Cripps started the year in a blaze of glory but I don't think he would be in the top 3 players in any game since. Why?

Still carries too great a load on the fortunes of the team performing well.

I think it’s in his head. Perhaps some realignment with his focus.

I suggest Voss needs to have a word with him about managing his own performance versus the expectations of the team.

Do others here think he needs to be a bit less selfless?

I have no idea but I suspect he might be playing injured/sore once again

How else can one explain his drop off in form?

I mean he was absolutely lighting it up in the first half dozen or so games

Maybe missing Pitto hurts. As well as TDK has been it has taken time for him to get into the groove and Cripps has had to do a bit of ruck work and maybe having just 1 ruck and not your starting ruck messes with the entire centre square /stoppage set up.

Also suspect other teams have figured out our centre square /stoppage strategy and we have had to adjust / re-align

I ought to add I create this thread not to bash Cripps nor to say we rely on one person cause I think we all know it is a team game but equally the game on the weekend showed I think how important leadership is in a team and really none of our leaders bar the young Walsh had games they can be proud of.

Leadership anyone? Please come forward and step up to the plate.

When he did that dumb thing against WC I am not sure it is him thinking "Oh I have to do it all myself", rather I think his brain just doesn't work fast enough and he gets caught up in his mind and then makes the wrong decision (to hold onto it instead of dishing it off to a teammate in a better position)

In my ignorant opinion, I'm with Paddycripps on a combo of Pitto and being figured out. Hewett was also in our top 3 every week for the first 5 or 6 rounds but only been there once or twice since. We were the clearance gods early on, now we get beaten frequently. It can't just be down to one guy, and Crippa doesn't look laboured in his movement like in previous seasons - remember that game where he couldn't even bend down to pick up the ball?

At the end of the day you want and expect your captain to be right among your best players most weeks, right?

True

We need to mature as a team. The Charlie and Harry show antics need to subside if we want to be any chance of a flag. This will hopefully come with time and under the watch of Vossy.

Brian cook has said it accurately I think. It won’t be until year three that we see ourselves as premiership contenders.

Actually, I disagree. You want your captain to be in your best 22 and therefore going to play each week (injury aside) however, I don't believe they need to be amongst the best players most weeks. There's a tendency to choose the best player to be captain however, if you look to the examples of both Tom Harley and Cameron Ling when captains at Geelong during their premiership years, I doubt either, especially Tom would have featured in the best players most weeks. Just because someone is a good player doesn't make them a good leader (just as good players don't necessarily make good coaches). Sometimes the best player(s) just need to be left to play.

So you're saying it's John Barker's fault?

_________________
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

Opposition coaches would've put a lot of work into how to curtail Carlton's midfield which was a juggernaut in the first half of the season.
Cripps has never been particularly well looked after by the umpires, so planting someone in front of him with their back to the play is step one.

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"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

i hate when he tries to run through the opposition. He needs to understand his limitations and do the team thing.

I said this for weeks, he has reverted back to what he was going through last year.

For a Captain, he needs to lead by example and not be selfish.

We have reverted to selfish football again. Kicking wherever without thinking, handballing to team mates under pressure and getting caught with the ball trying to do too much.

The weekend was selfish footy and all of the above was on display.

THIS.

Look I get this, I mean there have been teams where the captain isn't in the top handful of players and that is fine that is a template that has worked

But I am guessing our captain would be among the highest paid player at the club if not the highest paid player and off that I expect him to be among the bests most weeks

Cook is probably right

Because right now our leadership density is not very dense

Against the cats all of the following had below par games b y their individual standards ...

Cripps
Docherty
McKay
Weitering
Saad

... and it is fair to say these are our more experienced players who ought to be leading the way

That is a really good point about Hewett tapering off too

Look hopefully by finals time Pitto is back and this helps our clearance game and hopefully Weitering gets back up to speed and McGovern is back at CHB intercept marking at will and giving us great offensive, penetrating, pin-point kicking off HB

I am less hopeful that Martin and Williams will make much difference, really depends when they get back and how long it takes them to find their feet. Martin (and OWie's) injuries seem to be worse than initially thought. And Williams isn't expected back til real late. Weitering has shown you need min 3-4 weeks in seniors to get into a good groove.

Blicavs was straight up cheating on Saturday night. It’s against the rules to block your opponent with your back to the ball.

All. @#$%&!. Night.

He’s 2m tall for Christmas sake. He’s in an unusual position. How could they not see what he was doing?

At least the rest of the comp have the decency to shepherd or hold him at the contest.

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"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter" - Winston Churchill.

Then we should have complained more.

Sorry but no excuses.

It's also on blokes to run through him and give the Skip a chop out.

_________________
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

Does all this happen to Oliver or is he a better footballer?

with the way it was umpired, we mostly like wouldnt have got done for off the ball incident ...