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Messages - Mantis
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 7 2024 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Geelong
You can’t learn as much from a win as you can from a loss or failure. Our next run of games will test Voss and what he has to work with. Collingwood, Melbourne and Sydney. Tough run. Our best game beats the best sides doesn’t eventuate on the scoreboard if you can’t deliver a four quarter effort. I won’t be completely devastated if we drop another 2 or 3 games in our next 5 outings. It builds character and hunger. Not happy that we lost. Never expected to beat the current flag favourites. They are the benchmark. We don’t have the list they have. We don’t have the polish just yet to make the most of our forward 50 entries. Give it time.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 7 2024 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Geelong
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 7 2024 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs Geelong at the MCG
As a supporter, I no longer fear any opposition. Our best (even with injuries) is good enough to beat anyone, especially at the G. The Cats will need to be at their best to knock us off, as will we to do the same to them.
Which is why I thought one thing in my mind. Geelong have not lost a single game yet, while we dropped one against Adelaide that are not world beaters and we did have injury problems to boot. Still no excuse when they don’t have the home ground advantage. A game we should have found a way to will ourselves over the line. Hopefully as a club we learned something from the loss. How are we favourites with betting agencies? At best a 50/50 and I still don’t have the confidence we can tame their abilities to turn the momentum their way. A win in this game will finally make me believe we might be a genuine top 4 side. I know we have beaten the Cats in the past few years without an expectation of winning. I know we have troubled them in certain aspects of the game. I just worry about our injuries. We are missing too many guns and “A” grade players. We still look a little thin on depth and expect too many to stand tall and carry the squad. I might be wrong. I hope I am. If we win this one, I will celebrate and be completely drunk. Without regret. Judge me not by my actions, but accept that I am human.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 7 2024 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs Geelong at the MCG
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 6 2024 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs GWS
We have to send a strong message at the selection table that passengers need to buy some new tickets.
Having a handful of guys who are just making up the numbers is unacceptable on all levels.
We have been hit hard with injuries when we can least afford to with five very hard games coming up, it is not out of the question to go from 4-0 to 4-6 in the blink of an eye.
Last year we were cruising along with a great win to loss ratio. We then hit a combination of poor form and injuries to have too many lost games in succession. Then we had to reboot mentally and drag us back up to almost top 4 positions on the ladder. Only to be so fatigued that we could not come away with a preliminary win. We really cannot afford to lose all of our next 5 games. There is a chance it could actually happen. We need Voss to teach the players how to be mentally strong. Our hamstring injuries don’t give me faith that a weeks rest is enough to bring Cerra, Gov and Saad back into action. I don’t like our chances of winning more than one game in the next 5 weeks. One at best. Not being negative but more of a case of being realistic. Doc and Silvagni injuries almost killed our season before it really began. Two versatile players that could play in any position and play with passion and heart. Giving us cover we really needed.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 6 2024 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs GWS
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 5 2024 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Adelaide
s by the rules of Karma. Our next 4 weeks could have us win not a single game. Back into the battlers group still struggling to get into the top 8. Voss needs to do some serious talking and motivating. A bad period could have us lose our next 5. At a guess we will be lucky to get 3 wins in the next 5 games. More likely to be 2. Maybe 1. Not doom and gloom, but we had this one game in the bag against a side that struggled to play any side so far this season. We need much more work between the ears. Better game day selection of players. Less need for Walsh to carry the entire squad. He is only playing his first game this season if I am correct? We need to learn how to keep a lead on the scoreboard. We need to learn how to defend better. We still need to work on endurance and how to find speed by foot when the going gets tough. Not happy with the result at all. Glad we lost if we learn from the experience. Adelaide of all sides. Really? GWS by 5 goals next game.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 4 2024 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Fremantle
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 4 2024 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs Fremantle in Adelaide
I wouldnt want Pittonet leaving.....TDK isnt designed for continuous heavy duty ruck action imho and we would be left with nothing
but rookie and ruck novices. Its not that easy to get competent second stringers who can actually compete and break even with most teams No 1 rucks and while ruckman can be overrated in terms of importance when you lose your main ruckman you find life more difficult vs the better teams.
Something funny about what I have seen lately. Harry and TDK get around the ground by foot very well for their size. They also play like ruck types that do better once the ball is in play both in the air as marking targets and getting the ball at ground level, rather than purely tap out specialist ruck type players. Harry isn’t a ruck. He can play there. TDK isn’t a specialised forward but can play there. Keep these two and swap to meet match up needs. Maybe we need mobile ruck and forward types with leg speed, endurance and ability to play the ball at ground level. Most sides learn how to play to the advantage of an opponent ruck tap style and intercept the tap out. The key tap out specialist might not be the best for a club. It works well at times but clever mid field players read their predictable taps. Their bulk makes them slow at ground level. Poor with endurance and their marking skills become their only fall back skill. If Jack wasn’t on a long term injury list, Pitts would probably not get more than two or three games for this entire season. I might be wrong and won’t claim to be an expert but it looks like things are about to change. How to inject speed at every level. Players that can get the ball below their knees and generate some transition the other way. Cripps might eventually just be used as a thug. Tough body to crash through smaller guts and hurt them or something else. Big body to absorb the pressure that would target the Double Dutch or Walsh and others. I just hope we get better with silly cute disposals. Just kick to targets with percentage play. Don’t be a smart arse. Back on TDK. He has huge potential. He needs to keep working. He is far from elite. He has many things to learn. He could be anything and is starting to show some real team benefits. I just hope he doesn’t get complacent as he has so much to show and he needs to deliver. I like what I am about to see. Let me see it young fella. Work hard buddy.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 4 2024 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs Fremantle in Adelaide
Next four games - three will be against teams in the top four. If we are deserving of top two finish then next month will shape that.
Freo
Adelaide
GWS
Geelong
No easy games in this group. Walsh back soon will help us. We need all the help we can get. Considering no Doc, and no Jack. Plus limited ruck stocks. Our pressure will be put to the test. If that holds up we could win more of these games than we expect. Bring on the mental focus Voss. Bring that on.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 4 2024 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs North Melbourne
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The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
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Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Jack Silvagni is getting hitched.
Congrats.
Now get to making babies already.
We need the next generation of Silvagnis coming through.
Too soon?
Never too soon. Quite a few Silvagni names have played at senior level over the years. Can they produce some boys and girls to continue the tradition? I wish them both a wonderful life together.
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