2017 Round 5: Post Game Prognostications: Carlton vs Port Adelaide

[Professer E]

I sat through every game of the Pagan years so I reckon I can make as qualified comments on last night as any media pundit.

Cameron Ling and I don't agree on much but he is correct in that Cripps is a gun and as Rioli is currently discovering, hard to be a game breaker every week without support.  The media commentary around Cripps (currently injured) is laughable.

To lose by 90 points wasn't great as losing sucks, the third quarter was awful but I can see a future.  Port are a fit, professional outfit and laid bare every single one of our inadequacies, but this was far from the hopeless efforts of the Pagan days.

Bwecie can massage himself to a frothy frenzy but the likes of Ollie Wines shading (and that's debateable) a hurt player under the cover of complete ruck dominance and bashing around some of kids didn't impress me.  Port did what was required and nothing more.  Kreuzer's absence cost us any chance and made a massive difference.

Why?  Because our kids - basically half the side - are playing before their time.... but they all possess skill-sets that indicate that they are going to be damn fine players in time.  Polson for example attempted to lay about a dozen tackles and either bounced off or was swatted away - his body simply isn't ready but he bloody well had a go and got to the right places.  Jack is scared to kick on goal but on three occasions danced around multiple opponents - when did you last see that?  Can you imagine Polec crapping himself having to chase a 100 kg Curnow around all day, because I can.

Once the ruck dominance kicked in and the youngsters ran out of gas this was always going to be a blow out, but I am really, really enthused about these kids, they are going to be the core of a bloody good side.  So unlike the Pagan days, there is a future because the upside is immense.

[Jb]

Main thing that passed me off last night was our inability to hit s bloody target. If we had less than 30 kicks that we're kicked directly or to the advantage of a port player going forward I'd be staggered.. we need blokes who are quick and can friggin kick.  Also, why do we always draft little blokes? Other teams seem to have solid man child's?

[cookie2]

Will the Captain, with zero tackles, get the same treatment then?

Precisely.

[PaulP]

Port are a handy outfit, with some real high end talent, playing on their own dung heap, and have been told in no uncertain terms, that if they don't make finals, heads will roll. Playing against a team where nearly half the starting 18 still have nocturnal emissions and acne lotion.

Last night was horrible, and I'm not so certain about the coaching or all this amazing youthful talent, but I guess we'll all know soon enough.

[Gointocarlton]

Will the Captain, with zero tackles, get the same treatment then?

Yes, as will SOS, Wright and Weiters who also had zero.

[Professer E]

Jb, all the bigger bodied more "AFL ready" mids went in the first 20 picks or so, after that you're picking classy kids that need work to complete the package e.g. Fisher.

We needs two more picks in the first round last year but it didn't happen, was never going to. Last draft was the year to rebuild the midfield but you can't cover every list gap in one year.

p.s. I reckon Murphy has had so much shoulder surgery (e.g. rotator cuff) and associated issues that he can barely lift his arm above the perpendicular, like myself.  Makes tackling weak.  I don't think its a will issue but a physical limitation.

[PaulP]

Jb, all the bigger bodied more "AFL ready" mids went in the first 20 picks or so, after that you're picking classy kids that need work to complete the package e.g. Fisher.

We needs two more picks in the first round last year but it didn't happen, was never going to. Last draft was the year to rebuild the midfield but you can't cover every list gap in one year.

p.s. I reckon Murphy has had so much shoulder surgery (e.g. rotator cuff) and associated issues that he can barely lift his arm above the perpendicular, like myself.  Makes tackling weak.  I don't think its a will issue but a physical limitation.

Agree with all this.

[cookie2]

Port are a handy outfit, with some real high end talent, playing on their own dung heap, and have been told in no uncertain terms, that if they don't make finals, heads will roll. Playing against a team where nearly half the starting 18 still have nocturnal emissions and acne lotion.

Last night was horrible, and I'm not so certain about the coaching or all this amazing youthful talent, but I guess we'll all know soon enough.

Paul we have chosen our path and commited to it. We have to make it work. We can't fall back to an old and unsuccessful formula. It's make it  or who knows how long in oblivion.

[Professer E]

Fly, I'm not sure what you expected Bolton to do last night?  In the third term Ryder murdered Phillips - the likes of Polec were already running forwards before the tap in expectation of winning, consequently the ball went forward at light speed and the defenders were cactus.  So of course they all set up in a defensive manner leaving no forward structure forward of the centre - the few times we got the pill through the wall they had to stop and wait for the somebody to run forward to actually create an option, so there was little point in moving the ball quick.  Even Casboult spent much of the game closer to centre wing than the square, heck he even had to have a running shot because the F50 had nobody in it most of the time.

Amos has done a good job in defence but developing a forward line is Bolton's next big task - giving us something to kick to that gives us a chance of winning games.  Other than MacKay I'm not sure if these blokes are even on the list yet.

[madbluboy]

Yes, as will SOS, Wright and Weiters who also had zero.

It's harder for forwards to lay tackles unless they are really quick.