Betts, Garlett, a ruckman, an inside mid.
OUT: Johnson, Browne, Wiggins, Armfield.

I'd have no hesitation picking Betts, Garlett and Yarran in the side this week.

I would imagine that the MC will be discussing playing another ruckman to allow Kreuzer to play a different role.

Bentick must also be a chance if they want to try to cover the Hadley role. Its the role AB does best and we all know he doesn't have the pace to be a true rover.

Finishing seventh this year is a big improvement and I am rapt we have finally made the finals again. Should be a fair chance to win this.

And we go up to play Brisbane who have several underdone players, and have been beaten by us the last 2 times up there.

The tank lives

To be honest losing that game, however disappointing it was, has left us in a pretty good position. I know if we get a win I'd much rather be playing the loser of Geelong/Bulldogs than the loser of StK/Collingwood

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We've beaten the 3 teams that we could possibly face in the first 2 weeks of the finals.....least that's something.

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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

Some flower over at CSC (namely the Psychologist AKA CJ69) are claiming Yarran should be dropped!! I just can't understand it, does anyone over here think it will happen? I just think it's sets a poor example when a kid chases that hard and runs down 3-4 quick Crow players, something we haven't seen from any of our forwards this year.

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You want the flame? Give us the marbles!!

TC %$#@ERS.............!


kindest regards tommi

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

When do we find out what umpires we get for this game?

Also - is it set in stone that Chris Judd can be held onto and have someone wrapped around his waist as soon as there is a ball up?

I haven't seen the official ruling on this, but I am guessing it is ok to hold onto players to stop them running prior to a ball up.

I still feel optimistic about our chances this year.

I still have a feeling something similar like this will happen this year (+ one step further)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsYFc4S4avs

In 1998, the crows were thrashed against the demons and still won the grand final.

Maybe I'm naive but I still can't shake this feeling.

I hope we still remain positive about this because in the end we still have one theme in common - We all support the best club in the competition.

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Bulldogs captain Steve Mortimer stood up to address his troops before they ran out. ''I'm a proud c---,'' he told them, ''I'm a winner, I wish myself a good g...ame, I wish everyone a good game. Let's get out there and f---ing bash them

Black having scans on hammy today and is rated a 'slim' chance to play

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/sport/afl/story/0,27046,26003653-5016169,00.html

Selection will be interesting. In my view we must bring in Betts and a ruckman - Warnock if he is ready, otherwise Sauce. NOT CLOKE!!! The 2 to go for these guys are Johnson (obviously) and Browne (reluctantly). I'd like also to find a way to fit Garlett and/or an inside mid in, but there a re 2 problems - first who to drop and second what inside mid.

Tackling the last question first leaves me bereft of genuine options.

Hadley, Bannister & Robinson are unavailable, Bentley not up to it and hasn't been playing in the 2s of late. Pfieffer has been reasonably good in the 2s, but it is a big step up. Same for Bentick except his form has only been so-so in the 2s and his lack of pace is a real problem. Ellard has been consistently good in the 2s but it's a big ask for him to step up in a final and the MC seem not to rate him - I think myself he may be one of those guys who is good at the second level but doesn't have the weapons for the big league. To my way of thinking that leaves Anderson or Grigg. Anderson is more a defender but can go into the middle, can handle it inside and could provide a tagging option. Has good pace and courage, disposal a worry and looked a bit short of the required level last week. Grigg has been down on form since injury and not playing the team game in the 2s, however seems he lifted his game this week. Still a gamble. In the end, I prefer to shuffle the deckchairs and not bring any of these guys in.

Again I'd like to bring Garlett in, but the question is who to drop. The guys who really let us down this week are largely untouchables, or players with experience (eg Houlihan) or body size (eg Wiggins) or pace (eg Armfield) all of which we need. In the end I've taken the view that Garlett stays out.

So I go with just the 2 changes - ruckman and Betts. The reason I prefer Warnock (if he is ready which is a call for the MC) to Jacobs is his greater mobility and his height which will stretch their rucks and/or defenders. Whichever one plays I'd like to see them rucking then dropping back across half-back whilst Hampson, nominally at CHF pushes up the ground to run with Clark and open up our forward line for Fev to lead. If Clark stays in midfield Hammer to stay close but run off him at every opportunity to try and get him to blow up. See how fresh Clark is after jumping against 206cm for 3 quarters and chasing the fastest man on our senior list for the rest of the time! Their relief ruckman - unless they bring someone in - is likely to be Brennan who'd be giving away 14cm to Warnock and considerable height to either Hampson or Kreuzer. Meanwhile Kreuzer sticks close to goal as a long bomb option who can also lead. He too will have a big height advantage against his defender, the only one even close to his height would be Merrett if he plays and normally Merrett troubles Fev, so if they play Merrett on Kreuzer they lose their best option on Fev, if they play him on Fev who goes to Kreuzer?

That frees O'hAilpin up to go back which I think we need given that we don't have any big defenders - I'd give him the task on Brown and tell him to play tight and hard. Bower and Thornton would struggle against Brown (or indeed Bradshaw if he comes up), but they are both a lot better freed of the big job. Brown worries me, but we don't have a better match-up, so let's go with what we have.

In terms of the midfield, I'd give Joseph the job on Rich and otherwise just get the rotations going to keep fresh legs in there as much as possible. Judd worries me - I'd consider starting him forward as an option on the half-forward line and push Walker into the middle to use his size. Throw Judd, Walker, Carrazzo and even Wiggins and/or Russell into the midfield rotations to give us a couple of strong bodies, with Simpson, Gibbs Stevens Houlihan and Murphy in the mids. Betts and Yarran forward with Scotland and Armfield back all of whom could be thrown into the midfield if needed.

My team:

Armfield Bower Thornton
Russell O'hAilpin Scotland
Simpson Walker Joseph
Judd Hampson* Yarran
Kreuzer Fevola Betts
Warnock Gibbs Stevens
Carrazzo Houlihan Murphy Wiggins
Emerg Garlett Grigg Jacobs

* Hampson to push up into midfield, perhaps even start off half-back to run with Clark whilst Warnock drops back across half-back.

Please note that as of today, mind games come into play in every way known to man.

If a player is a slim chance, take it to the bank that he will be playing.

Please resist from thinking that the Brions have players underdone or under an injury cloud.

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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.

Actually, now that i think about it, i'd give serious consideration to playing Warnock in for Hampson.

Hampson just can't cut it around the ground in my opinion.


Mitch Clarke is the key to this game and i really can't see Hampson out-rucking him.

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

I'd bring in AB, Warnock/Jacobs, Betts and Grigg.

I'd drop Johnson, Russell, Wiggo and Brown

But realistically, I know that will never happen. AB has been banished, and Russell has the Green Card.

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end of message

anyone secured tickets yet? Ticketek number has been engaged since 9am not surprisingly!!

Why not play both and kreuz up forward like so many have suggested.

206 wont have the tank to go with clark and i doubt the MC will play him this year which i actually agree with.

Needs a full pre-season under his belt before we go risking him.

Just take a look at Max Bailey, not sure the extent of his injury but i think he was rushed in due to the dawks depleted list, now his career may be in jeopardy, do we really want that with 206?

I dont.

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When you're a Jet you're a Jet all the way!

Either Warnock or Jacobs has to come in. Brisbane's defence is quite small and Kreuzer and Fevola would give them plenty of headaches up forward. I think O'Hailpin is the most likely to be dropped for Warnock. We don't want too many talls.

Setanta should be payed in defence on Brown. with no Waite, Jammo and Austin we're massively under-sized for this bloke. Brown could easily win it off his own foot.

The good thing about 206 is the 206 bit. Clarke is a good ruckman and great around the ground, but if we're getting our hands on the footy first, Clarke will be taken out of the game.

Kreuz can go either forward or back and strecth the Brions.

It's great news Black is in doubt for our chances, but a shame that I won't get to see one of the best at work.

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end of message

Sadly, i think Setanta will be needed for Brown - who always destroys us!

Setanta, for as much as i love him, has struggled in the past 2 weeks. Not his fault though - he just started to look settled at CHF and we throw him into the ruck and down back again because Cloke was crap and Adelaides talls were too much for us!
But - we need him!

I would however consider playing Yarran, Betts and Garlett in the same team though!

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