Rd 21: Post Game Passion: Carlton vs Brisbane

[laj]

Two key forwards would be grand indeed. Two good ones that is. Casboult is not good enough. He might take a great grab and lead up the wings. League footy is not played like that anymore. Key forwards, if the term has any meaning anymore, must be mobile, double back and work into space to offer marking and scoring opportunities. They need to run more than they ever have.

That is why we play 2 rucks, offering the potential for mobile marking options across the ground.  The fixation with a 2 forward, 1 ruck as a style of play that is the answer is past. Apart from a couple of rucks in goldstein and gawn who have shown they can ruck most of a game, one ruck with a part time forward ruck is rarely effective in building the style that bolton wants. Even goldstein is looking tired later in the season. Our number one ruck in Kruezer is almost busted.

So yes, we do need two forwards. We need more than two of them. Good ones that can play as modern league forwards need to to create scoring opportunities.  Mobility, pressure and second efforts are more important now than height or contested marking prowess. And accurate kicking helps too. We didn't have two good forwards playing yesterday.  Adelaide may approximate the two key forward style that is so often being discussed. But walker and jenkins play in a fashion that casboult is not able to deliver.

Sivagni, despite his youth, played in a way yesterday that is more promising for the future than the traditional key forward lead up marking type.

If we could trade casboult for a low third rounder we should jump at it. Maybe richmond will trade their second round pick to us.

Forwards get up to the wing often all the time.

I think Casboult might be good enough, at least in his own right. Certainly not Buddy or Kennedy but does the job. If anyone thought he could hold the whole forward line up in a crap side as the only key forward and play well needs to understand the game better. Last year we were headed for a higher 2nd rounder but decided to keep him. There was real interest. Carlton rate him, opposition, more importantly, certainly rate and respect him, I think that's what you go by, not by supporter opinion. If you think we should jump at a low 3rd rounder you're a definitely kidding yourself. Club would be smashed again for bad trading taking "unders". How many more players would you like to see play well at other clubs that we give away for bugger all.


SOS is a 3rd tall. Can't rely on a 3rd tall to take the main goal kicking role. Defenders will smash him as he'll take the no. 1 defender. If you know you're footy you'll understand that. We've rarely had big scoring key forwards, even in our great days, Fev excepted, but doesn't mean they can't play well and other forwards feed off it. Last year, Casboult averaged 1.5 a game playing half the year as a permanent 2nd ruck. They average was higher when he played the combined key forward/ruck role in the second half of his year. We had a 2nd key forward and while Henderson was terrible and disinterested no defence could take their eye off him for a second. Meant he took a man or two, freeing up Casboult and Everitt to score, the latter scoring 31 goals. In an awful year those two had good years and hit the scoreboard. Soon as we had a second key forward yesterday Casboult scored 4.2, which really should've been 6. Last time he was allowed to play the forward/ruck role, Collingwood game, he took 11 marks, 7 contested, kicked 3.1. Notably too this year, when we've had two key forward we have scored alot higher as it opens it up for others to score. Everitt hit the scoreboard too. Moral of the story, pick the right structured side and play players to their strengths. Let him go and watch how you miss him. He is needed while our young key forwards develop to take the physical heat. McKay will play games next year so Casboult will definitely be needed to take the physical heat of the defence, or would you like our kids to take that on their own. I'm sure you understand that. Once they develop then we can phase Casboult out, but not before.