Doc won us a few games last season off his own boot i reckon when playing wing/mid role. no room for him as a pure defender with a fit list. it’s all gonna come down to form and fitness isn’t it? so much depth it’s embarrassing.

will Vossy and MC reward all players in a winning team or cycle through to allow younger players to develop. that’s the $64m question in my mind. was reluctant to so far. needed a telegram from the queen to to motlop and Hollande last season when it was obvious AF.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hopefully the addition of Williams, Carroll and E Hollands will improve us significantly this year. Maybe similar to 1995 when Rice, Clape and a young Camporeale took us to the next level?

And Fantasia.

Yes I should have included Orazio as well.

A yip-less Harry McKay was the hero of the hour, plucking a powerful mark and slotting the set shot to put the Blues ahead; McKay had set up the previous goal to Patrick Cripps, too, and while he had some glitches, Harry was the most influential player afield.
If McKay closed the deal, the Blues wouldn’t have been close if not for Harry’s forward partner Charlie Curnow, whose run of four goals in the second and third quarter whittled the Lions’ large lead to seven points.
So, while the competition contains too many variables to coronate Carlton (or condemn the Lions), the comeback should put paid to the specious notion that there isn’t room for McKay in a Curnow-centred attack.
The theory that the Blues fare better with only one of Curnow or McKay – which really means with only Charlie – gained a surprising level of currency within media, fans and even from some rival club officials in 2023.

Over the past three seasons, Curnow averages 2.7 goals when playing alongside McKay and 3.6 when Harry is missing. McKay, meanwhile, averages 1.9 goals with Curnow and 3.1 when Charlie is grounded.
Somehow, the fact that both players kick more goals when they’re solo led to a conclusion – admittedly, a minority view – that the Blues would improve their flag prospects by selling McKay and letting Curnow hold up the forward line, potentially deploying Tom De Koning as the second tall target (and back-up ruck).

Aided by this double threat, the Blues booted seven goals from just 14 entries in the third quarter.
The against-all-odds triumph highlighted that McKay and Curnow have different styles and dimensions – the former a hulking 200-centimetre giant, the latter a super athlete with rare agility and lateral movement. Hardly any rival teams have two key defenders with the necessary traits and talents to match both at once.

For the Blues, Curnow can play higher up the field if necessary, as McKay keeps a tall back such as Andrews occupied. Ideally, the tandem work best when they’re surrounded by smalls and medium-sized options, rather than with De Koning as a third banana.
The slights on McKay have been a familiar case of critics – and I’ve not been immune – focusing too much on his foibles and forgetting his considerable strengths.
To have two menacing key forwards in one forward line is a major point of difference between the Blues and at least 16 clubs, and on Friday evening, it made all the difference.

I find it interesting that a knock of both in the forward line together is that their goal averages are better when alone. Why is that such a surprising fact; it would seem obvious to me. Yet no-one ever mentions that their combined average score when together, 2.7 + 1.9, beats their individual averages when alone. Its a team game, so we are better off when both are playing; end of story!

GO BLUES!

Was just about to chip in with that. Or ask what the whole team goal average is with one vs. both, which is obviously the most important metric.

We should just select the 23 players with the highest game winning percentage

I find it interesting that a knock of both in the forward line together is that their goal averages are better when alone. Why is that such a surprising fact; it would seem obvious to me. Yet no-one ever mentions that their combined average score when together, 2.7 + 1.9, beats their individual averages when alone. Its a team game, so we are better off when both are playing; end of story!

GO BLUES!

Exactly people. You’d think having 2 guys sharing the load and having the opposition try to counter every week would be the best possible plan. It’s obvious though, they want us to trade, so we lose our key advantage, and then they can have something negative to write.

I’ll add - as a mate said to me just yesterday, if Charlie and Harry share between 7-9 goals a game, you could have two Coleman medalist from the one team in the one year.