ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ... how bad do we look now. Essendon might just be better than many people think!!!

Maybe last weeks loss is not as bad as it looks.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ... how bad do we look now. Essendon might just be better than many people think!!! Maybe last weeks loss is not as bad as it looks.

Ha ha. What is significant is that the Bombers came out in the 3rd quarter and smashed the blues like they did against the dees last week. Game over.

Ha ha. What is significant is that the Bombers came out in the 3rd quarter and smashed the blues like they did against the dees last week. Game over.

Not only that but Kreuzer, Gibbs and Murphy did nothing to show me why they went number 1 pick.

OK, that might be a little harsh but it shows how easy it is to kick a team when they're down with a smartarse comment.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ... how bad do we look now. Essendon might just be better than many people think!!!

Maybe last weeks loss is not as bad as it looks.

Essendon are a lot better than we think.

Carlton are not as good as we think which worries me more cause they have bottomed out and have their top draft picks and still can't get their act together. All this talk of our high draft picks being our saviour doesn't account for much just look at Carlton.

Matthews at it again - Is it the Essendon jumper or does Prismall look much better? He looks nice, like really fit.

Not only that but Kreuzer, Gibbs and Murphy did nothing to show me why they went number 1 pick.

OK, that might be a little harsh but it shows how easy it is to kick a team when they're down with a smartarse comment.

Their still boys, but over the next 2 years they'll have grown into men & will be ready for a Grand Final.

Essendon are a lot better than we think.

Carlton are not as good as we think which worries me more cause they have bottomed out and have their top draft picks and still can't get their act together. All this talk of our high draft picks being our saviour doesn't account for much just look at Carlton.

Carlton are, there just smaller in the body, physically immature against the Dons. That will change.. Where there down, is with their depth across the field.

Not only that but Kreuzer, Gibbs and Murphy did nothing to show me why they went number 1 pick. OK, that might be a little harsh but it shows how easy it is to kick a team when they're down with a smartarse comment.

Not really harsh at all. Did anyone see Davey run down the Carlton player in the last? Somehow seemed to surprise Matthews at Daveys closing speed! I think that hit on Bruns has affected his judgement in old age.

IMO they're about 4 midfielders ahead of us in quality.

*Judd/ *Gibbs/ *Murphy/ *Simpson/ *Carrazo/ *Stevens/ *???

*-----/ *----/ *-------/ *McLean/ *Sylvia/ *Moloney/ *Jones

We need Class on ballers.

IMO they're about 4 midfielders ahead of us in quality.

*Judd/ *Gibbs/ *Murphy/ *Simpson/ *Carrazo/ *Stevens/ *???

*-----/ *----/ *-------/ *McLean/ *Sylvia/ *Moloney/ *Jones

We need Class on ballers.

You can put Scully and Trengove in there and your choice of Blease, Strauss, Morton or Grimes

IMO they're about 4 midfielders ahead of us in quality.

Yeah, shame about the forward and back line.

Carlton's top 6 are as good as any, the remaining 16 are rubbish.

They will never win a premiership with an attack that revolves entirely around Fevola, and an average defense.

And to be honest, yes Essendon have been impressive all year, but is that a premiership side out there?

Who will fill the gaps left behind by Lloyd and Fletcher?

Yeah, shame about the forward and back line.

Carlton's top 6 are as good as any, the remaining 16 are rubbish.

They will never win a premiership with an attack that revolves entirely around Fevola, and an average defense.

And to be honest, yes Essendon have been impressive all year, but is that a premiership side out there?

Who will fill the gaps left behind by Lloyd and Fletcher?

That's it though - Carlton have some superstars but desperately lack depth.

I think it comes down to them still reeling from having those draft picks taken off them.

And i couldn't be happier for it.

So does this mean we're better than Carlton?

So does this mean we're better than Carlton?

In a way.

Better off in my opinion.

Ha ha. What is significant is that the Bombers came out in the 3rd quarter and smashed the blues like they did against the dees last week. Game over.

True, and we didn't drop our bundle in the last Q like the Blues did! Roll on 2010.

True, and we didn't drop our bundle in the last Q like the Blues did! Roll on 2010.

The good thing I took out of the game (apart from the fact that it will surely serve to keep my Carlton supporting mates very quiet for a while) was the performance of Essendon.

Here we have a team that was thrashed mercilously in Round 22 last year (by in excess of 100 points) and which has had its share of injuries this year, giving a strong contender for a finals place, a good beating.

The Bombers' improvement since the end of last season and particularly over the past 2 months should be heartening to Melbourne fans. If they can come back from last year's Round 22, it shows that major improvement from our team is also a possibility and there is hope if we can get our act together the way the Bombers have this year.

I am still not convinced that the Bombers will be a premiership contender once Fletcher, Lloyd and to a lesser extent Lucas are gone in 2 to 3 years time. It is one thing to assume they have able replacements in the likes of Hurley and Neagle, but another thing to go out and perform at a consistently elite level like they have over the years. They straighten the Bombers up, and we had a taste of what they looked like against Geelong without Fletcher and Lucas. And last year without Lloyd and Lucas, they were horrible.

As for Carlton, i posted after their Adelaide loss, that their depth is a real worry and nothing i have seen has changed my mind about that.

Jerry you could make the same assumption for any team with young players. Who's to say that Watts, Blease, Jurrah, Morton etc etc don't develop into the players you'd hoped for?

Carlton are, there just smaller in the body, physically immature against the Dons. That will change.. Where there down, is with their depth across the field.

Less physically mature than the Bombers?

Take out the old timers in Lucas, Lloyd and Fletcher and Essendon's average age would be about 21. Carlton have a number of guys around the 23-27 mark, they're just all duds like Stevens, Simpson and Houlihan.

Jerry you could make the same assumption for any team with young players. Who's to say that Watts, Blease, Jurrah, Morton etc etc don't develop into the players you'd hoped for?

You are exactly right, we don't know. I am not automatically assuming they will, just hopeful.

Perennial All-Australian KPP players are hard to come by and even harder to replace, so when i see the Bombers putting in these performances without them in 2 seasons time, then i will be a believer.

Carlton's draft history since 2001.

Players in bold are still on Carlton's list.

2001 Draft.

Traded picks 14 and 30 (with Mark Porter) for Corey McKernan (played 41 games for club over 2 seasons)

Traded pick 23 for Justin Murphy (played 36 games over 2 seasons, second stint with the club)

Traded pick 61 for Lindsay Smith (played 3 games for club in 1 season)

Drafted Justin Davies pick 39 (played 41 games over 4 seasons)

Drafted Jarrad Waite pick 46 Father/Son (played 115 games over 7 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Sam Cranage pick 75 (played 10 games in 1 season)

2002 Draft.

Traded pick 16 for Barnaby French (played 71 games over 4 seasons)

Drafted Kade Simpson pick 45 (played 99 games over 7 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Cameron Croad pick 60 (0 games)

Drafted Brad Fisher pick 72 (played 51 games in 4 seasons)

Drafted Karl Norman pick 79 (played 27 games in 3 seasons)

Drafted Mick Martyn pick 84 (played 13 games in 1 season)

2003 Draft.

Traded pick 51 for Daniel Harford (played 9 games in 1 season)

Traded pick 51 for Brett Johnson (played 32 games in 2 seasons)

Traded pick 35 for Heath Scotland (played 114 games in 6 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Andrew Walker pick 2 (played 81 games in 5 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Ricky Mott pick pick 57 (played 2 games in 1 season)

Drafted Glen Bowyer pick 63 (played 20 games in 2 seasons)

Drafted Jordan Bannister pick 69 (played 52 games in 6 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Adrian Deluca pick 72 (played 46 games in 3 seasons)

Drafted Stephen Kenna pick 75 (played 5 games in 1 season)

Drafted Nick Stevens pick 2 Pre-Season draft (played 97 games in 6 seasons, still playing)

2004 Draft.

Traded pick 57 for Callum Chambers (played 12 games in 2 seasons)

Traded pick 67 for Troy Longmuir (played 11 games in 2 seasons)

Drafted Jordan Russell pick 9 (played 60 games in 5 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Adam Hartlett pick 25 (played 8 games in 3 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Luke Blackwell pick 41 Father/Son (played 23 games in 2 seasons)

Drafted Chris Bryan pick 73 (played 16 games in 2 seasons)

Drafted Anthony Raso pick 77 (0 games)

Drafted Eddie Betts pick 3 Pre-Season draft (87 games in 5 seasons, still playing)

2005 Draft.

Traded pick 52 for Jason Saddington (20 games over 3 seasons)

Drafted Marc Murphy pick 1 (69 games in 4 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Josh Kennedy pick 4 (22 games in 2 seasons)

Drafted Paul Bower pick 20 (36 games in 4 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Jake Edwards pick 36 (5 games in 4 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Dylan McLaren pick 1 Pre-Season draft (13 games in 1 season)

2006 Draft.

Drafted Bryce Gibbs pick 1 (55 games in 3 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Shaun Hampson pick 17 (18 games in 3 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Shaun Grigg pick 19 (played 29 games in 3 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Mark Austin pick 35 (played 10 games in 3 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Clint Benjamin pick 51 (0 games)

Drafted Joe Anderson pick 67 (9 games in 3 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Cain Ackland pick 1 Pre-Season draft (21 games in 2 seasons)

Drafted Cameron Cloke pick 9 Pre-Season draft (33 games in 3 seasons, still playing)

2007 Draft.

Traded picks 3 and 20 (with Josh Kennedy) for Chris Judd (33 games in 2 seasons, still playing)

Traded pick 52 for Richard Hadley (13 games in 2 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Matthew Kreuzer pick 1 (32 games in 2 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Steven Browne pick 36 (18 games in 2 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Dennis Armfield pick 46 (18 games in 2 seasons, still playing)

Drafted Darren Pfeiffer pick 2 Pre-Season draft (7 games in 1 season)

2008 Draft.

Traded picks 24, 56 and 72 for Robbie Warnock (and pick 69) (0 games in 1 season, still playing)

Drafted Chris Yarran pick 6 (3 games in 1 season, still playing)

Drafted Mitch Robinson pick 40 (7 games in 1 season, still playing)

Drafted Rhys O'Keefe pick 65 (0 games in 1 season, still playing)

Drafted Caleb Tiller pick 80 (0 games in 1 season, still playing)

Drafted Chris Johnson pick 4 Pre-Season draft (5 games in 1 season, still playing)

As for Carlton, i posted after their Adelaide loss, that their depth is a real worry and nothing i have seen has changed my mind about that.

With Jarryd White out; they lack forward line depth. They really miss Kennedy. It shows that recruiting Judd does have its downside.

Not only that but Kreuzer, Gibbs and Murphy did nothing to show me why they went number 1 pick.

I think you'll find that the Blues loss to Essendon was by a greatr margin than any of our losses this year.

A small comfort. They're supposed to be some three years ahead of us in development, have had all the facilities and coaching staff they could dream of for just as long, but they still stop their bundle now and again.

One thing I do think we'll have that the Blues don't is depth. We're all very conscious of just how many 'good-ordinary' players we've got, and until we've got some stars we will keep tearing our hair out over it. But, if a couple of stars do emerge over the next few years then we'll be looking at those 'good-orindary' players as the hard working realiable core of sustained success.

And wasn't it great seeing Judd fluff a few kicks and overrun a few plays... "ONE MILLION DOLLARS!" is just a good, repetitive taunt, too.

Ratten is too soft. SOmething should have been done with fevola by now and he's costing them. No second efforts, only tries about every 4th contest and doesn't follow his man down the ground.

Very costly, very funny!!!

Not only that but Kreuzer, Gibbs and Murphy did nothing to show me why they went number 1 pick.

OK, that might be a little harsh but it shows how easy it is to kick a team when they're down with a smartarse comment.

Spot on !!!!!!!