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

[LP]

I doubt you will get much support for this apparent heresy but I would keep an open mind because both have limitations in speed. I know that players with great talents (like Cripps and Weitering) can be dominant players without having speed (e.g. Greg Williams) but that was more than a couple of decades ago and the game has since become progressively faster and more reliant on both-way running capacity.

Additionally, both players are showing signs of frequently playing injured. This is a massive plus in relation to their intentional fortitude and commitment but, on the flip side, questions needs to be asked about whether they are physical susceptibility to injuries. Are they being injured because they have underlying weaknesses that are likely to be ongoing (possibly contributing to a shorter career) or are they getting injuries due to the combative way they play or are being required to play?

Honest assessments and discussions about their physical soundness and their long-term commitments to the club would need to be taken into consideration when considering such contentious actions.

Your logic is sound and the questions you pose valid.

Add young SoJ to that lack of leg speed list and we have a significant problem, and at the moment at least it seems Curnow Jnr is also lacking in straight line speed. Just like we have too many kids, we have far too many players who cannot cover enough ground which does result in heavier traffic, slow play and a more combative game styles when we have the ball. When we don't have the ball we have an even bigger problem, there is no getting it back!

The likes of SPS and Pickett are not the answer, they are almost insignificant when we have to deal with players who do cover the ground like Trengove, Wines, Westhoff, Ryder, etc., etc..

While I do not expect blokes like Kreuzer, Casboult and Phillips to be race horses, having just one or two big blokes who have some decent closing speed would make a huge difference to our team on game day. McKay certainly looks quicker across the ground, Jones is quick enough when he decides to go, and Jaksch is also quick but in very straight lines and single efforts.