It's Time...

[I LOVE THE CFC]

It's time for the Carlton Football Club to stand up and prove to the doubting AFL world that we are not here to just make up the numbers or that we have been lucky to be where we currently sit on the ladder.

This Sunday is the best opportunity for our great club to really stamp itself as a genuine finals threat!

We all know what we are capable of both good and bad and our form over the past month has not been great but we finished the game off strong last week which gives me more confidence that we are due to really hit our straps against a quality side in the Bulldogs.

Much has been said about us and many have written us off but we are doing very well with a new structure and new players in the side as well as missing many key players at times through out the season.

We all know that we can be the giant killer and we can also be pathetic. I don't know about you guys but the minute we go long and direct the goals flow like wine at a wedding but for some reason (B.Ratten's instructions) we go into our shells and hug the line and try and play perfect football which simply isn't our style.

Surely they can see this as well?

If we win this week we will be 5th and right on the tail of the Dockers who have lost their best mid for the year and are only one more key injury away from falling apart. We face the swans after that which you would say we SHOULD win which would leave us sitting at 10-6 after 16 rounds which is a great place to be with the final rounds to come.

It's time to make a stand and break out from the average/mediocre tag and start scarring the hell out of some of these comfy top 4 sides!

I'm K.B and that's my take

 

[inyourcool]

HERE! HERE!

We've been treading water for weeks now and it is time to prove that we mean business about improving and being a finals contender or that we are going to let another 5 years go by with little to hang our hats on

LIFT FFS!

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

I don't know about you guys but the minute we go long and direct the goals flow like wine at a wedding but for some reason (B.Ratten's instructions) we go into our shells and hug the line and try and play perfect football which simply isn't our style.

Surely they can see this as well?

It's not Ratten's instructions. Quite the opposite really. The players instinctively shift mindset to wind down quarters or because they start to feel extra pressure. As far as I have heard, Ratten's only part in this slow down football, is a preseason commitment not to go all out attack all the time, but to maintain possession to stop an opposition run on, or if structurally things are not working for us and we end up having the ball sail straight back over our heads.

Our players either choose the wrong times to do it, or choose the wrong options while they are doing it.

My biggest issue is that we still corral opposition players. I don't mind that we don't over commit by rushing in, but we should be working our way towards the player at least, even if we are being cautious looking for a shift of direction. We tend to wave our arms around basically as though we are standing the mark and they have a right to get a kick away unimpeded. On some occasions, direct and fast at the ball carrier is the appropriate tactic as depending on game situation, we do not want balls going inside the defensive 50.

The Saints are up and in your face quick smart, leaving no time to weigh up options or measure a precise disposal. Often if you do step the first player, a second wave is coming in behind them.

We simply need to work harder without the ball.

 

[gbatman]

it's there for the taking if we are good enough.

 

[40yearBLUE]

it's there for the taking if we are good enough.

Or not, and if not, so what? (not a dig at you gman, just an observation)

Losing to a game of footy has a myriad of reasons, most of them mental, but even the luck of a bounce early in a game can change the direction of the game via the boost in confidence it gives that team from the resulting goal and a run on can ensue. We can never know of course.

I note the press is giving the Dogs a bit of a bake this week, we could have done without that as it is sure to fire them up for a better performance so it would have been better for us perhaps, if they had of won last week, but if we are good enough we will win, if we are not, then we have the next week to worry about. Apart from finals there is always next week. I mean look at the start Adelaide got and they are still hopeful of making the 8. And then the start the Hawks got and they made the 8.

Long way to go yet, and 1 weeks result wont decide it. I think we can win but would not be surprised if we dont. We have to respect the dogs even though we have shown we can beat them, they are due.

 

[Bluebear]

What works in our favour vs the Doggies is they back themselves to win contested footy and don't tend to zone much. Much like the Cats, if we can pressure them enough to turn the ball over our leg speed in the forward half should cause some headaches.

We have the wood on the Dogs. If we can beat them AND the Swans we are right back in contention for top 4.........IF.

 

[reg_lower91]

What works in our favour vs the Doggies is they back themselves to win contested footy and don't tend to zone much. Much like the Cats, if we can pressure them enough to turn the ball over our leg speed in the forward half should cause some headaches.

We have the wood on the Dogs. If we can beat them AND the Swans we are right back in contention for top 4.........IF.

Thanks to the Baileys Ladder Predictor and according to my very unreliable tipping, we should be placed at 5th if we can top the doggies and the swans!!

 

[KOUTA 43]

Let's not worry about getting into 5th then playing the next week and if we win that.. And freo look weaker because of Barlow... LET's JUST WIN THIS WEEK!
Everytime we look too far ahead we get knocked back down. Let's just chip away, if we find ourselves in a position to be 4th, well great. If not well bad luck, but it's so important we take each week seriously and take it as it comes.

Personally I don't think we're ready (yet) to be a top 4 side.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Let's not worry about getting into 5th then playing the next week and if we win that.. And freo look weaker because of Barlow... LET's JUST WIN THIS WEEK!
Everytime we look too far ahead we get knocked back down. Let's just chip away, if we find ourselves in a position to be 4th, well great. If not well bad luck, but it's so important we take each week seriously and take it as it comes.

Personally I don't think we're ready (yet) to be a top 4 side.

Fortunately the stargazing that occurs on BigFooty seldom enters the minds of the players themselves.

If anything, the prevailing opinion around here is that we won't get near the top four and threads like this just help to lower the expectations, and hopefully the anger that occurs when we don't win a game.

 

[scomac]

Cliche one week at a time boys.