Kick 'em when they're down....

Probably get deleted again but ....Scotto's been good so far. Put his body on the line for his team mates a number of times. Has been a good onfield leader so far unlike the others.

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There's so much I could say...

If Houlihan or Scotland weren't there last night we are not going to be a better team, in fact we would be a worse team if they were replaced with even more inexperience.

OUT: Whitnall, Houlihan, Lappin
IN: Grigg, Edwards, Bower

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Love Cricket? Love me

According to Champion Data; Scotto had 37 disposals including 18 kicks and 19 handballs (13 contested possessions; and 24 uncontested) with 81% efficiency.....he was on the ground for 97% of the game.

Only Marc Murphy came anywhere near that possession rate at 30; Walker at 28, and Houlihan at 27.

In fact....Scotto had the most disposals of any player on the ground.

Hardly grounds to drop him !

It's just laughable that people cite Heath Scotland as one of Carlton's problems! No it wasn't the best 37-possession game you'll ever see but you must be doing something right to get that much of the footy. He is composed, has good disposal on both sides of the body and showed real courage when taking that mark running with the flight last night. I love the comparisons with Campo and the cheap possessions: PEOPLE GIVE THEM THE BALL BECAUSE THEY USE IT BETTER THAN MOST OF THEIR TEAMMATES!

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Formerly Blues-Back2003.

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People give Scotland the ball because he goes nuts at the young kids if they don't. This is a guy who is in the leadership group, and when a kid won't give him the ball will go up to them after and scream at them. Scotland doesen't care if he's not in a better position, he demands the ball even if it is not beneficial for the team. You see Corey and Bartel from Geelong, as soon as they get the ball, they look for the best option and when they see it they give it off immediately. Scotland seems to zigzag around and then after holding ir for 7 seconds gives it off to someone. Thompson was very effective in countering him last night. He told his players, in my opinion, to leave a man free near scotland when he got the ball, and after 7 or so seconds Scotland would kick it to them. Most of the time that person was barely 20 metres away. This then allowed Geelong to man up on all of our other players and prevent any run through the midfield. Scotland is a ball hog who prevents linkage and free flowing play through the midfield. Anyone can receive a ball and kick it to a free man. Campo could too. The trick is getting your own ball and then setting up play. Corey and bartel did it for Geelong last night and they did it very well. Murphy does it, I think he's in the top 5 for goal assists in the league. Scotland is detrimental to our midfield. It's an unpopular opinion, but take him out of the side and I honestly think our midfield will function better. He puts the fear of god into those young kids when they don't give him the ball and it's a disgrace. And I didn't see him man up once last night when we did not have the ball. Better off playing a Grigg, Blackwell, Bower, etc.

scotland didnt stop running and trying and the only player on the ground to show any resemblance of leadership in his age group.

Last week, wasn't it Scotland who kicked the ball long into space in front of Walker, who marked on the run without breaking stride, and kicked a great goal, in what was called the play of the game?

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No Guts, No Glory

Repeat for people who obviously didn't see it......

as I said he kicks the ball to free players 20 metres away. Takes a long time to do it. In that time Geelong man up on every other player and prevent us moving the ball quickly into our forward line. The result is that the ball is bombed in to fevola 3 on 1 at times.

all this thread is worth is a AWWWWWWWWWWWWW STEVENS.....

this is a stupid thread.

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thats pretty bad-ass!

All you're doing is persisting to push your opinion down the throats of people who disagree with you.

Very very harsh on Scotland.

Every successful team has a linkman, someone who finds space and gives his team an avenue out of defence; Scotland provides this week in week out....so why can't we have one too?

Scotland had 37 possessions; nearly 20 contested. The way he is able to pick up the fast spinning ball in a contest against 1 or 2 Cats even impressed the Cats supporters, so I don't know what Scotland has to do to impress you.

He won contested ball too you know ...doesn't that count?...or do you prefer a one sided version of what actually happened? Of course that being your version of events being the only way we should see it.

As a result, here comes the blame game.

Why was the ball going in the Cats forwardline so easily, even when Houlihan was playing Ablett in the BP? The Cats won nearly every bounce in the ruck...that's where it starts.

Wiggo vs Houla.....what next? Houla vs Ackland? Houla vs Cloke?

If anything, I was disappointed in Houla's kicks for goal in the last 2 weeks...that's what I question.

It's not about Houla and Scotland...that's just an an excuse to witch hunt.

Think about it.

The ball entered their forwardline with constant ease in waves...a tsunami.

Why?

We've got no genuine rucks to compete against genuine 200+ cm ruckmen. With the advantage of the dominant ruckmen, Cats' midfielders were given first use, and were able to shepherd our midfielders out of the contest ...because they knew where the ball was going, let alone the fact that the Cats midfielders were bigger and stronger and tougher at the contest.

They dictated play right from the bounce, and the kids lost their way...it became an avalanche...obviously the MC didn't know what to do about it...I don't know why...but I do know that sort of thing happens to most teams.

As for Lance....

Get behind the team and hope that Aisake, Hampson and Jacobs develop really fast....to give our onballers at least a 50/50 chance.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I think when a guy picks up 37 touches, yet his team gets belted, it becomes quite an offense and rude for scotland to have such amount of possesions...


He is a Class act, way above the entire club... he has every right to demand the ball from anyone becuase its been him who has set up all of our play from the backline.....ofcourse he is going to get alot of cheap kicks running into space, but hey at least he runs and runs....


When scotland goes into the middle, he adds toughness and yesterday he showed it with his quick handballs and composure....



As for Holihan, well he is a classy play maker when there is no real pressure on him or when we are playing a Soft team....When we play good teams with pace, he gets exposed.....


Lappin had alot of the ball in the last Quarter, yet spent most of the match on the bench... he is out of form, but for someone of his ability, he shouldnt ever be in the team to sit on the bench... he should be sent to the 2's for some form.....

When we play West Coast in two rounds time, have a look at how they run the ball through the midfield from the backhalf. Then look at how we do it. Look at how Scotland will get the ball, take 10-15 seconds, and finally kick it to someone. By that time, look at how West Coast's midfielders have manned up on Murphy/Gibbs/Simpson/Bentick/Stevens. When West Coast take the ball at of attack, they won't be doing a Heath Scotland. They'll look to get it out as fast as they can, so that we don't have time to man up on Judd/Kerr/Embley etc. That's the way the modern game is played now. That's how Scotland has to play. That's how Carlton have to play. Now it may not be Scotland's fault. I'm not blindsided here, he has talent. But the way he is playing is having a detrimental effect on the team. He may be receiving instructions from Denis to do that, I don't know. But in the modern game you have to bring the ball out of the backline as quickly as possible. Scotland is not doing that, and it is him and Houlihan that often bring the ball out of defence and are responsible for the transition from defence to midfield. And this needs to be done quickly.

Barack,

Did you perhaps notice that we had no forwards or midfielders presenting, running into space? All our mids and forwards were just standing flat footed, barely presenting. The only one who really presented properly was Wiggins.

Kennedy needs to learn to lead up the middle of the ground - blaming Scotland for for kicking immediately isn't exactly his fault if he kicked it straight away to a 1 on 2 contest like most of the mids - which was then turned over.

If you blame him for not kicking immediately, then why not blame the forwards for not presenting for him as soon as he gets the ball?

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

- Igor Stravinsky

how could the forwards present... they're 60-70 metres away. Scotland gets the ball around the front of our defensive 50, he should be looking to move it on straight away, instead he waits 10 seconds, kicks it to someone 20 metres away, and by then all the rest of our players have been manned up on. It doesen't work any more. That's 80s-90s football. If all our players are manned up, it means we have to kick it to a contest. Now this is all probably to do with Pagan's instructions, but this is not the style of football that wins you games anymore. THe style of footy that wins you games is the one Geelong played last night. No nonsense, just quick through the midfield, the game is about pace now. I did not intend this thread to be bagging Scotland specifically, I intended it to be bagging him, houlihan and Lance. In my opinion, Scotland tries his best, and he is probably just following Pagan's instructions in how he plays. But the way Scotland plays and Carlton plays is not the way you win football games anymore. The ball needs to move quickly, and exchange between a lot of players.

bag the players that get none of the ball....bag the players that get all of the ball....i would rather them get it and stuff it up than not get it at all...at least they can improve on the disposal...not that Scotland made many mistakes last night anyway...