Do the Blues Worry You?

[Ricky90]

I'm not sure.

Is it coincidence that two of our worst games (probably our two worst) that we've played this year came against Carlton? Sure we won, we controlled the match and we had a dozen odd more shots on goal but we played average football yesterday, as we did in round 3.

Our best is so far ahead of how we played yesterday it's not funny.

My thoughts on yesterdays game was that we played periods on their terms and scraped through. We controlled the game for the most part and weren't damaging on the score board. All these things point to poor football despite the win against quality opposition.

For what it's worth I'd love to come up against the Blues in a final, oh it would be glorious but for now I think we've found a side who are catching us. Never mind Geelong, they're good - this year. Hawthorn, meh. West Coast and Freo? Nah, not yet. I think Carlton are next in line. We should be wary.

Anyone agree? Or care to put me in my place?

 

[HFF]

No.

In fact, no side worries me. I go into games feeling quite comfortable and content we will beat every side without worry.

On Carlton however, they are a good side but they don't really trouble us. Sure, you can argue the scoreline was "close" but you never feel like they can actually hit the lead and defeat us. They've only defeated Sydney inside the top 8 this year too and have not won a single final. Flattering formline considering where they sit on the ladder.

We have too many weapons who can do multiple roles. Look no further than Davis yesterday. Tarrant can do the same etc. Too many options and you can stop everyone because somebody is going to get you.

 

[mattys123]

Nope, not a bit.

They would need a lot to go right for them in the leadup to any game against us to even push us, let alone beat us.

If we have anywhere near our best side, they won't get near us in September.

Funnily enough though, Carlton seem to play well against Geelong, so it's not out of the realm of possibilities that we may play Carlton twice in the finals (first week win over them, then they beat Geelong in their prelim), which would be nice.

 

[jonbe54]

No KPP's worth noting and a midfield that's Juddcentric, if he goes down they are totally shot but even with him they are a couple of KPP's short of challenging. We have only put in one full match performance thus far and North are still looking like rabbits caught in the headlights a week later. Carlton are flat track bullies who can almost match it with the 4th to 8th place teams but put them against a disciplined team with the soldiers and they show what they truly are - pretenders that look flashy when given the opportunity.

 

[Ant85]

No and no.

This week was a bit of an anomaly given the circumstances we found ourselves in.

And we still should've won by 7 goals.

Geelong still remains my most pressing worry. They shut us down in round 8 like no other side has been able to do.

 

[chestbrah]

Not at all. No fwds or defenders... and a group of mids that can't kick and front run.

 

[Chief Ten Beers]

No.

The only team that can beat Collingwood this year is Collingwood. And what I mean by that is no one could match them at full strength. Not even Cats.

However this is not guaranteed, like the good old Saints of 2009 who were clearly the best side going round, they just beat themselves at the last hurdle.

 

[Baltimore Jack]

I'm not even sure we will meet them again this year

 

[Optimax]

No not really, they can have all the posters they want we had more scoring shots and inside 50s

West coast will finish fourth regardless

 

[Bay Pie]

No.

carlton play a fairly high risk game when they play us becuase ratten knows they have inferior talent and team. Hence the regularity you see Murphy, Simpson & co. 10/15m ahead of a stoppage hoping for a clearance win and a handball receive. If they win the clearance he's laughing. He's in space with an easy kick forward. If they lose the clearance we find his opponent and send the ball forward.

Sometimes it works and you'll get a few goals from it, but the majority of the time it doesn't and we hurt them the other way, hence why we've beaten them 5 times in a row. It's been a common theme among all those games. They need to do better then break even in the clearances to win a game playing like that. Against weaker teams it works regularly enough to win games, against the better teams it doesn't work enough to beat them.

carlton are 2 from 7 against top 8 sides. Both wins against Swans. They've been competitive so perhaps they are happy with honourable losses.

 

[captain peanut]

if we use the ball better inside 50 and the umpires do their job properly in the 1st quarter yesterday, we are at least 5 goals up at 1/4 time and off and gone. would have been a completely different game as it would have opened up more ultimately as carl tried to haul in a bigger deficit

we will embarass carlton in a final if we meet them

 

[vjknight]

emphatic NO.

3 sides 'concerned' me going into 2010 - geelong, stkilda & hawthorn.
im not saying we are invincible, but going into 2011 i knew we had the ability to beat them 100%, and as long as we apply that ability, we will win every time.

if we lose, its because we have done something wrong, not because the opposition have done something right.

 

[stui magpie]

No. No No No no!!!!!!

they have a half decent midfield and nothing else. Finals will sort them out and show them their place as it has the last 2 years.

 

[abs_of_STEELE]

Not at all! Even yesterday you could tell we were never going to be beaten, they just aren't good enough. If we meet them in the finals I'd be very happy!

Geelong are my only concern, but even then I'd still be confident going into the game.

 

[Jesus Baulks]

I'm worried that they may never win another final again at this rate. How can we even up the Grand Final ledger if they never manage to make it that far again?

 

[rose jam]

Sydney is the only team they've beaten inside the top 10. They are 4th based on their draw. Great up beating up the also rans, and not up to it against competitive teams.

Look like last years Bulldogs. 4th but only because there's so much cannon fodder going around.

 

[Ed D]

I'm not worried by the Blues at all. Maybe if they get some talls back and find some form but I'm not even sure they'll make the top 4 considering how easy both Hawthorn and West Coast's runs home are. If they played the Saints in the first week they might go straight out.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

Nah, we were dreadfully inaccurate, r*ped by the umps, and still managed to win every quarter.

They had Jamison and Waite out, we had Dawes, Beams, Didak, MacAffer, Shaw and Nathan Brown missing through injury/rehab from our premiership side.

So why should we be bothered by Carltank?

 

[TradeDraft]

emphatic NO.

3 sides 'concerned' me going into 2010 - geelong, stkilda & hawthorn.
im not saying we are invincible, but going into 2011 i knew we had the ability to beat them 100%, and as long as we apply that ability, we will win every time.

if we lose, its because we have done something wrong, not because the opposition have done something right.

I agree here as I think at our Best and do Everything Right I can't see us Losing but If we do something Wrong like not Converting we can be a bit Vulnerable and Can be beat

 

[vjknight]

I agree here as I think at our Best and do Everything Right I can't see us Losing but If we do something Wrong like not Converting we can be a bit Vulnerable and Can be beat

that certainly is the impression you left in your sms's.

youre a worry wart dave - relax, its all going nicely.

why didnt you take the pommie rellies to the game ?

 

[TradeDraft]

that certainly is the impression you left in your sms's.

youre a worry wart dave - relax, its all going nicely.

why didnt you take the pommie rellies to the game ?

They where in Tassie at the Time.

Yes I can be a Worry Wart during the Game

 

[Frankie23]

Look at their best players yesterday; Judd, Gibbs, Murphy, Simpson all amongst them..

Their best players all fired and we still won pretty comfortably, enough said.

 

[Pie eyed]

Cartoon have in order...

Essendon
North
Melbourne
Fremantle at Paterson's
Hawthorn
BYE
St Kilda

I can't see one game there which is a certainty and all of them are potential losses. I have not bought into this Carltoon resurrection since day one.

They may even miss the finals.

edit: I just looked up who they have beaten this year.....

They may be lucky to make the finals.

****em. Let em eat shit for another decade.
God knows where all this wanting Carltoon to make finals drivel comes from.
I hope they never see another final as long as the sun shines.

 

[mwalker]

Nope, not a bit.

They would need a lot to go right for them in the leadup to any game against us to even push us, let alone beat us.

If we have anywhere near our best side, they won't get near us in September.

Funnily enough though, Carlton seem to play well against Geelong, so it's not out of the realm of possibilities that we may play Carlton twice in the finals (first week win over them, then they beat Geelong in their prelim), which would be nice.

That is pretty much how I see it panning out as well. God help us if the beat us in another GF. At least I would be in Canada.

 

[Trav68]

Gav Brown also went to them as an Assistant Coach this year, so they've got plenty of knowledge of the little details of our game plan. Add to that some more specific details on any perceived weaknesses of our players that they could possibly try to expose. Our first win was back when we were playing April footy and our second win came off the back of a pretty distracting week and some loose kicking for goal. We're at least an 8 goal better side than that mob when we're in full flight. It's a long season, still got 2 and a half months to go. Early and mid season form is not late season form, which is what the Pies are primed for. We'll be right when it matters, everything else is fluff.