Pre Game Perambulations: AFL 2020 R11 Carlton vs West Coast

[Baggers]

When you're one game out of the 8 with a better percentage of course you chase finals. Why the hell would you give that up. Anything else is a losers mentality, which can happen when you lose for most of 20 years. While it's there you chase it hard otherwise it's just purely giving up. We don't expect our side to give up, supporters need to follow suit.

And to me chasing a finals berth hard, firstly requires winning. As a part of that we need to be really honest with ourselves why we do not win when in patches we show we are clearly able to. Our costly fades in games are now legendary. We consistently and persistently give up opposition run-ons of 4-7 goals. No finals until that stops... and it can, now.

Before you can fix something you gotta admit the problem, then apply the solution. Almost every pundit of our game has identified poor adapting to change by our midfield as undermining our potential success. Plus we're so conservative at the selection table and on match day. Boldness needed.

For me it's about doing your utmost to win (rather than focusing on finals)... and knowing that the rest will take care of itself, once you develop the winning habit. And for me winning often means some boldness and a complete intolerance of beige games from anyone. As an example, Murphy is too often a liability... yes, he does some good things but at critical moments you cannot have a leader who can't land a hard tackle and is seemingly committed to bruise free footy. Is his want to play on selfish? There are other examples.

Recruiting blokes as midfielders (Gibbo / SPS for example) then playing them out of position is a recipe for at best ordinariness.

When I suggest being bold at the selection table, player positions and match day tactics it's actually in an effort to win! Playing newbies is not about putting the cue in the rack, rather trying other options in an attempt to improve the chance of winning - and stopping the wild surrenders in games that let opposition sides get a sniff, and more often than not, take the lead. The whole place needs some nasty pills... mongrel... tenacity.

The present situation, the status quo of playing blokes out of position, not rotating more cats through the midfield and so on will only get us more of what we're already getting - close games, with wild fluctuations from us, decided by a coin toss.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Who comes in for Cunningham, who's out for 2 weeks with a calf strain.

Honey or Fisher. Honey sounds a similar type.

Lot of talent in the Honey family. Father a Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, mother a national netball Diamond, sister a Melbourne Vixen, uncle an Olympic silver medalist behind Carl Lewis and a 2 times Commonwealth Games gold medalist. So if bloodlines count for anything.....

Honey is more like Gary Rohan but not as quick....will play a quarter then go missing, can do the big mark, big tackle, kick the big goal but will frustrate many with his inconsistency and laconic approach.
I'm a fan of his ability but he is going to polarize fans big time...

[Gointocarlton]

None of the fringe players are having the opportunity to have a real hit out and prove their worth due to the current arrangements. These scratch matches are the old ‘dancing with your sister’ analogy that Pagan used to refer to. Bloody hard gig trying to stake your claim these day......

(Wouldn’t mind seeing what Cotrell has to offer.....)

Cotrell seems like a bit of a mad bagger based on the video on the website. He is seen leading a chant just before the 2s run out for a scratch match, reminds me of Robbo.

[Baggers]

Honey is more like Gary Rohan but not as quick....will play a quarter then go missing, can do the big mark, big tackle, kick the big goal but will frustrate many with his inconsistency and laconic approach.
I'm a fan of his ability but he is going to polarize fans big time...

Honey sounds like the perfect replacement for Cuningham... does good things and goes missing - like for like!!

In all seriousness you'd expect Zachery to get the nod if he's had sufficient training. And Brackets (if he comes up) for Moore. I'd like to see Philp again and Murphy rested but that won't happen.

[crashlander]

Who comes in for Cunningham, who's out for 2 weeks with a calf strain.

Honey or Fisher. Honey sounds a similar type.

Lot of talent in the Honey family. Father a Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, mother a national netball Diamond, sister a Melbourne Vixen, uncle an Olympic silver medalist behind Carl Lewis and a 2 times Commonwealth Games gold medalist. So if bloodlines count for anything.....

I'd be very tempted to give Honey a go. He isn't huge, but he is fast and aggressive. He doesn't take backwards steps.

[Gointocarlton]

Wish I could find the article from last Friday calling us the 'Jekyll & Hyde' of the AFL... within games! And the author of the article correctly predicted that it would be an issue against the Dawks.

It was the McGuane article in the HS, I posted it:

https://www.carltonsc.com/index.php?topi...#msg308012

[Gointocarlton]

Here's another article Baggers, warning this one contains footage of our captains that may offend.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-202...WC8DcOCBGo

[kruddler]

Cotrell seems like a bit of a mad bagger based on the video on the website. He is seen leading a chant just before the 2s run out for a scratch match, reminds me of Robbo.

I thought similar re Cottrel being like Robbo

I'd be giving him a game over Philp. But i'd be giving Fisher a game over either of them first.

[Gointocarlton]

I thought similar re Cottrel being like Robbo

I'd be giving him a game over Philp. But i'd be giving Fisher a game over either of them first.

Im abit over Fisher, like many younger ones on our list he provides too little too often. I would rather see something we haven't seen yet (if form warrants it).

[LP]

I thought similar re Cottrel being like Robbo

I'd be giving him a game over Philp. But i'd be giving Fisher a game over either of them first.

Cottrel is a better footballer than people realise, but he's a meat and potatoes type, I suppose because they don't see much VFL they haven't given him any credit, but he reminds me a bit of the Filth's Nick Maxwell, I've seen Cottrel do a few Ken Hunter type things in VFL putting his body on the line, but that's VFL. Maybe he is one of these guys like Duigan or Armfield, who'll never be a star but just come in week after week and get a job done. and provide some team ethic.

I hope he get's an opportunity soon, I'm keen to see if he can go up a level and find a way to be competitive. He could easily go the other way and end up a chook runner! Plus Cottrel's disposal is a bit weak, but I wouldn't say he is any worse than some already in the team.

It's a bit sad that coaches seem unable to get over the athleticism, size and strength aspects, you'd think in particular our coaches would have learned from Gibbons it's not always about the measurements you can make.