Re: AFL Rd 7 2024 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Geelong
Reply #114 –
Yet I wouldn't say the defensive problems are a function of our defence.
I'd assert, many of the shortfalls come from the other end of the ground or perhaps the midfield. It's possibly being masked by some players having good tackling or 1%er stats, but the counts can be misleading, it's far more important to know where and when they collect those stats.
For example, how many times did a Tuohy or Guthrie type find themselves unattended just outside of goal range, and Cameron for that matter? How many times was Cameron unattended exiting our F50, the escape kick, then became a target a kick or two later inside our D50? There is next to nothing the defence can do about that, the problem starts further up the field and it's not about body type or size, it's about evening up the numbers and closing down space.
Many times the Handbaggers were actually forced by our defence to pause entering our D50, and yet they still ended up with a loose player as a target inside F50, that player comes from somewhere in the overlap created outside of the arc.