Carlton Supporters Club

You guys tipping the Carlton walkover are dreaming! The tigers at least have heart, and they have a big loss to avenge. They will put everything into beating us.

This game on Thursday will define our season as far as I am concerned. If we win, then there is hope for us to at least make the 8. If we lose, we are gone.

The reason I say this, is because we will be facing a team who will be out to avenge their unexpected loss to us in the finals last year. They will be mentally and physically at their peak and will throw everything at us.

If we can not only withstand their pressure, but play with the same endeavour and pressure that we displayed in the first quarter last week, albeit with more accurate kicking this time, and we can do it for four quarters, and we beat them, it will set us up for the rest of the season.

The season is going to be so tight this year, that we cannot afford to be 0/2 or 0/3 down. We will not recover from that.

I was around and didn't miss a game in 1964, our 100th. anniversary. The hype was unreal. I was far more heavily involved in the club at that time, through my fathers connections there, his friendship with the board and the players, in particular Big Nic who came to our home every week during his first 10 years at the club.

WE finished 10th!! In fact it was our worst year ever up to that point, in the VFL.

I haven't lived and supported the club this long, to see a repeat.

Unless modern medicine improves out of sight, I won't be around to see the 200th. anniversary, so I hope the boys that we have got, the coach and the coaching staff, can make this 150th year of our existence, a year to remember.

For all the right reasons

I feel that when we are seriously challenged we take a backward step, both mentally and physically. Blokes like Robbo are left to do the hard stuff themselves and are put under more pressure and exposed for their weaknesses when in reality, if our prettier players stood up to the challenge we may be ok.

How about Mick Malthouse?? Surely he could see that Watson on Westhoff was never going to work. Fmd, it's not that complicated.

B : TBA, Jamison, TBA
HB : Yarran, Henderson, Tuohy 
C : Murphy, TBA, Simpson
HF : Menzel, TBA, Walker
F :  TBA, TBA, Everitt   
R : Kreuzer, TBA, TBA
I/C : Curnow, TBA, TBA, TBA

Here is an outline of what we have at our disposal that is capable of matching it with the others. Quite clearly it shows why we are going to struggle for another couple of years too - way too many gaping holes.

Yes, we have a couple of up & coming players but they are not there yet plus we have a lot of guys who are solid NB players but only back-up fodder in the seniors.

Blues go down fighting

by Crisitan Filippo

 

A spirited but inaccurate Northern Blues outfit have gone down by seven points to the reigning premiers Box Hill in a VFL practice match at Visy Park.

The Hawks got the early jump after they kicked all five goals in the first quarter, before an improved Blues couldn't assert their dominance after the first break.

Boasting 15 Carlton-listed players, the Blues trailed by as much as 31 points in the third term, but four straight goals in the last quarter saw the scores level before a goal on the siren assured the Hawks a seven-point win.

Result aside, but there were many positive signs for the Blues including the impressive run of form continued by Nick Graham.

Fresh off being the major-ball winner in last week’s win over Footscray, the Gippsland product finished with 30 disposals - 17 of those contested - and five clearances.

Heath Scotland and Dylan Buckley provided both experience and run through defence and midfield, having 33 and 20 disposals respectively.

Scotland was particularly influential in the Blues' late resurgence, having 20 of his disposals after half-time.

Cameron Wood was imposing in the ruck with 53 hit outs and partnered well with Levi Casboult, who spent time in the ruck and up forward.

Their dominance in the ruck (hit outs, 65-34) led to a clearance ascendancy of 37 to 26, with the likes of Graham, Scotland and Jaryd Cachia (30 possessions) benefiting from their ruck work.

Partnered by the likes of livewires Tom Wilson and Tim Totevski, Tom Temay almost single-handedly dragged the Northern Blues to victory with vital final quarter display of eight possession and two goals.

Down back, Jack Anthony took 13 marks for the game, and was constantly thwarting the Hawks' forward thrusts throughout the game.

Speaking post-match to northernbluesfc.com.au, Dylan Buckley credited the team for their fightback, but lamented lost opportunities in front of goal.

"It was a good effort to come back against a quality side like Box Hill and go down by just over a kick. It was a really impressive fightback," Buckley, 21 today, said.

"In the end it was a case of missed opportunities. We kicked 13 behinds: that's 13 chances at goals that in the end proved the difference. Our forwards led well but unfortunately we just couldn't convert."

Buckley has found himself a new role across half back this season: one where he has excelled and which he has enjoyed.

"It was a little daunting to begin with but I'm really enjoying it. I've played about four games down there and I'm settling in: hopefully I can consolidate my spot."

The Blues will have a final tune up prior to round one, as they face Sandringham on Friday at 2:30pm at Visy Park.
 

 

NORTHERN BLUES               0.3       2.6       6.8                   10. 13. (73)
BOX HILL HAWKS                 5.3       5.4       10.7                 12. 8.   (80)

 

GOALS: Sheehan 2, Temay 2, Cachia, Wood, Wilson, Dorman, White, Casboult