AFL Rd 4 2024 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs Fremantle in Adelaide

[pinot]

All clubs are stocked up with rucks except West Coast - there won't be any interest in Pitto unless it was for back-up.

With Mirkov unlikely to make it - we need three rucks on the list. Hope he stays

[ElwoodBlues1]

I wouldnt want Pittonet leaving.....TDK isnt designed for continuous heavy duty ruck action imho and we would be left with nothing
but rookie and ruck novices. Its not that easy to get competent second stringers who can actually compete and break even with  most teams No 1 rucks and while ruckman can be overrated in terms of  importance when you lose your main ruckman you find life more difficult vs the better teams.

[Mantis]

I wouldnt want Pittonet leaving.....TDK isnt designed for continuous heavy duty ruck action imho and we would be left with nothing
but rookie and ruck novices. Its not that easy to get competent second stringers who can actually compete and break even with  most teams No 1 rucks and while ruckman can be overrated in terms of  importance when you lose your main ruckman you find life more difficult vs the better teams.

Something funny about what I have seen lately. Harry and TDK get around the ground by foot very well for their size. They also play like ruck types that do better once the ball is in play both in the air as marking targets and getting the ball at ground level, rather than purely tap out specialist ruck type players. Harry isn’t a ruck. He can play there. TDK isn’t a specialised forward but can play there. Keep these two and swap to meet match up needs. Maybe we need mobile ruck and forward types with leg speed, endurance and ability to play the ball at ground level. Most sides learn how to play to the advantage of an opponent ruck tap style and intercept the tap out. The key tap out specialist might not be the best for a club. It works well at times but clever mid field players read their predictable taps. Their bulk makes them slow at ground level. Poor with endurance and their marking skills become their only fall back skill. If Jack wasn’t on a long term injury list, Pitts would probably not get more than two or three games for this entire season. I might be wrong and won’t claim to be an expert but it looks like things are about to change. How to inject speed at every level. Players that can get the ball below their knees and generate some transition the other way. Cripps might eventually just be used as a thug. Tough body to crash through smaller guts and hurt them or something else. Big body to absorb the pressure that would target the Double Dutch or Walsh and others. I just hope we get better with silly cute disposals. Just kick to targets with percentage play. Don’t be a smart arse. Back on TDK. He has huge potential. He needs to keep working. He is far from elite. He has many things to learn. He could be anything and is starting to show some real team benefits. I just hope he doesn’t get complacent as he has so much to show and he needs to deliver. I like what I am about to see. Let me see it young fella. Work hard buddy.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Something funny about what I have seen lately. Harry and TDK get around the ground by foot very well for their size. They also play like ruck types that do better once the ball is in play both in the air as marking targets and getting the ball at ground level, rather than purely tap out specialist ruck type players. Harry isn’t a ruck. He can play there. TDK isn’t a specialised forward but can play there. Keep these two and swap to meet match up needs. Maybe we need mobile ruck and forward types with leg speed, endurance and ability to play the ball at ground level. Most sides learn how to play to the advantage of an opponent ruck tap style and intercept the tap out. The key tap out specialist might not be the best for a club. It works well at times but clever mid field players read their predictable taps. Their bulk makes them slow at ground level. Poor with endurance and their marking skills become their only fall back skill. If Jack wasn’t on a long term injury list, Pitts would probably not get more than two or three games for this entire season. I might be wrong and won’t claim to be an expert but it looks like things are about to change. How to inject speed at every level. Players that can get the ball below their knees and generate some transition the other way. Cripps might eventually just be used as a thug. Tough body to crash through smaller guts and hurt them or something else. Big body to absorb the pressure that would target the Double Dutch or Walsh and others. I just hope we get better with silly cute disposals. Just kick to targets with percentage play. Don’t be a smart arse. Back on TDK. He has huge potential. He needs to keep working. He is far from elite. He has many things to learn. He could be anything and is starting to show some real team benefits. I just hope he doesn’t get complacent as he has so much to show and he needs to deliver. I like what I am about to see. Let me see it young fella. Work hard buddy.

I wouldnt want to over do Harry in the ruck and get him injured, easier to find tap ruckman than CHF's and I see him as that 5min a quarter ruckman who lines up against the opposition part timer, ie Larkey. When its Goldstein and Draper for example or Cameron/Cox, Darcy/Jackson etc Id be picking Pittonet to assist TDK and leaving Harry to do the odd bit of rucking down forward only.

[DJC]

I like Amiss but the rest of their tall forwards are duds imho, in the past its been the Freo small forwards led by Schultz now at Collingwood who have worried us. Id be manning up Serong with Hewett and having a defensive half forward(Cottrell) on Young as well as making sure Ryan has an opponent to worry about and isnt allowed to play loose and rack up the intercepts.
If it was at Freo it might be more of fight to win but I think on neutral ground id expect to win by 3-5 goals.
Interesting to hear Fyfe speak about his new role and how he is there to do the grunt work, provide blocks etc and not be the main man anymore. Id be expecting him to work Cripps over and play a negative game on him and our other bigger mids like Kennedy....

Duds who have kicked more than half of Freo's goals so far this season (and Taberner didn't play in round 1). 

Freo's small forwards haven't been as potent without Schultz, with the exception of Frederick, who has been quite lively.

[DJC]

Never say never.
Pittonet was very good in the VFL at the weekend.
There's been some suggestions about TDK playing back.
Could be an interesting selection meeting.

From a couple of supporters and I'm not sure that the MC will treat their contribution all that seriously 

Apart from not changing what has been a winning combination, how much time would Tom have spent training with the defence during the pre-season?  It would be a big ask to change his role and expect him to fit into a group that is working like a well-oiled machine.

Yes, Pitto was good in the Magoos and Freo will have a bit of height on us at both ends of the ground.  Recalling him won't be out of the question but it would mean a significant structural change and we'd lose a midfielder, probably Kennedy, who has been one of our unsung heroes with his grunt work.

[Lods]

From a couple of supporters and I'm not sure that the MC will treat their contribution all that seriously 

When it was a bit of a toss-up between Tom and Pitto last year some commentators (David King, Gerard Healy ) were suggesting DeKoning should be tried in defence.
The club decided otherwise...
Given his ruck form this year it's an unliklely move.
It's an out of the box move.
An unpredictable one.
Sometimes the unpredictable is a good option.
But it takes courage because it can just as easily backfire.
And it's even more of a risk when  something is working well...so probably not.

The question of who comes into the defence is of more interest.
I will be surprised if it's Young.

[kruddler]

When it was a bit of a toss-up between Tom and Pitto last year some commentators (David King, Gerard Healy ) were suggesting DeKoning should be tried in defence.
The club decided otherwise...
Given his ruck form this year it's an unliklely move.
It's an out of the box move.
An unpredictable one.
Sometimes the unpredictable is a good option.
But it takes courage because it can just as easily backfire.
And it's even more of a risk when  something is working well...so probably not.

The question of who comes into the defence is of more interest.
I will be surprised if it's Young.

Save that hail mary stuff for a final.

It will both catch the opposition off guard and will give TDK a chance to play there before the chance that his confidence could be sucked out of him.

Worst thing to do is play him there and ruin his confidence in both ruck and defense.

[Lods]

Save that hail mary stuff for a final.

It will both catch the opposition off guard and will give TDK a chance to play there before the chance that his confidence could be sucked out of him.

Worst thing to do is play him there and ruin his confidence in both ruck and defense.

Worst thing to do is become predictable.
Worst thing to do is close your mind to options and possibilities.

But while something is working it's unlikely there will be much change.

[pinot]

A consistent home and away team needs stability and understanding your roles.

TDK has been great in the ruck -  looks much more battle hardened now and winning more tackles and clearances..and hit outs than last year. I don't think he is in good form its his natural growth and no one knows where his ceiling is just yet. Lets find out where that is and we will never find out if his rhythm is disrupted.