Blue4ever wrote:
We are often getting more inside 50's than the opposition however we struggle to keep the ball inside our 50 and kick goals. A small/mid size that can apply heat in the contest and kick a goal would be exactly what we need. You'd be surprised how better the team would be if we could hold the ball in and kick a goal. It would actually give our defence an actual chance rather than the ball waltzing down the field where holes appear everywhere. Scoreboard pressure, it's all in the head.
I agree our entries and forward line connection is poor but we can't continue on relying Harry and Charlie to kick goals, we need other avenues, a small crafty forward would be a big start on winning more games.
billy_bongo wrote:
Parachuting a small forward into our mess of a forward line won't make any difference, even if you could find one. Lack of small forwards are not the root cause of our on-field problems. You need to start where the game begins - in the centre circle. Our on-ball brigade as a group are too slow, have poor disposal skills, organisation skills, basically are not in tune with the game (esp the modern game). We need to prune them right back and find other players who can run through the centre. Before today I would have said Cripps, Cerra and Walsh can form the base but Cripps played like a broken man today as he must be under enormous pressure so I would go Cerra, Kennedy and Walsh (for the remainder of this year) and hopefully we can add Dow (altho I'm not yet convinced) Cunningham (ditto) or even Kemp (wasn't he a mid as a youngster), while we look for a top flight on-baller (barge arses need not apply).
As for the coach he did a very good job last year with the players he was given but unfortunately since the Tiger juggernaut the game has changed with the emphasis on speed and run (which we are not equipped to play and cannot compete with the top teams, or even the bottom ones). He needs tactical support immediately.
WOW wrote:
Our biggest issues are pretty obvious. Lack of run and poor foot skills.
Yes, I know. That's what I just posted.
WOW wrote:
The mix of midfielders needs to change. Can’t have Cripps, Kennedy and Hewitt in same midfield. Two need to go. Need to find two quality inside/outside midfielders with good foot skills. Easier said than done. If you rely on draft, then you have to go back yo drawing board and accept another rebuild.
Yes, I know. That's what I just posted.
A partial rebuild perhaps.
WOW wrote:
The other glaring issue is the half back line. Need ball carriers. Saad is simply not enough. McGovern was to provide that skill set but is finished at this club. Also think Doherty is cooked. Hopefully Kemp continues to improve. Looked good at times last night.
Yes, agree. I've said in the past that the half back line is our most important line after the midfield. A team can win premierships from there (see 2012). The problem with Docherty is that he's been taken away from half back which is his best position - he can add run and transition. But I agree that he has seen better days due to the hardships he's pushed through. Yes, I like Kemp too -played ok yesterday. He could also be useful in positions other than the backs.
WOW wrote:
More avenues to goal is another key issue. Need to find a third marking option with pace. Martin won’t be that player. Our small forwards have been awful this year. Not sure what to do with Owies.
That'd be handy, of course but as I said above there's no use parachuting a player in while our and our midfield connection with the forward line is broken. We might get a gun third but will we kick it to him? We're so brainwashed into kicking it long and strong to our big forwards (even when they're not there) we don't see anyone else. Did you see Boyd against Dons - charging thru the wing, he's got a player on the 50 on his lonesome, but he goes for the high degree of difficulty over 50 mtres to a well-covered Harry, who, if he took the mark, would then start kacking his daks because he had to shoot for goal. This is a Carlton SOP for going forward. Any other team in the comp would have taken the lonesome guy (I forget who it was), who could then stroll in another 20 and have a ping.
As for the small forwards, that position is probably the most difficult to play. Add that to a dysfunctional forward line and the smalls lack of AFL experience, what do you expect? And then they spend time up field giving covering speed to our midfield or one of them will be standing all alone in the 50 with an opposition key backman. And there's no one to replace them.
WOW wrote:
As a minimum, get games into Cowans and Binns and start the process of regeneration.
Yes, with Dow and Cunningham worth a good look at.
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