Rd 9: Post Game Pain: Carlton vs. North Melbourne

[ElwoodBlues1]

Fair summation EB. Just on Walker, is it me or does he look like he is playing angry? Seems to me to sook up playing for free kicks alot.

GTC..He is playing like an older player whose body cant do things its did and you end up taking short cuts like trying to play for free's...I thought he tried to lead at times but we couldnt hit him up but even when we did he cant convert...reckon he works harder than Everitt but the latter is the better kick and its hard to play both together down forward IMO...

[blue4life]

We should have played Wood instead of Gorringe, Wood at least has some body strength and mongrel and would have made it more uncomfortable for Goldstein.
Everitt was bad but Jones was equally so if not worse, he never looked like being in position to make a contest when the ball came in long and was continually second, third or fourth in line.
On current form Walker is a shadow of the player he was and unless he can turn it around in the next month will go the way of Jamison, it's sad to see in both cases.
We have our problems generally but our front half is our Achilles heel and until we fix it we can expect more results like last night.

[pinot]

everitt has questionable work ethic but hits the score board. Walker can not.

[pinot]

We should have played Wood instead of Gorringe, Wood at least has some body strength and mongrel and would have made it more uncomfortable for Goldstein.
Everitt was bad but Jones was equally so if not worse, he never looked like being in position to make a contest when the ball came in long and was continually second, third or fourth in line.
On current form Walker is a shadow of the player he was and unless he can turn it around in the next month will go the way of Jamison, it's sad to see in both cases.
We have our problems generally but our front half is our Achilles heel and until we fix it we can expect more results like last night.

Some patience McKay is back in training in three weeks and when the time Cas is due back McKay should have  a game or two under his belt in VFL which means potentially having Cas and McKay in the forward line by round 15

[blue4life]

Some patience McKay is back in training in three weeks and when the time Cas is due back McKay should have  a game or two under his belt in VFL which means potentially having Cas and McKay in the forward line by round 15

I'm not convinced that Casboult and McKay are the answer to our prayers.
North have three dangerous tall forwards; Petrie was drafted at pick 23 in the National Draft, Brown at pick 47 and Waite came from Carlton for a song.
Their best small forward was taken at pick 53.
It can be done, we just have to learn how to do it.

[shadesy]

If we are serious about winning and playing finals, then you play Cameron Wood

If you are in a learning environment, and watching which players are good or can compete, listen and stick to what you are tying to implement, then you play Gorringe.

Frustrating yes, losing sucks, but the end game. When Waite, Petrie, Thomas and Boomer are long retired, Plow, Weiters, Byrne and Doc will be dominating opposition forward lines.

Gorringe got a huge learning wake up call yesterday. This is the standard against the every best. Cripps, learnt that you won't always win the taps and you have to fight for every clearance.

We learnt more last night than the other 4 wins IMO and I reckon Bolton enjoyed the wake up call as such. No media this week for the blues, back to business.

[blue4life]

If we are serious about winning and playing finals, then you play Cameron Wood

Winning should be the aim in any sporting contest, if Wood isn't to be available to play then he shouldn't be at the club.

[cookie2]

It was indeed an initiation by fire for Gorringe who spent much of the first half wondering which planet he had landed on. However, IMO he did seem to get a bit better as the game went on and I think we need to give him a bit of time  before we replace him with Wood who again is not the future.

[PaulP]

North's wins this season against the better or more developmentally advanced teams have been by narrow margins. The only real blow outs have been us, GC, and Freo.

On to next week. Not much more to say about last night.

[laj]

If we are serious about winning and playing finals, then you play Cameron Wood

If you are in a learning environment, and watching which players are good or can compete, listen and stick to what you are tying to implement, then you play Gorringe.

Frustrating yes, losing sucks, but the end game. When Waite, Petrie, Thomas and Boomer are long retired, Plow, Weiters, Byrne and Doc will be dominating opposition forward lines.

Gorringe got a huge learning wake up call yesterday. This is the standard against the every best. Cripps, learnt that you won't always win the taps and you have to fight for every clearance.

We learnt more last night than the other 4 wins IMO and I reckon Bolton enjoyed the wake up call as such. No media this week for the blues, back to business.

To a certain level you need to think about winning but how much depends where you're at. It's a fine balance. Mainly youth, as you said, but the ruck is very physical hence I'd put the strongest in there to give everyone every chance and let other ruckmen develop either in the VFL, or as second ruck, as i'd go next week until Kreuzer and Casboult are back.

Jaksch and Jones as key forwards, Wood and Gorringe as our rucks.