JLT 2018 - Carlton v Hawthorn (Sat 10th Feb)

[crashlander]

I think we've only ever needed one tagger, it was the lack of freedom from certain coach that destroyed player flair and confidence!

Like I've written before a game plan that primarily states, Stop Him, Stop Him, Stop Him, Stop Him, Stop Him, Stop Him and Stop Him is a dead set loss!

I can't agree with you on this, LP. Having and tagger is necessary, but having a 2nd option is always useful.
Last year, when Ed Curnow was out, Kerridge came into the side and did a negative role, and managed to get a lot of the ball as well. He had some tremendous games late in the season in that role.
At the moment he is off the pace in the 2's, but that will probably change in a week or 2.
I don't know if he can do the job full time, but having the option is a really good thing for us.
Also Polson was used in a negative role late last season. With his pace he could be very good doing that in the future.

Why do I bring these guys up?
Two reasons. Having one tagger is fraught with danger - a point source error. If that tagger gets beaten badly, we have no backup.
Secondly, some teams have 2 guys that simply need to be picked up and squashed.
I don't think we can afford 2 players who contribute nothing going forward, but the ability to stifle the oppositions best players (something we have been poor at in recent times) can be the difference between victory and defeat.

It is good having Ed Curnow back. He is our best tagger at the moment and he has been getting reasonable stats himself. However, we miss a guy a Carrazzo, who not only kept guys out of the play, but who also provided a heap of drive themselves. Guys like Carrots do not come along all that often.

When we have the best midfield in the competition and guys look to tag our guys out of the game and can't, because WE have too many options, then we can afford to go light on the tagging.

[LoveNavy]

Should have, could have....DIDN'T.

Learning to win when you have dirty days is all part of the curve....

X3

Many roads lead to Rome. Staying on route or finding and adjusting to a new and effective one is what needs championing. We've seen this again and again, commonly referred to as being outcoached.

From what I've seen of the BB Way, I suggest it revolves around flexibility.
Whilst turning over the list, he's established defensive modes. Smart. We were for the most part spared of the 100 point slaughtering. Now as the list is close to complete, he's establishing offensive modes. I have no doubt there's multiple options which will respond to the foreseeable challenges of any given opposition. That's not to say we'll be able to execute any/all options at this stage. My guess is, that's what we're working towards. Flexibility with robust core strengths if you will.

Let's take one of our most maligned players in Levi. Using last night as a sample, he was able to adapt quickly and offer a robust (much improved ruck skill) alternate when Kruez went down. As dominant as Kruez was, with time, we adjusted and ground it out. Bugger me we had an 8 goal quarter and a total of 11 goalkickers. We were playing without our only 2 AA players for goodness sake, and our young group were challenged playing interstate.  Who'd have thought that was possible. 
Was the Master cleverly outcoach by his Emissary  O:-)
Note to The Master: bad goal kicking is bad football.

Yes, it's only JLT. But... IF our performance in JLT 1 AND 2 reflect the development of this young group, The BB Way is the right way ^-^
Looks to me like our rebuild is nearly complete in terms of structures and processes. It now needs time for the players to grow together and consolidate their individual foundations (strength weakness). If they can integrate individual strength flexibly into a team first mode - anything is possible in the years to come.

Go new Blues

[LP]

I can't agree with you on this, LP. Having and tagger is necessary, but having a 2nd option is always useful.
Last year, when Ed Curnow was out, Kerridge came into the side and did a negative role, and managed to get a lot of the ball as well. He had some tremendous games late in the season in that role.
At the moment he is off the pace in the 2's, but that will probably change in a week or 2.
I don't know if he can do the job full time, but having the option is a really good thing for us.
Also Polson was used in a negative role late last season. With his pace he could be very good doing that in the future.

Why do I bring these guys up?
Two reasons. Having one tagger is fraught with danger - a point source error. If that tagger gets beaten badly, we have no backup.
Secondly, some teams have 2 guys that simply need to be picked up and squashed.
I don't think we can afford 2 players who contribute nothing going forward, but the ability to stifle the oppositions best players (something we have been poor at in recent times) can be the difference between victory and defeat.

It is good having Ed Curnow back. He is our best tagger at the moment and he has been getting reasonable stats himself. However, we miss a guy a Carrazzo, who not only kept guys out of the play, but who also provided a heap of drive themselves. Guys like Carrots do not come along all that often.

When we have the best midfield in the competition and guys look to tag our guys out of the game and can't, because WE have too many options, then we can afford to go light on the tagging.

I think our point of difference is how many players who can tag versus how many are in tagging roles at any one moment!

I expect in the team on the day we can have multiple players capable of tagging, but I think having one actually doing some tagging is enough to disrupt most opposition clubs, and having more than one player tagging just hurts your own team by making it's game play one dimensional.

[jeza]

Getting sick of Huddo's calling, he's becoming more anti-Carlton by the day.

Pretty much every time we scored it was about some poor Dawks mistake, he called the whole game from a Dawks perspective which is odd for a Geelong supporter!

Never mentioned for the entire game was the fact that we beat them comfortably late last year with Cripps / Curnow / etc out. Didn't rate a mention by any commentator that I heard. Didn't fit with the ongoing storyline that Carlton are 5hit.

[jeza]

Great to see us leaving more players up in the forward line... and straight away kicking bigger scores.

[PaulP]

Never mentioned for the entire game was the fact that we beat them comfortably late last year with Cripps / Curnow / etc out. Didn't rate a mention by any commentator that I heard. Didn't fit with the ongoing storyline that Carlton are 5hit.

We beat them by 7 points in R22 (not comfortable IMO) - they had a few more scoring shots than us, not dissimilar to last night.

We've been in the doldrums for ages, they've won 4 flags since 2008. We finished 15th in 2016 and 16th last year, they finished 3rd and 12th. What should the commentators be saying ?

[PaulP]

And can i also add, the commentators on AFL radio last night (one of whom was Teflon Terry Wallace) were quite complimentary about our team and our effort.

[townsendcalling]

For all the possessions he accumulated, Tom Michell doesn’t hurt the opposition.

[DJC]

And can i also add, the commentators on AFL radio last night (one of whom was Teflon Terry Wallace) were quite complimentary about our team and our effort.

I thought that Dunstall and Healy were both very positive about us both in terms of team performance and individual players.  When Pickett gathered the ball on the boundary line Dunstall yelled “Take him on!” and was effusive in his praise when Pickett’s efforts resulted in a goal.

[PaulP]

I thought that Dunstall and Healy were both very positive about us both in terms of team performance and individual players.  When Pickett gathered the ball on the boundary line Dunstall yelled “Take him on!” and was effusive in his praise when Pickett’s efforts resulted in a goal.

Yes, the victim mentality that some on here display is really something. Of course bias exists, but it gets blown out of all proportion. Nobody said we were crap in late 2011 early 2012. Go back and read the articles. So what happened since then ? We became crap, hence the commentary.

And Dunstall is one of the fairest commentators, as long as he's surrounded by people vaguely sensible, like Healy. Sometimes he does the Sunday match, and they pair him up with clowns, and then he's not so good.