Pre game postulations: AFL 2021 Rd 4: Carlton vs Gold Coast on the Gold Coast

[cookie2]

Stocker in for Dow for me.

I hope we don't get tempted to bring McGovern straight in....done nothing for two years....one game in the VFL on managed minutes shouldn't be enough for him. Silvagni is offering plenty up forward at the moment with his marking and pressure....something McGovern does not much of.

If Casboult is to go out, I'd rather bring McDonald in...he's a better option as backup ruckman rather than risking McKay or Jones in there.

Generally agree but maybe Paddy deserves one more week? Line ball imo.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Generally agree but maybe Paddy deserves one more week? Line ball imo.

Given its GC I'd be giving Dow another game, maybe if has an average game I'd be inclined to give him a break vs Port where its going to be harder and any errors highlighted more.

[WASurfer]

Last chance for awhile for Dow I reckon then. We absolutely smashed Freo through the midfield and around the ground....our midfielders (Cripps, Walsh, Fogarty, Curnow etc) were prolific...except Dow. He just can't seem to get near it and still appears to lack some footy smarts at times. Even without Rowell, GC still have some quality players through the middle.

Good chance for Parks to back it up this weekend.....could be a good match up for Sexton who has torched us a few times. I liked the look of him on the weekend and could be a natural replacement for Marchbank who I reckon gets a line drawn through his name now. He'd need to show solid VFL form for at least 6 weeks without getting injured before an AFL call up.

[LP]

Can't get a read on Dow, just do not know what is wrong with him, did he cop and injury in the last pre-season game because from that final siren his form evaporated?

Stage fright?

[tonyo]

Generally agree but maybe Paddy deserves one more week? Line ball imo.

I thought Paddy was reasonable and put in on Sunday, even though he didn't get the ball much.  He could be (crosses fingers...) one of these 'slow burn' players who needs experience and consistent game time to elevate himself to the next level, but in the end becomes an absolute gem.  If we drop him every time he doesn't get 20 touches, it will be back to the start.  Given our midfield is a work in progress, I would prefer to see him have another 4-5 games at least - if he hasn't progressed by then, at least we will know.

Going back a ways, as a young kid, I can remember watching Bruce Doull play for his first three years and the general consensus among those sitting around me at the time was that he was a very average performer.  Then he moved from #4 to #11 (out of a sense of 'I'm not worthy') and the rest is history.  Maybe Paddy should cash in his #2 (which must weigh very heavily on his back) and find a non-descript number like #38..... 

[capcom]

Going back a ways, as a young kid, I can remember watching Bruce Doull play for his first three years and the general consensus among those sitting around me at the time was that he was a very average performer.  Then he moved from #4 to #11 (out of a sense of 'I'm not worthy') and the rest is history. 

I heard it from a senior committee man at the time that he was given #11, didn't want it due to comparisons to John Goold, played a ripper next game in that jumper and it stayed.

[cookie2]

@ Tonyo

Hear what you say. I'm really torn with Paddy. We certainly don't want to write him off too early and some other club turns him into a star or even just a good solid and reliable player. Worse still he drifts off into a state league.

[WASurfer]

Into his 4th season now....it's pretty cut throat so the club will have to decide at some point whether he's going to make it. Fogarty has leapfrogged him already in just his 3rd game for the club.

[cookie2]

Yep, this must be his make or break year.

[tonyo]

True, albeit Season 3 was a total wipe off.  Prior to one pre-season game and the first three this year, he hasn't played competitive footy at any level for over 18 months.  We will know by the end of this season if he is a keeper.

I just hate the thought that someone like Clarkson or Buckley will turn him into a gun.

Simple fact is, CFC does still not know how to develop young players.  It's really irritating to see the young Swans, Bombers, Demons doing such great things in their first few games, while so many of our high draft picks (other than Walsh) scratch around for 2 or 3 years and inevitably end up getting delisted and playing for Port Melbourne or Williamstown.