Post Game Analysis: AFL 2020 Rd 5: Carlton vs St. Kilda

[Professer E]

Our midfield, Cripps aside,  is full of flawed players.  Big enough but won't attack contest,  determination but no size,  no pace,  poor skills but a great runner, great athlete but dumb footballer, undersized blah blah blah.  As Spanner says...twenty plus years of this crap.  Surely we can recruit midfielders suited to the modern game,  even if they are bloody flukes,  surely!?!

[shawny]

I’m trying very hard to be positive and while I know this is bad football we handed them at least 4 goals from direct turnovers.
Willo easy missed mark on wing turned over goal, Jones x2 passes that missed resulted in goals and SPS 20 metre pass in the middle of the ground when we had momentum was rebounded for saints goal.
Plus not many games where majority of our senior players have a quiet game and it’s amazing we weren’t pumped.
And some very soft frees on top. They were the better team and made the most of their chances so they deserved the win but reckon 3 years ago this would have been a 10 goal plus hiding.
Still not good enough but I guess there is some light in this loss if you want to be a glass half full supporter.

[shawny]

SPS did the job on Tipper last week and while he didn't get much of the ball he defended OK. But I think the experiment is over and he needs to be in the Midfield mix now and taking on responsibility.
If he doesn't give us more by seasons end we should look at trade options for him.

I also would love to see more from him but we have much bigger problems then SPS.  He has shown enough for me to still think he should make it. The kid is durable definitely has ability and think its harsh to be too critical on him based on last night.

He had a lot of mates having an off night including A graders like Doc, Cripps and Weitering who were all soundly beaten when they game was hot early on.

I have bigger question marks over many of our kids and way too many spots on our list are taking up by blokes that are never going to make it.

If we think SPS is not good enough then if we are honest at least 15 players should be shown the door with him. 

If that’s the case we are screwed for another 10 years.

[ElwoodBlues1]

I also would love to see more from him but we have much bigger problems then SPS.  He has shown enough for me to still think he should make it. The kid is durable definitely has ability and think its harsh to be too critical on him based on last night.

He had a lot of mates having an off night including A graders like Doc, Cripps and Weitering who were all soundly beaten when they game was hot early on.

I have bigger question marks over many of our kids and way too many spots on our list are taking up by blokes that are never going to make it.

If we think SPS is not good enough then if we are honest at least 15 players should be shown the door with him. 

If that’s the case we are screwed for another 10 years.

Given where he was taken in the draft he needs to be impacting games more.
If it takes 15 more changes then let's do it because its not working with the list we have.
We are the least physical unit in the comp and the reliance on Cripps has reached Judd like proportions. Last night showed how bad we are with Cripps well held and how thin our Midfield is and SPS was recruited as Mid and not someone we should be hiding in backline because they prefer less contact.

[PaulP]

No Ryder, no Jones, Hannebery only played half the game, and Hill did nothing. Could have been much worse.

[Baggers]

Again with the insipid start. Seems a good start from us is the exception, not the rule.

This is a very undisciplined group, with little to no desperation/ruthlessness or initiative.

We look our best when opponents tire a little, because when opponents are fresh and applying deep pressure, we resort to type...surrender - just cannot and do not push back immediately, two fold (let's not pressure the opposition with strong tackles... nuh). We seem to like it 'easy' and nice and offensive. Soft? Certainly between the lugholes.

The midfield coaches obviously took over the reins again for this game.

Mighta worked for Adelaide to have 3 talls up forward but it sure doesn't work for us... H should not have played last night - too top heavy on a fast track against a fast team.

The Juddmeister needs to talk more with Crippa about how to handle tags early and how to be ready from the get-go.

Ratts sure is a terrific tactician and game day coach, gets the best out of his group - has learned well. The TT is still learning but had better get a wriggle on. Should be a fckn huge magnifying glass put on the midfield coaches.

The players seem to love a greater emphasis on attractive, offensive footy and the bruise free element that comes with it.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Our midfield, Cripps aside,  is full of flawed players.  Big enough but won't attack contest,  determination but no size,  no pace,  poor skills but a great runner, great athlete but dumb footballer, undersized blah blah blah.  As Spanner says...twenty plus years of this crap.  Surely we can recruit midfielders suited to the modern game,  even if they are bloody flukes,  surely!?!

Still lack physical size around the ball and we were bullied by hackers like Kent, Clark, even Gresham was pushing our blokes around.
Teams don't fear us, you need presence as well as skill and we don't have it.
We have a list of Von Trapp nice kids and no mongrels who can get the likes of Steele off Cripps, Walsh etc..

[ElwoodBlues1]

One of our blokes couldn't even pick the ball up after a free was given. Steele hovered over the ball blocking access and our player tried a gentle push to move him and couldnt.
A bigger mate should have just grabbed Steele and flung him out the way.. but we don't operate that way.

[Professer E]

I hate to say it guys because it's so freaking obvious,  but we need a ruthless tough midfielder like Roswell more than any other club. Instead we get.... Crickets.

Our younger midfielders are all so wanting it's scary,  and not all are kids,  some are well in excess of 50 games. Why aren't they coming on.?

Walsh,  Cunningham, Kennedy,  Fisher,  Dow,  SPS, Setterfield,  Lachie O'Brien, Kemp (supposedly a midfielder - that's a lie SoS),  Gibbons,  Philps...that's a generation of drafting right there.  Where's the A grade midfield... I just don't see it.

[Micky0]

In fairness they did rally and there were some great passages of play that showed we had it and strength but then... dumb Turnover! I am sure that happened 3 times. The across goals ones were just so lazy and the sps killed what would’ve probably been a goal.

McG’s tapping the ball back into play running thru the oppo goal posts: what the hell was he thinking? For someone on lower $ watching that guy do that must be so frustrating. Just dumb.