Sunday, 10 March @ 15:20 Etihad Stadium (home game)
If ANZAC day tells us lest we forget, we best treat this week as best we forget and quickly move focus to the next game. Brisbane has finished off the careers of a few Carlton coaches, so looms as a nail in the coffin game - needless to say - a must win game.
I imagine Hendo and Jamo won't get up for this one and Judd looked like he was labouring a bit with that back so perhaps a question mark there.
I don't like this Swingman idea. Perhaps now and again when it might snag you an advantage but a settled FB and CHB (perhaps they swap positions as required) are the foundation you build your side upon. Swinging players might win you today's battle but I think it can cost you the war.
We're at a cross roads. Is it time to look beyond Jamo and Rowe (29 and 28 at year's end)? Find the players who will hold the position for the next 5 - 10 years and take the short term pain of moving from them?
Year nearly over, list some things the club did well, some things they did poorly - both on and off the field. I'm tempted to say 3 of each but go nuts:
Hits Finished the year far ahead of where we started Signing of significant players (though wasn't a fan of some of the terms) Buckley, Menzel, Rowe
Misses Poorest start to the season in a very long time Dale Thomas Traded pick 7 Clumsy start by the prez (Wright, INC, big financial loss, etc)
With no vision, no narrative and nothing particularly interesting to say, the Victorian Liberals should not be surprised to lose a parliament they won by a bee's dick.
I was thinking back to the 2008 to 2011 period and how many times a game was slipping from out grips and Judd would stand up and say I'm not letting this happen and he would throw the entire team on his back and will us to victory.
I have been much happier with this side since the Adelaide game but screw me, what craps me to no end is we never have someone who stands up when it counts. Can't expect the older guys to continue to do it but too often when it's crunch time we give up those 4 goals and no one stands up until it's too late.
It's very disappointing that so many haven't been able to take that step, learning from one of the best in the business in stamping their authority on the game when it's there to be won.