Another Thursday night game, this one at Marvel at 1920, against last year's runner ups.
We have actually payed reasonably well against the Dogs in recent times.
Yep, last year we only lost by 16 points after we were up by 27 points in the 3rd quarter. The previous year we thrashed them by 52 points.
We have a very good midfield now - whatever we are paying Cerra he is 100% worth it
Our cover is blown now...they'll see us coming and be ready for us. ;)
We'll still win :D
Will be a very interesting midfield battle. They’ve got one of the best in the business. Will need Weiters to shut down Naughton as well. Looking forward to it though.
Bontempelli is injured and may not play which would be a huge bonus..
We could have a 4 / 0 start !!
Coupla things:
- If we take this game lightly, we will get torched by this mob.
- Fortunately there is only one key fwd to worry about and I think the best natch up for Norton is Gov.
- The defenders and mids need to mind their man who floats/rests forward (ie Bont if he plays)
- Midfield battle should be enthralling and will be where its won or lost.
- Fish could be in strife, dunno how many chances Vossy and co are prepared to give passengers. Carrol or Motlop could come in.
Pedal to the metal baggers, rest, recuperate, train hard and prepare, prepare and prepare some more.
PS Still hearing Walshy is a sneaky chance.
Coupla things:
- If we take this game lightly, we will get torched by this mob.
- Fortunately there is only one key fwd to worry about and I think the best natch up for Norton is Gov.
- The defenders and mids need to mind their man who floats/rests forward (ie Bont if he plays)
- Midfield battle should be enthralling and will be where its won or lost.
- Fish could be in strife, dunno how many chances Vossy and co are prepared to give passengers. Carrol or Motlop could come in.
Pedal to the metal baggers, rest, recuperate, train hard and prepare, prepare and prepare some more.
PS Still hearing Walshy is a sneaky chance.
He'll have to come back through the Reserves :)
It was good to see Walsh, Stocker and Dow enjoying their teammates' success from the stand. All three could strengthen our side, but who do you leave out?
It's hard to know how much to take from our VFL practice match but several players seem to have put their hands up for a spot in the firsts.
He'll have to come back through the Reserves :)
Did you see the reserves scores, he might not get a game! :o ;D
Fisher out, Motlop in
Fisher out, Motlop in
Fisher wasn't bad, he charged straight through a number of stoppages and just because he didn't come out the other side with the footy doesn't mean he had failed to disrupt the Ferals.
Fisher out, Motlop in
Obrien out , Carroll in
He'll have to come back through the Reserves :)
It was good to see Walsh, Stocker and Dow enjoying their teammates' success from the stand. All three could strengthen our side, but who do you leave out?
It's hard to know how much to take from our VFL practice match but several players seem to have put their hands up for a spot in the firsts.
Obrien and Setterfield would be my outs......
We can do both EB ;D
We can do both EB ;D
Fair enough Cap, I think Fisher might get a bit of leeway with form being Cripps buddy...
Fair enough Cap, I think Fisher might get a bit of leeway with form being Cripps buddy...
Those days are over.
In any case, as long as I never see Plowman (there, I shot Bambi) in the side ever again Ill be happy.
Let's remember it was a VFL practice match. It's great that we now seem to have depth, but a 2nds practice match isn't a great measuring stick, even when we pantsed them. Given we've just won against the Tigers (defying expectations of the "experts"), we shouldn't expect too many changes.
Bontempelli is injured and may not play which would be a huge bonus..
Johannessen gone as well.
O'Brien (ex-Hawk) will play.
This could turn into non match for us as we could be seriously covid impacted. Voss and Jack Martin to start with.
Yep. AFL site says Martin & Voss are sidelined for 7 days. Ash Hansen will twirl the magnets. Another 2 unidentified staff members also tested positive.
This is why the AFL should look at the NFL protocol which allows a return as soon as an infected player or official returns 2 PCR tests that are either negative or positive with a "cycle threshold" Ct > 35. Being able to treat faintly positive PCR tests as negative gives a chance for an early return. But it looks like we have to live with a one-size-fits-all 7 day isolation.
Is AFL even using PCR or is it RA?
Originally thinking no changes other than Willo out as I don't believe in giving a guy a second week of potentially no game time. It then forces them back into the 2s with no recent matchday opportunity to run into form. Now know Martin must go out due to covid.
The other who might go out is McDonald for want of a 3rd tall Bulldog to match up on. His lack of pace would be exposed by pretty much any matchup and Kemp could cover for him down back if need be. I see Kemp as pretty much the ideal injury sub because he is the complete utility.
My only remaining question is who to go in. I haven't seen the 2s but write ups are fulsome in praise of Dow and Motlop and say both are ready so those are the names I will go with. Philp got his ribs rearranged when starring so he misses out. Boyd kicked goals and might rise against his old team. Carroll was spoken well of but probably a bit slight and green ATM - look for a debut sooner rather than later however. Walsh is a given if fit but probably not yet. So out Williamson (omitted to more game time in 2s) Martin (protocols) and McDonald (omitted - lack of matchup). In Dow (outstanding in 2s) Motlop (ditto) and Kemp (ideal sub given versatility). Look for Boyd, Carroll and Young to hopefully keep knocking the door down.
Indeed, with Covid, there must be at least one change: Martin out. I wouldn't be bringing in Willo as a direct replacement, so guys like Motlop and Dow are a chance.
Of the others,
(a) Setter had 16 possessions and didn't dominate.
(b) Lachie O'Brien had 13 possessions, and while he did some very good things, he also wasn't as competitive as he could have been. He could be displaced.
(c) Zac Fisher had 16 possessions and was very good in patches, missing in others.
(d) Charlie Curnow was our least effective forward and probably needs a good confidence build. His hands were not sticky yesterday.
(e) Zac Williams had 11 possessions and didn't do heaps.
One of these could make way. Interesting to see how our selection committee will jump.
How fit is Jacob Weitering? There were times he struggled and was limping badly. However, he did finish the game.
Is there a match-up for Oscar Mac? A good question. If they play Stefan Martin, then Oscar is the obvious match-up. Otherwise?
I will be very interested to see which way our selectors jump.
This could turn into non match for us as we could be seriously covid impacted. Voss and Jack Martin to start with.
Surely this is going to expand and turn to crape. Voss was hugging and shaking hands with everyone.
Fair enough Cap, I think Fisher might get a bit of leeway with form being Cripps buddy...
I thought Fisher was quiet for 3 quarters but when the game was in the balance Fisher along with Martin and TDK all had some important touches when we needed it most.
Prefer that then a bloke like Setterfield who seems to never be able to find any gear other then plodding.
I thought Setterfield was solid all game and really stood up in the last quarter, as did his teammates. The MC obviously sees positives in Setters and O'Brien that aren't apparent to all supporters. However, if we can bring someone in who is an improvement then we should, but it would probably be at Fisher's expense.
The defenders all played solid games and, while our tall forwards had quiet nights (with the exception of Silvagni), I think that we have to give them every opportunity to play and gel together.
Martin is a definite out which is is unfortunate as he really worked his way into the game as it went on. Motlop could be a replacement but I would prefer to give Kemp a run, particularly after he showed that he can play in the midfield as well as forward and back.
Everyone tested negative today.
We need to make sure the whole playing list is given some of those RAT kits with significant sensitivity issues.......
This Covid is stupid - tired of it. Had it twice and symptoms blown out of proportion as proported by science.
Anyway - think it should be evaluated same as influenza as thats what it is. Few days off work to recover and that's it.
Key staff and players missing over this doesn't sit well with me.
This Covid is stupid - tired of it. Had it twice and symptoms blown out of proportion as proported by science.
Anyway - think it should be evaluated same as influenza as thats what it is. Few days off work to recover and that's it.
Key staff and players missing over this doesn't sit well with me.
Not everybody is so lucky in the outcome
@pinot , I know a 24 year old who is at the moment dragging around an oxygen tank. Was double vaxed and all, but still got the unlucky outcome, well maybe unlucky because perhaps without the vaccine they might have been dead.
Not everybody is so lucky in the outcome @pinot , I know a 24 year old who is at the moment dragging around an oxygen tank. Was double vaxed and all, but still got the unlucky outcome, well maybe unlucky because perhaps without the vaccine they might have been dead.
Don't get me wrong it put me on my bum for 2-3 days but went away pretty quick. Unfortunate for others but really felt like the flu where you feel like crap and can't move. It's a 48-72 hr thing until your body builds antibodies is what I have been told by my doctor. Still blown out of proportion - Voss should be right to coach and Martin should be right to play if fit and healthy IMO.
Charlie Curnow was our least effective forward and probably needs a good confidence build. His hands were not sticky yesterday.
I think Charlie might regain form more readily if he is played as a mobile, up-the-ground forward and leaving the high marking to TDK and Harry. This would allow Charlie to use his mobility to advantage in one-on-one contests instead of having him trying to contest pack marks. With his kicking range, he could still be a goal-kicker by floating into the 50 rather than being stationed there.
I think Charlie might regain form more readily if he is played as a mobile, up-the-ground forward and leaving the high marking to TDK and Harry. This would allow Charlie to use his mobility to advantage in one-on-one contests instead of having him trying to contest pack marks. With his kicking range, he could still be a goal-kicker by floating into the 50 rather than being stationed there.
Agree with this
In relation to this weeks side, I’d be giving O’Brien, Setterfield and Owies a rest for Dow, Kemp and Motlop.
OBrien runs well and always seems to get to the right spot but struggles to hold body position and is prone errant disposal until little to no pressure - he’s a battler at AFL level and either of Dow or Kemp would be far more effective
Owies is paid to lock the ball in our F50 and kick goals and he couldn’t deliver the latter. You don’t get many chances as a small forward and you need to take them and from the little I’ve seen of Motlop he can bring the pressure, can finish and has a bag of tricks. He’s a beauty.
I’d be looking to get Kemp in the side pronto and whilst Setterfield wasn’t disgraced he still lacks the intensity that we need.
Settefield has good disposal when he has a little bit of space. Not a penetrating kick but makes good choices and delivers to our advantage. But does lack speed and intensity at times. Just holding his spot for now but doing a decent job.
Meanwhile, Carlton trained on Sunday ahead of Thursday night’s match against the Western Bulldogs and are optimistic that senior coach Michael Voss, player Jack Martin and two other football department staff are the only people within the club to have contracted COVID-19.
Every other member of the football department and the playing group has tested negative on multiple occasions since Friday. The club had a remote recovery session on Saturday and trained on Sunday.
With Voss unable to be at the ground, they will be coached by Ash Hansen on Thursday night. There remains a chance an arrangement will be made for Voss to contribute remotely in a similar manner to the way other assistant coaches did last season.
Cameron discharged from hospital after heavy clash, Carlton optimistic COVID hasn’t spread through club, The Age. (https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/cameron-cleared-of-internal-damage-after-round-one-clash-20220320-p5a67w.html)
Think the only change this week will be someone for Martin. Don't usually make changes when you win and we won WELL. I think that the Dow, Kemp and Motlop call by JD is a fair one, and I'm sort of leaning towards Motlop for some reason?
Jake Niall in The Age says there's a good chance Walsh will replace Martin. He notes a source said "he had run about 14 kilometres on Friday in a training session and had trained without issue on Tuesday".
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/blues-star-walsh-a-strong-chance-for-remarkable-comeback-20220322-p5a6yf.html
Jake Niall in The Age says there's a good chance Walsh will replace Martin. He notes a source said "he had run about 14 kilometres on Friday in a training session and had trained without issue on Tuesday".
When the cameras focussed on Walsh in the grandstand last Thursday night, he was clearly not comfortable as a spectator. Given the competitive beast he is, I am sure he would have been itching to be out there, especially when the dam wall burst open in the last quarter.
If he thinks he is ready, good luck holding him back.
Make Walsh the medical sub.
When he comes on (and some of the blokes are already looking a little sore ;) :D ) it will be a psychological boost.
Settefield has good disposal when he has a little bit of space. Not a penetrating kick but makes good choices and delivers to our advantage. But does lack speed and intensity at times. Just holding his spot for now but doing a decent job.
Good summary on Setterfield.
Was it just me or did he play that ‘link up’ role?
Settefield has good disposal when he has a little bit of space. Not a penetrating kick but makes good choices and delivers to our advantage. But does lack speed and intensity at times. Just holding his spot for now but doing a decent job.
Yes, Setters uses the ball well and knows when to move it quickly or slow the tempo. Like O'Brien, Setters covers a lot of territory and gets to contests. He's in the team for a reason.
Walsh confirmed in. Cerra out. Source is the CFC website.
(https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/02/oscar-statue-2000.jpg)
And the Oscar for following the medical science rather than toeing the club line on Walsh goes to ... Mav!
Now Cerra is out with Martin.
Bl**dy can't take a trick.
&^(@%(@%(#(#
The bright side is that for Martin and Cerra it's 1 and done. Worse is the report about Philp having broken ribs. All his work in the preseason has been flushed down the toilet if that's true.
It does highlight how we can't just wish Covid away. I heard on the news last night that in Victoria there are some 53,000 active cases of Covid, mostly Omicron. It's unlikely we'll be the only team affected by Covid this year. At least we aren't as exposed as the NFL was. There, the QB missing due to Covid was pretty much a certain loss given that it's a "QB league" built around the star QB. And often the backup QB was ruled out immediately after the QB. We've already seen that Carlton can cover the loss of its best player, Sam Walsh, and win. Let's hope we show we can win without Cerra, Martin and Voss.
Agreed Mav...we won't be the only club losing players under the Covid protocols. And if we DO have to lose Cerra, is there anyone better to be replacing him? Will just be nice when they're both out there....hopefully week 3.
The bright side is that for Martin and Cerra it's 1 and done. Worse is the report about Philp having broken ribs. All his work in the preseason has been flushed down the toilet if that's true.
Shame for Sam Philp, very promising player who has a good set of skills and attacks the ball well, reminds me of the old fashioned wingers who liked to sneak forward and kick goals.
Just spitballing, but....
Walsh for Cerra
Dow for Martin
(or vice versa)
If Dow is up for midfield role, let Walsh play on the wing.
Otherwise Walsh in the guts and Dow on the wing.
Just spitballing, but....
Walsh for Cerra
Dow for Martin
(or vice versa)
If Dow is up for midfield role, let Walsh play on the wing.
Otherwise Walsh in the guts and Dow on the wing.
Dont mind Dow on the wing, has the pace and ability to carry ball, we all know his kicking aint flash but if he gets enough ball and its heading our way I think he can do the job.
Carroll is more of a specialist winger who I really like but he probably needs some more VFL footy to get some consistency, if Philp was fit I would have picked him this week.
One of our wingers will have to do a more negative job if opposed to Hunter who gets a lot of ball, can also drift down forward and kick goals and is a key link in the Dogs chain of attack usually. He cant be getting 25-30 easy possies due to poor manning up and being that connection player into the forward line.
Dont mind Dow on the wing, has the pace and ability to carry ball, we all know his kicking aint flash but if he gets enough ball and its heading our way I think he can do the job.
Carroll is more of a specialist winger who I really like but he probably needs some more VFL footy to get some consistency, if Philp was fit I would have picked him this week.
One of our wingers will have to do a more negative job if opposed to Hunter who gets a lot of ball, can also drift down forward and kick goals and is a key link in the Dogs chain of attack usually. He cant be getting 25-30 easy possies due to poor manning up and being that connection player into the forward line.
TBH, i'd prefer Dow in the middle with Walsh on the wing, but not sure Voss trusts him that much considering he couldn't even crack it for a half in the pre-season.
Ins: Lachie Fogarty, Sam Walsh
Outs: Adam Cerra, Jack Martin (both AFL Health and Safety Protocols)
Not my choice, but we'll see.
A bit surprised to see Fogarty named but great to have Sam back.
I’m tipping us despite our Covid issues.
IMO, Fogarty was a "no" ...
Bailey Smith is a big out. Real X-factor.
Bailey Smith is a big out. Real X-factor.
Most definitely.
Don’t really like the look of Fogarty, Newman & O’Brien in the one side.
I may have pigeon holed all three unfairly but I don’t see them offering what Dow, Kemp and Motlop could.
We’ll see!
Agreed ...
I think the body of work we have seen from them before this season can be disregarded, and I think Dow will leave at end of season. Call it a hunch.
Walsh for Cerra was a no-brainer but Fogarty for Martin?
Martin's strength is his ability to run non-stop and create passing opportunities from half-back to full-forward as well as providing a lead up target and putting defensive pressure on the opposition defenders. Fogarty is more of your classic small forward as are Owies and Durdin. I think that means a lot of crumbing and intense pressure when the Bulldogs attempt to run the ball out of defence.
It also suggests that Vossy isn't wedded to a particular formula.
Walsh for Cerra was a no-brainer but Fogarty for Martin?
Martin's strength is his ability to run non-stop and create passing opportunities from half-back to full-forward as well as providing a lead up target and putting defensive pressure on the opposition defenders. Fogarty is more of your classic small forward as are Owies and Durdin. I think that means a lot of crumbing and intense pressure when the Bulldogs attempt to run the ball out of defence.
It also suggests that Vossy isn't wedded to a particular formula.
I was also perplexed at the selection of Fogarty for Martin. I guess we just have to assume that he's shown something since Vossy & Co. arrived that we didn't see last year.
Most are aware that our effort against the Tiggers would be watered down should we drop this one.
We stand to learn even more about our improvement against the Dishlickers tonight. They're on the rebound - strong motivation. We were helped somewhat last week by the Tiggers lack of discipline (50 mtr gifts) though I wouldn't suggest for a second that was why we won. We definitely won on our merits and should have won by more.
I'm sure we all will be watching with great interest to see how we 'back up' an impressive win.
I was also perplexed at the selection of Fogarty for Martin. I guess we just have to assume that he's shown something since Vossy & Co. arrived that we didn't see last year.
Is the Voss MC focussed more on fitness and work ethic than other aspects of the game, perhaps they feel the alternatives either aren't at the required aerobic level or do not have the sacrificial work ethic. Fogarty if nothing else does have the run and does contribute a lot of 1%ers.
It makes me wonder what Stocker's fate might be, historically either his aerobic capacity / fitness has been an issue?
If they are playing healthy players as opposed to potentials who aren't fit, then perhaps we should be pleased instead of shocked!
I was also perplexed at the selection of Fogarty for Martin. I guess we just have to assume that he's shown something since Vossy & Co. arrived that we didn't see last year.
Most are aware that our effort against the Tiggers would be watered down should we drop this one.
We stand to learn even more about our improvement against the Dishlickers tonight. They're on the rebound - strong motivation. We were helped somewhat last week by the Tiggers lack of discipline (50 mtr gifts) though I wouldn't suggest for a second that was why we won. We definitely won on our merits and should have won by more.
I'm sure we all will be watching with great interest to see how we 'back up' an impressive win.
I'm not perplexed, just curious as to the thinking behind Fogarty's selection.
Fogarty certainly covers a lot of ground, but more in a defensive role than Martin's continuous running to create opportunities to go forward. Fogarty played one quarter of the St Kilda game, if I remember correctly, so he has been in the mix.
Perhaps he will be asked to keep Daniel quiet :-\
Fogarty if nothing else does have the runs
Seems to be a good reason to leave him out of the side ...
No news from the early morning RAT tests??? Fingers crossed!!!
Seems to be a good reason to leave him out of the side ...
Fixed.
Fear its going to be back to reality type game. Simply because we have a combination of too many key players out/out of form/gaining match fitness.. Need to being our A game despite Richmond was an awesome win - we need our best players fit and in form for this one and don't have it this week.
Martin + Cerra missing
H + Charlie out of form
Walshy lacking match fitness
Obrien + Fisher need to step up their game.
Dearly hope for a win but Bulldogs are a damn good side that work well together and we just dont have our A team running at all cylinders on the park.
I'm hoping a bit of a return to form for McKay....Richmond defence is usually always pretty good....Dogs are a bit light on down back and with TDK playing forward too I reckon we can stretch them.
I had kinda been hoping to see Kemp in for Martin....not sure what his VFL/pre-season form was like but a bit of X-factor and can play in a variety of positions....he's probably a good all round choice as a medical sub these days.
Is the Voss MC focussed more on fitness and work ethic than other aspects of the game, perhaps they feel the alternatives either aren't at the required aerobic level or do not have the sacrificial work ethic. Fogarty if nothing else does have the run and does contribute a lot of 1%ers.
It makes me wonder what Stocker's fate might be, historically either his aerobic capacity / fitness has been an issue?
If they are playing healthy players as opposed to potentials who aren't fit, then perhaps we should be pleased instead of shocked!
I don't think its got anything to do with aerobic ability. I think its got to do with work ethic and being team oriented.
There seems to be a shift away from athletic types, and more of a focus on football types IMO.
Kennedy was big and slow, but can play football.
Williamson is tall, fast and can run, but plays stupid football.
Cottrell can run as good as any, but makes questionable decisions and is lacking skills.
Fogarty is slow and limited, but is smart and brings teammates into the game.
Ed Curnow, albeit injured now, is a running machine, but is limited in skill.
I dunno, it just seems to me that there is a focus on footballers who are team oriented.
What to expect? I'm not expecting to win - I am hoping to see the application of the 2 & 4th quarters (and last part of 3rd quarter) from last week.
If we have that, then hopefully the right results ensue. While we have matched up well with the Doggies recently, past performance is not an indication of future performance (as they say).
What to expect? I'm not expecting to win - I am hoping to see the application of the 2 & 4th quarters (and last part of 3rd quarter) from last week.
If we have that, then hopefully the right results ensue. While we have matched up well with the Doggies recently, past performance is not an indication of future performance (as they say).
x2, a few things have not gone our way this week. I don't think we are the point yet where can cover things like this. Never know but...
I'm quietly confident, particularly with Ash Hansen's familiarity with the Bulldogs.
We've really lost nothing with Walsh for Cerra and Fogarty for Martin provides another bloke who works hard, but in a different way to Martin.
Harry and Charlie will both be better for the game last week and I suspect that one will have a big game.
The emergencies are interesting; all have been written off for this season by many.