Carlton Supporters Club

I still can;'t understand why people are suggesting we need to retire the 2 bolded players.
Consistently in our bests, and both top 5 in the B+F thus far.

Have we learned nothing from the trading of Gibbs?
You simply cannot replace that type of quality with a draft pick.

I would very much hope that we keep these 2 for 2019 (and perhaps beyond?) as a huge hole (and about 550 games of experience by the end of the year) would appear in their absence.

Between them, they have played in more games than all players aged 22 and under combined (of which we have 23! inc rookies). 
....and still more when you include Graham, Phillips and Byrne who are over 23+ and played in a further 98 games between them.

So those 2 players offer us more games experience than our lowest 26 experience players combined. Frightening.

My guess is that both will continue, on 1 year deals, and hopefully a little less money.

I can see validity both for keeping them and moving them on. Personally not fussed one way or the other.

Assuming our back 6 is in good shape next year, I'd like to see Simpson back in his former role on the wing, and Daisy around the ball or HFF.

I read this thread and I question what is the most obvious reason we are where we are right now, long term injuries!

Murphy, Kennedy, Kruezer, McKay, Kerridge, Docherty, Lang, Rowe, Plowman, Garlett, Marchbank, Macreadie, Cuningham, Williamson, Pickett, Philips, Byrne, Casboult, A.Silvagni. That's 19 players who are considered to be in our plans to be top 30 players.

Please explain to me how Carlton, a developing side, can cover this amount of disruption to their list and still be competitive?

Defence - The so called media experts have asked the question how we went from a side who was hard to play & score against to where we are now. I give them;

Docherty - AA HBF, who organises the defense and was an on field coach. Irreplaceable.
Williamson - 15 games last season, from a first year player who hopefully would have progressed in his second season no games.
Byrne - Supposed to give run off half back with a long penetrating kick, strong body also. No impact
Marchbank - Hardly been available with a few injuries through the pre season and ongoing injury in season.
Plowman - Was rumoured to be playing injured, but through our lack of options kept going, now out for a month so far.
Rowe - Coming off an ACL with limited pre season and looks to have lost what touch he did have.
Macreadie - Showed promise as a shut down no nonsense defender, had decent disposal and did not seemed rushed. Again needs some more time but no games
A.Silvagni - That senior head down back to give us some toughness, but again crueled by injury.

That's 7 players who if available would have definitely helped and made a real difference. Instead we've had to drop Daisy, Lamb and Jack back while playing duds like Mullet and O'Shea. It's got so bad that we have dropped Murphy to a half back flank to give us good use off HBF. In doing so we lost his run through the middle into HFF.

Midfield;

Murphy - Missed over 50% of games, in a team bereft of experience and quality ball use, now running off half back just so we can get the ball forward of centre.
Kennedy - No pre season and then a foot injury that we didn't well at all has robbed him of a successful first year at Carlton. We are just see Matt get his groove now as the season is finished.
Kruezer - In and out of the side due to injury, mismanaged and not effective due to playing hurt.
Kerridge - A seasoned body to help protect others, not an A grader but a solid B when playing at his best.
Lang - Real pace and beautiful skills but again, no pre season and hasn't found form because of it.
Cuningham - Would be getting a game with our lack of midfield depth, tried off HB because we had no run but he is a midfielder and is Dow like with his pick ups in traffic.
Philips - Saw in the one game what he does for us, I thought he was better than Ryder after he found his game rhythm and would of helped when Kruezer was out or should have been out.

Forwards;

McKay - A few injuries and illnesses have prevented Harry from playing more, plus a bias against him that doesn't seen to apply to others on the list.
Garlett - Looked to be a pressure forward in the practise matches but a dislocated should and other minor injuries have stopped him getting the feel back for AFL footy.
Pickett - Look at the Hawthorn game last season to see what we missed, his fist game back his pace and skill set up Charlies first two goals but missing half the season to a broken wrist robbed us.
Casboult - While 2018 hasn't been his year before injuries Levi is still takes a big defender allowing Charlie to get more one on ones.

This is the reason we are where we are, a team at our level of rebuilding cannot afford to have so many missing pieces and then shuffle players around to fill gaps. I've said before our forward line should have Pickett, Fisher and Garlett in it, getting fed by Levi, Charlie and Harry, instead Fisher is having to play serious midfield minutes with  Pickett and Garlett being injured and out of form.

Just by having Docherty, Williamson and Marchbank healthy all season, we win 2/3 of our "honourable losses".

Our side is not broken, we have not got our rebuild wrong as sooo many of the D-Head media say, they look at simply who we have on field, not who we are missing. I have actually stopped streaming SEN (apart from Mahers show) because I've gotten sick of ignorant media performers who have no idea where our list is making uneducated comments on the state of our rebuild.

These are the same people who said that Richmond was a basket case and Hardwick should be sacked just two years ago. That Buckley had to go just last season, now look who the top 2 teams are, so why are we listening to them now?

Stick fat, we don't need to throw this rebuild out, we do need to add some more quality in there, we do need a bit of luck with injury and we need to question the medical department as they have made some very questionable decisions this season. Get Lukocius , no team that has ever traded away the No 1 or 2 pick has won the trade, draft/trade 2/3 mids. We will still get them at 24/28 and maybe a free agent and we will do much better in 2018.

If we can have this set up in 2019 then look for 8-10 wins

Willamson Jones Plowman
Marchbank Weitering Docherty

SPS Cripps Murphy
Kruezer Kennedy Dow

Lukocius Charlie Fisher
Garlett McKay Pickett

Simpson Ed Lang Levi

E - O'Brien, Cuningham, Macreadie

What a load of poppycock!   Have a look at other sides injury lists- including GWS.  They are worse than ours, and with better players out.  I cannot believe you are mentioning that a fit Casboult will make us better.  Kerridge a 'B' grader?  You are kidding me.  Can i please smoke whatever you are on please mate?

What a load of poppycock!   Have a look at other sides injury lists- including GWS.  They are worse than ours, and with better players out.  I cannot believe you are mentioning that a fit Casboult will make us better.  Kerridge a 'B' grader?  You are kidding me.  Can i please smoke whatever you are on please mate?

Fair post as per usual Raydan.

What a load of poppycock!   Have a look at other sides injury lists- including GWS.  They are worse than ours, and with better players out.  I cannot believe you are mentioning that a fit Casboult will make us better.  Kerridge a 'B' grader?  You are kidding me.  Can i please smoke whatever you are on please mate?