2024 Practice Match Carlton vs Melbourne

[cookie2]

In short,  I know it was only a practice game but a disappointing scoreline nevertheless. Hopefully we got something positive out of it.

[LP]

Who was the genius that gave Pittonet a four year deal

Give Pitto time, he was in need of a hit out having missed a lot of footy.

As I've said before, Pitto's worth is measured in combination with TDK, they come good and when they do it'll hurt opposition.

If there was anything to take out of yesterday, it was that BigH is not a ruck, not a 2nd ruck, and given how good he looked inside F50 I'm gobsmacked we risk him in that role.

[LP]

Looked a bit proppy at the end of the game.
That's going to be the issue....but we knew that.

Yep, ignoring the hype it was clear even before we got him that Fantasia is a 1/2-season type now, not a 24x7 grunt.

[LP]

In short,  I know it was only a practice game but a disappointing scoreline nevertheless. Hopefully we got something positive out of it.

I thought there were plenty of good moments against an opponent that was more heavily motivated due to past indiscretions, while we mostly looked like we were going through the motions, but in little moments we did some stuff that they couldn't prevent.

My biggest concern is the ruck rule, it's basically erasing the advantage we hold over a solo Gawn. Now Gawn and other heavyweight giants can basically prop under the footy preventing opponent access, and in the process stopping players like TDK or Pitto getting involved around the stoppage zone. Later in the game when Gawn rested, the Dees smaller bodied relief ruck couldn't stop TDK getting mobile and involved. So I think after that rule change the AFL have a new problem coming, and it'll be in the grey area they have made around rucks blocking at stoppages. It was bad enough against Gawn, it'll be worse against Nankervis, McInerney, Goldstein, etc., etc..

[kruddler]

Did you watch all of the game? I was very impressed by Boyd and can now see clearly why Voss rates this kid so highly.

Can roost it 60 metres to a target lowered his eyes and spotted a leading forward 2-3 times and snagged a nice goal from a tight angle.

Has'nt even played 10 matches and some on here wrote him off after 2 games!

Thses are the games that Boyd looks a million bucks. Low pressure games.

The games that 'he lost me' was when he kept folding under pressure and his 'elite kicking' went out the window.

If he can play the same way under pressure, i've got no qualms in him getting a game.
Not many players have been able to come back from 'deer in headlights' games to genuine AFL players though, so good luck to him if he can.

[DJC]

Did you watch all of the game? I was very impressed by Boyd and can now see clearly why Voss rates this kid so highly.

Can roost it 60 metres to a target lowered his eyes and spotted a leading forward 2-3 times and snagged a nice goal from a tight angle.

Has'nt even played 10 matches and some on here wrote him off after 2 games!

Boydy makes a few blues, but he's not Robinson Crusoe there!

He works his butt off, has a bit of attitude and generally hits his targets.  Winning that free in the forward pocket and nailing the goal was reward for effort.

I didn't have him in my best 22 but EB reminded me of the job he did on Bailey in the prelim.  There's definitely room for improvement but, on form, he plays against Brisbane in Opening Round.

[LP]

Thses are the games that Boyd looks a million bucks. Low pressure games.

The games that 'he lost me' was when he kept folding under pressure and his 'elite kicking' went out the window.

Personally, I thought in the PF he was one of the few who stood up under the Lion's pressure.

To me that is a bigger tell than all the other games combined.

[DJC]

Give Pitto time, he was in need of a hit out having missed a lot of footy.

As I've said before, Pitto's worth is measured in combination with TDK, they come good and when they do it'll hurt opposition.

If there was anything to take out of yesterday, it was that BigH is not a ruck, not a 2nd ruck, and given how good he looked inside F50 I'm gobsmacked we risk him in that role.

We did come up against one of the best rucks in the comp and in fine form.  Pitto simply couldn't keep up with Gawn and was out-muscled, out-jumped and out-thought by the big man.  De Koning did a lot better and was able to use his athleticism and mobility to put a very slight dent in Gawn's dominance. 

There was one ruck free kick in which, of the three people directly involved, only one saw it as a free to Gawn.  Both Pitto and Gawn reacted as if it was a free to Pitto.  Apart from that, the "straight arm" rule did not come into play.  Gawn dominated because of his size, athleticism and ruck ability.

Harry McKay was excellent as second ruck and I though he was our best player by some margin.

Plan A might be Pitto and De Koning in tandem, but I think Plan B - De Koning with Harry as back up ruck - is gaining momentum.

Goodwin wanted to rest Gawn but had to put him back on in the last quarter when Tom and Harry were having their way with Verrall, Schache and van Rooyen.

[Lods]

Just had another look at the play that ended up with Boyd's goal.
Cheeky bugger put one over on the umpire,
Pulled the ball back under the Demon player
Apart from that he also set up a couple of goals with good passes.

Check out the "deer in the headlights". )  )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfRka0Wh99g

[LP]

Harry McKay was excellent as second ruck and I though he was our best player by some margin.

I thought in the ruck BigH was average except when he was up against the other dud ruck who's name I can't remember, away from the ruck he was probably BoG.

Even so, I can't accept the risk that comes with rucking him, I get tall KPF's can ruck, but like Salmon, Rocca and others, you do it at the end of their career after they are bruised and busted. Not when they are at their potential KPF peak.

When we saw BigH run past Charlie and an assortment of Dees defenders to collect the ground level footy on the run and slot the easy goal, (was that the Boyd kick?) that is a tell, and it should have signalled the end of his ruck ambitions. Ruck BigH for too much or too often, or against the wrong opponent like Nankervis (aka The Butcher), and you'll never see that happen again.