AFL Rd 18 2024 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Western Bulldogs

[laj]

It's not Pitto - it's team composition and balance. We lacked run and putting pressure from high half forwards because we always one big bloke on the bench for half a game that cant do what high half forwards do.

Yes, there was definitely that. On a basis though of winning/losing per se it would have helped more if Hewitt was out there instead of Pitto. We still only lost the last 2 weeks by just 2 goals (last week no Pitto admittedly)

[PaulP]

Losing games by narrow margins against decent teams, when we ourselves are playing poorly, suggests to me that we are thereabouts, and it's more about minor tweaks and adjustments, rather than wholesale, drastic changes.

[Thryleon]

Not to mention I reckon we got the rough end of the stick with some umpiring today.

They gave weightman a goal that was barely high if it was and the umpires were wrong sided to see it.

Poulters arm chop against weiters in red time in quarter 2 was a joke.  The finish outstanding.

Cripps managed to dish it out to someone who spotted up a kick inside 50.  Marked 30 metres out.  They brought it back for a free kick.  Cripps had a shot from about 55 pulled it left.

It wasn't why we lost, it just makes it harder. 

Tactically I thought the dogs played a very compact game and made it tough for us to play through.  They moved as a unit and were able to break our lines too easily whilst we had to move the ball very precisely or rely on dump kicks.

Was interesting to see. 

Beyond that the current holding the ball rules are a mess now.  It's chook lotto.  A couple times players are getting tackled as they take possession.  No arm free holding the ball. 

Credit to the dogs they were able to score every time we got a goal with an instant reply and it just meant we never looked like winning.

We'll need to find a way through that scenario.  Losing Williams is a big loss.  He picked owies out with a 50 metre bullet early from the wing and thats the sort of kicking we needed to pierce the dogs zone today.

Forget the ruck discussion.  Our strength is winning and bash and crash on the inside and we got hammered at it again this week by the dogs.

[kruddler]

Forget the ruck discussion.  Our strength is winning and bash and crash on the inside and we got hammered at it again this week by the dogs.

Are we more likely to win the bash and crash when we have 4 midfielders there (with cripps or kennedy rucking) or when we have 3 and a ruck.

Our rucks are half decent with getting clearances themselves, however I'd prefer the other blokes to dish it forward as we are more likely to hit a target that way.

We are handicapping ourself by playing 2 rucks.

[laj]

Are we more likely to win the bash and crash when we have 4 midfielders there (with cripps or kennedy rucking) or when we have 3 and a ruck.

Our rucks are half decent with getting clearances themselves, however I'd prefer the other blokes to dish it forward as we are more likely to hit a target that way.

We are handicapping ourself by playing 2 rucks.

Given Melbourne just won easy with no rucks I have to agree.

[Thryleon]

Are we more likely to win the bash and crash when we have 4 midfielders there (with cripps or kennedy rucking) or when we have 3 and a ruck.

Our rucks are half decent with getting clearances themselves, however I'd prefer the other blokes to dish it forward as we are more likely to hit a target that way.

We are handicapping ourself by playing 2 rucks.

We've copped 100 points against two weeks running.  That's not a ruck problem that's a system problem.

System not hamstring by rucks.  Weitering needs help, Newman is getting attention and not chopping things off like he did, Kemp is man minding marchbank is a shadow, cowans opponents are getting loose and saad is not accountable.

What we need is another tall who is that dour type who just gets the job done and doesn't need to be a world beater just defensively dour.  Will aid weitering to get back to chopping the play off because our opposition stopped him by blocking his run at the ball drop and the umps let it go all day.

That and the fact that we were often under so much pressure in the middle it made life rough.

@Iaj, I'm not sure a wet night at the G is comparable to a dry deck at marvel.  Composure cost us more.

[Thryleon]

Also have a listen to voss press conference.  Second time I've heard him speak where he sounds like he has something nasally going on.  I'd wager there are some health concerns running through the club because we seem a little flat and I've noted players on their haunches a lit.  Wonder if perhaps a little covid flare up hasn't occurred.  Would explain the strange selection as well as the fact we've dropped back to not being able to run out games quite suddenly.

[LP]

Forget the ruck discussion.  Our strength is winning and bash and crash on the inside and we got hammered at it again this week by the dogs.

Yep, we lost within 2m or 3m of the contest, the outside run wasn't part of it, we had more football than the Dogs.

Our fumbles and wasted footy returned, and it burned us badly, we missed basic targets by hand and foot and when we do that we are out of position. It won't matter what team we select. Fans want to blame other things, but that just leaves the door open for excuses.

We probably had as strong of a team as we've fielded all season, but it's not a team that is in good form, quite the opposite.

[Macca37]

There are consistent calls for Cuningham to be brought into the side when fit.  But wouldn't he be in the same league as Fantasia?

He has shown that he has the skills to succeed but has he ever put in four quarters ?  My impression is that he has never given us more than one or two quarters in a game before disappearing, and that is what caused him to be dropped prior to getting his current injury.

[LP]

What we need is another tall who is that dour type who just gets the job done and doesn't need to be a world beater just defensively dour.  Will aid weitering to get back to chopping the play off because our opposition stopped him by blocking his run at the ball drop and the umps let it go all day.

We missed McGovern badly, Marchbank came in the from cold, but he's not the same aggressive ball user that McGovern is, we have very few that can cut those lines.

[member=105]Thryleon[/member] Watching the replay, we get first hands on the ball many many times and basically hand the footy over, this is where stats and disposals counts can be misleading. You said composure or the lack of it, it really showed.

You might be onto something about the health or mindset, I have to wonder if a few players have started to focus on finals, and the injuries and events last week might have scared a few. They have gone a bit "safe", and it's become costly!