Analyse the numbers game and you can start to piece together the puzzle that is our midfield conundrum at the moment. The key stats for mine - and I dare say the coaches - are Contested Possession (CP), Disposal Efficiency (DE), Hitouts (HO), Hitouts to Advantage (H2A) and the all-important Clearances.

Team CP DE HO H2A Clearances

Carlton 151 73% 26 5.2% 39
Richmond 136 72% 38 4.75% 32

*Andrew Carrazzo with 17 contested possessions and 7 clearances.

Team CP DE HO H2A Clearances

Carlton 165 73 51 31.37% 47
Brisbane 137 69 35 25.71% 37

*Marc Murphy with 20 contested touches and 10 clearances. Andrew Carazzo with 16 contested possessions and 7 clearances.

Team CP DE HO H2A Clearances

Carlton 151 76% 56 26.78% 50
Collingwood 123 71% 44 9.09% 32

*Andrew Carazzo with 17 contested possessions and 11 clearances.
*At this point of the season, Andrew Carrazzo was responsible for 18.38% of Carlton’s overall clearances and 10.98% of their total contested possessions.

Team CP DE HO H2A Clearances

Carlton 140 71% 36 44.44% 35
Essendon* 142 72% 48 37.5% 38

*You know the story. Carrazzo injured early - no one picks up the slack and Jobe Watson finishes with 20 contested possessions and 13 clearances, whilst Brent Stanton was allowed to do as he pleased with 28 uncontested possessions.

Team CP DE HO H2A Clearances

Carlton 126 77% 54 9.25% 30
Fremantle 125 75% 32 18.75% 40

*Won 63% of the available hitouts against a team minus Sandilands, yet only 9.25% of those would be to advantage.

Team CP DE HO H2A Clearances

Carlton 144 69% 47 31.91% 28
GWS 131 71% 24 33.33% 41

*Won 66% of the available hitouts - yet smashed in the clearances.

Team CP DE HO H2A Clearances

Carlton 141 68% 60 18.33% 37
St. Kilda 136 74% 25 32% 42

*Won 70% of the hitouts for virtually zero advantage. Saints minus McEvoy.

Team CP DE HO H2A Clearances

Carlton 123 75% 53 24% 42
Adelaide 151 71% 57 36% 48

*69 point loss
*Carlton clearance total Rounds 1-3: +35, Rounds 4-8: -38.
*No Murphy and No Carrazzo? They produce 36.53% of Carlton's clearances and 20.7% of Carlton's contested possessions.

So the midfield set-up needs a shake up. What might have been working against teams in Rounds 1-3 has seemingly gone out the window in Rounds 4-8. The Match committee has no choice but to select Brock McLean. We need to win more clearances. That's why he's at the club. While the coaching staff can analyse these numbers and do all the video review in the world - what can you do about lazy footballers who a) ignore their role and b) have an inflated opinion of their footballing ability??

The turnaround must be player driven. Laziness is unacceptable at this level. The players must adhere to the coaches instruction. Captain included. They'll be measured this week. Doesn't matter about the margin - there will be strict KPI's this team will have to adhere to and if they're not met...expect regular 6am sessions at South Melbourne beach until the message sinks in.

And Brock got 8 clearances in the Essendon* game and was dropped the following week

I am astounded at the treatment of Brock Maclean - knowing that we were getting smashed in that area the selection commitee still chose not to select him

and I will be very suprised if they select him this week - most likely bring in another outside mid in Lucas or Fat arse Bell

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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

Reading that my 1st thought was how far away is Carrazo!! Poor bloke will be hammered when he gets back in the team. Forget 'No Judd no Carlton', the stats (and results) tell a different story!

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"Who discovered we could get milk from cows, and what did he think he was doing at the time?" Billy Connolly

The old-fashioned 6am threat. I like it.

I've been a massive critic of McLean. But I also think he's been treated harshly with the revolving door approach. Tell him he has a month and let him have a month.

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"I had to eat"

No wonder the Bombers targeted him.

Hard to believe Carrots had taken his game to that level as an accountable on-baller.

Given the midfield we are now left with it's hard to imagine us being anything other than a mid range team for some time. We simply don't have the quality or the work ethic.

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I hope Essendon* folds.

more straw clutching!

teams were playing and setting up differently early in the year!

your stats prove nothing!

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Which ones in particular?

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

Tackle numbers from Betts and Garlett are down on last year.

We are last in the comp for rebound fifties as well...

Can't just blame it on the loss of Carrots.

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"You are being watched. The government has a secret system. A machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because I built it." - Finch

I'm not - but my focus is where the crux of the problem lies - and that's the stoppages.

Brett Ratten was chewing Natural Confectionary snakes in Rounds 1-3.

In Round 4 somebody switched them for Allen's.

The switch from no artificial flavors and colors to 100% artificial has had an impact to his ability to react by 13%.

we are unprepared for contested football.
players have not been drilled for it the recruiters have not been drafting for it.

we are being mauled inside!
that's what happens when you live in a bubble!

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

I think you'll find it proves laziness Synbad. There too many players who just refuse to do their role.

similar thing at the crows last year?

look! when things don't go according to plan players look to two things.
how they have been conditioned to deal with situations and the coaches.

when the answers are still not there, there is confusion.

players were not lazy six weeks ago.

simply! we have lost the book to playing football and that's coaching strategy and preparedness for the current situation.

I'm struggling to come to terms with your point!

are you saying we are nicely coached prepared and we have a balanced list but the players are lazy or crap?

spit it out!don't tiptoe through the tulips muddying the waters.

are the players drilled and prepared for this but they are not buying into it for whatever reason?

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Murphy was one. Watch last year's game against North and you'll realise he doesn't run as hard the other way. Greenwood gets 30 metres off Murphy like Clint Jones did to set up Jack Stevens' goal. Both times, it was Tuohy working harder than Murphy with a chase or an interception. Murphy was more interested in finger pointing instead of chasing. The defenders deserve a medal for maintaining our points against with an avalanche of inside fifties in the last four rounds.

Is that the kind of response you think/know will happen or hope will happen?

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Once Brock gets the clearance, then what do we do with him? Keep him standing in the centre circle until the ball comes back?

And Bryce was in the backline away from the action

Would like the stat on tackles inside F50 vs last year

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"I had to eat"

Stats are almost meaningless to some extent but At the time I obviously thought Jacobs was better than Warnock or Hammer. An old fashiond ruckman. Slaughtered the two high draft picks combined.

Should have kept him.
Only one game but its great to see Big Sauce get some plaudits

got to Get ball in there and use the press for that.

the game has been shifted to the guts and played there!

contested football inside is the order of the day against us now!

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.