Rd 6: Pre Game Palaver: Carlton vs. Essendon

[ElwoodBlues1]

I suspect that Jamison will only play if he gets back in form.  At his best, he's well ahead of Rowe, Weitering and Plowman when it comes to shutting down a key forward.  However, I'm not convinced that he will be able to get back.  I hope I'm proved wrong.

Bit of a message from the coach being dropped and I reckon he may call it quits before seasons end and allow Jessie G Mac a promotion so he can have a taste of senior footy..

[Jaseace]

Bit of a message from the coach being dropped and I reckon he may call it quits before seasons end and allow Jessie G Mac a promotion so he can have a taste of senior footy..

Is G-Mac actually playing well in the VFL or are we just hopeful everything will just fall into place for him? Really hope he does become a player because that would just about set our defence for the next 15 years. Would love to get some feed back off those who have seen him play.

[LoveNavy]

I wonder if the 1st yr players like JW will need a break at some point. This could be where Jamo etc. would  be able to just walk in. Thoughts...

[townsendcalling]

Is G-Mac actually playing well in the VFL or are we just hopeful everything will just fall into place for him?

In this case we are pinning our hopes on a young kid who was overlooked by every club in the main draft last year and was grabbed in the rookie draft. Check the NB coaches notes and watch the kid live.  Could be good in the future but far from near it yet.  As a key position player he probably needs 2 good preseasons. We are 'developing' a very good team not fast tracking one.  JMG and young SOS are our future not our present.  We killed off Krooze too early as did Melbourne with Watts.  Give them as taste at the right time but don't think they are ready to go. Weitering is a freak and an exception not the rule.  Patience is the key. 

[cimm1979]

I wonder if the 1st yr players like JW will need a break at some point. This could be where Jamo etc. would  be able to just walk in. Thoughts...

I hope they are cautious with all of them.

[Gointocarlton]

. Weitering is a freak and an exception not the rule.  Patience is the key.

C Curnow can be thrown into the same boat, he has been pretty good. Initially it looked like it would be a while before he broke into the side.

[Professer E]

I heard that the club  over-looked Collins as they thought that JGM would be available late (rookie pick #1) due to his perceived "kicking issues".  If SOS couldn't pick a key defender, who could?

[LP]

I heard that the club  over-looked Collins as they thought that JGM would be available late (rookie pick #1) due to his perceived "kicking issues".  If SOS couldn't pick a key defender, who could?

As long as they are picking footballers and not athletes I don't care. Collins is a serious footballer, I don't know enough about JGM to confidently comment but sheez he's stacked on some size in a short period of time! Some clubs were concerned about Collin's perceived lack of closing speed / pace, but keep in mind Weitering is not that fast(Not that slow either!) but knows where to be so he often seems to have time, space and momentum on his side.

[Thryleon]

In this case we are pinning our hopes on a young kid who was overlooked by every club in the main draft last year and was grabbed in the rookie draft. Check the NB coaches notes and watch the kid live.  Could be good in the future but far from near it yet.  As a key position player he probably needs 2 good preseasons. We are 'developing' a very good team not fast tracking one.  JMG and young SOS are our future not our present.  We killed off Krooze too early as did Melbourne with Watts.  Give them as taste at the right time but don't think they are ready to go. Weitering is a freak and an exception not the rule.  Patience is the key.

There is a bit of hope pinning going on but for what I understand good reason.

I have a heard a story that apparently he wasnt all that keen on footy till his final year of school and was playing basketball (good hands in close, big tick) up until 2014.  He was able to contain Josh Schache and wore him like a glove, and is a 198cm sized player who likes to run and create as well as stop his opponent.

Generally regarded as a "safe kick" if not a good one, which Im not entirely sure what that means, and he tested well at the combine.

Regarded as a raw AFL talent, but one with a future and has had exposure at either end of the ground.

Now, what that means for us is that he is tagged with the potential tag.  Will he get it together?  Who knows, but he has 3 years on our rookie list to show something, and people are likewise excited because its a bloke that Bolton will get his hands on rather than anyone else.

Based on that write up, at worst he is a replacement for Rowe and will give us similar.  At best he will be an upgrade on Rowe and will give us more.

Im happy with that.

Should he play soon?  no chance.

We will see how we go with him.

[DJC]

Based on that write up, at worst he is a replacement for Rowe and will give us similar.  At best he will be an upgrade on Rowe and will give us more.

At worst, Glass-McCasker will be delisted without playing a senior game.  He has a long way to go before he is a chance to displace Rowe or get ahead of Jamison in the pecking order.  However, we do have a good record in developing rookies into capable defenders and using a rookie pick on Glass-McCasker was a good decision.  Time will tell whether it will pay off.

I can't really see any changes to our defence for the Essendon game.  I don't think Bolton is the type of coach who will gift games to fringe players and, from the reports of the NBs game, none of our new blokes are putting their hands up, with the possible exception of Tutt.

Of the established players, Armfield seems to be the only one who has done enough to merit senior selection.  I think he would provide more as a defensive forward than Buckley has so far, but Buckley is getting better as he learns the role.

I suspect that the only changes this week will be to the emergencies.  Team selection this week will reveal a little more about Bolton's thinking.

Seven's commentators effectively dismissed Essendon's chances of a win next week and I think they're right - as long as we don't revert to our NAB Challenge team.