1700 on a Saturday afternoon and the game is over. Pity it is not in any way that I can see it.
The result is .......
Apparently we are on top of the "ladder of gallantry" this season, another good showing against finalists.
Go Baggers
Not too bad really.
We've come a fair way since this time last year.
Casboult and weitering on one leg (did Weits even come back on?) last qtr didn't help.
Bit of luck would've been nice: if only SOS kicked that goal... or Cripps & Levi didn't spoil each other... or Levi's soccer didn't hit the post... if the umps had been a little bit fairer.
Gibbs 9 tackles
SOS a decent 7 disposal game
Cripps 11 clearances!! (Hawks had 22 in total)
If we can get a half-decent forward line we'd be hard to beat.
And yes honourable losses suck arse, but not as much as losing to GWS by 80+ points and posting your lowest score in 50 years! GWS got Ratten sacked, now they'll be getting Dimma sacked. Ironically his replacement may well be Ratten!
Not disgraced and some of the lesser lights like Buckley, Boekhorst, and White did OK. Tuohy had a day out but a goal or two would have been nice.
We may have injury concerns with Weitering and Casboult.
Hawthorn just made fewer mistakes than us but we fought it out again, you can't doubt our commitment to the contest and each other but by gee we can butcher the ball as well as anyone.
Some winnable games coming up, 8 or 9 wins and I'd be happy enough with the year.
10 minutes of sloppy play to start the 3rd qtr is what really cost us the game.
HAWTHORN 2.5 2.8 7.11 10.14 (74)
CARLTON 0.4 1.8 5.11 7.13 (55)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Breust 2, Ceglar 2, Duryea, Lewis, Burgoyne, Gunston, Hodge, McEvoy
Carlton: Buckley, Gibbs, Kreuzer, Cripps, Everitt, Silvagni, Sumner
BEST
Hawthorn: Burgoyne, Lewis, Birchall, Gunston
Carlton: Cripps, Tuohy, Gibbs, Simpson, Kreuzer, Curnow
INJURIES
Hawthorn: Nil
Carlton: Nil
Could we kick a goal? Apparently not.
A bit of silk and a forward line and wha's not to like? Not really taken a pot at the previous coach but his defences look a bit threadbare. The difference between a hungry one and others is plain as.
Casboult and weitering on one leg (did Weits even come back on?) last qtr didn't help.
Bit of luck would've been nice: if only SOS kicked that goal... or Cripps & Levi didn't spoil each other... or Levi's soccer didn't hit the post... if the umps had been a little bit fairer.
Gibbs 9 tackles
SOS a decent 7 disposal game
Cripps 11 clearances!! (Hawks had 22 in total)
If we can get a half-decent forward line we'd be hard to beat.
And yes honourable losses suck arse, but not as much as losing to GWS by 80+ points and posting your lowest score in 50 years! GWS got Ratten sacked, now they'll be getting Dimma sacked. Ironically his replacement may well be Ratten!
Gold Coast stamped Ratts' papers matey, not GWS.
And as for him ending up at Richmond, perish the thought. There's talk about him and the Lions, which is arguably worse.
Not disgraced and some of the lesser lights like Buckley, Boekhorst, and White did OK. Tuohy had a day out but a goal or two would have been nice.
We may have injury concerns with Weitering and Casboult.
:( Buckley is no good for our future. Thinks he's a star, when he's not. He inevitably gets caught, makes rash decisions, turnover, goal. Yes he provides carry coming out, at speed, but gee my heart is in my throat every time he gets near it. That and the fact he can't tackle anyone of decent size because his parents had him on bread and milk while he was a teenager. Pass. Let's see if he gets a new contract.
Anyhoo, we are offensively impotent, and the greatest defense in the world won't help that.
"better execution and they're a serious team" Isaac Smith
Going inside forward 50 was our biggest let down. So many times guys pulled up on a kick inside and had passed instead and turned over. Graham going into F50 was probably the worst.
Everett started to try hard when the game was over.
Cas spent a lot of time running the boundary.
Hodge did pretty much nothing all day but ice th cake. Should have only been a 2 goal loss and a winnable game.
Not at all too disappointed.
Go blues!!
"better execution and they're a serious team" Isaac Smith
He might as well have said that if they had another half dozen serious footballers they'd be OK, he was just pissing in our pocket.
Burgoyne killed us and we were lucky Gunston didn't have his kicking boots on for once, there's still a wide gulf between us and the best and we can't bridge it by busting our guts.
We need some genuine skill ASAP.
He might as well have said that if they had another half dozen serious footballers they'd be OK, he was just pissing in our pocket.
Burgoyne killed us and we were lucky Gunston didn't have his kicking boots on for once, there's still a wide gulf between us and the best and we can't bridge it by busting our guts.
We need some genuine skill ASAP.
Yep
19 points
That would have been 13 if not for an atrocious kick out from Docherty
Opposition players have talked positively about us for the last three weeks in post game comments.
We're sadly lacking in the forward department at the moment but we're not miles off.
Those close losses this year will be wins in 12 months time.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-07-30/match-report-hawthorn-v-carlton
The stats backed the Blues in every regard except precision in front of goal.
Yep
19 points
That would have been 13 if not for an atrocious kick out from Docherty
Opposition players have talked positively about us for the last three weeks in post game comments.
We're sadly lacking in the forward department at the moment but we're not miles off.
Those close losses this year will be wins in 12 months time.
Agree. A long way to go but we are on the right track, building on our defence. The next drafting and trading periods are all important.
He might as well have said that if they had another half dozen serious footballers they'd be OK, he was just pissing in our pocket.
Burgoyne killed us and we were lucky Gunston didn't have his kicking boots on for once, there's still a wide gulf between us and the best and we can't bridge it by busting our guts.
We need some genuine skill ASAP.
He's not that wrong. With better run and execution we won 6 out of 7, admittedly against sides at our level, excluding Geelong, and made life tough for others. We are a few midfielders short, which hopefully we can sort in the next draft or two. We are in the first year of a rebuild so you'd expect we'd be a bit down on the best. There's signs with a few more additions we can be a serious side.
We might eek out 8-9 wins with our run home from here.
We're streets ahead of where we were last year with many of our younger players with lots of positive development to come.
We've been competitive with some of the best sides in the competition in recent weeks.
You can't help but be positive about that.
Agree. A long way to go but we are on the right track, building on our defence. The next drafting and trading periods are all important.
Plus the snap from Krooz (from 5m out) and the dribble from the boundary by the Hawks. Argh!
He's not that wrong. With better run and execution we won 6 out of 7, admittedly against sides at our level, excluding Geelong, and made life tough for others. We are a few midfielders short, which hopefully we can sort in the next draft or two. We are in the first year of a rebuild so you'd expect we'd be a bit down on the best. There's signs with a few more additions we can be a serious side.
We might eek out 8-9 wins with our run home from here.
8 or 9 and I'm happy with the season even if two of them are freebees and another two are close to it, at least we aren't dead set easybeats any more.
That said our general skills are poor and there's only Murphy, Curnow and Byrne to add that will improve them, I think Walker's done and dusted.
We've just got too many players with unreliable foot skills, but we have a crack these days at least.
It's the best attitude at the club since we were a good side back in the late 90's, if we had three or four seriously good kids waiting in the wings I'd be very excited.
Two things I am fairly sure of:
1. This year was all about defence, defence and more defence. Fwd line, meh!
2. We were aiming to be competitive with out compromising obtaining a low draft pick.
8 or 9 and I'm happy with the season even if two of them are freebees and another two are close to it, at least we aren't dead set easybeats any more.
That said our general skills are poor and there's only Murphy, Curnow and Byrne to add that will improve them, I think Walker's done and dusted.
We've just got too many players with unreliable foot skills, but we have a crack these days at least.
It's the best attitude at the club since we were a good side back in the late 90's, if we had three or four seriously good kids waiting in the wings I'd be very excited.
We might see McKay in the next couple of weeks. He'll take a couple of years but thinking he'll be pretty useful at least next year at least. I'm happy that we've been able to beat sides at our level, all you can ask at this stage of our development.
Things could be worse, we could be Richmond...lol.
Things could be worse, we could be Richmond...lol.
True, but Richmond's sad story doesn't give me as much pleasure as it used to, we've been a basket case for so long I've forgotten how to gloat.
True, but Richmond's sad story doesn't give me as much pleasure as it used to, we've been a basket case for so long I've forgotten how to gloat.
Practice your gloating just in case. If you're going to be a good gloater when the time comes one has to practice..lol
Shame we don't play Richmond again ;D
I forgot Daisy, I still can't get my head around him as a Carlton player.
Murphy, Thomas, Byrne and Charlie Curnow would make a real difference, but we'll always have some injuries.
We need a skillful, quick midfielder and a key forward at a bare minimum.
I forgot Daisy, I still can't get my head around him as a Carlton player.
Murphy, Thomas, Byrne and Charlie Curnow would make a real difference, but we'll always have some injuries.
We need a skillful, quick midfielder and a key forward at a bare minimum.
We hope we're developing the key forward. Two of them.
Usual story.... If we had some system and nous in forward half we would have won this convincingly.
He's not that wrong. With better run and execution we won 6 out of 7, admittedly against sides at our level, excluding Geelong, and made life tough for others. We are a few midfielders short, which hopefully we can sort in the next draft or two. We are in the first year of a rebuild so you'd expect we'd be a bit down on the best. There's signs with a few more additions we can be a serious side.
We might eek out 8-9 wins with our run home from here.
X 2. Well said
Go Blues
Two things stood out for me today. The first was that when Hawthorn threatened or we lost our way, we re-grouped, changed things up and got back into the game. The coach clearly knows what he's doing and the players are responding well to his coaching.
The second was our disposal efficiency. Hawthorn have been among the best in the business for a while but we matched them today, even with a couple of absolute shockers. That is a monumental shift from where we were with our disposal last year and for many years before that.
Another good performance from the lads and unlucky to have lost, again. Just need players with better foot skills.
We smashed them in the disposals, clearances, tackles, stoppages, contested possessions, marks inside 50... just lacking that polish and foot skills
Watching the game live confirmed what I've been thinking for several weeks now. We need quality midfielders and many of them. We have good structures, we have a solid backline and team first attitude (talk about that shortly) but when we get the ball forward of centre we don't have the polish. Buckley, Graham, Wright, Kerridge, Sumner all spent time in the midfield and all have serious holes in their game. I'm sure that people will say but he did this good and he did that but in total you replace them with 4 serious ball users who are genuine mids and we win that game, plus the 2 before hand.
It's wrong to say we need better forward structure, we need better entries into the forward half, Hawthorn made Ceglar and McEvoy look like dangerous forwards, put them in our side and they would be shown for what they are, ruckman. Don't try and develop McKay, C.Curnow and Silvagni with this lot kicking the ball to them, all that will happen is the old kick to kick high marking comps where they grab one once in ten tries. Get some good ball users in, Prestia is a restricted free agent is this correct? If so go get him, draft for a high quality ball user with our first or second picks and if there will be none there then trade it for a 20-22 year old with these traits.
Team ethos. My favourite image of Mitch Robinson was after a crude tackle by Gibbs on an Essendon player just after the siren sounded. There where 3 scums going to go after Gibbs and Robbo was bouncing on his toes between them, not letting them get past him to get Gibbs. I thought at the time that's the sort of team mate everyone wants in their corner.
I saw it again yesterday with Simon White. After the Docherty kick in disaster, White and Rowe when over and patted Sam on the head giving him encouragement etc, White looked up and saw Hill, and a couple of Hawks coming for Docherty he took three strides toward him and Rowe was right behind, and they didn't let the Hawthorn pricks anywhere near him. That's the team ethos that has been missing, I would hope that this is a regular theme throughout the year but sadly TV cameras like to replay the muck up 10 times so you don't see what happens in live play.
Backline - Rowe, Docherty and Simpson are keeping us in game with their tireless work and willingness to run. If Simmo doesn't get a contract next season it would be the biggest travesty since Jezza left.
Touhy - Sure he may get some disposals but they are bombs in the unknown, he is clueless when the ball is high and has no idea how to find his opponent, look at your player look at the ball in the air and look at your player again. Touhy looks at his player then runs at him, that's all, if you're a defender then defend.
Plowman - I really want him to be good, but at the moment he's average at best. Looks like Lachie is strong but gets brushed off to easily, looks like he reads the play but is too often late to spoil by a couple of seconds and was lucky again this week not to give away 50 for a late spoil. Hopefully a pre season with the team will fix this up but I have my concerns.
Wietering - Looks scared, at the start of the season he spotted the ball and went after it, yesterday on several occasions when the ball was coing his way he looked around then meekly tried to spoil in a contest. If I can see it then I'm sure the coaches can and it will be fixed but he surprised me with how he went about the game.
Mids - Our biggest weakness, how much more effective would Cripps be with 3-5 good ball users around him? Quick good ball users, who can run to Cripps vision and then go. Gibbs I've been critical of but again his rushed kicks forward would be lessened by a strong group and capable mids around him, rather than wait for Docherty of Simmo to stream by. Ed Curnow is a tireless worker, tackles, blocks for his teammates and will lock down anyone or die trying but when as he is our third best midfielder then we can see why we are where we are.
Buckley, Graham, Kerridge, Sumner and Wright are all pockets or flanks doing a poor imitation of midfielders, they are all small and when you compare them to Hawthorn I would say we had 7 of the lightest players on the park.
Forwards - Levi hasn't been the same since his leg break /fracture. Everitt floats in and out of the game, Silvagni looks tired and needs freshen up. White is used as a stop gap around the ground and really we have noboady breaking the door down in the twos to give them a spell yet.
All in all the coaching group should be congratulated in getting this group anywhere near the reigning premiers. Imagine what they could do with an injection of quality players.
Goods thoughts Raydan, happy to hear of Rowes continued value to the team, very much under valued by many supporters I believe. You are right, need mids, some specialist players for roles.
The back structure has been good but we are also light on if Rowe or Plowman went down for an extended period. Much shuffling to be done on the draft & trade tables
Yes agree with Rob.
Ray, I knew that you were probably the only one of our regular posters who was at the game, so I was waiting to read your thoughts. Thanks - good read.
Top stuff Raydan.
Been saying it for years with Zach, struggles when the ball is above his eye line, loses contact with his opponent too readily.
Top post rayden. Was at the game too, making the trip down with my hawk supporting wife. Good day at the footy.
Agree that we need midfield skills and pace. Cripps played an amazing game, but needs support. We want to be in a place where curnow is our 6th or 7th midfielder.
Our forwards are poor, but this is a function of our delivery. That being said, casboult, despite carrying an injury, just doesn't work hard enough.
Will do a longer post when I get home. Time to check out the Tamar valley.
Top post Rayden, pity you don't get to see the game more often. When I read your last sentence about us need an injection it was double take time. :)
What did you think of Boeky?
Will do a longer post when I get home. Time to check out the Tamar valley.
Get to as many Vineyards as you can, some top quality wines down this way.
What did you think of Aurora as a ground? It was great to see a 50/50 crowd and know a few Hawks supports who found it unnerving with a very vocal Carlton contingent influencing a few decisions. I was giving Ray some advice in the last quarter from the boundary, saying don't be the reason that there are more memes online say free to Hawthorn, and don't let Hawthorn suck you in Ray, you're better than that, just before he gave some free's against Hawthorn. Now I don't want to take all the credit, I want to share it with the players ::) :P
Top post Rayden, pity you don't get to see the game more often. When I read your last sentence about us need an injection it was double take time. :)
What did you think of Boeky?
Not in the game enough, but when he is then he's good. Will be better with better players around him, put him in Hawthorn and he looks as good as Issac Smith. BB is a high half forward who needs to work on his front and square positioning, but has some tools to work with.
Buckley, Graham, Kerridge, Sumner and Wright are all pockets or flanks doing a poor imitation of midfielders, they are all small and when you compare them to Hawthorn I would say we had 7 of the lightest players on the park.
Not sure you can put Kerridge in with the rest of them.
(http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Sam+Kerridge+Carlton+Blues+Pre+Season+Training+B5rJ3DuLiOAl.jpg)
Out of all my post that's what you pick up on ::)
Agreed he is not that small or light but his skills are very poor and it's no good being strong enough to go get the ball when you're terrible below your knees and fumble it constantly.
That being said he was very good at keeping Mitchell quite yesterday.
Can I just say that Jordan Lewis is the luckiest footballer in the AFL. He is a decent quality player that has never had to deal with a tag in his career. Opposition teams are worrying about Mitchell, Hill, Smith, Burgoyne, Cyril etc that he just goes about his business and gets easy possessions in the open.
Great stuff Tassy Devil.
I've watched the replay twice now and although it aint the same as actually being there, it is painfully obvious that our midfield lacks depth and our forwards the same. When Sumner, Wright, Buckley, Graham, Everitt, Kerridge can't get a game in the seniors then we'll be on the right track. Just the inclusion of Murphy and a fit Daisy into yesterday's side and we come very close to winning... would have beaten Swans and Eagles with those two up and firing. (mind you I do think that Sumner will make it ...just obvious he's struggling now fitness wise - will benefit greatly from a full pre-season and proper fitness and Kerridge is developing into a strong run with/lockdown type... but his disposal!!!).
Agree that Boekhorst really showed glimpses yesterday, you had the feeling that when the ball is in his hands something good will happen.
Great that the NBs are on the teev live this morning. Be really interesting to see how Lamb, Cuningham, McKay, McCasker and Gorringe perform (looks like the club has consigned Jones, Jaksch, Gower, Dick, Wood, Tutt, Foster, Rainbow and probably Whiley to another place next year).
Agree with another poster that Weitering looks timid. Seems to be relying on talent and judgement at the minute with less than required intent. Of recent times the only time I've seen him really seen him seem to enjoy his footy was when he was given the forward line gig.
Kudos has to be given to Gibbs, Simpson, Rowe, Cripps, Curnow E , Docherty and White who are leading well and holding the place together at present.
Can I just say that Jordan Lewis is the luckiest footballer in the AFL. He is a decent quality player that has never had to deal with a tag in his career. Opposition teams are worrying about Mitchell, Hill, Smith, Burgoyne, Cyril etc that he just goes about his business and gets easy possessions in the open.
Its called depth Raydan ;)
Where can we buy this depth? At the Trade & Draft store ? We better stop buying at the $2 shops first
Out of all my post that's what you pick up on ::)
Don't disagree with any of the rest of it. ;)
Thanks for the report Ray!
I thought that Kerridge did a reasonable job on Mitchell but we really do need more from the second stringers in the midfield rotation or perhaps it's just more capable second stringers.
Great stuff Tassy Devil.
I've watched the replay twice now and although it aint the same as actually being there, it is painfully obvious that our midfield lacks depth and our forwards the same. When Sumner, Wright, Buckley, Graham, Everitt, Kerridge can't get a game in the seniors then we'll be on the right track. Just the inclusion of Murphy and a fit Daisy into yesterday's side and we come very close to winning... would have beaten Swans and Eagles with those two up and firing. (mind you I do think that Sumner will make it ...just obvious he's struggling now fitness wise - will benefit greatly from a full pre-season and proper fitness and Kerridge is developing into a strong run with/lockdown type... but his disposal!!!).
Agree that Boekhorst really showed glimpses yesterday, you had the feeling that when the ball is in his hands something good will happen.
Great that the NBs are on the teev live this morning. Be really interesting to see how Lamb, Cuningham, McKay, McCasker and Gorringe perform (looks like the club has consigned Jones, Jaksch, Gower, Dick, Wood, Tutt, Foster, Rainbow and probably Whiley to another place next year).
Agree with another poster that Weitering looks timid. Seems to be relying on talent and judgement at the minute with less than required intent. Of recent times the only time I've seen him really seen him seem to enjoy his footy was when he was given the forward line gig.
Kudos has to be given to Gibbs, Simpson, Rowe, Cripps, Curnow E , Docherty and White who are leading well and holding the place together at present.
Boekhorst would be on my delist list......was running towards a contested ball and Kaidan Brand from Hawthorn was the player coming the other way and Boekhorst put the anchors out
and pulled up......not good enough and not for the 1st time he has done that either.....players like this wont take us far and he has to go IMO...
Boekhorst would be on my delist list......was running towards a contested ball and Kaidan Brand from Hawthorn was the player coming the other way and Boekhorst put the anchors out
and pulled up......not good enough and not for the 1st time he has done that either.....players like this wont take us far and he has to go IMO...
I was surprised by how willing BB was to get into the hard stuff, I didn't see him shirk an issue (mind you I was standing on the hill on the 50m line and struggled with the other side of the ground). Plenty to delist before Boekhurst though.
Simple we need 2 mids that can run / pace spread and I think we are to slow , how many sides this yr have carved us up with there pace for easy goals .
Boekhorst would be on my delist list......was running towards a contested ball and Kaidan Brand from Hawthorn was the player coming the other way and Boekhorst put the anchors out
and pulled up......not good enough and not for the 1st time he has done that either.....players like this wont take us far and he has to go IMO...
If AFL Player Ratings are anything to go by, he was our best. ???
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ComBSsTWAAAl-7b.jpg)
Great stuff Tassy Devil.
Agree with another poster that Weitering looks timid. Seems to be relying on talent and judgement at the minute with less than required intent. Of recent times the only time I've seen him really seen him seem to enjoy his footy was when he was given the forward line gig.
Some weeks ago I was severely criticized when I said that Weitering 'dropped his head' a few times. Now his timidity is showing out further and others are seeing it.
Maybe tired after a long season, but doesn't seem the same confidence and surety at times. Hard to judge in the pressure zone where he is. A lot to ask off a first year player , still glad we have him
I was surprised by how willing BB was to get into the hard stuff, I didn't see him shirk an issue (mind you I was standing on the hill on the 50m line and struggled with the other side of the ground). Plenty to delist before Boekhurst though.
After watching the NB's there sure is plenty to delist...the Werribee/Nth team had way more talent, if you have rubbish in the twos you will never ever generate enough competition for spots and build depth.
We just move deckchairs each week and rely on Cripps, Simpson, Docherty etc to cover for all these duds we have acquired....
If AFL Player Ratings are anything to go by, he was our best. ???
Quite clearly they're not - some bizarre rankings in that lot ???
I'd put Boekhorst in our best ten players. I didn't see him shirk a contest and thought his attack on the ball was good. He does need to improve and hit the scoreboard more if he is going to be a regular player.
And, while I think of it, Docherty had a dirty day by his lofty standards but did Sumner, Plowman, Phillips and Boekhorst play better? I don't think so!
McEvoy had four hitouts to advantage, seven disposals and kicked a goal and he's rated third. What garbage!
A few posts suggesting if this and that happened then there is a different result.
It's sliding doors. We have no idea what happens if a few of our ifs land (eg goals kicked/Docherty stuff up), because from the that point on the game would be different. Hawthorn would say the same - they missed sitters and stuffed up as well.
Quite clearly they're not - some bizarre rankings in that lot ???
I'd put Boekhorst in our best ten players. I didn't see him shirk a contest and thought his attack on the ball was good. He does need to improve and hit the scoreboard more if he is going to be a regular player.
And, while I think of it, Docherty had a dirty day by his lofty standards but did Sumner, Plowman, Phillips and Boekhorst play better? I don't think so!
McEvoy had four hitouts to advantage, seven disposals and kicked a goal and he's rated third. What garbage!
Re Boekhurst, well we know he can do it - hit the scoreboard. Just need the team to control the more ans use it better, collectively.
Thanks Raydan. Bloody good report.
I don't think Weitering is timid, but I think his body is pretty sore. He has copped a few hard ones and his body is not fully developed yet.
He needs a couple of weeks off.
Agree re the mids too. We need some bigger bodies in there. Steele and Crouch would be a start.
Also need a KPF.
Jack and Charlie will be good but aren't big enough to be the main target for the next 10+ years.
Harry . . . . well we don't know. But he is still very young, underdeveloped and will need a couple of seasons to get anywhere near his top if he does make it.
Afterall, we are in the early stage of a major overhaul which is going to take longer than a lot of posters on here realize.
Maybe tired after a long season, but doesn't seem the same confidence and surety at times. Hard to judge in the pressure zone where he is. A lot to ask off a first year player , still glad we have him
Also wrapped to have him but although he might have a wise head on young shoulders, he's still a kid with a young man's emotions (although he may seem mature beyond his years) and a young body. When he went forward recently and kicked his second goal his face lit up like a Christmas tree - reward for effort, and he needs a little more of this (reward for effort). Yes, he's going to have to learn to play through and with hurt but let's not do to him what we did to Kreuz.
Also wrapped to have him but although he might have a wise head on young shoulders, he's still a kid with a young man's emotions (although he may seem mature beyond his years) and a young body. When he went forward recently and kicked his second goal his face lit up like a Christmas tree - reward for effort, and he needs a little more of this (reward for effort). Yes, he's going to have to learn to play through and with hurt but let's not do to him what we did to Kreuz.
Agree. He needs a rest.
Winning doesn't matter much right now.
Also wrapped to have him but although he might have a wise head on young shoulders, he's still a kid with a young man's emotions (although he may seem mature beyond his years) and a young body. When he went forward recently and kicked his second goal his face lit up like a Christmas tree - reward for effort, and he needs a little more of this (reward for effort). Yes, he's going to have to learn to play through and with hurt but let's not do to him what we did to Kreuz.
We are flogging this kid in the very same way we have previously wrecked the talent. Our club never learns, it's too impatient and run by a bunch of first class wankers.
Two things I am fairly sure of:
1. This year was all about defence, defence and more defence. Fwd line, meh!
2. We were aiming to be competitive with out compromising obtaining a low draft pick.
Have to agree GTC. This year is all about learning the game plan built around team defense. So I can see were
Bolts is coming from in this regard. I remember when Ratts first took over and the thing that he instilled in
the players was to hold onto the ball and chip it around in the back half. Possession game to build confidence
and get the players use to the way he wanted to play. The game plan then changed as the players got more confidence and he in them.
We are flogging this kid in the very same way we have previously wrecked the talent. Our club never learns, it's too impatient and run by a bunch of first class wankers.
Unfortunately he has had to carry the load as a key defender, which he has done pretty admirably. We have had a month of top 4 opponents with gun key forwards.
Ideally we want him to play the Josh Gibson type role. Jammo is cooked, i reckon we might look to pick up a key back from another club.
Some interesting stats from the game:
Patrick Cripps
Game-high 11 clearances
Patrick Cripps led the competition clearances by nine before Saturday’s game, and only strengthened his lead with a game-high 11 against the Hawks. To put that into perspective, that equated to half of Hawthorn’s total clearances. The Blues’ No.9 was simply enormous, also recording a game-high 18 contested possessions and equal game-high 11 score involvements.
Zach Tuohy
Career-high 28 effective disposals
Was this Zach Tuohy’s best game in the navy blue? The dashing Irishman had career-high numbers in disposals (35), inside 50s (six) and effective disposals (28), with the latter allowing the Blues to have quality rebound out of defence. His equal game-high 11 score involvements indicated just how well he used the footy.
Bryce Gibbs
Game-high 19 pressure acts
Bryce Gibbs continued his rich vein of form, leading the pressure stakes with a game-high 19 pressure acts and nine tackles. Only one Hawk (Shaun Burgoyne) had over three tackles as the Blues won the tackle count 61-42.
Sam Docherty
Game-high 96% disposal efficiency
It’s rare to see Sam Docherty miss a target. No matter the pressure he was under, the ever-reliable defender consistently found a teammate with his 25 disposals in another polished performance.
Sam Kerridge
Kept Sam Mitchell to 22 disposals
Sam Kerridge got the nod to run with Sam Mitchell and didn’t disappoint, keeping the Hawthorn champion to just 22 disposals and four clearances. His ability to keep one of the AFL’s elite midfielders quiet was a big win for the Blues.
It's good to see Kerridge recognised for his job on Mitchell. Mitchell did get away a little in the last quarter but his influence was well down.
@DJC
Tuohy had 23 at half time. Was relatively quiet after that by comparison.
Does the 4% include the kick in straight to Bruest?
Patrick Cripps
Game-high 11 clearances
Patrick Cripps led the competition clearances by nine before Saturday’s game, and only strengthened his lead with a game-high 11 against the Hawks. To put that into perspective, that equated to half of Hawthorn’s total clearances. The Blues’ No.9 was simply enormous, also recording a game-high 18 contested possessions and equal game-high 11 score involvements.
Zach Tuohy
Career-high 28 effective disposals
Was this Zach Tuohy’s best game in the navy blue? The dashing Irishman had career-high numbers in disposals (35), inside 50s (six) and effective disposals (28), with the latter allowing the Blues to have quality rebound out of defence. His equal game-high 11 score involvements indicated just how well he used the footy.
Bryce Gibbs
Game-high 19 pressure acts
Bryce Gibbs continued his rich vein of form, leading the pressure stakes with a game-high 19 pressure acts and nine tackles. Only one Hawk (Shaun Burgoyne) had over three tackles as the Blues won the tackle count 61-42.
Sam Docherty
Game-high 96% disposal efficiency
It’s rare to see Sam Docherty miss a target. No matter the pressure he was under, the ever-reliable defender consistently found a teammate with his 25 disposals in another polished performance.
Sam Kerridge
Kept Sam Mitchell to 22 disposals
Sam Kerridge got the nod to run with Sam Mitchell and didn’t disappoint, keeping the Hawthorn champion to just 22 disposals and four clearances. His ability to keep one of the AFL’s elite midfielders quiet was a big win for the Blues.
Impressive figures. May illustrate, yet again, that too much is being left to too few.
Get to as many Vineyards as you can, some top quality wines down this way.
What did you think of Aurora as a ground? It was great to see a 50/50 crowd and know a few Hawks supports who found it unnerving with a very vocal Carlton contingent influencing a few decisions. I was giving Ray some advice in the last quarter from the boundary, saying don't be the reason that there are more memes online say free to Hawthorn, and don't let Hawthorn suck you in Ray, you're better than that, just before he gave some free's against Hawthorn. Now I don't want to take all the credit, I want to share it with the players ::) :P
Back home after a most bucolic weekend in launceston and surrounds. Those who like champagne; some of the tassie houses are producing plonk equal to the French, so it took the edge off the loss.
York park, AKA Aurora stadium is a good place indeed to watch a game. Good atmosphere and the game was a sell out, with a 50/50 crowd annoying the hawk supporting locals i spoke to. Even the local news led that night with stories of the bars that ran out of beer. It is a place to be proud of, and it certainly does inject something into launceston, with most cafes and restaurants booked out. Of course it is heavily subsidised, but this site is neither a politics blog or a wine discussion forum so back to the game.
Standout players were cripps, simpson, docherty, gibbs and i thought rowe. Fine performances from Boekhorst, phillips and Kruezer. Curnow too worked very hard, covering alot of ground. Touhy was very good, but missed opportunities to use the ball better.
I mostly watch games in Melbourne from up high, so have seen our style and structure develop this year. In launceston was down low at the southern end, so got a better look into how the team is working together. Its fair to say we are getting there.
The two major deficiencies that i see are lapses in structure and midfield skills. The first means we are opened up against the best sides. It means that when we kick long to a contest, we dont always have a player on the deck to mop up and keep possession. Hawthorn are outstanding at this, and it is something we are hit and miss at.
Second, as it has been discussed many a time is the skill level of our mids. Im not so fussed about our forwards. They are average, but the delivery to them is average. We spent several times in the third quarter stuck at half forward about 60 metres out, sharing the ball around but unable to get closer. Excellent disposal will allow movement forward to be quicker and more precise, overcoming the defensive wall that most league teams can muster. Our mids are not skilled enough at this stage, with only cripps and gibbs really offering the level we need to be a finals side. Curnow, kerridge, wright, armfield, sumner combined cannot provide the skill level and thus ball movement needed to beat the premiers. Of course they may improve, but the club will decide if they stay or go over the next couple of cycles.
Those suggesting weitering has issues need to take pause and note this is an 18 year old who has played most games this year and performed magnificently. He is tired, and took a knock on a body that has taken a few. I hope he can be put on ice for the rest of the year. Silvagni is another player that may be better off taking a breather after having a taste. He has alot of development to go, and needs to work a litle on his general ferocity. I hope this makes sense as it is no slight on him, but the reality of being a skinny first year player in a man's game.
Two players i was unthrilled about were everitt and casboult. Everitt does a cameo here and there, and playes a defensive role ok, but his impact overall is limited. Casboult may well be injured, but at ground level it appears he just doesn't work hard enough. Take a look at gunston to see how hard a half forward has to work. I belive carlton will seek a trade if possible for big levi. His kicking, when he does get the ball is just so poor.
And finally, the big crowd is a good sign for the club. Not because we will make anything much from the gate, but because it shows we have a huge latent support base. That bolton is a local helped too. Hopefully the club can find inventive was to engage supporters who only make it to a game once every few years.
Go blues.
@DJC
Tuohy had 23 at half time. Was relatively quiet after that by comparison.
True, but 12 disposals in the second half isn't bad. It would have been good if he'd nailed a couple of his shots at goal.
We are flogging this kid in the very same way we have previously wrecked the talent. Our club never learns, it's too impatient and run by a bunch of first class wankers.
Mark Maclure started his career in the back pocket. After a couple of seasons, he went forward and became an excellent CHF. Robert Walls was another who started back. The kid has the makings of an excellent CHF. I'm sure the wise heads at Carlton believe so too and his presence in the back half is part of the apprenticeship.
Goods thoughts Raydan, happy to hear of Rowes continued value to the team, very much under valued by many supporters I believe. You are right, need mids, some specialist players for roles.
The back structure has been good but we are also light on if Rowe or Plowman went down for an extended period. Much shuffling to be done on the draft & trade tables
I've been disappointed in Rowe the last few weeks.
Watching him on TV and live at the Sydney match, I feel like he loses his opponent too often. Unfortunately it often means his opponent is left in the clear and other teams have much better skills at hitting their forward targets. It was particularly noticeable in the Sydney game. It was Franklin after all, but it still gave him some easy pickings.
I wont dispute Rowe's willingness and effort, just his reading of the play and his opponent at times.
True, but 12 disposals in the second half isn't bad. It would have been good if he'd nailed a couple of his shots at goal.
3 points from memory, if he kicks two of them he's BOG by a street.