Carlton Blues game day

[mcs]

Much prefer the Trumper to the new Noble stand and hopefully next year there is some allowance for Red Zone members to sit back in the Trumper.

I completely concur - would really like a couple of bays in the Trumper to be available to the red zone members, as I'd sit down there again if given the opportunity.

Saying all that, there was a nice crew of people in bay 445 last night, but it was bludy freezing all night because of the poor design of the new stand.

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Towers looks the nervous type. He had a couple of kicks that just missed and if he would have nailed them we would be rating him better for the game. Otherwise he wasn't that bad. He didn't get a whole lot of the ball, but seemed more concerned about playing his role than making a star performance, something hard to do coming into the team for the first time.

I wouldn't write him off just yet.

I've seen a lot worse debuts by some very good footballers over the years. He tried a bit hard last night, as you naturally do in your first game. Whilst he may be mature age, he still was only playing his first afl game last night, and its gotta be a tough gig in a very good team, when you know you have to play out of your skin just to keep your place in the side.

[aguy]

IMO, no way Hanners will play reserves, he'll walk straight back into seniors.

Agree with other RE : Towers...He's a bust for mine.

He may get a gig at another club, but there are way too many in front of him at the Swans.

You may be right about Hanners. I'm just saying in don't think they will bring back Tippett Hanners and shaw all back into the team in the same week. It's a big change to reintroduce them all at the same time especially against hawthorn. If none of them okay reserves then they will stage them over two weeks.

[Auntie.Gerald]

given the injury record over the years with Buddy, Rohan, Reid, Tip and Goodes (if Goodes doesnt retire) I do believe it would make sense to keep Membrey and Towers and secondly there are alot of players that will not feature in Snrs as long term players that can move on at the end of the 2014 season

Dick (Laidler, Jones, Rampe, Rohan etc in in front)
Biggs (Laidler, Jones, Rampe, Rohan etc all in front)
Lockyear (Laidler, Jones, Rampe, Rohan etc in in front)
Walsh (Aliir, X, Reid etc all in front)
Perris (I think Robinson is more of a chance along with Lloyd, Hewett, BJ but he probably has a two year contract)


LRT - retiring from the Swans
ROK - retiring from the Swans
Shaw - my guess is he may retire as it could be a ROK situation from 2013 to 2014 ie playing very well then finally hitting that last stage of your career
Goodes - if Adam wants to play on the floor with his children and grandchildren i think it is in his best interest to not tear that last bit of maniscus left on his knee !


Projects >>

Marsh - i would project him still for midfield and he can do the HBF role on his ear in my opinion...........he can also play as a mid tall in the forwards quite well as we saw in the draft video footage

Towers - stay for another year as he has flexibility in roles also and

Membrey - for me he could easily play both ends of the field but he certainly could fill in up front in the Snrs if he goes to the next level in second efforts, pressure, fitness

[giant]

The new stand is so poorly designed. Its so clear they thought about cricket when they built it and thats it. Level 2 imo is too flat and too far back, making it difficult to see the other end of the ground. Level 4 is better for viewing but then icily cold because of the ridiculous decision to not only have a huge gaping hole across the back, but also kot enclose the ends, which may have helped break the wind a bit better last night. I am disappointed with the new stand - it really is an 'almost' product.

Only thing more annoying last night was an awful trip home, due to the ridiculous queue getting out of fox studios, and a stupid cop that decided it would be 'helpful' to make half the traffic turn left into lang rd, thus adding a good 1/2 an hour to the trip by the time we had turned around and rejoined the queue back towards anzac parade. Didnt get back to canberra till 2.30 in the morning.

Add the fact that you have to walk up 10 flights of stairs to get to your seats, that the opposition fans invariably have better seats than you, you can't see any of the screens and reading the scoreboard is bloody hard, there are no catering facilities worthy of the name, and yes you're freezing your bloody bollocks off, and I couldn't agree more. That you could build a stand like that in 2014 seems almost unbelievable to me. YOu'd love to think someone would lose their job over it, but it won't happen.

[mcs]

I would be exceptionally surprised if Perris is moved on AG - was always highly rated as a junior, and seemed to finally be finding his feet until injury struck. Biggs is a toughy - for we saw at the end of last year he has the pedigree to play in the big time. If they can squeeze him a spot on the main list, I think they'll give him one more year (especially noting the uncertainty around AJ [Different players I know, but he is a missing piece of our overall defensive puzzle]). Hard to disagree with the rest of your list.

[neilfws]

Though he didn't actually say who would make way for him and the crack interview team of BT and Darcy didn't ask.

On a network with integrity, you'd expect the crack team to be one member less after this weekend:

AFL commentator Brian Taylor slammed for homophobic slur on Geelong's Harry Taylor - ABC Grandstand Sport (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

But this is C7 so I guess that won't happen.

[wolftone57]

I would be exceptionally surprised if Perris is moved on AG - was always highly rated as a junior, and seemed to finally be finding his feet until injury struck. Biggs is a toughy - for we saw at the end of last year he has the pedigree to play in the big time. If they can squeeze him a spot on the main list, I think they'll give him one more year (especially noting the uncertainty around AJ [Different players I know, but he is a missing piece of our overall defensive puzzle]). Hard to disagree with the rest of your list.

biggs didn't get a gig this year for two reasons. Firstly he is a rookie and they elevated Lloydy as we needed a good mid with Mitchell out injured and other injuries. Secondly he got injured when Zac Jones got his chance and if we had another LT injury I am sure Biggs would be elevated. It is hard when not only is the team travelling well but we also have few injuries. I would be disappointed if we let Biggs go as I think he is a very good footballer. I would elevate him next year at the expense of Lockyer or Dick. We will have plenty of retirements so will still be able to draft well, including Heeney.

We really do need to draft a couple of key backs in this draft too. The long term vision would be for maybe at least two in the next two drafts. Balance in the list etc.

[wolftone57]

Last night made the 2012 gf feel like it was played in the Bahamas!

I thought it was cold for the GWS game, but last night it felt 5 degrees colder than that! I never remember being that cold at the football and I used to go to all the Canberra games!!!

Last year I went to a game at SCG in the Trumper stand. It was freezing. Couldn't get warm at all and the wind was blowing a gale into our faces. Even though it was very cold last night the wind chill factor was at least lower than that day.

[Jewels]

On a network with integrity, you'd expect the crack team to be one member less after this weekend:

AFL commentator Brian Taylor slammed for homophobic slur on Geelong's Harry Taylor - ABC Grandstand Sport (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

But this is C7 so I guess that won't happen.

Cannot believe this happened in this day and age! Lets hope there actually is some action taken this time, not the kid glove approach that McGuire got.

[aguy]

Cannot believe this happened in this day and age! Lets hope there actually is some action taken this time, not the kid glove approach that McGuire got.

I'm sure nothing will happen although I think he should be sacked. He apologised on air last night but that's not really enough I think

[DamY]

It makes a farce of the AFL's anti-discrimination stance when a presenter says stuff like BT. I expect that he'll be trained and hopefully learn to just keep those comments to himself in the future.

[Ludwig]

12 in a row and Brian Taylor sacked would have too much to be hoped for in one weekend. He must have a long term contract where he gets paid no matter what.

[YvonneH]

Buddy is clean shaven. He looks so young.

What an improvement. He really is a handsome young man.

[Swanny40519]

What an improvement. He really is a handsome young man.

Could play for another 9 years ??

[Margo]

A late post, but I have to add how thrilled I was to see Rowan make that fantastic run for his goal. After all he has been through to get back from that horror injury (which I can still hear in my memory) it brought a tear to the eye. So happy for him.