We lost the first half. We broke even in the second half.
This, despite the horror show that the boys put on in the skills department yet again.
We had two easy handballs three metres to a player running across the F50 line dirrectly in front that went to the body and not the hands and both recipients had to break stride just to get the footy. Kreuzer was one in the first quarter and the other one might have been Murphy in the last. Both missed chances.
Murphy missd his usual sitter from twenty out trying to be cute and kick it with the outside of his right foot instead of straightening up a bit and potting an easy goal with his left.
Polson missed two absolute sitters running into an open goal from twenty out. Levi missed a pretty easy one right on thee quarter time.
Those things kill you. They weren't the only ones but they stood out to me. When the opposition kicks a dribble goal from the boundary on the wrong side while you are desperately trying to make in impact early in the last, you know it isn't gonna happen. At one stage, Thomas (theirs) had three goals from six possessions. His five cane from just 14 if the on-screen stats are correct.

I firmly believe we have our defensive setup too high. I said it all last year and it is happening again. At one stage we had the footy and were running it forward and there was a line of four black and white jumpers about 45 out from goal and not one Navy one anywhere near them. The difference in our setup is that we go too many too high and leave three or even two backs behind but outside the F50 with the result they are often in a two on two or outnumbered at the fall of the footy when we inevitably turn it over. For all Jones's faults, he is forced away from his man a lot by the structure. The coach has a 1:1.5 defensive setup where you are responsible for your bloke and half of someone else's. If your mate is caught out downfield, you have to go and if that doesn't work out, you look bloody silly. Let's not forget Jones also took a few good intercept marks and had a lot of spoils to his credit. I think we are leaking goals because we have just got it all wrong back there and can't hold on to the footy.
For all those calling for Bolton's head, I think we need to wait until the end of the year before we make any call. The transition in the game plan seems to be confusing the players but if they can hit a target by hand or foot in their attacking thrusts, the goals will come. In the meantime, it looks putrid and it is.

That Murray of theirs ran and ran and nobody could catch him. Is he a first year player? Second? Did even ONE of our players try and run the footy at any stage? Nup. Just a chain of handballs to players running past followed by a turnover and a goal at the other end because all our defenders were caught outside the D50 and had to run back with the opposition forwards leading the chase. It gets back to the lack of skill and the defensive setup.

I liked Cunningham's effort. Fisher late. Charlie. Garlett will be good. Casboult went ok. Kreuzer was well beaten but never stopped. He's a machine. Murphy had patches but is too focused on the easy possie. At one stage he chastised someone for having a ping when he (Murphy) was running down the flank into the F50 in a much worse position. I actually thought Polson had a go, even though he didn't get a lot of it. The two easy misses were pretty ordinary but I think we need to persevere with him. I also think we need to leave Weitering in to regain form. Dow looks lost but I am happy for him to find the pace of it. I think that's why he doesn't get a lot of possies and has been caught a bit. The game is faster than he is used to. In a few weeks he should be better. Kennedy looks underdone but he is a bull and we need someone like him. SPS can't get near it. When he does, he has time but needs to back himself in.

I think it's North next. We will flog them on the back of criticism of the last two shite weeks but only if the players have their hearts in it. It was obvious half way through the first quarter that most of them weren't running off the footy to make position as though there were some inevitability of what was to come. like a self-induced illness. I was livid at half time but had calmed down a bit by the end. After more than sixty years I can't bring myself to stop getting up at all hours of the night to watch, even though it has been getting progressively less rewarding. I am trying to see the wood but the trees are in the way.
There's always next week.
In:
SOS for Lamb, McReadie or Williamson if they are fit to replace Marchbank (if he doesn't get up) and Mullet. Leave the rest. We need as much stability as possible without just flogging a dead horse.

_________________
Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

We made Collingwood better than they are.
I’ve been a supporter of Murphy as Captain for a long time, but this year apart from his 1st half against the Tigers, he has been very soft and putrid. I don’t care how many possessions he gets, he turns it over way too much particularly the delivery inside 50, and very rarely nails his ‘captains moments’. What’s happened to him ? He used to be so skilled with his disposal.
What’s happened to our pressure ?
What’s happened to our defence ?
So many players not looking like the players we thought they were.
I dudnt think we’d make finals, but I thought we’d have continued to show improvement. I didn’t see this coming. I’m sick of us being shite!!

_________________
James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

Frustrating night at the footy.

Do Carlton actually practice any of the following skills:

Tackling
Handballing
Kicking
Covering loose opponents


This week, in addition to the usual letting a home brand player kick a bag, Carlton managed to make a player whose single talent is being tall look like a star.

_________________
"One of my favorite philosophical tenets is that people will agree with you only if they already agree with you. You do not change people's minds." - Frank Zappa

Weather sounds just the same as here. April is the new March in Victoria.

100% agree. Way to early to rule a line through him. Happy to give a big block of games. The above was more my fears about him overall.

Venting threads. Full of stupid.

_________________
dane's trolling again

I wish I could say that I didn't care. I care, and I care a lot. In fact I care so much I can't bear to go to a game at present (does that make sense?). I just can't stand to watch the appalling skill levels any more, it just does my head in.

No doubt, like an addict soon I'll start to scan the fixture looking for a game that we might just win, or at least make a contest of (good luck with that) and I'll front up for my 'hit' again. My wife is keen to fly over to WA to a game at the new stadium, she can't understand why I don't want to go. She obviously wasn't as scarred by our experience watching Carlton v Port at SA's new stadium last year as me.

Our skipper is insipid

_________________
"I had to eat"

does that mean the last 15 years, as a club – the on field product, you are fine with?


you still owe me $100 over our kerridge bet.

Bolts
Don’t play Lamb Mullett
Can’t play Kennedy and Cripps
Too slow
Kennedy is a bad pick up watched him last night
He isn’t that tough besides being too slow
I wonder if SOS’s stubbornness in
Giving so many GWS guys he recruited
A second chance is a massive backfire
Play kids please Bolts
Play Cuningham in the middle
Bring in Schumacher Soj and play McKay
Change things up

But don’t worry the mc won’t go down
That path if history’s anything to go by

I agree with most of this but writing off Kennedy after 5 qtrs is a tiny bit over the top
Not sure he was completely over his injury last night
He will give us the luxury of allowing Cripps to spend long periods forward long term ( when we finally assemble a @#$%&! midfield!)

There is hope. The Swans started last year 0-6.

_________________
"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

Kennedy turned 21 last night.

Happy Birthday Bam Bam

_________________
WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

Agreed. Bolton's issue now is that he's stuck on the 'process' and the 'form warranting selection' mantra that he is not risking giving 'unready' players a chance

This has always made my blood boil. For every player in the reserves who maybe doesn't show enough to step up, there is at least one in the seniors whose form doesn't warrant them being there.

There has to be a 'give the kid a go' policy where you are not rewarding them but exposing them to what their future can look like in front of 50000+ at the 'G. Different players will deal with that exposure differently. Some will floursh, others may need to work on an area or two and come back a few weeks later.

IMHO, Weitering and SPS have not deserved to go their entire careers so far without being dropped. It's as though Bolton needs acknowledgement that his round 1 selections are gold. I was actually more excited by Cunningham and Fisher last night than I was about SPS and Weitering. Let's hope Bolton has learnt his lesson and gives Dow a spell in the ressies. He needs it. He is getting smashed up around the contests

_________________
If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!

Morning everyone.

The whole mob of them can still get [REDACTED].

_________________
The only way for some people to understand is for them to be on the receiving end

Left wing moralists
In self serving denial
They shit me no end

I Keep looking for glimpses of talent to shine through. Cunningham showed some good signs last night but there's not much else. Too many slow players who miss targets.
The commentators mentioned that we're a chance against North Melbourne. No chance. I think they have the worst list in the competition but at least they play with heart and spirit. I expect them to beat us by 5 goals.

I am so disappointed in my football club. We now have an ingrained losing culture.

_________________
Simmo - the true spirit of Carlton

Ed at least cuts through the bullshit
http://www.carltonfc.com.au/video/2018- ... -ed-curnow

_________________
WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

More players who can handball accurately* to the players who can kick it to leading forwards

*And if the person you are hanballing it to has an opposition player up his backside, DON'T honour the hanball. Better awareness and decision making FFS

_________________
If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!

I was worried the trading of Gibbs and others would set us back onfield and make it very difficult for the kids and subsequent long term effect it will have on our young players. No experience / support onfield is not something easily replaced or found. For mine Cripps and Charlie right now are being asked to do too much and even some of our seniors are struggling due to numbers.

If we don’t start to show improvement onfield, I’m not sure we will be able to keep players such as Cripps and Charlie when the poaching begins. They will get support at other clubs and an opportunity for success. I’m worried about the long term direction my club is heading towards and the 20 year rebuild could turn out to be 50 years of depression. I’ve raised this previously and the 1st three rounds have done nothing to change this.

My issue is that we are fully depending on the draft to turn this around and the excuse of youth is to readily utilised. It’s an easy out for the management of our footy club and the key issues are being swept over.

GWS and GC are good examples of the issues we are about to face now. Hope I’m wrong.