Watched the Video. Geelong are a good team that played very well. Their best player played very well. They have very few injuries. We butchered the ball in defence and going forward and we missed too many easy goals while they kicked just about everything. After quarter time they broke even in the middle and they were cleaner all day with the ball. They tackled hard and bullied our younger players, but not unfairly. They are well organized, disciplined and know how to win. We didn't give up. In the end we could have won. While our injuries are a major concern and has destabilized our back line, we make too many mistakes. I think defensively we are getting drawn to the ball but not impacting on the contest and when the ball spills to the opposition they have players free out the back which leads to easy goals against us. We either need to impact the contest or have players structured back to prevent these out breaks. The umpiring was appalling. They made wrong decisions that led to Geelong having extra chances which they often took. I think Williams got hit in the eye which is why he went down and whether he went down a bit easy or not, it was another free kick to us the umpires missed which resulted in a goal. I note the Match Review Committee found the incident warranted a fine for the Geelong player. Maybe the Fox commentators might admit they may have got it wrong, but I don't expect it. I watched On The Water Front the other day. Carlton has to decide whether they want to be contenders or not. We need to get tougher in our heads. Too many missed opportunities. We need to get better.
Geelong has had just about a full list to choose from this year. Last year they had injuries and missed the finals. Their forward line is very good. A lot of variety plus some guns. The backline is tough and disciplined but I think we can get hold of them. Their midfield shuts down their opponents. If they break even then they usually win. Carlton has become a side that should win these sorts of games.
The move of Curnow back meant that the rest of the backline were able to man up which stopped GWS being able to pick us off as they came forward. Having two rucks means that Cripps and Kennedy can concentrate on being midfielders. TDK gives us a third tall forward which limits the effectiveness of the opposition dropping an extra tall down back on Charlie and Harry. The problem with the way GWS play is that while they have the ball they are good but they do an awful lot of running so when the game turns they can look very tired our backline continues to be destabilised through injury. Could be Cincotta's turn next week. It is clear we have an extra gear that other sides may not have. I thought we were in trouble in that third quarter but this Carlton side does not appear to give up.
Pretty disappointing result all round. How it ended was how it looked like it was going to end all day. The goal call in the third quarter was wrong but didn't cost us the game. Owies missing running into an open goal and the mix up down back when the ball bounced between two players and led to a goal were the killers. There were a number of times when we got in one another's way and missing set shots thirty meters out didn't help. I thought we were the better team except when they got the ball and we weren't able to stop them. Their ball movement was quite slick at times. I am not sure the umpires did us any favours, maybe after last week they wanted to be hypercritical or us to demonstrate they are not bias towards us. In the end we failed to do the simple things well when it counted. I believe you need 30 players on your list you can rely on to win a flag. At the start of the year I thought we had 33 and after the first game I thought Carroll made 34. With Silvagni and Docherty out we have 32. For next week's game, Cerra, Fogarty, Motlop, McGovern, Martin, Cuningham and Saad are unavailable with doubts on Marchbank, Cincotta and Big Durdin. Young is likely to come into the side if Marchbank is unavailable and Cowan, who I have at 35, could come in if Cincotta is unavailable. We are starting to get down into the young guys of Binns, Moir and Lemmey.
Firstly, Freo played very well, secondly Carlton did not give up, thirdly if the game is going to be determined by whether a ball brushed the hair of a defender or not then the Tommy Alvin hair style must become compulsory for back men, and finally the Freo players gave up and clearly didn't believe they could win the centre clearance and win the game and that is why they lost. Winners win because they win, losers lose because they lose. TDK clearly beat Jackson, for all the possessions the Freo midfield accumulated they never really dominated the game and Carlton can get better but I am not sure Freo can. It is becoming a wild ride to follow Carlton atm but the never say die was a hallmark of the Barassi and Jezza sides of the 60's and 70's. This could become the trademark of the Voss side.
