So, from all the papers and commentators and friends I’ve been led to understand that last week was about learning. Learning how far champions run. Learning about skill and pressure and working in pairs or packs. Last week was…na, who am I kidding…last week what just a reminder of where we were. Forget last week, we know those lessons. You know, the worst of times… And to get to the best of times we need our kids to be men but you cannot speed up time (anyone reckon the Ghost is reading too much Dickens?). A kid is a kid is a kid is a kid…. Our kids played men, gee guess who won.

In fact last Sunday my son played a practise game before the delayed, drought-butchered season finally starts. His team played a team two divisions above them. The other team were taller, faster, stronger and more skilful and, while at times Jack’s team tackled and harassed and did everything the coach asked of them, still two divisions is two divisions – it was apt the game was played on a Sunday. My son’s team were lambs to the slaughter.

So for Carlton - what I expected to happen, happened, so why the pain, the agony, the almost exquisite desire to plunge my foot through the television screen? Easy: Football is about the heart, the head is for chess. What we know, what we expect, what we see between a man-child’s small biceps and a veteran’s bulldozer arms, means nothing when the ball is bounced. When the Navy Blue runs through the banner the child part of my psyche that is all bluebagger expects every Carlton team to play like the great teams I’ve seen.

Sometimes I still wait for Big Nick to lay someone out (can someone get a highlights video of Big Nick and give it to Cain?) – well done Clokey on that last beautiful bump. I wait for a Jezza mark, a Buzz goal, a Doully save, a special moment of Kenny Hunter’s courageous madness, a dash from Southby, a goal from Sheldon. But those moments are memories and memories cannot kick goals.

Like everyone else, I must wait for the boys to become the champions we all wait for. Bryce shows he will, I have no doubts about Marc and there are others who are showing us that they are developing. JR impresses me this season. I loved Ando’s debut and the Irishman is a marvel.

Last week was about the goal, about where we want to be and it was about where we are. West Coast are the bar, we are only now back on the track, only started the run-up. We have a long, long way to go before we can tackle the best.

So this week is a better indication of where we are at. The Brisbane Bears – that’s right Bears I refuse to call them Lions. I refuse to acknowledge anything to do with Fitzroy. I remember their pain even if many of the old Fitzroy supporters poured out of the woodwork like borer after a kerosene dousing - funny what a flag will do for some people’s morals. Brisbane are the Bears or more truthfully, when I see that jumper of theirs, the unbearables – forever.

So we play them this week and it’s our kids against their kids and our champion forward against their champion forward. Unfortunately Fish and Stevo (yep we have to get used to Stevo but not yet, not so soon) being out is a pain in the neck (sorry Stevo I couldn’t resist). Fish provides a chance for another kid but still just as too many cooks spoil the broth so too many kids ruin the chances of winning.

I think Hartlett or Edwards in for Fish and I wouldn’t mind Jacko getting a gig this week. I think we need to strengthen the midfield to cover Stevo’s absence. Can we just play Waite down back and leave him there? He did so well in the NAB cup and provides cover and dash. Lance to play deep in the forward line and push Fev up to CHF - come on Denis you know you want to.

The way to beat the unBears is to play with flair, to forget locking them down and playing to our strengths. We can kick goals, lots and fast, if we just let ourselves play that way.

Let the kids run. Let Bryce play forward; make them cover him for a change, let Jacko take the run with and Joey to go into the backline. I want to see the unBears chase us. If we try to lock them down players like the butcher, Black, will carve us up. Make them chase our tails and we have a chance. Chase theirs and we are gone – we all know koalas have no tails.

So this week Fev to bag seven, Setanta to keep Brownie to two and Carrots to be the best on the ground and we run riot on the twisted dual corpse of two clubs that were and are no more.

Go Blues!To lose would be unbearable!To win is always divine for the little child in all our bluebagger hearts who remembers the great players, the great times and always the great victories. In more ways than one, this week is a clash between two cities, two clubs and two times, once when we were giants and now as both clubs rebuild through kids and a key forward who can dominate.

Go Blueboys!

Carlton by 17.