Need to bounce back and what better team to come up against than the struggling cats.
Back on home turf......could get ugly for the pussy cats.
Need to bounce back and what better team to come up against than the struggling cats.
Back on home turf......could get ugly for the pussy cats.
I hope so. It wasn't pretty last night. We really need to get things together before our season fades away.
This is our first game against one of the cellar-dwellers. Still have games against GWS, Gold Coast and WCE to come. Time to build some percentage and get back into the race for a finals spot.
Also time for Tayla Harris to have a decent game. She does a lot of jumping and missing marks, and playing tough, but not much in the way of consistent and constructive CHF play. Has been the big disappointment of the season IMO.
Also time for Tayla Harris to have a decent game. She does a lot of jumping and missing marks, and playing tough, but not much in the way of consistent and constructive CHF play. Has been the big disappointment of the season IMO.
The kid gets double teamed and her arms chopped almost every marking contest, yet does not get a free, it's bullcrap.
Twice we were penalised for arm chops at the weekend, one came just 10s after Harris had exactly the same thing happen to her at CHF. If this was AFL and Franklin the media would be all over the apparent disparity.
btw., One of those two frees was such bullcrap, if I'm a KPD and punching the footy when somebody jumps up into my armpit it's not me making high contact!
Harris needs a spell, about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike ATM, clearly hampered by the knee.
Harris needs a spell, about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike ATM, clearly hampered by the knee.
She could have that leg amputated in still be better than whoever else we could bring into the side.
She is still offering physicality and is delivering a bump, every week, that Byron Pickett would be proud of.
She is like a woman possessed when the ball hits the ground inside 50, usually, and the defenders know that they are mere seconds away from having a face full of turf if they don't dispose of it quickly. That (sometimes perceived) pressure is evident in defenders and has caused many a turnover from them looking over their shoulder....and thus goals.
I'm not saying she is anywhere near her best, or where she should be, but at least she is offering something.
Teams are out and this week we have a mixed bag.
In: Prespakis and Loynes
Out: Harris, D. Walker (both managed) ::)
CARLTON
B: V.Laloifi 8 M.Guerin 18
HB: C.Wilson 20 K.Harrington - C 9 G.Pound 6
C: G.Gee 19 M.Prespakis 4 L.Brazzale 12
HF: K.Loynes 2 N.Stevens 21 D.Vescio 3
F: M.Hill 10 S.Gibbs 33
Foll: B.Moody 16 A.McKay 5 L.McEvoy 13
I/C: G.Egan 1 J.Hosking 11 E.O'Dea 46 N.Plane 32 A.Downie 30
Emerg: J.Edwards 25 C.Hammans 17
In: M.Prespakis, K.Loynes
Out: T.Harris (managed), D.Walker (managed)
GEELONG
B: M.Brown 19 M.McMahon 24
HB: J.Ivey 5 M.McDonald - C 11 D.Taylor 28
C: S.Van De Heuvel 27 R.Webster 21 G.Rankin 10
HF: D.Higgins 2 P.McWilliams 23 D.Moloney 4
F: O.Barber 15 R.Cranston 30
Foll: A.O'Connor 14 A.McDonald 3 J.Crockett-Grills 6
I/C: R.Goring 44 M.Keryk 45 R.Garing 12 R.Caris 1 N.Garner 22
Emerg: L.Gardiner 18 M.Boyd 26
In: D.Moloney, O.Barber, R.Caris
Out: M.Boyd (omitted), O.Purcell (knee), S.Williams (omitted)
A couple of former blues lining up for the catters.
Does a Carlton AFL membership entitle you to a ticket for these games??
Does a Carlton AFL membership entitle you to a ticket for these games??
I had a quick look, and I'd guess the answer is no.
Does a Carlton AFL membership entitle you to a ticket for these games??
Not any more.
I think that's 1 reason why our membership is doing so well this year.... you need to buy 2 memberships if you want access to aflw as well.
Game time.
We've got a lot of ground to make up to get back into finals, wins and % required. Hopefully this sees to both columns and gets us closer.
Gotta start well. We have the worst starts in the comp!
Vescio has single handedly kicked more in the last minute than we have kicked for the first 6 rounds of 1st quarters.
It is only 2 goals, but its a good start.
How was that not incorrect disposal?
Umpire swallows the whistle and a goal to the cats result.
Great fwd pressure
Half time score Blues 37 Cats 15.
Those girls will never die wondering. Bloody hell they go in hard. I'd be flattened in the first contest. They make mistakes that the boys wouldn't make, which is perfectly understandable for what are essentially part time players in a new competition.
Good half of footy.
Half time and its 6.1 to 2.3
Prespakis went off late in the first with an elbow injury (after collecting 10 touches) but came back on and although its strapped up, she seems ok.
Downie went off with a head clash and hasn't been sighted since. Harsh, but i don't think we'll miss her. She has been playing exclusively back and we are too tall with her there.
The new breed, McKay, Hill and Egan are getting plenty of it and showing their class in the guts. Always have time, not afraid of contact and generally good users of the ball.
Gibbs in her 2nd game is having a much better one. Seems to have the pace of the game, and is impacted it up forward.
Vescio has a hand in most things up forward and is invaluable as a small forward (who can mark) and apply pressure.
Gee has been a bit quieter by compairson, but still makes things happen.
Pretty good across the board, but still some room for improvement.
Katie Loynes leadership and grunt is a standout 💪
Katie Loynes leadership and grunt is a standout 💪
You know what you are going to get with her and we've missed her.
However, she ain't what she used to be. Is a step slower than she used to be and the others are a lot quicker than they used to be.
I hope she can lift a level....as she is on the verge of missing a spot in the future.
Clean pick up and goal to Pound
Then clears from last line of defense. Work rate is solid
Cats keep coming with some very slick passages of play
Umps trying to keep the cats in it.
Still 23 points in it. 1 quarter to go.
Currently our % has increased 97.4% to 108.0.
Unfortunately the lowest of the teams above is Melbourne with 125.7%
We really need to put the foot down and kick away. We have some winnable games in the last 3 games (GWS+GC) and a tough one against Freo (@Ikon) but this is the one where % should come.
Get the ball in Vescios hands, one on one, and goals will come.
She's kicked 2. She's handed 2 off (if not 3) and she just impacts the game. Let her.
Overused the ball. Need to hit targets, Cats making us pay on turnovers 😯
Serious knee Hill??
Looked like a medial strain
Mimi Hill has just done her knee.
She can not be replaced. That hurts.
Girls have gone to sleep since the Hill injury.
We've gone home !
Thank goodness for that settler
In the end Gee and Vescio get the job done
10.4.64
4.7.31
A couple late ones helped.
% increased to 112.3 which was about half what we need to matter.
Good win. Still troubled by our periods of absence
Congratulations to the girls 👏
12 - 21 free kicks might have hampered our efforts a little.
Most obviously q4. Cats out on the full call ignored by central ump!
Prespakis with 27 touches and a goal despite spending a chunk of the 2nd quarter on the bench.
Vescio kicked 2 and was directly responsible for at least 3 more.
Gee was quiet but is always dangerous and finished with 2.
Best game from Harrington for the year. She's found her run....and plenty of the ball with 21 touches from the backline.
Pound solid as ever in defence. We missed her at the start of the year.
Greg Egan proving to be consistent with a solid 24 touches and plenty of grunt work.
Gibbs showing she does belong. I wanted her in a couple weeks before she got her go. I can't see her getting out of the side anytime soon.
Hill was dominant before the knee and will be sorely missed.
McKay would have to win our most improved. Didn't get a game last year and know is as solid as anyone through the guts. Class runs in the family.
O'Dea got written off a bit, but proves she still has it. Smart user of the ball who uses her body well.
Loynes battles like we know she can. She had 2 more tackles than everyone else in navy blue today.
Moody was dominant in the ruck today. Had 23 hitouts. Cats managed 8. (Downie and Gibbs combined for a further 7)
I won't mention everyone. But there were not too many passengers today.
12 - 21 free kicks might have hampered our efforts a little.
Most obviously q4. Cats out on the full call ignored by central ump!
I think it was something like 11-12 at 3/4 time.
I made a comment about the umps trying to keep the cats in it, but even that has shocked me!
I think it was something like 11-12 at 3/4 time.
I made a comment about the umps trying to keep the cats in it, but even that has shocked me!
The Umpiring was very ordinary. It cost us 3 goals and they didn't get many more than that. We couldn't get a free for love or money.
The one that stuck out the most was a bit of lay from Maddy Prespakis, who dove into the pack, grabbed the ball cleanly and handballed it out, only to be penalized for a below the knee.
I was very vocal about that one!
Another that stuck out was a 2 handed shove on Mua that pushed her under the ball. The Geelong player than grabbed the ball and was not penalized. It led directly to a goal. It couldn't have been any more obvious, but it was totally ignored. Then, the Cats got a free just before the 3/4 time siren for the softest in-the-back I think I have ever seen.
I was livid, there was no doubt about that.
As long as we continue to recruit umpires from Yooralla and similar places, the umpiring will remain guesswork.
Good win. Still troubled by our periods of absence
Congratulations to the girls 👏
I must admit I was not all that happy at today's game. I really liked the win and the increase in percentage was welcome, but it could have been so much more.
[1] Our disposal:
If we do not make the finals this year, then it will be because of our poor disposal. Simple as that. The number of times we missed targets by over-kicking reminded me of the days where we couldn't hit Fev for love or money. I think our handball was actually a bit better today: there wasn't as much of handballing behind the girl running past. There was some, but it wasn't as prevalent.
More common, and it cost us about 5 or 6 goals, was our inability to kick or handball to advantage. Having the extra player and goal beckoning and we kick or handball to the one Geelong player's advantage. It frustrated me a lot.
[2] Kicking to a player standing still:
Another classical mistake which appears to be part of our game plan, we were picked off too many time for my liking. Especially in defence, one of our players who make a good break and the ball is kicked to her. However, is it kicked to her advantage? No, she has to stop and prop. That allowed a Geelong player to get to the contest, which we usually did not win, as our player had no momentum.
It is not like we did this only once or twice, we did it consistently. Time and time again, Carlton players found the ball kicked to where they were, so they had to stop and prop.
[3] Kicking to Maddy Prespakis as a marking target:
Maddy spent time up forward in the 2nd half, probably as a result of her injury before half time time. It wasn't a bad thing, as her disposal up there was appreciated. However, the number of time that we burst from defence and had only Maddy P as a marking target was unbelievable. Often she was one against 2, sometime as many as one against 4! In Maddy's favour, she often made a decent contest of the situation, but she shouldn't have to! One out, she is a good bet, but as it was, it was embarrassing!
Had we played a decent team, we would have been in trouble.
I wish I had access to the stats, but I'll do my best anyway.
[1] Katie Loynes: She may be ancient and injury ridden, but by God she makes a difference to our team. her leadership and endeavour were fantastic. Unfortunately, she is quickly heading towards the end. I can't see her on our list next year, as she is struggling with the pace of the game. Give her an inside job and she'll throw herself into with tackles and smothers and real pressure. But on the outside ... :(
[2] Darcy Vescio is in a rare vein of form. She thrashed her opponent again today and was a part of 5 or 6 goals. Without her, our forward line would be dysfunctional.
[3] Kerryn Harrington had her best game of the year by some kms. She rediscovered her run, and she rediscovered her ability to intercept mark. He runs out of defence were excellent.
For much of the year Kezz has had to play a negative role, which she has done adequately, but it is the confidence the team gains when she runs out of defence and gets 20+ possessions that really makes a difference.
[4] Maddy Prespakis continues her excellent form. She is the Diesel Williams of the AFLW. She isn't fast, but her decision making is always top shelf. I cannot say that of a number of others. And her ability to win the ball out of a pack is second to none.
[5] Mimi Hill: I hope she is not too badly injured, as she was excellent today. How she hasn't got a rising star gig is ... impossible to fathom.
I'll write more when I can see the stats, but I can say that I am really happy with our getting goals from crumbs today. We haven't done that for ages. However, almost all of our goals today were from snaps instead of set shots. We really missed this aspect of our game. Last year, with Chloe Dalton and Brooke Walker, we excelled at running into goals. We need to do that, to break up our patterns. We are too predictable going forward too often!
Well done, gals.
Still a glimmer for finals actions... let's put in our best effort for the Dockers and turn that glimmer to a flame.
How was that not incorrect disposal?
Umpire swallows the whistle and a goal to the cats result.
This remains the number one issue with the game and should be focused on rather than "stand".
I reckon Elise O’Dea has to be recruit of the year. Her reading of the play is outstanding and she gets in good position whether she’s playing as a forward or defender. She is not really quick but makes up for that with quick thinking, body strength and a good step and she uses the ball well.
I noticed that Charlotte Wilson was looking to handball first and her teammates were generally in position for the handball receive. That might come unstuck against better opposition but it will have to do until she learns to kick over a jam tin; her task for the off-season. She has the makings of an excellent defender if she can improve her kicking.
Sadly, I think that Mimi Hill has done her ACL. Hopefully, my analysis of her knee’s movement is wrong and it’s nothing more than a strained medial ligament. Either way, I think that her season will be over. That’s a tragedy after such a brilliant start to her career.
Of course, we were up against mediocre opposition but I think it is the first game where we’ve had good contributions from our seasoned players and the youngsters.
Once again, the umpiring was perplexing at times ::) and probably helped to keep the Cats in the game.