AFL Rd 1 2020: Post Game Post Mortum: Carlton vs. Richmond

[flyboy77]

Has there ever been a group talked up as much as these Fisher, Setterfield, Dow and Cunningham and yet deliver SFA.

Dow: Does a shimmy or side step once a game and we all get excited. Reality is he looks so slow without the ball because he is lazy and doesn't work hard enough. Has terrible foot skills and no idea how to even drop the ball onto his boot correctly when taking a shot at goal. Big miss as a top 3 pick and another average season and I will put a line though him. Its now or never for Dow to improve and what I saw last night there is no reason to be too optimistic.     

Setterfield: Cant see it with this guy. Apart from his height does little to show me what all the hype was about. Willing to give him more time but not convinced he will ever be more then a C grader.

Fisher: Had massive hope for this bloke yet is another one that is lucky to touch it 10 times a match. Clean user but too small to ever make it as a top line mid. Have grave doubts on him and plays like he wants to go home.

Cunningham: Still think he has the most X factor and probably the best goal sneak but a pick 20 and 5 years in just doesn't impact enough and another one that glides around like there is no urgency. Wont amount to any more then a burst player at best.

Not much to get excited about when you take off the blue glasses and be honest about our midfield depth.

   

Fisher's no smaller than Lachie Neale (well maybe a few kg at this stage).

Nothing to do with it if you have the hunger.

[PaulP]

It wasn't so long ago that folks on here were laying into Silvagni and SPS. 20, 30, 40 gamers playing against a settled, top notch, experienced side like the Tiges will sometimes frustrate and look incomplete.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Dow hasnt adapted to the quicker AFL senior footy and because his disposal skills are not great everything is panicked and rushed leading to errors. He got his way at u18 level due to weight of possessions and his errors were overlooked but he just cant get the footy at senior level and he needs a season in the NB's to fix his problems which isnt going to happen this year
His confidence is shot and looks nervous every time he has the ball and he will take time, not sure in the cut throat world of AFL if he will get that time though.

Fisher...smart player and still a favorite of mine but have to agree since he has come back from that bad injury he has been gun shy and just doesnt get involved in the intense manner he did before. Cripps mate so I dont see him in any trade scenario but he is another who needs to lift the way he competes, skills are there but needs to find his contesting mojo.

Setterfield.....tall but still lean and needs more footy, reckon the wing suits him best...had a poor game vs a very good Tigers lineup for sure and has high expectations on him but needs another season IMO. Didnt look overly fit to me and seemed stiff and not wanting to turn quickly like he needed more pre-season work.

Cunningham....opportunist crumber/finisher, can be very good but doesnt do enough and could be trade bait if he stays true to form and has a mix of good cameos and injury this season.

re: Brad Hill....said it at the time we should have made more effort given his ability/age and skills but not to be...
Happy with Jack Martin's first game though and credit to our own Fly for flying the flag for him(pardon the pun) as he
exceeded expectations vs Richmond and they are the best in the comp.
Kruddlers man Jack Newnes was too bad either with a nice goal and I think vs easier teams Newnes will give us good value.

re: McGovern....attacked the ball ok, threw his weight around and looked a bit better but with our forward numbers down needs to give us more like Martin did.

[flyboy77]

I think everyone needs to cut the playing group a serious amount of slack for last night.

Yes, Q1 was diabolical but think about it: they didn't know until late Wednesday they were actually playing then seeing the empty MCG must have been a h.,... f...?

Sure Dow, Setters, Gibbons were poor but hey, they're on a learning curve.

And with a bit better conversion we could have snatched it.

The positives (Martin, Weiters, Crippa) easily outweighed the negatives imo.

I think it's time to give Willo a go - at the expense of Newman or Simmo.

As an aside, I've seen reference made to Dusty kicking one of our players in the head? When was this alleged incident?

[PaulP]

.......................

re: McGovern....attacked the ball ok, threw his weight around and looked a bit better but with our forward numbers down needs to give us more like Martin did.

I thought McGovern was pretty good given his limited pre season. He did well in the middle and up forward. Did a number of things right and the one big issue last night was dropping some marks after doing all the hard work in terms of positioning, leaping etc. A sure sign of being a little rusty and underdone IMO.

[flyboy77]

The Guv will be much better for the run.

I'm still churning through the game but clearly our forward worked well after half time?

[deags]

We kicked 8 from free kicks, is that umps reaming them?

There was at least 2 times we should have had 50m penalties (based on the first of the game for them) and werent. Both of which would have put our guys in very kickable positions. There was at least 2-3 other frees not paid in front of goal.  I dont think they were reamed. They got the rub in front of goals plenty of times.

[Blue Moon]

Glass half full, glass half empty. I thought what killed us in the first quarter was our disposal and our inability to lay a tackle. In the second it was our shots on goal, Martin, McGovern and Dow missed shots they should have kicked and Murphy should have kicked the goal rather than handing it off to Plowman under pressure, while losing Newman and McGovern to injury in that quarter along with Kreuzer for the match, led us to tiring and allowing Richmond to kick four late goals, which was the margin in the end. I thought the third quarter we really put pressure on them, physically taking them on and Richmond didn't like it one bit. We didn't get much reward early and Richmond got a couple of goals out the back, but we persisted and started getting rewards. In the last we were on top again but once again a couple of goals from our mistakes, Newman kicking blindly and one over the top to Rioli killed us. Four goals flattered them in the end after being up by nine I think.
What I took from the game was Carlton's mid-field is better than Richmond's, our disposal is still poor, Martin is a great get and I can see why Gold Coast wanted a first rounder for him but they should have taken the second rounder being offered rather than losing him for nothing, our back line is solid though could do with a bit more pace and our forward line with the two Jacks, Eddie, Levi, McGovern, McKay and Curnow when finally fit will be dangerous, however there needs to be more synergy between the group.
I thought it was interesting that the top side played the 16th side from last year, won by four goals and went to the press conference and complained about the umpires. I also think it is a truism that Richmond we will want to be playing their best football at the end of the season, but I also think every other side would be doing that as well. I think their is a bit of bravado at Richmond and a sense of entitlement and that first quarter was as much about the massive confidence that winning a Premiership brings. They played without fear in that first quarter but they struggled a bit during the third quarter when they were held to account.
Cunningham kicked two goals as a small forward but could have done more, Fisher got better as the night wore on, Dow kicking lets him down and should spend some time in the Northern Blues to help develop his skills, Samo was great and Setterfield seemed to be playing a very defensive role.

[Gointocarlton]

Yes, Q1 was diabolical but think about it: they didn't know until late Wednesday they were actually playing then seeing the empty MCG must have been a h.,... f...? I dont buy that, Club was preparing to play so not a valid excuse, Richmond came to play

Sure Dow, Setters, Gibbons were poor but hey, they're on a learning curve.How long is this learning curve gonna last?

And with a bit better conversion we could have snatched it.Yes 100%

The positives (Martin, Weiters, Crippa) easily outweighed the negatives imo.Yep, add Doc and Cas to that trio

I think it's time to give Willo a go - at the expense of Newman or Simmo.I'd give Willo and Stocker a go, their disposal is excellent and will only compliment Docs coming out of the back line

As an aside, I've seen reference made to Dusty kicking one of our players in the head? When was this alleged incident?

[DJC]

I don’t understand why we were continually relying on our players beating their immediate opponent in a contest.  What has happened to our team defence?

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but the decision not to play De Koning hurt.  Apart from an undersized forward line competing against one of the best marking defences, McGovern in the ruck was a huge ask.  At least he was competitive ... and Levi was outstanding!

Anyway, there were some positive signs.  We just need to set up better and add some grunt, eg Stocker, to the mix.