AFL Rd 14 2023 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs Gold Coast

[crashlander]

Not confident about this one either. Gold Coast are playing well and Witts usually does well against us.
The Gold Coast mids are doing a much better job than ours are at the moment.

[crashlander]

It is going to be ugly next Sunday.

[Gointocarlton]

My changes would be
Binns->Cottrell/Ed (Ed was solid on Merrett but why didn't he follow him fwd in the 3rd)
Cunningham->Martin (injured?)
Fogarty->Motlop
Fisher->Boyd
Cripps->Hewett (if Crippa needs a rest, 2 weeks to freshen up over the bye might be good)
Pitto->SOS
Young needs a spell but there is zero to replace him with.

[rocky]

Can't understand the hate for Boyd. We complain about how badly we use the ball and he's at 85.7% DE. 2nd only to McGovern and Young (??). One of his passes into F50 resulted in one of our few goals. No, keep him in, he's not the problem. Young on the other hand is completely bereft of confidence and is unrecognisable from the same bloke who competed so well last year. Hard to get rid of him as we have nothing as a back-up so don't know where we go with him. I'd like to say Marchbank but he's off with some sort of injury again so scratch that. I'd suggest maybe JSOS but he's going just as bad, if not worse, and will probably make way for Pittonet, if fit anyway.
Surely it's time for Ed to go. Started as a tag on Merrett and was going OK I thought but then what happened? Ended up forward and was just useless. Can't kick a goal from 25m almost directly in front. Cunningham can come in for him.
Motlop and Owies both out for me. Replace with Fogarty and Fisher. maybe like for like but sick of their ineffectiveness.
Hewett will probably return so I'm guessing that Dow will be sacrificed which is so wrong but that's Carlton.
I'd like to give Binns a run so maybe Cottrell?
Cripps has been woeful but unless they pull the "managed" card he won't get dropped.
Honestly the biggest mystery for me is how this team which on paper looks better than the one that what was  0.6% away from finals in 2022 looks like they could struggle to beat WC right now.

[Gointocarlton]

Can't understand the hate for Boyd. We complain about how badly we use the ball and he's at 85.7% DE. 2nd only to McGovern and Young (??). One of his passes into F50 resulted in one of our few goals. No, keep him in, he's not the problem. Young on the other hand is completely bereft of confidence and is unrecognisable from the same bloke who competed so well last year. Hard to get rid of him as we have nothing as a back-up so don't know where we go with him. I'd like to say Marchbank but he's off with some sort of injury again so scratch that. I'd suggest maybe JSOS but he's going just as bad, if not worse, and will probably make way for Pittonet, if fit anyway.
Surely it's time for Ed to go. Started as a tag on Merrett and was going OK I thought but then what happened? Ended up forward and was just useless. Can't kick a goal from 25m almost directly in front. Cunningham can come in for him.
Motlop and Owies both out for me. Replace with Fogarty and Fisher. maybe like for like but sick of their ineffectiveness.
Hewett will probably return so I'm guessing that Dow will be sacrificed which is so wrong but that's Carlton.
I'd like to give Binns a run so maybe Cottrell?
Cripps has been woeful but unless they pull the "managed" card he won't get dropped.
Honestly the biggest mystery for me is how this team which on paper looks better than the one that what was  0.6% away from finals in 2022 looks like they could struggle to beat WC right now.

Ed should have followed Merrett to the fwd line, to the bench, to the toilet, to the showers after the game, everywhere. He nullified him for 2 qtrs then didn't follow him fwd at the start of the 3rd, he should have made that decision himself.

[Professer E]

No on field nous and leadership from a senior player, that's why we're broken.

[Gointocarlton]

No on field nous and leadership from a senior player, that's why we're broken.

Yep

[Professer E]

And Young should have run straight through that bloke, lay a block suffer the consequences.  It was p weak.  He probably would have got off as well - what was he supposed to do, step aside?

I think Ed epitomizes our problems, he's been a serviceable player, but not good enough to step up when it really matters.  A footsoldier at best -a true B grader. 

[ElwoodBlues1]

Ed should have followed Merrett to the fwd line, to the bench, to the toilet, to the showers after the game, everywhere. He nullified him for 2 qtrs then didn't follow him fwd at the start of the 3rd, he should have made that decision himself.

Agree..but I'm over Ed and he shouldn't be playing. It just recycling busted deckchairs and ignoring kids like Dow.
I'd rather have Dow go head to head with Merritt...yes people will laugh but look at Brad Scott and what he did, he had his version of Dow in Archie Perkins run with Cripps all night. Cripps was nullified and Perkins got experience.
We will probably play Ed on Rowell or Anderson next week and play safe again but get nowhere...

[Professer E]

If he does this I'd sack him if I was Cook.

If we're serious Ed should be cleaning out his locker over the break.