I suggest that we examine the statistics for tackles and other team orientated efforts at the carlton football club

there are some surprises

So...

you wanna tell us?

Deep...

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

STevo had 10 tackles when he was made captain against the tigers this year, His average per game is less than 3

THornton has had 10 tackles for the WHOLE season and he is a defender.

Just to compare, walker had 4 tackles in just 3 quarters against the swans.

Even pfeifer has had 13 tackles for the year and has hardly played a game.

Fev has been sensational in tackling this year and had 5 against the swans on the weekend.

Do you think that it is acceptable that a defender like thornton for example should tackle ONCE every second week?

Do you think that it is acceptable that Stevo breaks records for tackling ONLY when he is captain and then returns to his lower average the very next week?

I dont! I would be embarrassed at my tackling statistic if I were thornton

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Blood must be spilt on the fields of pain and henceforth OUR cup will runneth over

Sometimes high tackle count is a function of chasing backsides all day, but having said that you would expect a defender to have a higher average tackle count than the team average.

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

Winston Churchill

Yes this is true.

But not for thronton sadly.

His possessions are predominantly uncontested.

Judd for example gets almost all his possession in the contested battles - due to being tagged all the time.

One season Thronton played almost every game in the season and had 13 tackles in total.

Look a the stevo game against the tigers this year.

Stevo was on fire the ball was following him around all day and yet he lput on ten tackles which may be a record for us this year.

If you are chasing but ALL day then maybe you shoudl at least tackle anyway - if you having one of thise days then at least do the team things. CONTRIBUTE in the 1% stakes

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Blood must be spilt on the fields of pain and henceforth OUR cup will runneth over

I think 'spoiling' would be a key statistic for defenders not necessarily tackles.

I counted one tackle from Ang Christou.

www.instantrimshot.com

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Richard Pratt - A Carlton legend.

so maybe when stevo was captain (and no Judd) he was instructed to play the inside role

and when Judd is in he plays the outside role.

If so, is that smart?

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

in and under and pack contested players are always more likely to lay more tackles, when Thornton competes for the ball it is usually a marking contest - perhaps his low tackle count is reflective of the dominance he has over his opponents?

Apart from last week he plays a high posession type backman role.

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Between our dreams and actions lies this world

I was at the game and I didn't even see Ang Christou...DROP HIM for this week!

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“Every single element of the Club has to be the best in the league, meticulously and methodically, and only by doing this will we be elite and challenge for number 17.”
Greg Lee

We have an array of players in our line up who don't have high tackle counts. This together with our ruck problems need to be addressed if we are to push into the 8 at some stage in the next year or two.

Tackling creates pressure when we havent got the ball that forces the oppostion into error. It also helps maintain scorebaord pressure when you have an early lead in a game and on the flip side it is the instigating factor in come from behind games.

It all comes down to discipline on a consistent basis. We do not apply pressure often enough or long enough in games to be a threat as yet. Players who lack this discipline and have nothing incredible to offer to the team in other areas such as skill, really have no place being in the side. I could easily name 10 players that come under this heading.

That is why it is exciting in a way, that we are still carrying so many passengers and have no ruck division whatsoever and yet with a slice of good fortune we could be sitting comfortably in the 8. All bodes well in the near furture if we rectify these areas.

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

Some stats from Final Siren:

We've had 7 players play every game (Carrazzo, Murphy, Stevens, Simpson, Scotland, Betts, Fevola).

Top 5 tackles per game*:
Bentick - 5.5
Judd - 3.6
Russell - 3.4
Carrazzo - 3.3
Gibbs - 3.3
*Hadley averaged 4.5 in 6 games, Walker 4 in 1.

Our 3rd quarters are clearly our worst (76.81%).

http://finalsiren.com/Fixture.asp?Seaso ... esc#Player

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Don't blame it on the sunshine, don't blame it on the moonlight, don't blame it on the good times, blame it on the WIGGINS!

kingkerna, i respect most of what you post (been on here a lot longer than me), but you can't be serious with this observations... he gets turned inside out so easy its borders on embarassing, and I'm not having a go at Thornton but his tackles never stick, even if he does manage to attempt one.

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The AFL equalisation policy (designed with StKilda firmly in mind) is the only reason they exist.

Youd kill for an Ang Christou with the ball in his hands coming out of half back these days....

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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.

WOOOOSH

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Blue Boys fow life!

Old fella in or out of shorts?

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"I had to eat"

Woooooooofffffffffffffff! Memories.

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“It is a state of mind, a system of belief, a way of seeing the world, a deep faith that, because you are Carlton, you belong to something great.” - Mike Fitzpatrick articulating what Out of the Blue means.

According to that stats site Matt Scarlett averages 1.5 tackles per game. Shane Wakelin averages 1.2, as does Max Hudghton.

Pretty harsh on Thornton, considering some of the games better defenders don't do much better.

How many times do you reckon Fev has been tackled this year? Not many. Because FFs get most of their possies from marks, or when in general play don't try to run it too far before having a shot.