Blues aim higher - Marc Murphy

[Aphrodite]

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24586083-11088,00.html

CARLTON midfielder Marc Murphy says the Blues' eyes are firmly on the top eight next season, as they look to build on this year's improvement.

"As a club, we are looking to play finals next year, and anything less than that would be disappointing," Murphy said after Australia's four-point loss to Ireland in the International Rules match at the MCG on Friday night.

"We have built a good game plan this year, so, we are going to get better each game we play."

The club won six more games in 2008 than in the previous season to finish the season 11th on the ladder with 10 wins.

Murphy said the team would sit down before Christmas and set concrete goals for 2009.

"The players set our own agenda of what we want to achieve," he said. "And I am sure the coaches do that as well.

"Last year we weren't going to get it together under a new coach and we struggled in the first three or four games. But we started to hit our straps and get some confidence."

Murphy said the younger Carlton players who had already fronted for pre-season training had set the fitness benchmark.

"In the past couple of years, some guys have come back (from the break) a bit out of shape, which obviously isn't a good way to start pre-season," he said.

"All the young players have come back in good shape, so, hopefully, the older boys will as well when they return, and we'll all get into it."

 

[thylacine60]

Stevo must have had a mongrel of a time this last month - every time he sat down for a feed he's thinking "what's Juddy gonna think?"

 

[BluesRules]

Should be interesting to see what shape stevo is when he appears at training.

 

[C4[2]Yo`DooR]

Check out the picture of Murph in that article in todays paper !

Check out those LATS !!! he could fly with those.

 

[as0l0]

we are looking to play finals next year, and anything less than that would be disappointing

That's disappointing. I thought he would say it would be unacceptable.

 

[HBF]

A real leader, both on and off the fiels is Marc Murphy. Reckon the experience he has gained from playing in the IR series will be invaluable for his development.

 

[Banga19]

I'm not particularly comfortable with this build up to next year.

So much pressure on us to do well, hopefully our young list can rise above it.

 

[thylacine60]

The fact is we are under pressure. Gotta deal with it.

 

[BluesMan]

The fact is we are under pressure. Gotta deal with it.

I agree, i think we talk our selves up a bit but i hope we do make at least 7th. If we get 8th ill be still very happy

 

[The Cranium]

I'm not particularly comfortable with this build up to next year.

So much pressure on us to do well, hopefully our young list can rise above it.

Well, it's better than setting a benchmark of 9th every year

 

[blues4flag]

*flaps wings*

Is this a good time to proclaim my man love for Murphy for the umpteen thousandth time?

 

[true blue19]

A real leader, both on and off the fiels is Marc Murphy. Reckon the experience he has gained from playing in the IR series will be invaluable for his development.

also what about simpson he's like the forgoten man in our midfield and now the rest of the comp now know how good he is. i think a leadership group with judd, simpson, murphy and gibbs would be great.

 

[BlueMania]

also what about simpson he's like the forgoten man in our midfield and now the rest of the comp now know how good he is. i think a leadership group with judd, simpson, murphy and gibbs would be great.

I like the idea of Simmo as VC . He was fantastic as captain last year for a few games .

 

[thylacine60]

We haven't had a captain who actually looked the part on the ground since Sticks.

 

[BlueYoss]

We haven't had a captain who actually looked the part on the ground since Sticks.

[YOUTUBE]sEG2N85CdQs[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]qmmuAN-7Abg[/YOUTUBE]

Add a full pre-season to that and I think we're there

 

[thylacine60]

Meh, might have overlooked that old bastard I s'pose.

 

[BlueYoss]

Meh, might have overlooked that old bastard I s'pose.

I can't believe we're still trading for old retreads!

Thought we would have learnt our lesson by now...

 

[thylacine60]

I can't believe we're still trading for old retreads!

Thought we would have learnt our lesson by now...

To be fair he's been injured a bit. One more year of so-so form and he's on the Anthill.

 

[celtic_pride]

LOL typical here goes the same idiots who find again a way to bag Nick Stevens ...

These same morons fall for the cliched 'Andy Maher' tactic of insulting Stevens cause of his weight FFS.

If anyone at this club should be bagged, it's that piss weak, underachiving mummy's boy Jordan Russell, whom really should be on thin ice at the club.

Stevens deserves better then some of the arrogant muppets who who bag him for his weight (which really was only put on due to him sitting out most of last year with a serious neck injury) some fans here have NFI ...

 

[BlueYoss]

Stevens deserves better then some of the arrogant muppets who who bag him for his weight (which really was only put on due to him sitting out most of last year with a serious neck injury) some fans here have NFI ...

I was under the impression that because he couldn't do any skills or contact work for so long he was spending much more time doing running and fitness work. I distinctly remember late last season the word from Stevo was that after all that running work he was going to come back in 2008 fitter than ever...