AFL Rd 18 2024 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Western Bulldogs

[Gointocarlton]

So even before we've played them once you declare us superior!

Yes, pre-game I'd guess most supporters and pundits would have had us down for a win (coming off allowing an 80 odd point turnaround last week and "doing the right thing" for the Captain in his 200th. Milestone games normally mean jack shit to me but this one was different. He has stuck fat with what was an abomination of a club for most of his football life and we dish that up against the side who was 10th or 11th before the game? Unacceptable no matter how you stir it (site unseen or not). I get Voss's long view thing but there are signs there that aren't good for a team that is 2nd and supposedly now a contender.
The coming weeks will be very interesting (sight unseen).

[Mantis]

Things are not looking good at the moment. We could easily lose our next 3 out of four games. What has gone wrong recently? Have we been punching above our weight? We are not a real contender if we can’t beat GWS or the Bulldogs. I hope we are not just making up the numbers in the top 8. We have just exposed the fact that we are not a real threat. A very, very disappointing result. I didn’t watch the game to give a true evaluation, but I prefer that over watching what should have been an comfortable win. Very weak and poor result. Forget a flag this year with this application from the playing group.

[Gointocarlton]

Things are not looking good at the moment. We could easily lose our next 3 out of four games. What has gone wrong recently? Have we been punching above our weight? We are not a real contender if we can’t beat GWS or the Bulldogs. I hope we are not just making up the numbers in the top 8. We have just exposed the fact that we are not a real threat. A very, very disappointing result. I didn’t watch the game to give a true evaluation, but I prefer that over watching what should have been an comfortable win. Very weak and poor result. Forget a flag this year with this application from the playing group.

100% agree with this. Club and supporter base got given a reality check in the last two weeks. Lets see where to from here. As Lods pointed out there are elements of our game creeping in that dont add up to tough, hard, ruthless finals type footy. We normally respond/correct well but this week we did not.

[kruddler]

We've copped 100 points against two weeks running.  That's not a ruck problem that's a system problem.

System not hamstring by rucks.  Weitering needs help, Newman is getting attention and not chopping things off like he did, Kemp is man minding marchbank is a shadow, cowans opponents are getting loose and saad is not accountable.

What we need is another tall who is that dour type who just gets the job done and doesn't need to be a world beater just defensively dour.  Will aid weitering to get back to chopping the play off because our opposition stopped him by blocking his run at the ball drop and the umps let it go all day. .

Don't get me wrong, there are.multiple problems.
I've been on about an extra kpd for longer than I've been on this ruck debate.
Imo that goes without saying but it's something that is out of our control because we don't have one on our list.

[kruddler]

There are consistent calls for Cuningham to be brought into the side when fit.  But wouldn't he be in the same league as Fantasia?

He has shown that he has the skills to succeed but has he ever put in four quarters ?  My impression is that he has never given us more than one or two quarters in a game before disappearing, and that is what caused him to be dropped prior to getting his current injury.

Best game cunners played was a couple years ago right before he got injured. Got 28 touches  against the bombers....got 3 brownlow votes.
Next year against them he had 25 and kicked 2.
He averages 13 touches a game over the same period Fantasia has mixed out at 13.

Fantasia best game was when he got 13 touches and kicked 4 goals recently. 2 of them were gimmies he didn't earn, but so be it.
Apart from that you have to OK back to 2021 to see the same amount of goals or possessions in a game from him. 2021!

Cunners when used to run through the middle gives you midfield numbers. When solely up forward he gives you Fantasia numbers.

Cunners is entering his prime. Fantasia is past it.

[IvanAwfulbigone]

With about a minute to go one of the commentators said, “it’s been a very even performance by the Bulldogs”.
Also, when the siren went: “We’ve been hearing all week that the key message from Beveridge has been “desperation””.

And there you have it my friends.

Out coached.
Out evened-ed.
Out desperated.

[BluePhantom]

We seem to be off the pace a little bit, that might be because of what was said earlier a health issue running through the club or it might be the training load has increased and will be backed off as we approach the finals.
What ever it is you can see that the extra 1%ers are not being done, playing as a team and doing your role seems to have faded.
Doing extra, running harder when we don't have the ball, having 2nd efforts(Charlie).
Just on Charlie, as good as he is, how a guy that big is continually outbodied in marking contests puzzles me. Outmarked way too often, at least bring the ball to ground and them make an effort to go after it. I would like to see him go on the ball for short burst ala Kouta style. All that talent and he just sits in the goals, if anything it would shake up all the matchups.
Umpiring too is a shambles,  it seems one rule for them and a different rule for us. This is not a random comment from this game but an observation of many years of frustration, even oppo supporters always comment we are being hard done by the umps.
Could Ashton Moir come in for Williams while he is injured or is he not ready?

Lastly, can ALL the players stop reading their press, at the moment you have acheived all of double sweet FA. Remain the Hunter.

[Thryleon]

Vfl side on TV at 12.00pm

I've edited this I originally had 2 pm and fluffed my numbers. 

[Baggers]

There are consistent calls for Cuningham to be brought into the side when fit.  But wouldn't he be in the same league as Fantasia?

He has shown that he has the skills to succeed but has he ever put in four quarters ?  My impression is that he has never given us more than one or two quarters in a game before disappearing, and that is what caused him to be dropped prior to getting his current injury.

Good observation. The Cameo Kid we called him in the past.
However, in a recent VFL game he laid ten tackles... seems the club knows he has to be given a task that keeps him engaged in the game with an emphasis on getting in and dirty - defensive mindset. Be interesting to see how he goes in today's VFL game... opportunity is knocking, Cunners.

[Baggers]

Vfl side on TV at 2.00pm

I thought it was midday?