AFL Rd 1 2023 In Game Angst Carlton vs Richmond

[Macca37]

We are dreaming if we expect to make the final 4 with a pretend full forward.  Harry the heartbreaker has been playing with us since 2016 and tonight showed that he still does not know how to kick for goal. 

Contrast his 2 set shots for goal in the third quarter with Lynch's.  One a match killer, the latter a match winner.

[northernblue]

We are dreaming if we expect to make the final 4 with a pretend full forward.  Harry the heartbreaker has been playing with us since 2016 and tonight showed that he still does not know how to kick for goal. 

Contrast his 2 set shots for goal in the third quarter with Lynch's.  One a match killer, the latter a match winner.

??

[Gointocarlton]

Positives.
- I thought TDK did better than I expected him to.
- Charlie and BigH got plenty of first hands to the footy, just couldn't hold many.
- Hollands is a keeper, not too bad for a first game in that environment.
- Cowans got plenty of footy, but needs a bit more composure and awareness, great experience for him.

Negatives.
- Skills across the board were pretty poor, I just don't understand how professionals get to this point after a whole pre-season and can't complete simple skills.
- Game plan exiting D50, what game plan!
- Midfield was soundly defeated.
- Lots of players looked rusty, or perhaps are carry injuries.
- Acres was a bit underwhelming, I expected more from him but I was more impressed by Hollands.

Just on the exits from D50, being at the ground I really noted how effective Richmond were at blocking the avenues out of our defence. I'd have to watch it again but us streaming through the middle in particular looked like a rarity. The game was played mostly on the interchange bench side of the ground.

[Gointocarlton]

We are dreaming if we expect to make the final 4 with a pretend full forward.  Harry the heartbreaker has been playing with us since 2016 and tonight showed that he still does not know how to kick for goal. 

Contrast his 2 set shots for goal in the third quarter with Lynch's.  One a match killer, the latter a match winner.

Whilst he he won't be happy with his game, its round 1, give them a chance.
Lynch was soundly beaten for 90% of the night but yes he did better with the opportunities presented. One frustrating thing for me with H is his immediate desire to wield around onto his left and play on (not talking about his set shot routine, just in general play up the ground). It might be on instruction to move the ball quickly but it seems a bit hit and miss. At the start of the game, we often moved it slowly and precisely with short kicks (like the Swans did in our praccy match). We mixed it up. I thought this strategy went almost out the window as the game wore on.

[LP]

My voice is gone. Worst umpiring I have seen in a while.

Because there is now four umpires I suspect the AFL has directed them to lay off the whistle so that it doesn't become a free kick fest.

But the same old problem remains, it's not the number of decisions, it's the variability in them that kills the game. For example, the holding on to Charlie all night, and yet in his contests I think he was pinged twice for holding the defender, yet as far as I know he did not receive a free for the same thing happening to him, you know it to be bad when BT starts highlighting a Carlton player as "A bit unlucky!"

The small Nthmond players continue to tunnel opponents, or throw their bodies at players well off the fall of the ball, yet almost none are penalised, is it a bizarre consequence of Dimma's continual complaining? You can see it in the Nthmond players attitude, they expect to beg and be rewarded, did you notice Dusty begging in puzzlement for being pinged for the fend off?

If TDK does what Nankervis does then TDK gets pinged for blocking, but Nankervis can charge across the centre line at the bounce and put out a straight arm or elbow free from repercussions.

Cotchin hardly had a play at the ball all night, he basically spent his time on the ground charging at opponents off the ball, yet he wasn't pinged for blocking once, at least twice Carlton players were pinged for blocking while shepherding a team-mate!

It's not the fact free are or are not awarded, it's the asymmetry.

Fans will point to Carlton getting more frees than Nthmond, but they must be reading stats and not watching the game, most of Carlton's frees last night came from successful tackles, pegging opponents with the footy, which is a huge plus for us.

I don't get why Cripps isn't protected to the same level as other players, he get's his head ripped off multiple times a match and is never given a free. It's like he is being penalised for being too strong to tackle, they try to tackle him, he shrugs it off and the tackle slips high, but he gets no reward. In the meantime, Dusty pokes another player in the throat and gets offended when once out of every 3 or 4 times he gets penalised!

[Thryleon]

There was a really bad one.  Unrealistic attempt to take a mark, that a Richmond Defender jumped knee in back, didnt even make contact, and play on was the call.

Happened on the wing in front of me in the 3rd quarter.

Then you see Rioli get the softest holding free kick in the history of holding in the first quarter, and charlie has a bloke on his back, arms around his waist, and somehow cant buy a free. 

Only block payed all night was against a Carlton player, who fair play to Moo mistimed his bump, but its a bump in play and not an illegal hold.

[LP]

There was a really bad one.  Unrealistic attempt to take a mark, that a Richmond Defender jumped knee in back, didnt even make contact, and play on was the call.

The Nthmond smalls and mediums did stuff like this all night penalty free, it's purely because whingers are winners, ask Dimma.

We are idiots to think AFL is a level playing field and that you can succeed by playing fair. FFS, Cook must know this better than just about anybody else at our club!