Carlton Supporters Club

Why do small forwards always get the blame?

Not total blame, just part of the reason we are not playing as well as we are capable off.
The ball comes into the forward line and is brought to the ground often enough for the small forwards to create opportunities - they are not taking them.

Why do small forwards always get the blame?

Only because of injuries, but that can happen for any position on the ground.

Fans seem oblivious to the risk of a single point of failure, which is the one ruck scenario, at least with Mids you have multiple points of failure so it's much easier to cover the loss of one.

I'm not blaming forwards and have spent a lot of time pointing out the good that is often missed by them.

However, when we have 3 of them who had 2 tackles between them, and were lower half of the pressure acts each.....you gotta start asking some questions.

We literally won game(s?) last year without a recognised ruck.

You, among others, have pointed out how pointless some ruck stats are.

You, amonth others, have pointed out that the around the ground work is more important than what happens in the ruck.

So why are you, among others, so fixated on the need for a second ruck in the side?

For the record, Harry did not attend a single ruck contest.

It puts more on the shoulders of others as a result, and the benefit we get from it is not worth it.
Pitto had 6 clearances, only beaten by Walsh (8 ) and Cripps (7). He even kicked a goal. Put Cerra back in the side and he'd get the same amount of clearances (if not more), more possessions and is more likely to kick a goal most weeks as well.
So what benefit did we get from Pitto? A few extra hitouts to advantage....most likely leading to clearances.....which could've been equalled by having another pure midfielder in the team.
So what were the disadvantages....more gametime required by others, less run and pressure around the ball.....which is our strength.

Crows had more one percenters and more uncontested possession which probably indicates they worked a bit harder for each other.
We won the clearances which probably shows you thats a tad overrated as a stat but no doubt their accuracy up forward kept them in the game and we frittered away a few chances.

Fans like to gloss over that in the last few weeks we've also been using Kennedy alongside Cripps in the ruck, but that's a shock tactic, you get away with it once or twice but not more often, it ends once the opposition are alerted to it.

Of course it's only an option against select opponents and midfields.

The ruck had nothing to do with our loss yesterday, it's just fans clinging to something to blame, and a bit of opportunistic rock throwing.

Subjectively we seemed worse when TDK was on the ball, for reasons I've already outlined, and he is the more mobile option for those of you purely focussed on chains of play. But O'Brien is in his head now, and it's likely TDK will never truly better him, all we can do is find ways for TDK to break even or become useful in other areas when we oppose O'Brien.

Playing Pittonet left us a runner short vs a very pacy and youthful Crows team.....Berry really burnt us when he came on and I think there is merit in suggestring TDK probably operates better alone vs some opponents with part time help rather than combining with Pittonet. As I said I found it strange we went with two rucks vs a one ruck Adelaide.....vs the Bombers with Draper and Goldstein it makes sense but the Crows?

Ill cop a loss, just not against what you know. Ben Farken Keys again. A bigger hack you will not find and yet dines out on us...again.