The theme of this topic is to discuss whether we were prepared to run the hard yards to create opportunities.

Obviously punctuated by last nights game, it appeared to me that the opportunities presented up forward were few, and as it turned out, we failed in exploiting Brisbanes diminshed half back line.

Why do our midfielders hesitate to press forward when they are running through the midfield towards our forward 50?

Why was Fev again the focal point!! Why didn't we see cloke contesting one on one with an undersized Rowe??

Is this our next hurdle, watch Neil Craigs Crows, to understand the importance of running to create.

Do we have the players to overcome this shortfall?? This, in my opionion is the key reason why our forward structure has failed to reach its full potential.

Movement creates space and opportunity.
We are one static football team.....

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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.

No more evident than last week's whitewash. The only way I try to erase last night's effort is thinking back to last week. That should be the next step in the evolution ....

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"IF YOU FAIL TO PREPARE, YOU'RE PREPARED TO FAIL" - Mark Spitz

Not much of a response !!

What I'm throwing up for discussion is, "how hard are our forwards prepared to run to create the extra hit up options?"

I just watched Rattens post game interview, and if he is correct with the stats he quoted, and by his own admission, we had fewer forward options to kick too, with the number of inside 50's. Why are we not able to hit targets like bets, gartlett, houlihan, wiggins, cloke murphy .......

As I stated earlier, how is it that we could not exploit the rowe matchup on cloke, especially when Brisbane withdrew two very good half back flankers!!!

Is this not an area we really need to improve on? Will we take the next step without hitting up a variety of players?

What do you think???

i think ratts can shove his stats up his ass

i hate his incessant need to quote stats to validate shitness, bloody annoying and very telling that there is a long way to go for us in our coaches box

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

I hear you. I'd hate to think that they actually think in those terms, sitting down and pouring over the stats. First things in said in the post game interview last night were stats - didn't know i could feel more annoyed after the game, but that did it.

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I would like to thank Collingwood for helping me keep faith in my old man. He always told me that 'People are thick'.

If you watched last night's game (and I'm sure you did) only once did I see one of the players you mention demand that the ball be kicked to them. That was Cloke (ironically the last goal we scored). You're right we should have made more use of him but as Synbad mentions we are are very static football team. Where teams think and move the ball in nano-seconds we take seconds. No one really demands the ball and the hard running is/has been inconsistent all year. It is easy to run when there's no pressure. We need to think and continue running to ease that pressure.

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"IF YOU FAIL TO PREPARE, YOU'RE PREPARED TO FAIL" - Mark Spitz

Could have sworn we were a free running side for 3 quarters last night.

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You want the flame? Give us the marbles!!

no we were static but the lions we running the wrong way.

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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 actually think we ran harder than ever before last night
I thought for 3 and 1/2 quarters we had their measure we were running to space creating and doing all the things good sides do
for some reason 1 goal changed the whole game and they clammed up
they had another 4 or so chances to ice the game but just couldn't

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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 haven't posted until now so that the rage and dissappointment has calmed to the point that I can think more clearly.

Two points I will make

1. The loss was better than a win. A win would have allowed the downhill skiers in the team to get away with the same problem we have had all year, in that, time and time again we look to our top 5 players to drag us over the line when things get tough. Last night will sting every player into knowing that they must all do their part and not rely on others to stand up when it's your turn.

2. Our top 5 players (Kruise, Judd, Murphy, Gibbs, Fev) are still very young (with the exception of Fev) and it will be a year or two before three of them and the likes of Bower, Yarran, Garlett, Hampson, Robbo, Joseph etc will get to the point where they will be able to run and spread for 4 quarters. We do it for patches of games, but can't maintain it for 4 quarters, which most team don't, but at least they still create options for the ball carrier when they are trying to slow the tempo down. Our guys just stop altogether when we slow the tempo down and usually lose possession.


Now the players know how bitter it is to lose a final whilst still believing that they were good enough to win - Let it burn and burn deeply over the pre season, so that they come back next year with the hunger and belief that they can go all the way.

Go Blues!!

I thought the reason that Carlton were in front at 3/4 time was they were prepared to work harder. That certainly dried up in the last quarter...

..not fit enough yet across the entire team i reckon..

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