Attendance at centre bounces:

Marc Murphy: 3.6% under Bolton, 22.3% under Teague

there's an issue right there when he won't lay a tackle

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"I had to eat"

I don't like bagging players. The reality is though Marc is a small football player and showing aggressive intent isn't his thing. He didn't engage at contests early and that was a major reason we got toweled early at the contest. To be honest he didn't have many impact touches period in the game. He certainly isn't the future.

Trouble is we can't seem to find the right balance. Bolton was using all the kids in the middle and we got beaten up, Teague has gone the otherway and that's not working. Like I saw posted elsewhere... maybe a tweet....our mids are either very young, very old, or Cripps. A massive absence of 24-27yo mids.

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"I had to eat"

This is not Teague’s or Bolton’s fault.

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

Winston Churchill

True.

Gibbons is 24 this year, so is Moore, Lang 25, Jack Martin 25 .... Jack SOS 23yo.

That's it for 24-27yo.

Moore played well as inside mid in scratch match vs Dees seconds.
Jack SOS has the big body and played well there in the past.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I like your lateral thinking Bondi but according to the club, he played in the ruck. He's a big body but he's never shown an ability to win the ball in the AFL. I think we have better options.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

It’s a massive issue that has been ignored for too long and it sums up the softness that other clubs use effectively.

A starting midfielder who doesn’t tackle just shouldn’t be acceptable.

The club is still not honest.

I flagged my concerns about Teague playing all the mature players in the midfield last year but the concerns were papered over with wins.
Last year in Round 1 we were 13 points down against Richmond at 3/4 time and went on to lose. We then lost to Port over there after being 3 points down at 3/4 time. Getting close later in the game but failing to get the win. Sound familiar?
The difference is we were playing Dow, Fisher and SPS around the ball and they were averaging 20 or more possessions each. We then dumped them to the periphery once Teague came in and I'd suggest none have progressed.
Bolton had his faults but I give him credit, he put the players development before his own long term tenure and had the guts to see it out.
I have no dramas playing Cripps and Ed in the middle but coupling them with another 30+ player for the majority of centre bounces serves little purpose. We have to have an eye on development as well.
Murphy is still a valuable contributor but he's not a centre square mid. Most of our midfield rotations since Teague took over have featured Cripps, Murphy, Ed and Walsh with 1 or 2 others getting 1 or 2 centre bounces per game.
With the shortened game time, it's just made it easier to continue with the same. We need to give more opportunities to Gibbons, Newnes, Setterfield and definitely Fisher and Walsh when they come back.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

From The Age today.

Carlton 18th for tackling differential this year, laying 19 fewer tackles than their opponents.
Carlton in 2020 are third for forward entries, yet 18th for disposal efficiency differential, and are 17th for converting forward entries compared with their opponents.

Only two games of course and a long way apart, but for years and years we have bemoaned our poor disposal skills and terrible forward play and nothing seems to change. Is it lack of effective coaching? Is it a case of recruiting the wrong players? How can the same short comings; the same problems, still be so evident after many years and multiple coaches?

When things fell apart and they decided to move on the coach I would argue DT was right to make those changes, they had to stop the bleeding and restore some semblance of confidence. But I agree now they need to get a better balance. Murphy has been a terrific servant for the club but he isn't physically aggressive enough and in the midfield I'd argue all the guys need to show strong physical intent. If we keep losing with an experienced midfield then we will see further erosion of confidence.

The Carlton mids all stood back early in the game while the Melb mids hunted aggressively as a pack. A pack is only as strong as the individuals within in, you've got to put in and our midfield has too many passengers on the physical side of things.

Agree. We've thrown all our eggs in one basket, first Shiel, then Coniglio, and overlooked the opportunity to bring in B grade midfield depth.

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"I had to eat"

it wasn't my thinking. I read it on our club website.

My eyes pricked up when I read it because his size if Josh Kennedy like, and might work.

So he played a Kreuzer role as a ruck rover.
No tap to advantage, but followed the ground ball, effectively adding a cumbersome midfielder.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Extremes: Teague or Bolton.

Setters went in the middle last game. Ditto Walsh, but these were both in the 2nd half.
Gibbo seemd to play along one side of the ground from forwardline to backline. Might have been a 4-5 man forwardline?? Couldn't tell n TV. Haven't seen much of him in the centre square this year...at all.

Have to trust our kids. Fisher is a winner, SPS seemed to do really well in the centre bounce, and I think Dow will turn things around this year (he turns 21)

Maybe not so much with 16 min quarters, but we generally NEED to have 10-12 able to run through midfield.
Cripps looked fantastic in the forwardline, other than his kicking to goal (which he worked on over summer ???)

If he is being tagged he should be smart, not stubborn and take himself for a stroll down to the forwardline.
Cripps shouldn't be telling Teague what to do. Sounds like that's the case.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

It would be good if Cripps dragged his tagger into the goal square a la Dusty Martin - but the problem he will get a little chilly down there relying on the rest of “our midfield” getting it down to him.

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

Winston Churchill

Kennedy
Setterfield
Dow
O’ Brien
SPS
Stocker
JOS
Lang
Polson
Cuningham

All recruited to play midfield
All failures to this point
Stocker too early to call
Ditto Dow although he has not shown nearly enough to warrant any confidence
O’Brien simply needs to harden up

Setterfield Kennedy have so far been major disappointments
They were meant to be the big bodied inside mids but haven’t delivered in that area
SPS very average. Doesn’t work hard enough
Cuningham disappointing doesn’t warrant a 3 year contract
Put a pen through Polson and Lang
Lang should never been recruited
Polson like Cuningham should not have been given a long contract based on his efforts

JOS hasn’t shown enough either in the middle other can a few cameos like the tagging job he did in Fyfe last year

For me Fisher gets a pass mark although he seems to start slowly
Gibbons a I like
He needs to play more in the midfield

Murphy’s days starting in the middle are done

The club needs to play Philp, Ramsay, Phillips, Honey
Judging by the reserve practice reports
Philip and Honey should get a run this week
Cuningham Setterfield Lang don’t deserve a game on last week efforts

Teague needs to change the personal .

The talent in the midfield wasn’t there last week
This isn’t Teague fault

Also I would love to see what Owies could bring to the table up forward
He is a natural goal kicker at the expense of Betts which imo was a ridiculous trade

I'll give you 2 weeks until you're aligned with my thinking. It's 100% Teague's fault.

A bit too early to call TBH most of the names above in your list.
Like you, I don't really know how they will turn out when they are 23yo.

Teague needs to consider playing the ones who could play the role, especially if they can tackle.
I'm sure the players are told what the areas are they need to work on and hoping our ability to develop is very good these days.

As BV has pointed out ad nauseum Fisher's and Dow's stats were good pre Teague in 2018 and 2019.

I don't think Jack has failed playing midfield.
Done it twice and both times got us a win vs Dees and Freo...there was more to it than a tag.
Ed Curnow tags. Interesting vs Dees Cripps was out and at one stage it was JSOS Gibbons and Dow in the middle and won.
JSOS had to make way for the regulars:

Cuningham is 23yo this year and looks really fit with good disposal and clean hands.
He went into the midfield last game for one bounce. How can he prove the doubters wrong?
This year is the year he may or may not shine. He's due.

Dow turns 21yo in October hes shown plenty as an undeveloped 18 and 19yo.
SPS was a winner playing in the middle vs Brissy last year...I can go on.

The one thing you should notice is that the players you mention have been thrown around to play other positions other than midfield.

Whilst I am really disappointed with Kennedy, Lang was given to us as part of a trade, and Polson I don't get the others have time, I think we need a couple of developed mids because the young ones are not developed yet, or well enough.

Glass is half full.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Ive tried to find a post to see what your position is Doc...too hard to find. Easier to ask.

What is your position? How and why is Teague 100% wrong? Curious

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Janakurpara and Piditaka for the most part. Was missionary but the back isn't what it used to be.



A seven goal start? Yeah - sorry...I think the guy can coach, but he's gotta get them mentally switched on. That's part of his job.