Rd 4: Post Game Pain: Carlton vs. Western Bulldogs

[crashlander]

Second half of the first quarter and most of the last  were acceptable. The young 'uns were good.

We're such an easy side to coach against - shut down Cripps and double team Levi and our poor disposal and decision-making will do the rest.

Buckley's a worry in terms of where to play him. Is it good enough to hold down a position if your main role is merely to "harass"?

Lots of love for Graham after he took it up to a few of the bullies after Sumner was poleaxed.

This is another area where a few more kgs of muscle would help Graham. He is not a guy to put up with crap, so having a few more muscles to impose his will on the enemy would be a good thing.

[crashlander]

Certainly didn't help our (at times) good endeavor. Was 24 to 5 at one point >

We were basically crucified by the umpires. After the game I heard Terry Wallet pontificating, explaining that free kicks need not be the same for both sides. His explanation would be fine had they umpires not paid so many 50:50 frees against and then not paid some of the most obvious frees in history to us. Yes, they were getting to the ball first and probably deserved more frees, but that does not mean that we do not have backs that are pushed, heads that have been interfered with, arms that have been chopped, marks that have been taken or holding the balls that should be rewarded. We were not rewarded for our work, and a few of those frees that were given (like the one against Rowe) should earn all 3 umpires several weeks in deepest, darkest Qld or Tassie.

[cookie2]

@ Crash

As they say in the classics, "We were crucified Tony!"

[PassIt2Carrots]

The game of AFL dictates that it is not possible for a team to play 53 minutes without being infringed upon once.

[crashlander]

No.

Buckley is better suited as a running defender - Sumner showed much more defensive and physical pressure than Buckley and kicked a couple of goals too.

I am more than inclined to agree. Buckley has played his best football in defence. He had to concentrate on his game more and his pace from defence was very useful.
For all that, he started very well and had some good patches. But that dropped mark was lethal.

[cookie2]

The game of AFL dictates that it is not possible for a team to play 53 minutes without being infringed upon once.

But as the Little Golden Book of AFL umpiring dictates - unless your name is Carlton.

[crashlander]

Daisy should be benched permanently. He's old
Injured and ineffectual - he's broken and there's just no point in him continuing in the side, he adds nothing.

NFI what is going on with murph and kruezer and Gibbs Altho I note his hair has grown.

I highly doubt they've been told to take a backseat - I can't imagine any real athlete/competitor going along with those types of instructions.

I think K will come good, daisy should retire, I hope
Murph comes good and Gibbs will either come good or move on end of season.

Unfortunately the recruiting of Dale Thomas is going to go down as one of the worst decisions of the Malthouse administration. Not only did it cost a lot of money over an extended time period, but it had to have an effect on retaining (more accurately, the no - retaining) of Betts.
Thomas has been an excellent player, but his body is no longer allowing him to do the things that made him such a good player. He is fragile. He breaks very easily (in that regard he has taken the mantle from Broke McLean).
His pace, his aggression at the contest, his spring and solid hands and the depth of this kicking have all disappeared. He has shown some of the indomitable will (like the smother against the Weagles last year), but he just doesn't get to the contests any more.
He has to be thinking of retirement. He is a proud man: he cannot be liking what he is producing any more than we can like seeing it.
At this point he id not being able to deliver enough with any consistency. It must gall him at least as much as it galls us.
With his body no longer being reliable, he has to be considering his future.

[cookie2]

@ Crash

I think you're right about Daisy and it wouldn't surprise me to see him retire - with probably some kind of inducement offered by the club.

[crashlander]

Not enough said about how consistent the doc is.

In a defense lacking key personnel he never drops his head and rarely gets beaten.

Reminds me a lot of Andy McKay.

I think he could get a AA selection this year.

When he started with us he was anything but consistent, and his kicking was very unreliable. He has had 4 straight good games this year and is suiting our new structure very well. He has been an excellent pick-up.

[crashlander]

I seem to recall reading somewhere beforehand that Stringer would kick 12......

Stringer got moved off Plowman because Plowman was taking him to the cleaners in the air and on the ground. He did adequately in the midfield, but even then we managed to curtail his influence. He got some ball in the end - how could he not when the Dogs play ring and ring a rosy with the handballs? However, very few players had less influence on the result.