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.

Whats wrong with our Skipper ? Reckon a better question is whats wrong with everybody coz they have all dropped off . Reckon the answer rests with our opponents coz they have put us under the microscope and have done a bit of homework . Reckon it is up to us now to come up with a bit of a tweak to our strategies . Nothing massive , just a bit of adjustments . You can talk about Cripps being taken out of the game but i reckon the Cats focus on Doc and Saad did as much damage after all our other midfielders did OK ................nah , i wouldn't be putting it all on the skipper coz his shoulders are only so wide .

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.

Pitto factor

No Pitto for majority of the season.

No Harry for 5-6 weeks.

Opposition putting more effort into him.

Most players are sore by this stage.

I think he is just getting too much attention.

I havent watched the Geelong game again, feel a little deflated, but from past games I feel we need to trust others to fill his role when he is getting held at stoppages.

The umpires dont do a thing about it, so we should pull some levers. If they want to hold him in the middle. send him to full forward - stand him in the goal square. Make the opposition think if they can leave their tagger standing quiet in the square.

Our other mids can do the hard work while Cripps causes some headaches as a marking target upfield.

Throw the magnets around and see if he can shake the taggers.

Plus, stop trying to do too much and take the first option. Its generally the best

G

Yep , chuck Cripps forward . He is a beast down there .

Yep , chuck Cripps forward . He is a beast down there .

id actually think Cripps forward isnt horrible, out of the square etc.. mckay to play CHF ...

but only if, Curnow goes to the wing, i cant help but feel he would go beserk (koutaesque) ... but then back to the forward line when cripps is out ..

we have a real danger of too many talls in our forward line, especially with Pitto back and TDK floating forward, that could be one way to cycle the talls through, yet still give us something ...

…and Cripps has to wait for Cripps the inside mid beast to get the ball to the other mids.

I don’t think Cripps is that smart. He has to work it out how to beat Blicavs. Wack him with a tummy tap, Call out the umpire when Blicavs isn’t watching the ball, get a team mate to run through him from the opposite.

Why should we take out our No.1 inside mid from the midfield. There’s something wrong with that idea.

Selwood gets tagged, but the tough little bugger still wins the ball and dishes it out quick to closest team mate.

Sure, Cripps should sneak forward for a mismatch.

But with Pitto back and Harry Charlie and TDK forward, there’s enough fire power down there.

He just has to be better, or he’s not as tough as some make out. HTFU captain.

…and Cripps has to wait for Cripps the inside mid beast to get the ball to the other mids.

I don’t think Cripps is that smart. He has to work it out how to beat Blicavs. Wack him with a tummy tap, Call out the umpire when Blicavs isn’t watching the ball, get a team mate to run through him from the opposite.

Why should we take out our No.1 inside mid from the midfield. There’s something wrong with that idea.

Selwood gets tagged, but the tough little bugger still wins the ball and dishes it out quick to closest team mate.

Sure, Cripps should sneak forward for a mismatch.

But with Pitto back and Harry Charlie and TDK forward, there’s enough fire power down there.

He just has to be better, or he’s not as tough as some make out. HTFU captain.

He sure does need that drop punt.
I’m sick of letting opponents dominate him.
Like Insaid he has to be smart.

When was the last time someone got suspended for a tummy tap. Umps don’t have to see it…no free against.

Kennedy can run through Blicavs. Then Hewitt. The Blicavs will have to do some thinking.

This isn’t the year we win a flag, not a Prelim ( not saying we can’t). It’s unlikely, but we should develop a pour unsociable culture. I trust Voss to teach mummies boys.

Yeah , now you are onto it Bondi . Unsociable . Thats it . Owies and Honey can be nasty , but apart from that pair i can't at the minute think of anyone else . Shit , that's sad aint it Bondi . Faaarkin 'ell , the old Carlton sides were riddled with nasty types .

Stocker has the mongrel in him. He is the best in our team for it.

Always flies the flag and loves hurting blokes.