07-29-2024, 01:25 AM
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.
“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.
2012 HAPPENED!!!!!!!