AFL Rd 18 2023 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Port Adelaide

[Gointocarlton]

It's a heck of a lot easier to plan on how you replace injured players when you know a week in advance. Whole different ballgame when you need to cover one of your gun early in the match! Well done match committee! Cripps and Curnow? No one wanted the ball or the win more than Cripps after half time and Curnow's role changed as soon as Harry went off and I thought he was great!! We are officially a 'team first' group of players!!

When Harry went down, I thought we looked a little short all of a sudden. I thought Young would have been a better sub to add height and positional cover. Im glad I was a wrong, the adjustments made by the coaches and players was first rate.
PS What a difference waking up to 4 wins in a row makes.

[PaulP]

I listened to the game on the radio. Cornes provided "expert" commentary. He sounded like he was coaching Port earlier on.........................

I also listened to the radio, but I always listen  to the ABC call. Cornes is far too ubiquitous for my tastes.

[DJC]

Nor in a brace. Some bloke on BF who apparently get the good oil reckons its an ACL, from the vision of the incident, watching him walk around and Vossy's comments I would doubt it. Fingers crossed for H.

My daughter was walking normally almost immediately after she did her ACL.  So much so that it wasn’t diagnosed for a couple of weeks.  On the other hand, my brother couldn’t walk when he did his ACL.  It largely depends on how much other damage the knee suffers.

Harry’s knee didn’t appear to hyper-extend and, like the commentators, I thought he’d done an ankle.  Bottom line is that we won’t know until after the scan.

?that it’s not too bad.

[Lods]

Anyone still think we are better off with 2 rucks?
Jack playing the 2nd ruck role, and key forward role, all in one.
Didn't even look fatigued like some suggested while being asked to play ruck.

Give that man a new contract already.

We probably have to be a little careful that we don't look at periods in isolation.
Otherwise.. we're currently second favourites for the flag.  

Jack was stuffed at the end of last season.
He started this year in indifferent form and the suggestion from some, was that he needed some time in the VFL to recharge.
Well that happened.
It may have been a longer stint if not for the injuries to Pittonet and TDK

There were some interesting comments by Brereton at the time, some of which in hindsight, look to be a bit wide of the mark, but also give a bit of an explanation of a 'point in time' and the effect of the different ruck combinations.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/c...588db639c2

So Jack's come back and he looks in real good touch....the test will be how he looks at the end of the year.
Has the addition of a couple of forwards also taken a bit of pressure off Jack, taken a bit of the burden, and allowed him a bit more freedom when resting forward?
The team is playing as a unit rather than a group of individuals.

What about the ruck situation going forward?
At the momement I suspect folks are more then happy with the TDK/Silvagni combination.
It's the best we've looked since the middle of last year....perhaps even better.

What happens when Pittonet is fit again?
Tom had the highest number of hitouts for both sides yesterday (we'll wait for the HTA's) but he was getting his hands on it, and his work around the grounds wasn't too bad with 13 disposals and seven score involvements. Hard to drop him on that form.

Do you go with the Pittonet/ TDK, TDK/ Jack or Pitto/Jack?
Well the question may have been answered with the injury to McKay.
Hopefully it's not season ending but he looks like he may miss weeks.
If that's the case....no problem.
They all play.

[DJC]

Anyone still think we are better off with 2 rucks?
Jack playing the 2nd ruck role, and key forward role, all in one.
Didn't even look fatigued like some suggested while being asked to play ruck.

Give that man a new contract already.

Two rucks every time, provided they can do more than take part in ruck contests.

Anyone still think that Pittonet should be selected ahead of de Koning?

That was a great display of forward craft by Silvagni, initially as third tall and then as KPF.  In fact our forward has been functioning well and adapted to the loss of Harry without missing a beat.  The addition of Martin, Cuningham and Fogarty has helped but Ash Hansen deserves credit.

[Baggers]

Four games in a row of not just wins, but wins full of authority. With 23 blokes on the paddock who know exactly what to do, and do it. Together.

Have no doubt Port came to win. The time they put into our key mids was obvious.

Absolutely rapt with (apart from an emphatic win against strong top side in great form):
*JSOS. Proved many of us wrong. Googie on faces. Now to keep it up.
*When port threw everything at us in the 3rd, we responded extremely well - no folding under bona fide opposition sustained heat and pressure. No 'same old, same old' from us. Fkn brilliant.
*Small and medium forwards doing untold damage. Deep delivery into the forward line.
*Nick Newman.
*We continue to be the hunters, regardless. Which has resulted in us putting our collective feet on the throats of the opposition.

Concerns:
*H knee.
*Saady (achilles?).

Bravo, CFC. Now bring this and more against the Weagles. Ignore their ladder position.

[LoveNavy]

I'm no medico, but was Harry NOT on crutches after the match, a positive sign?

I noticed during the song his knee was bandaged. Unlike MK last week, who was in a brace. I'm no medic either but didn’t think it looked severe at the time. Let's hope it's minor ?

[shawny]

Any doubts on what TDK offers compared to Pit are now put to bed for good.

TDKs  work around the ground and general contribution is not even worth to debating against what Pit offers.

The thing is what we do if TDK does leave as we will then need a first ruck that can contribute around the ground otherwise I prefer to run without a main ruck and go mobile like we did the previous few weeks.

[LoveNavy]

Replay is up on AFL site
Cosy Sunday binge watching anyone?
Enjoy Baggers

[Wet Willie]

I noticed during the song his knee was bandaged. Unlike MK last week, who was in a brace. I'm no medic either but didn’t think it looked severe at the time. Let's hope it's minor ?

When you do an ACL, you can still walk in a straight line.  It's moving sideways is the problem.  I thought it looked like the knee was stiffening up as he walked across the ground.  We will only know after the scan tomorrow.