Nick's Collingwood Bulletin Board

''At the end of the day he is a player that played 21 of 22 games last year. You may under value him but it is obvious that the highly skilled people who make up the selection committee at the Pies hold a very different informed opinion to yourself.''

Concur - the club has continually said the best available 22 will play each week. The selections are a committee, not a one person choice. Which leads me to the continual discussion re 'our best 22' - this concept is dynamic - our best 22 is the best available each week subject to whatever may be effecting a player from week to week. If Blair again plays 21 plus games this season, then that just means the remainder of the list are not in the best 22 those weeks. You don't get a game at AFL level consistently if you are not in the best 22 IMHO.

We'll never be a top four side with Blair in the team. If he'd been there in 2010, for instance, we probably would not have made the finals.....

Good point PnC about the two half-empties.... pay that.

Mugwump wrote:We'll never be a top four side with Blair in the team. If he'd been there in 2010, for instance, we probably would not have made the finals.....

Good point PnC about the two half-empties.... pay that.

In the team "as a small forward".

Mugwump wrote:We'll never be a top four side with Blair in the team. If he'd been there in 2010, for instance, we probably would not have made the finals.....

Good point PnC about the two half-empties.... pay that.

Then we have a bloody long road to walk - more than one game this season he helped keep us in it by sheer hard work, go back to the game day threads, you will see a few eating their words. It's ok to have a lot champions but you still need the foot soldiers to do the work. Yes Blairs days are numbered, but they ain't counted yet. He along with other players benefited from the likes of Tarks, Frazer in 2010, and maybe some young players will benefit from the likes of Blair, and others that have worked their arse off, given their all for the mighty Black and White. I'm over all this shit to be honest. 'He's a flog, a spud, he's never been any good."
Bullshit.
He has earned his spot in the team week in week out. You all carry on he ain't best 22 anywhere, but he continues to get games. So what are you saying? The list is shit? The selectors are shit? The coach is shit?

Make your bloody minds up!
My glass is just as full as yours!

The day he walks of the field for the last time, I'll be the last one saying goodbye, no doubt with a tear in my eye. You guys saying good riddance should be ashamed of yourselves. This kid was solid heart from the moment he pulled on the jumper. So he's not a natural champion, he's not lucky enough to be 6 foot, or have Pendles footy brain. You show me one, just one game where he did not give it his all.

If you think we can't be top 4 with Blair in the team, then obviously you ain't really supporting the hierarchy like you say you are. Because they obviously don't agree with you.

^^^ Either the list lacks a top-notch small forward or, if there is one, he (they) is (are) underperforming.

It doesn't actually warrant a rant: Blair has the great respect of many (most?) of us but surely people are entitled to express a view, provided they do so respectfully?

Oops quoted instead of edited, sorry drinking and flying last night, crashed me broom into a tree!

He was good enough to play in 2 off the best sides we put in the park in recent memory. Weak team exposes him. Strong team makes him look great. Plenty of AFL players in that situation.

Oops double!

Wasn't a rant at Mugwump, sorry it came across that way!
Sorry Muggles!

Just a build up I guess cheers P4S happy to be corrected

Mugwump wrote:We'll never be a top four side with Blair in the team. If he'd been there in 2010, for instance, we probably would not have made the finals.....

Good point PnC about the two half-empties.... pay that.

Oh Gee Mugwump you forgot Blair's great 2011 grand final effort.
2 kicks and 1 handball!
What a wonderful effort...probably the main reason we lost.
But hey lets throw Cloke and plenty of others under the bus and keep Blair.
I laugh at certain posters understanding of the game.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf wrote:NOT Tony Shaw... by a million miles

well most people here judge a players worth by the number of premierships they have won. By my math (and i'll admit math wasn't my strong suit), they won 1 premiership each!

think positive wrote:Oops quoted instead of edited, sorry drinking and flying last night, crashed me broom into a tree!

Was the tree alright?

E wrote:By my math (and i'll admit math wasn't my strong suit)

Perhaps not. But your maths is certainly better than your English.

thompsoc wrote:

Mugwump wrote:We'll never be a top four side with Blair in the team. If he'd been there in 2010, for instance, we probably would not have made the finals.....

Good point PnC about the two half-empties.... pay that.

Oh Gee Mugwump you forgot Blair's great 2011 grand final effort.
2 kicks and 1 handball!
What a wonderful effort...probably the main reason we lost.
But hey lets throw Cloke and plenty of others under the bus and keep Blair.
I laugh at certain posters understanding of the game.

NEIN, mein herr, we lost the GF in 2011 primarily because we made the dreaded GF error of playing three unfit players, Reid was on one leg, and big Hawkins tore us apart cos of that, in the last qtr. Blair may have been poor that black day, but he had a few mates below par with him.

thompsoc wrote:

Mugwump wrote:We'll never be a top four side with Blair in the team. If he'd been there in 2010, for instance, we probably would not have made the finals.....

Good point PnC about the two half-empties.... pay that.

Oh Gee Mugwump you forgot Blair's great 2011 grand final effort.
2 kicks and 1 handball!
What a wonderful effort...probably the main reason we lost.
But hey lets throw Cloke and plenty of others under the bus and keep Blair.
I laugh at certain posters understanding of the game.

Yeah, "probably the main reason we lost". Did you ever watch that game ? I'd suggest you watch the replay. Blair was not the main reason we lost, I promise. And the point of course stands : we won a premiership, no less, with this bloke in the side. I guess that does not count as evidence, if you have already made up your mind. It might require processing of facts.

Well Mugwump.
The statement that "Blair was probably the main reason we lost."
was a bit of creative license on my part.
Not quite baiting but still a little fishing.
My point is this.
Whenever Blairs worth to the club comes up.
We get he was a member of the flag team of 2010.
Nothing is ever mentioned about his horror game of 2011
nor that he was really only average in 2010.
It is 2017 next year and the hobbit has dined out on 2010 for far too long.
For the record Blair got 22 disposals in 3 grand final matches over 2010 and 2011.
That is an average of 7 disposals per game.
You can put lipstick on a pig but it is still a pig.
Blair is not an AFL standard player.
He belongs in the VFL.