Pre game Banter: AFL 2020 Rd 14: Carlton vs Collingwood

[ElwoodBlues1]

If not for the slippery pill last Friday Betts would have had about 5 or 6 shots at goal from inside F50, that's pretty good form for a small forward, the hardest part of the gig is finding space and he found plenty.

If not for the Tattslotto machine throwing out the wrong ping pong balls last Saturday night I could have had 5-6 numbers...?
Marc Murphy as an older player didnt seem to have much trouble handling the ball....

[LP]

If not for the Tattslotto machine throwing out the wrong ping pong balls last Saturday night I could have had 5-6 numbers...?
Marc Murphy as an older player didnt seem to have much trouble handling the ball....

True, but you can't ignore that Betts had the ball in his arms on the full inside F50 multiple times, and in conditions that did not really suit him.

If there is a criticism it can't be that his good form isn't good enough, but that it not consistent. Even so it's hard to argue that he isn't bringing something to the team, and I say that as a very early critic of his recruitment.

Betts deserves credit where credit is due, he has been better than I expected!

[northernblue]

True, but you can't ignore that Betts had the ball in his arms on the full inside F50 multiple times, and in conditions that did not really suit him.

If there is a criticism it can't be that his good form isn't good enough, but that it not consistent. Even so it's hard to argue that he isn't bringing something to the team, and I say that as a very early critic of his recruitment.

Betts deserves credit where credit is due, he has been better than I expected!

If the conditions on Friday didn’t suit Eddie then just who did they suit ?

Friday Eddie looked like his reflexes had slipped and it surprised him, I don’t want to pension him off early but time waits for no man !
He hasn’t had much return for effort over the past few weeks, but started the season brilliantly.
He’ll play out the season before a judgement is made imho.

[LP]

If the conditions on Friday didn’t suit Eddie then just who did they suit ?

Friday Eddie looked like his reflexes had slipped and it surprised him, I don’t want to pension him off early but time waits for no man !
He hasn’t had much return for effort over the past few weeks, but started the season brilliantly.
He’ll play out the season before a judgement is made imho.

He bamboozled a bunch of 20 year olds on the boundary line multiple times, and looked as agile as ever.

I feel dropping a few marks in greasy conditions isn't a reason to blame him for the world of unrelated sins, so I do not think too much can be read into it!

McKay has hands like a couple of bobcat buckets and twice the ball flew straight through barely hindered by his presence!

[Gointocarlton]

Some of the negativity towards Eddie is a bit strange.  I reckon we have improved this year due a lot to the following:
- A stable back 6 led by Doc. Yes JW is having an outstanding year but don't underestimate Doc's impact from a structures and coaching point of view.
- Rucks giving a decent contest.
- Mids helping Cripps with some heavy lifting.
- Eddie marshalling the troops in the fwd line. You can see he is constantly directing them where to go, how to position themselves. At times it has looked shambolic but it is starting to really Gel and I reckon he has had abit to do with it.

[townsendcalling]

Eddie still demands that an opposition player sits on him and not wander off him to create havoc elsewhere. 

[DJC]

Some of the negativity towards Eddie is a bit strange.  I reckon we have improved this year due a lot to the following:
- A stable back 6 led by Doc. Yes JW is having an outstanding year but don't underestimate Doc's impact from a structures and coaching point of view.
- Rucks giving a decent contest.
- Mids helping Cripps with some heavy lifting.
- Eddie marshalling the troops in the fwd line. You can see he is constantly directing them where to go, how to position themselves. At times it has looked shambolic but it is starting to really Gel and I reckon he has had abit to do with it.

I reckon that he loss of Eddie’s leadership in the forward line was a major factor in our drop down the ladder.

The other thing about Eddie is his amazing ability to identify a target inside 50 and deliver the ball to that target.  I expect us to score virtually every time Eddie gets the ball in his hands.  He is also highly respected by the opposition and always gets one of the better defenders, and that helps Gibbons, Fisher, etc.

[ElwoodBlues1]

We needed a Charlie Cameron as an understudy for Eddie and that's where the mistake has been made imo.
Gibbons isn't that player and either is Martin who is already an experienced player.
We needed that Cameron/Mosquito type for Eddie to train up.

[enz]

We needed a Charlie Cameron as an understudy for Eddie and that's where the mistake has been made imo.
Gibbons isn't that player and either is Martin who is already an experienced player.
We needed that Cameron/Mosquito type for Eddie to train up.

Kysiah Pickett unless Papley is coming end of the season.

[LP]

Kysiah Pickett unless Papley is coming end of the season.

I see Papley as more of being in a Gibbons type Mid/Forward role rather than permanent SF.

I believe the club has asked Fisher to concentrate on becoming the best SF he can be, and he is not so happy about it.

Owies could well be Betts understudy, he looks to be an elite finisher and he has the pace to breakaway and the jump to take marks on the lead!

I'd like to see all our SFs make a concerted effort to develop their other foot, we have too many one-sided SFs. Even McKay for that matter, he missed a goal on Friday because he couldn't even kick 5m with his right boot, at AFL level that is inexcusable!