AFL Rd 21 2024 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs Collingwood

[pinot]

Always gotta blame the small forwards after every loss.

They had no impact so yeah. Need to do better - pressure count was too low.

[madbluboy]

St Kilda champion Leigh Montagna highlighted how their defence is also letting them down in recent times.

“If they don’t defend like a premiership team and have that premiership level commitment, they are not going to win it this year,” he began.

“I want to look at these defenders individually because I think that’s what it is, as a system, they defend pretty well, but when they have to defend one-on-one, they really struggle.”

Weitering is statistically the best one-on-one defender in the competition at the moment, losing just 7.5% of his battles, but the rest of his teammates, lose 31.7% of one-on-ones, ranked second last across the competition.

“This is why they can’t defend from clearance, clearance you have to defend one on one and beat your man,” Montagna said.

He believes that Brodie Kemp is “undersized and doesn’t get it done”, while also spotlighting Mitch McGovern and Adam Saad’s flaws.

“Mitch McGovern has some flaws, he can get completely beaten defensively… that’s amateur-ish ability to defend,” Montagna said in relation to a clip where McGovern is totally lost in a marking contest.

“Saad can do some really good things but he’s a ball-watcher, it’s been his issue the whole time but generally he makes up for it with speed.

“For Carlton to go to the next level, they have to continue to work on their ability to defend and I think it’s on the individuals to improve their defensive craft, they need to take it to another level if they want to be getting to Grand Final day.”

There’s certainly time for the Blues to rectify this.

They face an out-of-form Collingwood in an MCG blockbuster on Saturday night, before taking on Hawthorn, West Coast and St Kilda in the run home.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Pendlebury extended for another year at the Pies......reckon Sidebottom may not be so lucky.

[PaulP]

Liam Jones would certainly be handy to partner with Weitering. Shame about his misguided vaccine phobia, but anyway......

[ElwoodBlues1]

St Kilda champion Leigh Montagna highlighted how their defence is also letting them down in recent times.

“If they don’t defend like a premiership team and have that premiership level commitment, they are not going to win it this year,” he began.

“I want to look at these defenders individually because I think that’s what it is, as a system, they defend pretty well, but when they have to defend one-on-one, they really struggle.”

Weitering is statistically the best one-on-one defender in the competition at the moment, losing just 7.5% of his battles, but the rest of his teammates, lose 31.7% of one-on-ones, ranked second last across the competition.

“This is why they can’t defend from clearance, clearance you have to defend one on one and beat your man,” Montagna said.

He believes that Brodie Kemp is “undersized and doesn’t get it done”, while also spotlighting Mitch McGovern and Adam Saad’s flaws.

“Mitch McGovern has some flaws, he can get completely beaten defensively… that’s amateur-ish ability to defend,” Montagna said in relation to a clip where McGovern is totally lost in a marking contest.

“Saad can do some really good things but he’s a ball-watcher, it’s been his issue the whole time but generally he makes up for it with speed.

“For Carlton to go to the next level, they have to continue to work on their ability to defend and I think it’s on the individuals to improve their defensive craft, they need to take it to another level if they want to be getting to Grand Final day.”

There’s certainly time for the Blues to rectify this.

They face an out-of-form Collingwood in an MCG blockbuster on Saturday night, before taking on Hawthorn, West Coast and St Kilda in the run home.

A Fair summary from Montagna imho..

[Professer E]

Cowan defends first as a priority, pretty physically at times too.  I think we're asking too much of Kemp, he's lost track of when he needs to play off (intercept) vs.  hard defence.  That causes him to make mistakes.... I think he's more than capable but he needs to be "re set" mentally.  Heck, he's really on played what, 25 games?
Some hard running back into D50 from our wingers would help too. Ollie does this but Acres and Cottrell have been poor in this area recently.  Lack of recent continuity?

[Adelaideblue]

1.Perhaps just a few incidents, but Cottrell seems to be waiting for ball to pop out rather than going in and taking the hard ball.

2. Would have thought rewarding consistent performances in the seconds is the basis for most strong AFL clubs. 
Will Binns make it at AFL level?  Who knows but he has certainly earned a good try out in the main game.( IMO). 

Not much future for us just rewarding the Cunningham's, Martin's etc just on their past performances, when they are not providing strong performances at VFL level.

Ab

ps. would have been a courageous call to play Harry Lemmey at CHF last Friday instead of backman/ruckman Young, but at least Harry has the "potential" to be a key forward. 

[ElwoodBlues1]

Kemp is the fall guy and gets big jobs on opposition star players usually bigger than himself but when he fails he gets dropped.
He is a 3rd tall intercept defender not a KP  defender and not a lockdown type.
All these these defensive issues centre around not having a true CHB with good size who can mind the taller physical types.

[Professer E]

The lad on the rookie list EB might be a shy a few CMS but could be the defender we need EB.  A least has the mindset to play the role and grew up playing across half back, not a converted forward

[ElwoodBlues1]

The lad on the rookie list EB might be a shy a few CMS but could be the defender we need EB.  A least has the mindset to play the role and grew up playing across half back, not a converted forward

Is that Akuei Prof ?.....been an improver this second half of the season but still a bit under developed imho.
194cm is ok if you are 100kg and play like May of Melbourne but Akuei is again more than intercept rebounder type and we have a logjam of those type.
I'd be more inclined to try Lemmey at CHB who is 201cm and has played  a few of the KP spots at both ends for West Adelaide in the SANFL seniors and twos and who I thought looked good when I saw him there in the VFL for a few games.
You also get the added bonus of him being able to ruck as well in emergencies and I think there is plenty of upside and reward to his game. Id still persist with Akuei but probably as a VFL listed player....