Lots to like. Lots to work on.
3 All Australians to come back into the side. Cripps was excellent. Loved the game of Kennedy.
Cerra is classy, Durdin and Fisher create plenty of pressure and pace on the ball.
Backline is still a concern. What's the point of playing O'Mac and not putting him on King? I suspect Weitering calls the shots on defensive match ups and his ego wont let King go to someone else. The defensive coach should call the shots. At stages McDonald was playing on mid size forwards. That's pointless.

Boyd apparently is a beautiful kick but he was a turnover machine today. Nic Newman frustrates the hell out of me. The most one sided player in the AFL. With stocker, Docherty and Plowman to come back in, he should be first defender out of the side.
O'Brien has been mentioned by others. He's always lacked strength in the contest and crumbles under pressure. I thought Pitto was very good today, as were Saad, Williams, Owies and Setterfield.
Philp seemed to struggle unfortunately IMHO.

Love Silvagni's workrate but his kicking is poor by AFL standards. Put a couple of passes on Charlies head that should be an easy lace out chest mark. Both times Charlie got smashed. Not good enough.

Loved the pressure and intent around the ball. The Saints were rushed 90% of the time. That's the best tackling, pressuring Carlton team I've seen in a couple of decades. Is it sustainable? Hopefully so.

For round 1, in Harry, Doc, Plowman, Stocker, Martin.
Out Williamson, Newman, Boyd, Philp, O'Brien. Kemp to the wing.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Thank you all for your reports.

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THEY LIKE TO SEND UP!!!!!!!!

Until each team plays each other the same number of times, the AFL, as a fair dinkum competition, cannot be taken seriously.

He (Mr Swann) said the honour and pride associated with the club's traditional navy blue jumper was priceless.

We started with a lot of pressure and we were sharp; the Saints basically didn't get the ball past half-back all quarter.
In the second, the Saints upped the pressure and we started to make errors, especially in the back half.
Second half was pretty even, but we were just a a bit cleaner and smarter as it went on and once we regained the lead in the third, it never really seemed like the Saints would head us.

A few observations:

Pitto was busy. We went through him a lot, and he worked very hard defensively. On more than one occasion we used a forward to take ruck contests forward of the wing (mostly Silvagni), and Pitto dropped back to stand King while Weiters dropped further back to be the sweeper. He competed well, just trying to spoil and bring the ball to ground.
Mirkov is miles off. He's big and lanky and can tap, but has no idea around the ground.
O'Brien was good, but still has a tendency to a) spend the ball before he has it b) panic when he makes an error. But we ran hard up and down the wing all day and his kicking into forward 50 was good.
Silvagni worked his ass off as usual.
Cripps looks a little leaner, and moved well all game. Had a few moments where he tried too much, but a few moments where he tried too much and it came off, so more power to him.
Cerra is good. Had a couple of fumbles, but also did some nice things.
Fisher, Williams, O'Brien and Saad - that's a lot of pace and run in the one side. We looked faster today.
Philp needs game time.
I was impressed with Kemp - he was pretty good. Not amazing, but he played full-forward more or less, and he looked like he could do it at AFL level if we needed him too.
As an indication of what sort of game it was - when the Saints got on a roll in the second, Weitering was spending 5 minutes off the ground and for a little while, Williamson matched up on King. This sort of thing isn't going to happen during the season.
C. Curnow was kinda rubbish, but could also have kicked 3 or 4, so take that as you will.

That first quarter showed a team with system and control.

The peripheral players made most of the mistakes...handing them easy goals.

Lost our shape and composure in the 2nd. I think we pushed too hard forward, let alone leaving us with some mismatches in our backline.

If there was a strong wind we were kicking against in the last, we did really well.

Surprise packet for me was Pittonet and I thought that was the best I've seen Williamson play, but his game sense leaves a lot to be desired. Some of the kicks he got away with, under AFL H & A conditions many would have been smothered. Ditto OBrien and Newman. Not convinced the latter 3 are AFL standard though, and imo remain peripheral.

Best in order:

Cripps
Saad
Williams
Cerra
Jack
Pittonet
Kennedy
Hewett
Fisher
Kemp
Durdin
Owies
Charlie could have been right up there if he kicked straight.

Hope he's OK too!!

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Thanks for the updates all, love your work. Any views on the VFL game and the AFL Listed players in it?

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The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

Ronald Reagan

Thanks for the reports.
I was at work so heard nothing.
I have Kayo so hopefully I can get to watch a replay of it.
Hope Charlie is ok.

edits added re Jack. His set shots at goal showed a footballer who has a straight and measured kick.

The mismatches in the backline happened by design, by Voss/ Ratten, or by failure to identify and adjust by defenders. Either way, Membrey got away from Gov, Willo on King, OMac on another medium. OMac looks a bonafide KPD and should be taking King especially when Weiters is up the ground or rested.

Setterfield got a bit, but I thought his hands wern't that good today, and he was lazy at times when it was his turn to defend or get the hard nut. Happy with him otherwise.

I was really looking forward to see what Boyd can do on Saints dangerous smalls and with his disposal by foot, and he had a really bad day poor fella. Ditto Philp. I was really surprised he didnt feature much. I'm still a fan and want him to be persisted with unless there's an obviously better replacement.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Highlights for me were simple game plan, our players did not all charge into a pack, seemed to be designated inside players, we ran a loose into goal square when ball was in dispute.
Lots of second efforts and the ability for some (aka cerra hewett and saad) to hold nto the ball for a better option.

Things to work on still compusure will come with confidence with some
Bombing into F50 why not a flat pass and let forward run nto it (why give defender chance to spoil with hail marys)

From todays effort omac has to get the last list spot

LIke all those watching thought the two that really struggled were O'Brien and Boyd. I personally don't think the issues with O'Brien can be fixed
I thought Williamsons game was OK (he looks bigger) but like everyone get frustrated that he is so one sided. I think he is more one sided than Newman.
I am unsure whether OMac is the answer. Got lost a few times and our backline looked more fragile than in previous years. Thought McGovern did OK but obviously a work in progress.
Our midfield worked really well. Cripps, Hewett and cerra gelled well together
Kennedy surprised as he was really strong and competitive. Should be a lock for round 1.
The wings are a real weak area for us and I would use Walsh on one when he returns.
The use of Kemp forward with Charlie and Jack I thought worked really well. We were quick inside 50 and with the smalls applied a lot of pressure. Good signs there with harry to return.

I remember when we used to lose our practice matches and then win the Premiership.

Go Blues!

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Our tradition demands success!

Nah, IMHO, Jack's a very average shot for goal as well.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

They didn't add Silvagni's point earlier in the last qtr. I knew what the right score was and noticed at the time.

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/1066331

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

Thanks for the link SB!

Didn’t watch it
Reading the posts how is O’ Brien still a rookie when Gibbons is playing up the Murray.
I will see how things go the first two months of the season on all fronts before I judge
On all fronts

Yeah , me too . Cant ever remember us winning a practice match back then .

PS...............thanks to all you diehards for the reports . Reading between the lines it sounds like Kemp is genuine first eighteen material .

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All my dangerous friends

Our forward pressure and hunger to win the ball back from the opposition was excellent early. It was pretty uninspiring stuff after that - I’m not sure if we experimented with a different game style after quarter time, or the work rate dropped off, or the opposition smartened up.

We looked really vulnerable in defence whenever the Saints moved the ball with any fluidity. Aside from Weitering, I didn’t trust any of our defenders in a one-out contest. Plowman, Stocker & Docherty walk into that backline when they are fit IMO.

Cripps, Walsh, Cerra, Hewitt & Kennedy will be a strong core midfield group if they can build some continuity playing together. Pittonet will start the season as our number one ruckman.

I liked the pressure from Durdin, Owies, Fisher and Philp. More composure with ball in hand is needed though. I reckon Voss has the first three penciled in for round one, Philip has missed a lot of footy so I reckon he’ll start the season in the VFL.

As others have said, put Harry in the forward line and play Kemp up the ground (defence or wing). Charlie didn’t have a great day but he’ll benefit from the run and will enjoy it when Harry returns.

The bomb into the forward line still looks part of the plan unfortunately (either that, or the players reverted to habit under pressure), and the opposition kicked a run of goals against us yet again, so there’s still plenty to work on….

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

Surely Martin walks into the team for round 1?

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Between our dreams and actions lies this world

OK ... well I have to say I was disappointed.

Same old problem moving the ball into the forward line ... we just do it so poorly. Bad decision making and bad execution. St Kilda looked a lot cleaner with their ball movement. Also thought our forward pressure dropped right off after the first quarter.

Backline looked very vulnerable. We are going to miss Jones so much. Too often players were caught out with opposition players running into space.

Hopefully we were just rusty but on that performance we will get crushed by Richmond.

Positives were Cripps, Cerra and Silvagni.

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I am as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!!!