AFL Rd 7 2022 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs North Melbourne

[LP]

There are rumours going around the media that Pitto is done for 2022, not sure how they get this news so quickly.

As I mentioned in the game thread, I believe today Corey McKernan has come out and slammed the event that lead to Pitto's injury, these young rucks deliberately taking their eyes off the footy to use the shin guard to batter opponents has to be cracked down.

[Thryleon]

Looks like grundy has had a pittonet incident against essendon today and this will become topical.

[Mav]

Still not convinced about that. It's not as though Darcy was able to target Pitt's knee like a soldier firing an anti-tank missile.

There were 3 different angles showing the incident. One of them was from behind Pitt and watching it would raise concerns because Darcy's eyes were on Pitt as he ran in and only looked up at the last moment. But the camera on the side of the contest showed that both ruckmen were looking at each other and looked up at virtually the same time. In other words, they were both using the same standard technique.

Even before the ball is bounced, the ruckmen will keep close watch on the opponent to see if they shift around the circle. If this happens, you'll usually see the other ruckman respond by trying to match the movement.

Ruckmen also look at the other ruckman after the ball is bounced in order to adjust their approach if needs be. Is the opposing ruck going to stay down and try to rove your tap? Is he going to jump into you early? Is he going to run on an arc and come at you in an unexpected direction? Is he going to trick you by acting as if he's coming in hot with a knee only to run around you and watch you fly past when contact doesn't eventuate?

If Darcy had been trying to make contact with his knee/shin just so, even a small movement at the last moment from Pitt would have turned the tables on him. As I noted before, this isn't like a defender punching a forward in the ear in a marking contest. It's a toss up as to who will fare worse out of the contact.

I also don't think the shin guard was involved. In any event, the shin or the knee will do more damage than the shin guard. The shin guard isn't like the hard helmets used in NFL. The NFL had a problem with "crowning": players lowering their heads and using the top of the helmet to knock out an opponent. But shin guards aren't hard guards. They are somewhat flexible and are there only to reduce the damage from repeated clashes in the ruck. On the other hand, when players come back from broken hands or arms, permission has to be sought from the AFL to wear guards or casts over the injury that are harder than shin guards.

[Mav]

If the AFL wants to reduce knee-to-knee contact in the ruck contests, I doubt the answer would be prohibiting ruckmen from looking at each other. There's always peripheral vision anyway. The solution would be to reduce the size of the outer circle which currently has a radius of 5m. Reducing it to 3m would reduce the speed of the ruckmen at impact. It would also favour the ruckmen who, like TDK, have an excellent vertical leap or those like Sandilands who are very tall. I'd imagine that change would work against the Mumford-style ruckmen who rely on their physical strength and therefore I would suggest it would work against Pittonet.

[rocky]

If the AFL wants to reduce knee-to-knee contact in the ruck contests, I doubt the answer would be prohibiting ruckmen from looking at each other. There's always peripheral vision anyway. The solution would be to reduce the size of the outer circle which currently has a radius of 5m. Reducing it to 3m would reduce the speed of the ruckmen at impact. It would also favour the ruckmen who, like TDK, have an excellent vertical leap or those like Sandilands who are very tall. I'd imagine that change would work against the Mumford-style ruckmen who rely on their physical strength and therefore I would suggest it would work against Pittonet.

I don't mind that reduction in radius idea. Means the TDK types have an advantage at centre bounces but around the ground the gorillas get an advantage back. Ultimately if it reduces the knee to knee injuries why not.

[kruddler]

I'm not sure of current or previous dimensions, but someone mentioned during coverage that the circle has indeed been reduced in the past.

[pinot]

Have it on pretty good authority from over here that Jack Carroll will play this week. Walk up start to replace Setterfield on the wing.

Hopefully Silvagni and Kennedy are right to go. If McKay doesn't come  up, one of them might have to be a forward option.

Surely Stocker gets a chance this week.

Not sure we have an ideal match up for Zurhaar either and he's a very dangerous sort. We have a habit of playing them back into form.

Do we roll the dice and play Mirkov this week especially if McKay is out? TDK can play second tall and ruck as well? They have Goldstein and Xerri and we've seen twice this year what happens when we get monstered in the ruck....we've lost both times.

Jack Carroll deserves his chance - consistently in the bests when he plays. Stocker and Dow recalls would suit me fine with Kennedy and SOS back in too.

[WASurfer]

Does Mirkov get a run or do with go with TDK and JSOS as backup? If McKay doesn't get up for this week then I'd think Mirkov plays so that TDK can spend a bit of time forward as well?

[kruddler]

Pitto definitely out.
Harry and Jack both a test to play.

Could be very slim pickings in the ruck this week.

Someone said Mirkov got injured in the VFL, but radio silence since then so perhaps a case of mistaken identity?

[tonyo]

Jack Carroll deserves his chance - consistently in the bests when he plays. Stocker and Dow recalls would suit me fine with Kennedy and SOS back in too.

Agree on Carroll - looks a very likely type to me.  Find him a wing and give him a run.