Jaded No More

Maybe it's because I've never played football at any sort of semi-decent level, but how the hell is going for a banana kick, a very low percentage kick, going to help improve someone's goal kicking confidence? If his confidence was low, he should have taken his time, gone through his routine (didn't we have a whole goal-kicking training session this week??! ) and tried to kick through the ball. Most forwards, when they have a stinking day in front of goal, don't attempt low percentage kicks. Given that the banana thing failed last week, you'd think he would have learnt. Of course football intelligence doesn't seem to be his strong point... then again, neither is kicking, attacking a contest or reading the play

Were you not just defending him on another thread? Bate, Dunn and Newton are not made for a KP role. At best, Bate/Dunn can be the third tall, however I hope that Jurrah gives them both a run for their money as of next year.

Am amazed that some people left Brock out of the votes. Yes he is still not at full pace, but he was excellent today. Laid strong tackles, won the ball both in close and in space, and kicked a brilliant goal. Saw Bailey giving him and Jones a big pat on the back at three-quarter time. Both work themselves into the ground each week, and while Jones' disposal was poor today, he has been superb this year. Just needs to learn to be smarter about when he can and can't beat his opponent, because his pace is ordinary.

Give it a rest H! Nobody needs to read the bickering that goes on between you two. It was great discussion to begin with, but has now turned into irrelevant chest-beating. Continue through PMs or just let it go.

Shame I didn't know about either at 1:36pm, and instead got my hopes up

Where's the Juice option? :D Crowd was definitely worse. At least the team tries, supporters just chose to not turn up. Poor effort.

Just on that interview, I was very happy to hear Brock saying that the team wants to take risks and play through the middle of the ground. Sometimes the risks don't work out, but it's a matter of risk versus reward. Good to know that Bailey is backing the players in. Yes at the moment we are not good enough to pull off the moves (like 80 handballs in a row, is never going to work), but I love that we try to bring the ball back through the middle and take our chances. That's good, entertaining, PREMIERSHIP WINNING footy. The Crows will never win a premiership playing the sort of rubbish that they do.

Terrible turnout. I hate sitting at the G' and feeling like I'm in front of the TV watching the game. That's how empty and quiet the stands were. Mind you, we celebrated our first goal like we just won a premiership. Hilarious stuff.

Bruce works very hard each and every game, he is just not a very good footballer. That's reality, and it's time to accept it and move on. He isn't the best, he isn't the worst. He is average, but he'll continue to play for us as long as he is putting in the required effort because put simply, we need experience and players who can run all day.

The last thing a player lacking in confidence would do, is attempt a silly banana kick. He has all the arrogance of Buddy, but none of the talent. As someone else said, 'bye bye'.

Fair enough. I would watch the reply, but seeing that horrible game once was once too many Don't think either Bate or Dunn are going to be part of our long term future. CAC had an absolute stinker the year he drafted those two and Newton. That draft is going to cost us dearly.

He is one banana short of a monkey. Seriously, what the hell was he attempting to prove? Second week in a row he's gone for the unsuccessful banana kick strategy. Just kick it straight or [censored] off. It reeks of arrogance, laziness and a lack of caring.

Amazing. Discuss :D Never has the phrase "shinning light" been so true. There is just so much talent amongst Rivers, Frawley, Martin, Warnock and the missing (but never forgotten!) Garland, that it is always worth going to games these days just to watch those boys go about their business. Cannot wait for Bennell to put a bit of muscle on, and of course for Grimes to slot into that defensive half too.

I don't know whether this is such an issue with Dunn these days. I haven't really seen him squib anything (may have missed it though), and he is really good below his knees and in close, and has a monster kick. Bate is just a plodder. He is SO slow and the minute he loses the marking contest you just know we've lost it completely. I have no trust in him whatsoever when it comes to winning a loose ball off the deck, not because he won't try, but because he literally cannot bend, pick and run at the same time. Love him as I may, he is not big or strong enough to compensate for his lack of pace.

Cruising along Struggle Street is Mr. Bate. Personally I think he's been bad for 3 weeks now, and needs a spell Problem is, that no amount of time at Sandy is going to make him any faster, or any better below his knees. He gets a pass for marking and kicking, but he is an absolute liability going the other way. No idea what to do with him, but unless he starts taking contested marks consistently, I cannot see him being a part of our future. Dunn showed a lot more as a forward today than Bate has in a while, because Dunn is mobile and he can play both up in the air and off the ground.

HAHAHA Please Dean, make it go far far away. I beg of you, have we not suffered enough!

My condolences to the entire Bartram family. Horrible to lose your dad at such a young age, and under what sounds like pretty painful circumstances. Was incredibly brave of Bartram to play tonight. Saw him point to his armband a couple of times as well, and I'm sure his dad would have been proud of the effort he (always!) put in.

Please please please make Newton go away. If I have to see him play again I will seriously shoot myself. He is the single most infuriating, lazy, uncommitted footballer I have ever seen. GET RID OF IT! In: Robbo, Maric, Grimes (if he got through the match ok) Out: Newton, Bate (need to learn to play below his knees!!!), Bartram (very harsh given he played OK under horrible circumstances, but he needs a spell). Bate and Newton are like having two extra goal posts up forward. Go with a smaller forward line, that can actually mark and kick goals. Please! By the way, Bennell is ALL class in a group that seriously lacks class. Shouldn't go anywhere.

Worst game ever!!! Can't believe I'm freezing to death for this [censored]. Idiotic team selection to into the game with Juice and Bate and then let Adelaide do as they please by playing the most hidious defensive game I have ever seen. Terrible!

If they can cope with SNOW, they should be able to cope with a bit of wind :D I've got my snow coat (from the one time I went skiing, and almost died in a snow blizzard... because I'm such a hardcore Melbourne supporter ), and a beanie on and I just walked outside and it really isn't that bad. In fact, the sun just peaked out from behind the clouds, and there's a sliver of blue skies.

Interesting. We clearly don't need two "in-case-of-emergency" players to sit out the VFL match. Hopefully this means Maric will be in as a late change. Great news that both Bell and Aussie are back from injury. Hopefully Aussie gets through the match unscathed and we see him in the AFL in a couple of weeks.

It's a massive effort on the club's behalf to have raised our membership numbers by a massive 10,000 in just 6 years (given we sucked in 03, 07, 08 and 09). Amazing!

4? I think you are required to draft at least 4 new players into the club each year. However we will obviously be looking at a minimum of 6 given we'll have some pretty good picks again. However, it is far far too early to be making calls on anyone's future. This time last year people wanted Garland and Warnock gone, and I'm sure some had question marks over Rivers and his ability to ever return to fitness (some of us still doubt, but are stalking his progress to ease the worry ). At the end of the day very few players on our list can be given the "gone" stamp in Round 5.

Yep, everyone needs to drink a big glass of HARDEN THE F' UP and get themselves to the game. Rug up, and move to an undercover spot if you don't want to get wet. Nobody has ever died from a bit of rain or wind, and given that we never get to play under lights these days, this is as good as. Besides, as if you have something better to do on a Sunday afternoon anyway!

Can we make a late change and get someone out of the starting 18 without receiving a penalty (given of course that the change is due to the weather, not injury)? If Robbo or Maric are late inclusions, I would say that Newton would be the one dropped, simply because we'll be swapping a tall for a small up forward. Alternatively we could drop PJ and go with one ruckman.