Go easy on me folks, remember I am a virgin...

GAME PLAN

Carlton fans were vocally livid at the game plan. Crows would clear the ball from defense with ease, getting it up to the wing quickly, but when CFC tried to move the ball from defense, they would chip side by side, and hold the ball for an eternity. Thornton is particularly adept at holding the ball for 20 seconds, then kicking 20m to the side. I suspect though CFC fans had better get used to this style of play, bec in line with what the MC have repeatedly said all pre-season (ie: instead of kicking 16 gls to win games as we did last year, in 2010 we will be kicking 10-12 gls to win games) it appears the new game plan involves holding onto the ball for longer, in order to limit the opps % posession of the ball, and in turn their chances to score. Forcing a low scoring contest in other words.

While it aint pretty, I don't have a problem with it. Firstly, we don't have a star fwd, so it makes sense to revert to a more defensive mind set, and secondly history has shown most Premiership sides had great defenses, and by defenses I'm talking not just about the back six but the entire teams' ability to suffocate the opp and keep the contest tight, a la Swans and Eagles in their Premiership years. Also see how the Saints reduced teams to riduculously low scores last year. Dons in 2000 seemed to always have possession of the pill. Cats are more attacking, but that's bec they have a seasoned brilliant midfield, and experience down back.

Now whether any of this will work is anyones guess (and I will be honest, we looked a rabble for a lot of yesterday - half way through the 2nd Qtr we only had 1 gl to our name - and I note Crows had 8 of their best out), but I think it makes sense for CFC, given their curent circumstances with a mostly young fwdline and backline, to take this approach.

Don't expect lots of gls this year folks.


P

_________________
It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

PLAYERS

Not going to go through all of the, just the ones that for good or bad stood out.

GOOD

Robinson - fair arguement he has been our best all pre-season, or at very least our most improved. Can kick gls and also take a turn in midfield. Ferocity at contest - other players should take a leaf out of Mitch's book. Just moves like a real player, and I think he could be a very, very good player for us.

Judd - I'm so sick of ppl saying "Judd was Judd". Reality is though, he is by far our best player, and we are going to miss him dearly in Rs1-3. If we can win 2 of those 3 games, we would have done well IMO. So many times yesterday he (and Gibbs at times) was the one who would show the others a clean pair of mits and do things the way they should be done. We're a bit rudderless without him to be honest. He is so much our guiding light.

Betts - let's hope he can keep that six pack Ratts refers to, bec he has been electric this summer, and while no Fev he is nonetheless right now our no.1 fwd.

206 - isn't dominating or anything, but geez, he has sound skills, good hands, and I like the way he is prepared to get his hands dirty by jumping on the ball on the ground to try and hold possession for the team, I don't think I have seen such a tall footballer be so prepared to get down and dirty so often. Looms as a good player for us if he stays fit - touch wood

Setanta - has done well, looks lively, still have ones heart in their mouth when the big Irish gets the ball bec he hesitates with a thousand options running through his mind at 100miles/hour, but despite this he has done well as a fwd and deserves the chance to be settled as a fwd for x weeks instead of shifting him around all over the shop. Has shown enough to warrant that IMO.

Hendo - hasn't set the world on fire but seems to be competent and is just a baby in KPP terms so am happy thus far with what he has done. Next year he had better start holding onto those sharp chances, ie: sharp marks on tight leads, the sort a Lloyd would snaffle as a 19 year old

Davies - didn't do much, but looks a player. Reminds me a bit of Norman, tall, lanky, but agile, moves better than Karl too. Has caught the eye


BAD

Browne - Sorry but he still uses the ball poorly, Carrazzo and Anderson also appear to still be unreliable users, while Walks' kicking has been better

Austin - not saying he has been bad but rather has been AWOL again and that's a shame, bec I think we need him to step up so that Bower can play more attacking down back and not worry so much about being purely defensive. Bower's re-bound is a crucial part of what makes this current side good.

_________________
It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

OTHER LEARNINGS

Kreuzer - has struggled to take a grab up fwd and no surprise Ratts said yesterday he will stay in ruck - Kreuz fwd seems to have been put to bed for time being

McLean/Hads - Brock the Rock does struggle to move, but he is a lovely handballer, weights it very well and can create via handball. Not quick though and at 25 won't get quicker. Hads I think has been pretty good.

Waite - thought he had a good last Qtr yesterday, and started to look like a genuine CHF with a few marks on leads across HFF. Waite, Santy & Hendo seems to be the preferred 3 tall fwds.

Rucks - pecking order is clearly 206 and Kreuz, then Hammer and Sammy

Garlett - seems to have been told Yazz will get the opportunity this year, while Garlett I spose has to build his frame up over time. Garlett has hardly been seen this summer versus last year where he was a revelation of sorts

_________________
It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

R1 TEAM

I'm guessing will be something like this...

B Joseph/(Armfield if fit), Jamison, Bower
HB Russell, Thornton, Houlihan
C Walker, Gibbs, Simpson
FOLL Kreuzer, McLean, Scotland
HF Yarran, Waite, Carrazzo
F Betts, Setanta, Henderson

INT 206, Murphy (long way off top fitness but you pick him for his skill/finishing ability alone), Grigg, Hadley

_________________
It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

You would drop Joseph if Armfield is fit?

_________________
29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

I'd play Austin forward when he's fit.

_________________
"In fairness it did seem in the early days of the draft teams would just pick a name totally at random out of a hat. I'm pretty sure we picked James Cook at #2 one year. The mediocre forward, not the explorer" - Me, 12/9/2011

Carlton 2012: Lets remind them why they once feared the Dark.

[youtube][/youtube]

There was 22 in bed
And Armfield said
Roll over. Roll over.
And they all rolled over and one fell out.....seems like Grigg (looking at VB's selections)

But I wonder how much VB rates Grigg.

Brock has me shitting myself about his selection...not against Richmond when we have possession, but when they do.

I hope I'm wrong.

_________________
Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Sorry no I wouldn't but I think both are in our best 22 and interesting to read today Army will play VFL today and may yet make the senior side for R1 which tells you how much the MC rate him

_________________
It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

I would love to get him in the team but only when he is ready. He has missed all ?? pre-season games, so I dare say he won't be in the senior side for a while now

_________________
It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

Grigg continues to butcher the ball. Yesterday he had 3 poor kicks in a row. The first one was a long drive deep into F50 which as usual he sliced (golf terminology); the second was a tiny chip kick which was smothered; and the third I can't remember but it wasn't good

Look I think the kicking is the only thing missing from Grigg's game, though he does also tend to get stuck like a rabbit in headlights sometimes and gets caught a lot as a result. But outside of these flaws, he is a good size, strong, quickish, can find the pill, and has agro. If his kicking was better he would be in my 22. He is on the cusp.

_________________
It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

Yep I worry about Brock the Rock too, but he is good when he gets the ball. Time will tell whether it was a good pick up.

_________________
It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

Very ordinary pre season with key players being a little undone due to injury.

Skills training needs some sought of new regime because we are probably in the bottom four in that regard. We are the technical retards of the AFL our top 10 percent is the best in the competition which is pleasing. We need some sought of technical coaches or something.

Fitness looks fine and we should run out games better than most teams.

Concentration levels on some players bar the defence is poor.

We are lacking leg speed out of defence, unfortunately at this point we count on Bower - need Waite .

Mediocre aggression levels - need to be more agressive or we will be slaughtered in clearances.

Game plan is one dimensional.

Average pre season and many players need to lift.

Agree we are going to be very defensive and hold on to the ball a lot, at times just so the other team are not scoring.
Yesterday was a good example of this working. In the first when the crows looked to have a run on (although missing a few shots) the Blues finally got ahold of the ball and held it aloft. The crowd moaned but we chipped it around for a few minutes and it seemed to slow the crows run. In fact from that point on we were more than equal to the crows. The tactic worked.

Not pretty though.

Not sure it is 1 dimensional - if anything they were that last year with Fev the sole target

Also, one thing I forgot to mention, is in the first half yesterday they were ultra defensive, but they were a lot more attacking after ha;lf time, and took the game on noticably more - could it be Ratts is teaching the players to play 2 different styles, to be used strategically during games throughout the year? Wear the opp down and then attack late in the game when the opp are tiring?? JR and Bower suddenly found their attacking games after half time - their attacking nature at HB is a major key for us

Other thing I noticed this summer is Gibbs playing outside the square a lot, and then bec of this he can run onto the ball when we get it and is therefore used as a designated kicker, which makes sense

_________________
It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

I don't think our match committee value efficeint disposal. Listen to Ratten's post match. Comments like "we had the ball in possession enough. IF we would have kicked 16 11 instead of 11 16. We had the ball enough inside 50". Those comments are pure spin and actually obsolve a coach from any responsibility for a players skill . It is like saying I can coach them to win the ball but disposal, goal kicking and execution of game plans is up to them. We need to take a step backwards like Hawthorn did before it progressed by saying "sorry if you can not kick you don't get a game"' Kade Simpson who has reasonable to good disposal didn't get a kick for his first few games but learnt how to win the ball. We have to pick the best kicking side (apart from some of the talls-Ohailpin) and give them a season to develop. You can not win in modern football if you turn the ball over. I am seeing less of a future for Grigg, Andersen, Armfield, Carazzo et al, unless disposal improves. Who is a good kick who does not get a regular game?

Maybe we should have recruited Bazza????

_________________
TC suffers from the social media illness - the death of respect and constructive discourse by keyboard.

No doubt there are a lot of Qs over our kicking skills. Seeing Jamo turn it over under no pressure on Friday was disappointing.

_________________
It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

Simple to summarise.

Ratten can't coach. McLean is shit.

_________________
Congratulations CK95

I am waiting for a Tank thread to be started.

It is all over before it has begun.

_________________
Delulio is a member of TISM

On Kreuz, I still think he can be moulded into a Hree-woldt type of power forward but this apparent lack of forward-nous IMO stems from Kreuz simply having to do too much in the ruck too early, and now having to learn an all-new playing style and position. Because of our 'quality' rucks when Kreuz started (Ackland and Cloke) we were left with no choice but to throw him in, added into this is the fear that if we had him regularly in the F50 Fev would steamroll through him.

Now we have what I think (and maybe I'm alone) is a major problem. Our newfound depth in the ruck-stakes in a double-edged sword IMO, in that two quality players will be in the ressies one way or the other while our forward line still screams for someone to take the game by the throat. It's for this reason I think that we MUST persist with Kreuz up forward and re-programme him to become the player I know he can be. The rucks can look after themselves at the moment (even if we'll miss Kreuz's smarts and commitment in there) but our forward line needs someone with Kreuz's potential. I know I'm in a minority, but I think Kreuz must be groomed for CHF (Hendo at FF, our own Riewoldt/Kosi combo in waiting) even if it takes a bit longer.

_________________
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