Well we might have reservations about Parkin in the light of the events of our past few years, but his post match comments on the Brisbane St Kilda match were interesting.

He was saying how important it is if you are to have a good chance of winning finals to get a thorough and good pre season and then a good start to the home and away season.

He also said that without such a good start and good pre season, it is very hard to get on top of things during the season proper.

The context for this was the fact that he was saying that St Kilda had a bad pre season, and in the Brisbane match, too many players didnt put in solid 4 quarter efforts.

He also said that it seemed that many St Kilda players looked like they lacked a proper pre season preparation and are going into the 2005 season under prepared. He also said that this was indicative of the history of St Kilda.

Physical and mental preparation of players are crucial for a team that is rated as a flag chance he said (something that Cornflakes obviously doesnt have experience with - winning flags).

Good pre seasons and good starts to the home and away are critical in this regard.

In the Home and Away rounds, winning say 5 of the first 6 is the kind of good start that is needed to set up a good season.

The relevance to us is :

1. How meticulous Denis is, and how he drills and drums into players the need to prepare well, have the proper mental attitude. I remember Careys comments about Pagan - how he is probably the most meticulous coach there is...

2. How good our pre season prepartion was. (and I note how little credit many have given us for this)

We are in the box seat my friends to take this a step further and have a very good start to the home and away season.

If as I reckon we will, we have a good start to the season, watch all those silly so called experts that have all these opinions based on studying nothing, start to jump on our wagon, mainly to save face for what I think may well look like their stupid earlier predictions and views.

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My Blue Heaven

I wonder how much time has been spent with the pill. There was alot of fumbling from some Saint players who normally would be more clean.

Adam Fiora has shown that when the heats on things don't change, he made the same skill errors he'd been making at Richmond for the past few years.

And was it just me, OR did Goddard appear a little soft tonight.

I loved that star jump on the wing when Corrie just breezed past him. Top effort!!

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C'mon Blueboys!

In particular Mark Robinson and Robert Shaw, whose blatant anti-Carlton bias they display on SEN is going to these numnuts look more stupid than usual.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

No he's definitely contracted Stkildaitus. I'm not sure if there's a cure but he needs to get himself into proper professional care as soon as possible.

Although there is a waiting list, I believe Dr Pagan's clinic might have an opening in 2006.

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The great are great to us only because we are on our knees. Let us arise.
--Robert Collier

Strange comments coming from a man who treated the pre-season with contempt during his coaching days. I suppose everyone can change their minds, hey?

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Richard Pratt - A Carlton legend.

Seem to agree with most of what Parkin said.

It becomes all the more tougher to start winning games as the season wears on, if you haven't had a solid pre-season.

Carlton appear to be running along nicely right now. And if Brisbane or St. Kilda are the so called 'yard stick' to go by, then Carlton really aren't that far behind.

Go Blues

From - The Pagan Principle : "Preparation is everything and this is reflected in his obsession with training. It was always intense, so much so that there was no real break between drills. When the whistle went, you had to sprint in, or race off to the next drill."

"The result against the Eagles in the final was super impressive, but what really struck me were the similarities in this new-look Carlton outfit to the Roos when coached by Pagan.

There was the trademark aggression, with tremendous hard-running from every player. There was no overuse of the football and key forwards were given space to lead."

Having read this, compare it to how the Sainters played last night.

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My Blue Heaven

Not another get Goddard to Carlton thread!

I think if you look at StKilda's and Brisbane pre season they would just about be the same. If Reiwoldt stays on the ground the Saints win. That in essence is why StKilda lost the game, nothing to do with the pre season.
I hope we can cope with missing Bret Thornton for 6-8 weeks because in the end that injury could possibly determine whether we make the 8.
All clubs are vulnerable when they lose key players, I don't know what StKilda's run is like in the next few weeks but with Gehrig underdone and Reiwoldt out they came back to the field pretty quickly. Who is going to kick the goals? Milne
I would not wnat to lose Barnaby French at any time this season. Look at what the Eagles did in the 10 minutes he was off in the last quarter.
Injuries, depth of talent and the condition your key players are in at the end of the year usually determine success.

St Kilda lost because they have no game plan, none that i could see anyway.

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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 think we should start a Dal Santo to Carlton thread...

I'd be more for that one - I don't get why people are so into Goddard around here....is it just because he once followed Carlton?

Based on last nights form, I am not so sure I want Goddard at Carlton. But then some of Pagans 'conditioning training' would toughen him up no end.


Thomas. last night, clearly did not apply Pagan Priniciple No 7

Prior Preparation and Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

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A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty" -Winston Churchill

L.M 35-06

I'd prefer a player like Brennon or Copeland over Goddard any day.

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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.

Copeland was great last night, repeatedly threw himself in where angels fear to tread. He set the trend early when he bumped Fraser Gehrig off the ball when the P train had his name written all over the ball.

Was interested in Glen Manton's comments on Fox Footy last night also. He was very positive about the Blues and about the work Pagan has done. I thought it was very good given that he probably left the club on bad terms.

He also said that Fevola is a better player than Lloyd. He kinda stepped back later though by saying he is capable of being a better player.

The other thing he said is that it would be disasterous for Carlton to make the Grand Final this season and that we need to make smaller steps. I guess an example of what he means is Collingwood who went straight to 2 Grand Finals and have now fallen apart again.

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

Goddard is the ultimate package, he just needs to be bent into shape by the right coach. His kicking is sublime..... I'd still have him. Pagan would sort him out Really, Goddard's kick puts him in the Buckley/Dew bracket.

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Love Cricket? Love me

Pity his heart puts him in the shyte scared bracket.