AFL Rd 6 2023 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs St. Kilda

[LP]

Kemp doesn't lack aggression, Spotted One.

Yes I understand, yet there something holding him back, he has everything including the tricks needed for AFL, but he has become a puzzle.

While fans bitch and moan about Setterfield, Stocker and Plowman, I suspect Kemp or Dow might well become our next Mitch Robinson. Like Dow we've had Kemp so so long and made so little progress.

I'd assert it's this continued apparent lack of player development that holds our club back, not the draft, not the list management. We've tried lot's of combinations of coaches and specialists, and to date nothing has reliably worked, there must be a reason why, I had hoped Cook and Power might be the cure, but I'm losing confidence, all I can give them now is time!

[ElwoodBlues1]

Kemp played his best footy as an intercept defender at U18 level.
But we have been forced to find an easy position for McGovern as he failed as a forward and then keep going back to Plowman when McGovern cycles through injuries so Kemp never gets to play his preferred role.
The odd times he has played is when we have been down on numbers and we have done an Andrew Walker on him and matched him up on a gorilla KP forward and watched him struggle.
That's development Carlton style for some players...Plowman needs to be in the twos as backup only and Kemp in the ones and given a series of games.

[tonyo]

Kemp played his best footy as an intercept defender at U18 level.
But we have been forced to find an easy position for McGovern as he failed as a forward and then keep going back to Plowman when McGovern cycles through injuries so Kemp never gets to play his preferred role.
The odd times he has played is when we have been down on numbers and we have done an Andrew Walker on him and matched him up on a gorilla KP forward and watched him struggle.
That's development Carlton style for some players...Plowman needs to be in the twos as backup only and Kemp in the ones and given a series of games.

Agree 100% - Plowman's not going to get any better, while Kemp may well be an untapped star.  There's only one way to find out.

[LP]

Kemp played his best footy as an intercept defender at U18 level.

Kemp didn't gather the high draft pick attention until his last season at TAC Cup level, just before he was injured. He was moved into the midfield and dominated, before he was drafted off the back of those few stand out games he was being talked about like he could be the next Kouta, Kouta also transitioned to the midfield from the wing/flanks.

Kemp didn't get to be a high draft pick by being a vanilla HBF.

I suspect part of the reason we've constrained him to the HBF is a fear that he'll do a knee again if he is forced into positions that require lots of twisting and turning. But opposition are going to construct that scenario for him wherever he plays, if he can't be durable in the midfield we better find out now! He's playing a role in the VFL that won't exist in AFL.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Kemp didn't gather the high draft pick attention until his last season at TAC Cup level, just before he was injured. He was moved into the midfield and dominated, before he was drafted off the back of those few stand out games he was being talked about like he could be the next Kouta, Kouta also transitioned to the midfield from the wing/flanks.

Kemp didn't get to be a high draft pick by being a vanilla HBF.

Kemp wasnt vanilla as a half back he was a Jeremy Howe, Peter Motley type player who took a lot of brave marks and provided rebound.
Yep he played on the wing, midfield and was switched down forward when the team wanted a lift but I felt he was better suited down back and the Carlton coaching staff have also preferred him down back too.

[LP]

Yep he played on the wing, midfield and was switched down forward when the team wanted a lift but I felt he was better suited down back and the Carlton coaching staff have also preferred him down back too.

I've mentioned why I think that is the case, they are trying to build him not break him, but I think he could easily fill that big bodied sweeper role that we lack.

Someone who can be a handful for the Hugh Greenwood types we play against, they get it too easy against Cripps because Crippa can't escape them and also they can run off Cripps the other way, they won't be able to do that with Kemp.

I appreciate the scenario changes if Cripps, Kennedy, Cerra, Hewett, Walsh and the rucks are up and about, but they aren't all in a good form at the moment, and it's basically been Cripps and Doc holding the midfield together.

[Gointocarlton]

Funny thing is I think we have the midfield depth - I think our midfield is far better - they just havent been playing well. Our midfield is all over the shop.
Is it set up, is it form, is it instruction, are we one trick pony's in the middle and opposition has figured us out and don't have a plan B? - time will tell but they need to start improving and get back to how they were playing last year.

If we have to keep shifting midfielders to defence and SOS to the ruck, we wont win many of those games.

[Gointocarlton]

When we start making excuses for blokes and the club, K, we're in trouble. The Aints have some key personnel missing yet are sitting on top of the ladder. And you can bet they've got some blokes playing sore... as has every club.

Re JSOS. Some of us have removed the rose coloured glasses. His form this year has been spasmodic. Some of his turnovers have been howlers, handing back the aggot to the opposition. He's not holding his marks and foot disposal has been not to his usual standard. It may well be that his ideal position on the field has yet to be found. Midfielder? Defender?

I love SOS, he gives his all and leaves nothing out there, but he, like Fisher, is simply not doing enough and I think their opportunities will dry up. They need to go back to the 2s and dominate games there.

[WASurfer]

Tend to agree GTC. I know Dow is a whipping boy but he's been in form in the VFL and if there's one thing we seem to be missing in the midfield at the moment, it's some pace. This week might be a chance for him. Same with JSOS and Fisher....maybe time for the likes of Kemp, Dow, Cincotta to get a shot....obviously injuries will determine who goes out and who comes in. Would be nice to get McGovern back for this week and retain Pittonet and Saad.

[LP]

If we have to shifting midfielders to defence and SOS to the ruck, we wont win many of those games.

We can't be inventing roles just to give our favourites a run, they have to win and maintain their spot based on form.

PS: There is a big difference between having a bad week and being out of form, when the struggle is sustained it's time to review.