"We find a spot for him in the team where his kicking is less of an issue".


Jesus, it's football, there are not too many positions that we don't need him to have kicking skills..if there is, that's where he's playing.

It s**** me that players in the AFL can have kicking problems / issues. I even gave Hird a bagging recently caus i hate players that can't kick on their right side..just a disgrace in my opinion, you need both sides of your body working, hand and foot. Simple as that!

In saying all that, he has a big heart and so does Prenda (not a great kick either), and that can get you a long way, but geez, skills are so so important.

Kicking is such a critical skill. When handballs miss a target they wont always end up in a turnover because many are in traffic and the ball can be recovered or locked up. Kicks often lead to turnovers. One of Carrazzo´s major assets, running and carrying the ball is also his undoing. Unlike a quick kick, as you run and carry, the whole team has time to move, run forward, break free from opposition, make space ... if the kick misses, everyone´s caught out. This makes his turnovers look much worse, they hurt us more.

Enjoy seeing him run and carry, he´s great in traffic and his runs off half back have been great to watch. He must use the ball better when he does this even if it means a short kick or a handball.

We don't have enough ball winners or even possession winners in the midfield at the moment. Once Kouta got shut down on the weekend, our midfield started to struggle with only Stevens getting it.

Carrazzo is a ball winner and I love the way he moves when he's in a contest, and there's bodies all around him. I'd love to see him get more time in midfield (to help our obvious deficiency in this area), but also to speed his long-term development (he looks a natural to play this role long-term - our own equivalent of a Licuria!).

Unfortunately at the moment, he's easily our best option on the dangerous small forwards. But when not needed there, he should play in midfield.

In a way, the criticism Carrots has received is a really positive thing, and a credit to the kid.

Less than 5 games, 19(?) yrs old and he looks so accomplished that we're expecting more out of him.

However I don't necessarily agree with chucking him in the guts just yet. As Agro pointed out, Ratts did a looong apprenticeship in the back pocket, and I can remember the same sort of talk about him early in his career.

_________________
Richard Pratt - A Carlton legend.

It's extremely rare to see a 5 gamer adapt to "AFL pace" perfectly.
He's knows how to get the ball at "AFL pace", he's still adapting to the split second disposal decisions at "AFL pace".
He's doing great so far and I predict a great second half of the season.
And I agree an onball tagging role would suit. The sooner he adapts to the overall pace of AFL the better for him and the Blues. He seems to be a quick learner.
With our current injuries I'm thinking more about 2006 now. If we make the finals this year it would be a nice bonus.
Player development is what I'll be looking at from now on and I reckon we'll have a real good player next year in Carazzo.

OK so kicking IS important....

Tell me how many other players in the team besides say Stevens and Houlihan consistently hit targets??

If Carrots disposal is so deplorable then I would argue that he aint alone.
Have a look at the Colliwobbles game again - how many targets were consistently hit in that match?

The whole team needs to improve its disposal .... end of story!!

This kid is going to be a very good player.

Only 5 games, joisus, that is a good effort! He does move like he's been playing for a few years, just hope he can start hitting out team players on the tit not someone elses.

TO he who asked: Carrots is 21. He is in his fourth season post the under 18's, having spend 2 years with Geelong, and then being picked up by Carlton last year.

Interesting debate Tyrants - here I was thinking you were a comedian, yet you are talking footy! His kicking has been an issue since day 1, read the VFL reports from last year and you'll see that his winning ability isnt in question, just his disposal. Much like other players though, he;ll have days where its not an issue and he'll shine.

Bad kickers cant play forward; this is why I think Fisher will end up back in defence, although Synbad said that the Club believes his bad kicking is partly a structural problem and has been corrected with his reco. I thought his bad kicking was the stuttering walk in, not the knee, but I guess we'll see.

For any player with bad kicking though, good clubs find a way to manage it. Carrot's hands are pretty good, so why isn't he using them more? Why aren't we helping Carrots out with options closer to his defensive 50? His short passing isnt that bad, but any kick over 30-35 seems to be an issue, sort of like Hulme I guess. If we like him in defence, and we seem to like him that much that Bowyer can't get a game, then the other players need to give him shorter options to prevent the turnovers.

I am a huge fan of Carrots and think he has a big future. The kicking concerns have been blown out of proportion, however, he is 21 and you would have hoped, being in the AFL system for 4 years now, that it might be at a higher standard.

He is classed as a small, but it is staggering that he is listed on the club website @ 187cm. Hardly the height of a small!!!

If he is moved into the middle, who replaces him as back pocket?

_________________
C'mon Blueboys!

If Carazzo is 187 cms tall im Patrick Ewing.

Didn't he dream a whole season away? If so, Patrick, please dream us up a premiership!

ps Agree entirely - he'd be 182cm max, I'm 185cm and he's a bit shorter.

Andrew in Italian is Andrea

No translation for Scott or Brendan for that matter.
Adrian De Luca would be Adriano in Italian

If there is an English translation then why not use it!!! Besides Andrew is not Italian, he is an Australian that has Italian heritage in his ancestory...

_________________
C'mon Blueboys!

Molsey, I am many things to many people.

Visionary to some
Genius to others
Total wanker to most

However, I reckon I'm onto a winner here. I'd get Wiggo or even Cory McGrath in the backline to cover Carrazzo.

I think we should ask ourselves the question:

Who would we prefer to see picked? Carrazzo or Bannister? (if it was a direct choice).

I think Carrazzo should move into the Bannister role and get the jobs Bannister was. I think on talent, Carrazzo has the edge over Jordan... and Wiggo/Sporn et.al often do their best work running toward goal (and are defensively minded).

Denis just HAS to find a spot for Wiggo too. He's got that much rag it'd be a supreme waste not to try and make him a regular 18er. He's got to put him in the backpocket and let the kids courage save us goals. I know Wiggins isn't much of a kick either, but he's sturdy and his spirit is immense. Lappin/Houlihan as the linking options, plus the mids running back. And T-bird is a creative CHB. Wiggo and Teague in the backline would monster most teams and provide huge support to our weakened KP defenders. (Plemming? Worth a go?)

I'd leave Bannister out of the line-up, move Carrazzo onto the man, and Wiggo stuck in the back pocket. Give so he may grow.

_________________
Love Cricket? Love me

At 187cm - I reckon he's grown enough.

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

Winston Churchill

i wouldn't say 'total' Tyrant!

but Carrots is widdle boy in comparison to McGrath and Wiggins isn't he? He's too small in the arms and body, only really big enough to take the little tackers in the back pocket. He hasn't bulked up much since coming to Carlton. I think midfield needs the bigger boys, sort of like Dannyboy or Synbad.

Fish is still struggling with his kicking Molsey.
He just has a very average kicking action which is difficult to change at his age.
His marking ability and willingness to contest at all costs are his strong suits and I think we need both badly up forward.
Fish isnt a long kick or a technically correct kick but he is fairly accurate.

_________________
Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Maybe Fisher should do a Ranatunga and feign an injury after every mark?

Carrazzo isn't a light weight though. He puts in. Excellent tackler We're talking about throwing Bentick in there.... Carrazzo is just as good.

I'd have both in the middle, to be honest.

Its, to borrow a line from Howard Hughes, "the way of the future"

_________________
Love Cricket? Love me

Fish was a very accurate kick. In his first year he kicked 20.7 (or something like that) - our team would kill for that sort of accuracy this year.

His field kicking isn't the best but he's a forward who's job is to kick goals.

His kicking style is a little awkward but it's accurate as BV has said.

_________________
"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

I think there were 4-5 OOBOF as well, 20.7.5 is still accurate overall I guess, but when he muffs it he really muffs it!