JLT Game 2

[laj]

Didn't mind this article.

http://www.fansunite.com.au/2017/03/05/4...dictionary

[LP]

Didn't mind this article.

http://www.fansunite.com.au/2017/03/05/4...dictionary

It's a good article, especially when discussing the motives of media types.

[deepbluesee]

Yes, a practice match - a chance for us to practice losing. In fact we have had so much practice we are pretty good at it.

[Gointocarlton]

Didn't mind this article.

http://www.fansunite.com.au/2017/03/05/4...dictionary

Exactly. We once won two Preseason Cups in three years then went on to finish last and second last in the season proper those years. Its meaningless, they are praccy matches.

[cookie2]

Didn't mind this article.

http://www.fansunite.com.au/2017/03/05/4...dictionary

I take that on board Jim, but as I posted before, my main worry is the reported lack of effort/intensity during the two games so far. I would feel a hell of a lot better if we had shown this even if we had made errors and lost the games. Maybe there are good explanations for this approach, but IMO it perpetuates our losing culture which we desperately need to fix. However, as the article states, we don't know the true inside info as to what BB and his guys are up to.

[Gointocarlton]

I take that on board Jim, but as I posted before, my main worry is the reported lack of effort/intensity during the two games so far. I would feel a hell of a lot better if we had shown this even if we had made errors and lost the games. Maybe there are good explanations for this approach, but IMO it perpetuates our losing culture which we desperately need to fix. However, as the article states, we don't know the true inside info as to what BB and his guys are up to.

Cookie I feel your pain but I honestly think we will play better in the season proper (at least I pray we do ;D). I think testing various things and training loads are reasons for us looking lacklustre. I am not suggesting for a minute we will make the 8, top 4, play off in a GF or win the thing, just  that I think a pattern has developed in the last 2 years with how we have approached the PS comp/Praccy matches and so I'll just wait and see and settle in for the ride (bumpy as it may be).
I have said it before and Ill say it again and again, anyone who thought a new coaching and list management team was going to come in and "right the ship" in 1 or 2 years from the mess we were/are in is delusional.

[laj]

I take that on board Jim, but as I posted before, my main worry is the reported lack of effort/intensity during the two games so far. I would feel a hell of a lot better if we had shown this even if we had made errors and lost the games. Maybe there are good explanations for this approach, but IMO it perpetuates our losing culture which we desperately need to fix. However, as the article states, we don't know the true inside info as to what BB and his guys are up to.

I'm old enough to watch years of bloody awful practice match form only for us to win flags. Remember when David Parkin first coached us in 1981. We produced 3 of the most horrible practice matches leading up to that season to the point he was worried. A player told him not to worry about that as it's normal, it'll all change round 1. It sure did. I know we're not exactly the super side we were then, to be stating the obvious, but it does tell us not to take pre-season form seriously. From memory, didn't we lose by 100pts to Essendon pre-season in 1995?

[kruddler]

Practice matches are exactly that.
However, it doesn't mean that what occurs in them gives no insight into what the season ahead could be like.

A team can lose, and have it not mean anything.
But a team can lose, and have it actually mean something.

If an U15's club went out and lost a practice match against the saints, sure, the loss itself doesn't mean anything.
However, the fact that they were not fast enough, fit enough, ferocious enough and their skill level was not up to par does give you some insight into how they might go in the regular season.

That is what people are worried about.
Our kids are just not up to AFL standard with their decision making, discipline, aggression and fitness level.
Our ruck stocks are thin.
Our key forward stocks are thin.
Our effort has been lacking.

So sure the result means little.
The above revelations do.

[LP]

From memory, didn't we lose by 100pts to Essendon pre-season in 1995?

I think that's true, but the current list doesn't look like this!

FB:  Michael Sexton Stephen Silvagni Ang Christou
HB: Matthew Hogg Peter Dean Andrew McKay
C: Milham Hanna Brett Ratten Anthony Koutoufides
HF: Dean Rice Earl Spalding Matt Clape
F: Greg Williams Stephen Kernahan © Brad Pearce
Foll: Justin Madden Craig Bradley Fraser Brown
Int: Scott Camporeale Adrian Whitehead Glenn Manton

Most of them were permitted an easy pre-season, they had very little to prove.

Think of who missed out in that GF, Mitchell, Gleeson, O'Sullivan, Allan, Beaumont, De Iulio, Bond, Heaver.

Fraser probably would have cleaned up half the current list just to get them out of his way!

I remember Parkin after the 1999 Grand Final, he said something like Fraser Brown had nothing left to give and probably should not have played. But Fraser gave Carlton the greatest gift of all in the Preliminary Final. FWIW, it should feature on the Carlton website as a reminder to all those who choose to cruise. It's probably true, Fraser's tank was probably empty, but he never made the decision to cruise in that PF, as John Kennedy said he chose to "just do something!"

[laj]

Practice matches are exactly that.
However, it doesn't mean that what occurs in them gives no insight into what the season ahead could be like.

A team can lose, and have it not mean anything.
But a team can lose, and have it actually mean something.

If an U15's club went out and lost a practice match against the saints, sure, the loss itself doesn't mean anything.
However, the fact that they were not fast enough, fit enough, ferocious enough and their skill level was not up to par does give you some insight into how they might go in the regular season.

That is what people are worried about.
Our kids are just not up to AFL standard with their decision making, discipline, aggression and fitness level.
Our ruck stocks are thin.
Our key forward stocks are thin.
Our effort has been lacking.

So sure the result means little.
The above revelations do.

Plenty of merit there.

We know 1, 2 and 3 we have issues.

4th the effort can lack in pre-season games as long as that doesn't occur round 1. If it does then we have real issues worse than any of the three above.