Love Bolton's composed mindset

Boy do we miss Kreuzer

For me Pickett doesn't do enough. What's his tank like? I'd give him a run on a HBF. Needs to get more of it and run.

And I find it amusing that you challenge some on this site who criticise Murphy but take a wide berth around others who also criticise Murphy.

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If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!

Embarrassing performance.

Pros:

Charlie's best game.
Casboult and Plowman.
SOJ was good again.
Fisher and Williamson.
Gibb's willingness to lay some tackles. He's really led the way all year.
Willingness of the MC to throw the players around.
Cripps' willingness to keep working.
MacReadie's clean hands.

Cons:

Goalkicking was obviously diabolical. We can't compete unless we kick well for goal. General disposal and turnovers were simply horrible.
Tackling. It's been good this year. Tonight it was poor. We can't compete, unless we tackle well.
Got smashed in the clearances. We can't compete unless we break even here.
The number of our players who fell over.
The number of Port Adelaide throws that were allowed.
Phillips looked really, really rusty. Especially in marking contests.
SPS and Weitering were disappointing.

So out of everyone who has had a crack at Murphy tonight, you think BV is the only one who is on the mark?

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

Painful to watch, not even competitive at this level. Can only hope the boys keep believing, keep persisting and eventually improving. Can't pick an individual player to vent my spleen on, it was a dismal performance all round when the list isn't up to the standard.

I think much of the senior list know we're nowhere near it and its all about growing this young side, therefor their efforts are not what they could be if we were genuinely in the hunt for finals. Switching to another gear as good senior players do when its needed most. Its a shame and a bit sad to watch. But time is short in AFL, and its all about our young blokes and the future now. And boy do they look like a bunch of kids on the park. Hopefully the beltings spurn them on to train harder and prove themselves. Until then, it truly blows to be a Carlton supporter ...

Tougher night than I expected. Didn't think we'd be that ordinary. Thought our effort and pressure at the very least would be a helluva lot better.

Thought Charlie played his best game. Plowman continued his great form. Levi, Cripps and Jack were also positives for mine.

In the first half, particularly the second quarter, we just didnt get reward for effort. Unsure if that is due to system, poor skills or poor decisions.

The third quarter was putrid. No pressure whatsoever by anybody. We needed our leaders and experienced players to stand up and none did. Same as last week.

I like Murph and he's been great for the first few games but thought he was poor tonight. Didn't think that opinion was so controversial. Missed tackles, poor ball use and imho lack of pressure stood out tonight. Lack of midfield depth or just a poor game?

We're in a tough spot. We want to play the kids if they warrant selection but how many is too many? Does nights like tonight hinder or help their development? I honestly don't know.

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We are on our way back...

I think our green shoots have aphids on them.

the afl site in their 5 talking points about the game or whatever it's called were scathing of bolton.




i kinda agree too. Bolt's reaction when Pickett took the game on down the right flank and ran too far before delivering a pearl into phillips .... bolton lost it.

not sure that's the reaction you want from a coach, when you're getting thumped, and a player at least gives it a go to break their flood. in a team of bad foot and hand skills ... your only hope is to run through them.

it's why fisher, pickett, SPS and docherty look so good in our team. they're actually prepared to try and beat a man, and run with it.

SPS is a gem. he's easily our most talented and skilful player. as it is, he's close to our best player right now - he's just missing a tank and strength which will come. He'll be our andrew macleod when all that happens.

7.4 at half time rather than 2.9 might have made a difference​ in the second half and put pressure on Port.

Finishing is underrated.

Maybe Bolton was upset there were no options being offered to Pickett which left him high and dry.

Perspective..Freo beaten 89 pts by same team, same ground R2. Next week beat the reigning Premiers. Freo didn't front up with a bunch of kids either.

Disappointing, but I've already moved on.

Not sure I've ever seen us kick it to the opposition as much as we did last night. Probably down to their pressure.

The other frustrating thing (and this has been going for awhile), is the inability of our forwards to get any sort of separation on the lead, whereas our opponents seem to do it with ease.

Thought a lot of our guys looked sore going into the game last night, given we were coming off 2x6 day breaks and with 7 teenagers, too. Intensity was no where near like the Essendon* game.

Positives for mine: C.Curnow, Plowman back to good form, SPS (his evasion skills, just silk), Fisher, Cripps playing like a bull with an injury, Silvagni (although that intercept he should have kicked it himself, needs to be more selfish), Polson's tackle

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For some silly reason, you people want to assassinate him, and it's just rubbish. You people. All of you, ALL of you!

And maybe he was just frustrated that the guy ran 35m without a bounce ?? Fair dinkum boys

No, I'm saying it's picking and choosing who you'll debate with...no different to Murphy picking and choosing which games he'll give it his all...oops, I hope my poor attempt at humour doesn't start another 3 pages of argy bargy...anyway, let's move onto next week (no doubt with no KJ in sight )

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If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!

more perspective...

circa early to mid season 2005 on a Fri night Port smashes Hawthorn by 117 points.

In that team was Lewis, Mitchell, Roughead, Hodge, Franklin, Sewell, Crawford, Bateman, Osborne, Ladson, Croad, Williams...all guys that went onto play in their 2008 flag

Keep playing the young kids...they show something & at this very early stage all look like developing into pretty good footballers
Keep recruiting via the draft
Stay away from the messiah/quick fix
Add a couple of smart trades/free agents

Our time will come

We must encourage run. Although Pickett seems to overrun it more often then not and as frustrating as it is right now, we must encourage our kids to run and break the lines. Real lack of run last night and way too defensive for my liking.

I'm concerned about our forward structure. We won the ball too many times only to look up and see no forwards. We tried to create a forward entry by trying to kick to open space or pick a player out the back. You won't win too many games with type of setup. Teams don't clear the forward line any longer and there is a reason of that! We really are playing too many players behind the ball and the opposition are strucuting accordingly and punishing us.

No matter what happens though, we must keep playing the kids and exposing them to AFL. Our so called experienced bodies have been tested and found out. That game was exciting because we saw glimpses of our future!

Having said all that Weitering looks injured and might need time off. Well at least I hope that's what it is!

Pros:
Charlie did a bit
Jack did a little more than a bit
Plow was firm
Levi's contribution in difficult circumstances

Cons:
Missed shots. There were 4 gettable shots in that 2nd Qtr that resulted in behinds. Deflating.
Attacking mindset is poor
Our senior players leadership is not strong or consistent.
Ruck gave us minimal service

Watching those Port downhill skiers..... just wish we had a Rhys-Jones, Diesel, Dominator etc to wipe the smile off their collective faces.

Bolts may need to mix it up a bit. Throw Gibbs forward for a bit of poise and direction. Move White forward to rough up opposition defenders!