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

[crashlander]

Green Shoots for Round 5:
- Polson's chase down tackle

That was good. Polson didn't have a big night and didn't work hard enough negatively. However, he will get better. He has had a taste and he will be better for the experience.

- Another small bag to Levi

If would move the ball a bit better it could have been a big bag. Levi was our most dangerous forward by a long way.

- SOS never stopped trying

His work on the ground and his evasion skills are improving every week. He doesn't seem to have the belief in his marking or his set shots at the moment. And his reflexes will improve.

- Charlie Curnow prob showed his best stuff so far, particularly in the 1st half

By far his best game and the way he did it was really promising.

- Cripps return to decent form

A little closer to fitness than he was last week, but still not 100%. He will get better.

- Charlie Dixon kept quiet

An excellent job by our defenders. Rowe early was very good in keeping a dangerous forward quiet. Unfortunately they did find other avenues to goal. Grey killed us.

- We didn't lay down in the last term

Indeed.

- With 10 players 21 and under, we were never going to go anywhere near a win.

Probably true. I think a couple of them will be rested next week. We are a little too young. However, the other guys need to stand up.

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Unfortunately, we will always get cut apart by our opponents because we don't make them pay on the scoreboard when we should, and our skills are pathetic and we all too often turn the ball over to them.
Our supposed senior leaders always were and always will be 'downhill skiers'. Again for the second week in a row, they were invisible in the 3rd term when we were crying out for leadership.

I think you are bit harsh there. Gibbs and Murphy actually performed about as well as they could when we couldn't get first use. Mind you, they can do more, but they weren't missing, like they have been in the past.
I think the value of Kreuzer was very much on show tonight. He isn't the greatest ruckman, but his work rate and effort this year have often stymied 'better' opponents. Phillips couldn't stop Ryder at all and was out-bodied by smaller opponents. Half his taps went directly to Port players as well. Kreuzer would no have been beaten so comprehensively and would have allowed our mids to be more effective.