2018 Rd 2: Post Game Prattle: Carlton vs Gold Coast

[Baggers]

I've got a hunch that we wouldn't be discussing so many selection/personnel shoulds and shouldn'ts had we simply been more efficient and made no where near as many mistakes... and I suspect that, as Murphy suggested, we got ahead of ourselves and perhaps even entered the game somewhat 'cocky', and paid the price. That kind of crap shows a lack of discipline and on-field leadership. Every side is allowed 'one of those games' each year... Time for the coaches to lay down the law a litter 'stronger.'

However, I do believe that Weitering, Cuningham and Polson need to make way for others (Kreuz for Weitering, SOJ for Cuningham and Lang/Graham/Kennedy or Kerridge for Polson.) We don't want a hatrick of losses with Rottingwood delivering the third.

[Barbs]

I have said this time and time again - Matty Kruezer is our most important player by the mile, we have no structure and our groups confidence falls to bits when his out. We were shot from the first bounce against a team that considering our development, we should win at least 8 out of every 10 times we play them. Cripps aside we are small light and weak where the ball is won without MK in there and to replace a player like that with a small light kid is amateur hour and showed our selectors to be fools this week

While i know we should never have such a reliance on one player until we get at least 2 more decent sized midfielders it wont change.

We wont beat any AFL team without him playing this year.

one of my biggest concerns with our list and the line up against the suns. We go in with a number of smaller players most of whom are still young and not strong enough. A number of our (more) senior players are still small guys - Murphy, Curnow, Simpson, Wright and Lamb compared to the senior groups the top teams are putting out on the ground each week. Then add in younger guys like Fisher, Polson, SPS and Dow (and maybe Garlett) who are still building their bodies and we are quite a small team. After watching Sydney vs Port yesterday and bits of other games this weekend we do look far smaller than a lot of the competition. Even our KPP like Weitering, Marchbank, Mckay and to a degree SOJ are still filling out. (I'd say Curnow too based on age but he already looks a ready).

This of course is still no excuse for all the fumbles and poor disposal on Saturday.

[laj]

They went in with a bad attitude Saturday, just like our last two games against Brisbane at the Gabba. Great efforts against good teams had them thinking Brisbane and Gold Coast would be way easier and played accordingly. After those two Brisbane disasters we picked up alot with good wins not long after. We need to realise that crap sides are at our level and we have to play well to win.

[BluePhantom]

one of my biggest concerns with our list and the line up against the suns. We go in with a number of smaller players most of whom are still young and not strong enough. A number of our (more) senior players are still small guys - Murphy, Curnow, Simpson, Wright and Lamb compared to the senior groups the top teams are putting out on the ground each week. Then add in younger guys like Fisher, Polson, SPS and Dow (and maybe Garlett) who are still building their bodies and we are quite a small team. After watching Sydney vs Port yesterday and bits of other games this weekend we do look far smaller than a lot of the competition. Even our KPP like Weitering, Marchbank, Mckay and to a degree SOJ are still filling out. (I'd say Curnow too based on age but he already looks a ready).

This of course is still no excuse for all the fumbles and poor disposal on Saturday.

We have always looked a smaller side and bigger side bash us up.
I can't remember us having bigger bodies than anyone. We just seem to always look smaller.
Not enough time on the juice.  :o

[LP]

Leaving Casboult to be the anchor at home.

Freudian slip?

The longer we cling to this attempted solution, the longer any real progress is delayed.

[ElwoodBlues1]

We have always looked a smaller side and bigger side bash us up.
I can't remember us having bigger bodies than anyone. We just seem to always look smaller.
Not enough time on the juice.  :o

Agree.. been smaller than most for 10 years plus, this idea that small kids fill out is wrong, big kids usually fill out more and get bigger, we need to recruit some bigger bodied kids that can throw their weight around.

[Shakin77]

re a), been saying the same for weeks, nobody agreed with me (well maybe 1) and now every man and his dog is saying the same.

but....b) you say the selections don't bother you.
So there is no spot for Weitering, which you admit. He is not required, but you have no issue with him being picked every week? For his 'development' it is best? What is more important, his development or the teams?  Playing him is not helping us win. Picking a better suited team will give us a better chance at winning.
Sure, its not win at all costs, but we don't need to try and lose the matches do we?

It's a catch 20/20.  Maybe 2 or 3 sides have a match up for all of Marchbank/Jones/Weitering.  Ideally we would get by with 2 and Plowman who can play oversized at a pinch.  So what's the catch?

For the future it's

Marchbank, Weitering then Jones.

On form it's

Jones, Marchbank then Weitering.

Marchbank and Weitering are blue chip talents who have only played 22 games and 44 games.    They need to play AFL level to together.    Not VFL.  So what do you do?

Drop Jones?  Harsh.
Drop Weitering?  Yeah maybe now.  But I never hated the decision to play him, even though it clearly didn't work.    Doens't mean the idea wasn't great.

Thirdly if you are going with 2, then maybe (just maybe) you might look at trading one at seasons end.    Playing VFL is not great for their trade value.

I don't think it's as simple as dropping him and waiting until he has a match up. 

[ElwoodBlues1]

I have said this time and time again - Matty Kruezer is our most important player by the mile, we have no structure and our groups confidence falls to bits when his out. We were shot from the first bounce against a team that considering our development, we should win at least 8 out of every 10 times we play them. Cripps aside we are small light and weak where the ball is won without MK in there and to replace a player like that with a small light kid is amateur hour and showed our selectors to be fools this week

While i know we should never have such a reliance on one player until we get at least 2 more decent sized midfielders it wont change.

We wont beat any AFL team without him playing this year.

Kruezer played in the same game at Etihad last season and lowered his colours to Witts as did Cripps to Lyons, they rocked up with the same game plan and Lynch torched us again......you have to start looking at the coaches box too when you analyse deja vu defeats...

[shawny]

Kruezer played in the same game at Etihad last season and lowered his colours to Witts as did Cripps to Lyons, they rocked up with the same game plan and Lynch torched us again......you have to start looking at the coaches box too when you analyse deja vu defeats...

Good points EB, but nevertheless we are way too light and weak as a midfield group even when at full strength. When MK is missing this area is miles below AFL standard and don't reckon the best coach in the comp would win many games with this group.

Considering we have been rebuilding trade wise for 3 years I would have hoped this part was addressed by now. Our recruiters select too many small body midfielders IMO and considering the lack of protection surprised how good Fisher and SPS are tracking. Imagine those 2 playing and protected in a midfield like the Swans  :-[.

[LP]

Our recruiters select too many small body midfielders IMO and considering the lack of protection surprised how good Fisher and SPS are tracking. Imagine those 2 playing and protected in a midfield like the Swans  :-[.

It does seem we still draft and trade for messiah types, and cut their throat when they turn out to be good ordinary footballers!

Any of our kids, surrounded by a decent spine that protects and supports them would competition superstars.