Rd 15: Post Game Passion: Carlton vs Adelaide

[PaulP]

Surely you are joking.
You are trying to compare those two teams?
One was favourite to win a flag, the other was favourite to win a spoon.
It is no myth, our defensive pressure under ratten was poor.

Points conceded is one of several factors that get considered when looking at team defense, but it is IMO, by far the most important factor. You can have plenty of rebounds off the HBF, plenty of intercept marks, plenty of tackles, pressure acts etc. All will mean jack s h i t if you leak goals.

Bolton has sacrificed our attacking game in order to shore up the defense. That sacrifice has occurred both in terms of recruiting and also in terms of game plan, which essentially revolves around flooding, spare man back, parking the bus etc. This mitigates against any real attacking moves, and is one reason why we get run over in final quarters - players are too stuffed playing a taxing game plan. Of course, the relative youth of some of our troops plays a part as well. I expect that as they get older and more experienced, the last quarter fade outs will hopefully cease.

The point I make is completely valid - you can't pot one coach for being poor defensively, when his record is more than comparable to that of a defense first coach.