Review Blue Courage

[Alpha1]

Showed plenty of balls when the chips were down again, this is a very different team to the last few years. A lot of positives to be taken out of this game, we pushed the best team in the AFL over that last 5 - 6 years.

Garlett continues to shine, Jammo is stepping up very week and is going to be Elite by the end of the season, Waite is a gun almost got us over the line with a awesome last quarter.

Still need to work on our fade outs, we tend to fall asleep for periods of the game and it lets teams back in. And when you are playing a gun team like the Cats we can't afford to do that.

Although disappointing to get beaten, still very happy with the courage and determination we showed today.

Warnock had a very good game, and yes he missed the match winning goal but that happens even the best miss sitters.

 

[T2B_]

Well said Alpha.

I think our recruiting in the off season of guys like Duigan and Laidler, Curnow etc has been truly wonderful. Courage and heart in those boys and real footy smarts, really helped straighten us up I reckon.

 

[Vin Catoggio]

Showed plenty of balls when the chips were down again, this is a very different team to the last few years. A lot of positives to be taken out of this game, we pushed the best team in the AFL over that last 5 - 6 years.

Garlett continues to shine, Jammo is stepping up very week and is going to be Elite by the end of the season, Waite is a gun almost got us over the line with a awesome last quarter.

Still need to work on our fade outs, we tend to fall asleep for periods of the game and it lets teams back in. And when you are playing a gum team like the Cats we can't afford to do that.

Although disappointing to get beaten, still very happy with the courage and determination we showed today.
Warnock had a very good game, and yes he missed the match winning goal but that happens even the best miss sitters.

Agree! Another small but important step to number 17

 

[Blue Ratts]

As much as I'm gutted by the loss I agree with the above 2 posts and can see plenty of upside as the season progresses. With the inclusion of Kreuzer ,Bower and Curnow .

 

[Alpha1]

Must also add that Ratten is improving as coach as well, I think he is growing with the team and that's a good thing.

He might make a few errors but I am impressed at how he is molding the team, we are on top in contested possessions this year, and Ratten was a master at getting the hardball.

 

[jonoman89]

Another step in the right direction.

We have exceeded my expectations for this year already.

 

[Poseidon]

Massively pissed off but we are a completely different team this year. Top 4 certainties.

 

[Gozz]

Well the main thing for me to come out of this is that we can (and will) beat anybody when it comes to finals. If we can just improve our efficiency when dominating the play we will be unbeatable.

 

[Krooooze]

Disappointed to lose, we should have won, we dominated the last qtr, kicking 3.6 to 3.1 was the difference, no doubt Warnock should have kicked that goal but we had plenty of chances and if not for a few crucial balls bouncing the Cats way we may have come out on top

It's hard not to be excited by our list, we will only get better esp considering we have a number of players to come back into our side when fit and firing, we had some really good players tonight stand up when it counted but I thought a fair few players were well done on their normal output

I just love the character of our side, we looked out on our feet midway through the 3rd qtr but as we have all year we dug in deep and really made the Cats earn their win, I love the spirit we play with, if we can play like this consistently we will easily finish top 4, still a long way to go and hopefully we don't take the Dees lightly next Friday night

Our pressure has been fantastic all year, it just really lifts the spirits of the side and the fans really get into it and act at an extra man on the field

Exciting times ahead!

 

[thylacine60]

Must also add that Ratten is improving as coach as well, I think he is growing with the team and that's a good thing.

He might make a few errors but I am impressed at how he is molding the team, we are on top in contested possessions this year, and Ratten was a master at getting the hardball.

So this is an apology of sorts?

 

[The_Wookie]

What gets me is that we play well against Collingwood...but only because they played bad. We play well against Geelong...but only because they played bad. I have to wonder if its occurred to anyone that we've just lifted to that level?

 

[Cids]

Gut wrenching loss, but loving the way boys are going about their footy atm. A special mention to the likes of Duigan and Laidler,, keep it up boys. Go blues

 

[iRemember87]

What gets me is that we play well against Collingwood...but only because they played bad. We play well against Geelong...but only because they played bad. I have to wonder if its occurred to anyone that we've just lifted to that level?

My Essendon mates tell me we only drew with them cause they played poor and had 2 injuries...blah blah blah.

Teams only play the way their opposition allow them to play.

And when you play Carlton who lead so many of the hard nosed contested footy stats, your going to have a hard game. If we let team play they way they want we'd get smashed each week.

Why have teams recently played poor against the likes of Pies and Cats, cause they lock them down...

 

[Jock]

Totally agree.
Ratts identified that combativeness and hardness was missing from the team last year. Couldn't agree with him more. We are laying so many more tackles that stick and the implied pressure is causing so many turn overs.
I just hope he sticks with his no soft **** selection policy.

 

[T2B_]

Special mention to Waitey too... how good did he look last night?

He was playing with that heart and flair for 4 quarters we've always been hoping to see (and without losing it!). Touched up Harry T. which was surprising to see but I guess Waite was just too quick on the lead.
He was a finger nail away from being our hero in that last quarter.

 

[Krooooze]

What gets me is that we play well against Collingwood...but only because they played bad. We play well against Geelong...but only because they played bad. I have to wonder if its occurred to anyone that we've just lifted to that level?

That's what ****en shits me to tears, every time we push quality opposition it was because there "were flat"

Whatever happened to crediting the opposition? Our pressure was brilliant, in case people don't know pressure leads to turnovers, this is why we aren't pushovers anymore

 

[Alpha1]

What gets me is that we play well against Collingwood...but only because they played bad. We play well against Geelong...but only because they played bad. I have to wonder if its occurred to anyone that we've just lifted to that level?

Wookie, I agree with you, Geelong played better against us than against the Pies. Other than the first 15 minutes where the Cats looked asleep, they played very well.

This is why I was impressed by the Blues, when the Cats lifted we still managed to hold on to their tails and trust me not a lot of teams can hold on to the Cats when they lift as a team.

I have always said I don't mind us getting beaten if we give it 110% and last night we gave it everything and could have won it a few times. I cant wait to have a full list to pick from.

And yes it is funny when we play well it's only because the other team played shit and let us play well. So I suppose that the opposition sides all say look we are playing the Blues, lets just play shit against them.

 

[T2B_]

I doubt Carlton or it's players will ever get true credit where it's due on BF sadly. Even if we win a flag soon it will be because it "was a Bradbury", "the opposition played like crap...again", "carlton are cheats lololol" or "they only won because they bought their captain" etc.

Considering Judd was down and injured last night (still stood up but) it was a credit to the other boys to do what they did. The No Passengers line really has meaning this year.

 

[BlueBanger]

This team has some cojones all of a sudden.
Had last nights game been at the 'G' we would've won by 4-5 goals.
Where will a Geelong/Carlton final be played?

The media bias is what it is, people love to hate The Mighty Blues.
As has been acknowledged already in this thread, even when we do win the flag we will not receive the credit/recognition we deserve.

I suggest we embrace it.
Something special this way comes.

 

[The_Wookie]

youd' expect any carlton/collingwood/essendon final featuring another melbourne/geelong club to be at the G.

 

[yibbida]

Totally agree.
Ratts identified that combativeness and hardness was missing from the team last year. Couldn't agree with him more. We are laying so many more tackles that stick and the implied pressure is causing so many turn overs.
I just hope he sticks with his no soft **** selection policy.

For the most part I agree with you. However last night I noticed a few times we stayed off the ball carrier and the next obvious receiver until they got the ball. 2m is massive space for highly skilled teams like Cats. Needed to pressure the receiver before they get the ball.