2018 Rd 7: Pre Game Paranoia: Carlton vs Adelaide

[Thryleon]

Regardless of whether Kreuzer is better than Jacobs or vice versa I'll be hoping like crazy that he plays this weekend because Sauce will be much too good for Phillips.
Not only in the ruck either, Kreuzer does much more in general play, and I'm getting sick of being spanked.
But it's been that sort of year and Jacobs will probably be BOG and remind us yet again that we rated him below Warnock and Hampson.  >

See for me irrespective of this weekend we should ruck Phillips and Casboult and leave Kreuzer to recover.

[blue4life]

See for me irrespective of this weekend we should ruck Phillips and Casboult and leave Kreuzer to recover.

We need to put the best possible team on the park.

[DJC]

We need to put the best possible team on the park.

Yes we do.  However, it seems that that the MC may be determined to get games into our young blokes, regardless of how that reduces our competitiveness. 

I'm quite comfortable with that approach but I think that we have to win a few games to keep the supporters on board ... as well as teaching the young blokes that hard work and sustained effort creates rewards.

[cookie2]

Yes we do.  However, it seems that that the MC may be determined to get games into our young blokes, regardless of how that reduces our competitiveness. 

I'm quite comfortable with that approach but I think that we have to win a few games to keep the supporters on board ... as well as teaching the young blokes that hard work and sustained effort creates rewards.

Precisely!

[madbluboy]

I think we can all agree that if Kreuzer had an injury free career he probably would be the best ruckman in the business but he hasn't. In round one he was looking great till he got injured again. As soon as he went off the Tigers had their way with us.

Ask any non Carlton fan who the best ruckman in the AFL is and he won't even get a mention.

[crashlander]

I think we can all agree that if Kreuzer had an injury free career he probably would be the best ruckman in the business but he hasn't. In round one he was looking great till he got injured again. As soon as he went off the Tigers had their way with us.

Ask any non Carlton fan who the best ruckman in the AFL is and he won't even get a mention.

Special K certainly is not the best ruck in the competition, but when he is fit and in form he can be one of the most effective. And mbb is right; he doesn't get the kudos he deserves. Even from many Carlton supporters. But his form last year had very few peers. He was beaten maybe three times for the year. He at least broke even against some of best credentialed rucks and he simply thrashed most of them.
He doesn't just compete in the ruck, but he makes clearances. Few rucks do that.

One of the positive things about Phillips so far is that he has been able to at least break even, usually doing better. This has not been the case earlier in his career. Unfortunately he runs out of gas in the second half. Not surprising given his history of injury, but a disappointment all the same.

In the past Kreuzer has been struggling with fitness and has let the ruck become a battle of strength with Jacobs. That has been a mistake which has allowed Sauce to play well against Kreuzer. Get Jacobs to run after Kreuzer and the matter takes on a whole new light.

[Thryleon]

We need to put the best possible team on the park.

Agree but unless Kreuzer is ready to go playing him at the moment could be possibly the worst decision for both him and our team possible.

Given the results are a bit irrelevant for us (unless you believe Bolton needs to win games to keep the faith in him) its not a significant difference in performance and it might be better for Kreuzer to rehab and recover.  From where I sit, we have the chance to win three in a row later from about round 15 onwards, and the Bombers game is the only game before the bye we need to be getting everyone cherry ripe for.  That means pushing out our best side capable of winning, provided no one is playing under significant duress.

Special K certainly is not the best ruck in the competition, but when he is fit and in form he can be one of the most effective. And mbb is right; he doesn't get the kudos he deserves. Even from many Carlton supporters. But his form last year had very few peers. He was beaten maybe three times for the year. He at least broke even against some of best credentialed rucks and he simply thrashed most of them.
He doesn't just compete in the ruck, but he makes clearances. Few rucks do that.

One of the positive things about Phillips so far is that he has been able to at least break even, usually doing better. This has not been the case earlier in his career. Unfortunately he runs out of gas in the second half. Not surprising given his history of injury, but a disappointment all the same.

In the past Kreuzer has been struggling with fitness and has let the ruck become a battle of strength with Jacobs. That has been a mistake which has allowed Sauce to play well against Kreuzer. Get Jacobs to run after Kreuzer and the matter takes on a whole new light.

Thats assuming Kreuzer can actually run around for 4 quarters. In his 3 games thus far this season, he has played 66%, 71% and 80% of game time, whilst Phillips has gone at 86% and 83% of game time.

It all points to Kreuzer not being fit, and that means you don't play him unless he has proven he is not only right to play, but is also fit enough to run an opposition ruckman around the ground.

[LP]

Thats assuming Kreuzer can actually run around for 4 quarters. In his 3 games thus far this season, he has played 66%, 71% and 80% of game time, whilst Phillips has gone at 86% and 83% of game time.

It all points to Kreuzer not being fit, and that means you don't play him unless he has proven he is not only right to play, but is also fit enough to run an opposition ruckman around the ground.

Firstly given he was injured Rnd 1 it's not bad.

ToG figures are pretty meaningless without careful cross correlation to intensity, any spud can spend 100% ToG but be sauntering around like a goose!

It would be interesting to know how much ground is covered by various players, which would give you meters per minute or Intensity as the AFL fitness pepole like to call it. I wouldn't be surprised to find Kreuzer pre-injury right at the top of the list of our bigger players.

It's one of my biggest bugbears with SPS, there is nothing worse than seeing a young fit bloke like SPS jogging along in the background as someone like Daisy or Wright sprints past him after the ball carrier.

If my assertion about Kreuzer having a Psoas injury is correct, you won't see him regain full running intensity until next season. He'll be OK as long as it's straight line stuff, but direction changes will be very sluggish by his normal standards. If I was coaching against Kreuzer I'd ask his opponent to weave and zag all over the place, lots of lateral movement and try to get Kreuzer following. If I was coaching Kreuzer, I'd tell him to ignore chasing opponents too far laterally and hold the main corridor to force them wide, let them run themselves into the ground avoiding a contest.

[Thryleon]

Firstly given he was injured Rnd 1 it's not bad.

ToG figures are pretty meaningless without careful cross correlation to intensity, any spud can spend 100% ToG but be sauntering around like a goose!

It would be interesting to know how much ground is covered by various players, which would give you meters per minute or Intensity as the AFL fitness pepole like to call it. I wouldn't be surprised to find Kreuzer pre-injury right at the top of the list of our bigger players.

It's one of my biggest bugbears with SPS, there is nothing worse than seeing a young fit bloke like SPS jogging along in the background as someone like Daisy or Wright sprints past him after the ball carrier.

If my assertion about Kreuzer having a Psoas injury is correct, you won't see him regain full running intensity until next season. He'll be OK as long as it's straight line stuff, but direction changes will be very sluggish by his normal standards. If I was coaching against Kreuzer I'd ask his opponent to weave and zag all over the place, lots of lateral movement and try to get Kreuzer following. If I was coaching Kreuzer, I'd tell him to ignore chasing opponents too far laterally and hold the main corridor to force them wide, let them run themselves into the ground avoiding a contest.

He's spent 2 of his three games visually unable to compete for at least a quarter and a half.  Once you take 25% of the game away, you are left with a maximum 75% time on ground.

Kreuzer played a good first half against Richmond, and I have seen nothing to suggest that he should play against Adelaide in place of a fit ruckman thus far this season.

Give him his rest, don't fly him to Adelaide, get him cherry ripe for Essendon.

[Thryleon]

To go with that, ruck him at VFL level this week.  If he proves he can get through 4 quarters, play him at AFL level.

I don't see what message you send to Phillips and by extension the group, if Kreuzer walk up starts against Adelaide this week.

He is our number 1 ruckman, and he has had his fair share of injuries, and didn't finish the game at Blundstone in his last outing, because we were getting hammered.  That means others have to carry his load whilst he sits out.

Lets not repeat that mistake.