We won, they lost, uninspiring second half.
I'll just pretend the second half didn't happen.
First half terrific. Where was that earlier in the year
We won, they lost, uninspiring second half.
Very uninspiring...leaves you feeling a little flat.
But I guess it's a reflection of the year.
When we're on, we're very good.
When we learn to maintain that we'll be successful.
Good effort, considering walker, Hendo, Kreuzer, robbo & Yarran out........continues our good form over the last 7-8 weeks. If I were PA, ESS or the cats I wouldn't be pencilling in a win just yet. Winning 1 or 2 of the last 3 will set us up for a good pre season ????
The number of times that players didn't honour the lead of Graham especially on the second half was extraordinary. He needs to he used a lot more because he is one player who knows where to run.
Disappointing 2nd half fizzle but a good enough win. Practising "keepings off"?
Liked Graham again, looks like we may have a player.
Gold Coast were horrible today, poor skills, unaccountable, bruise free and more turn overs than I can remember. We should have won by 100 points plus, so even though we won I honestly don't believe that there were a real lot of positives to come out of this.
Just back from the game.
Blues were very good early but the second half was terrible football from both sides.
Waite was very good but whenever he went off for a spell our front half was non existent, Levi had a shocker.
Thomas, Judd, Murphy, Simpson and Gibbs all very good, Sheehan showed a bit, Bell did some amazing things and showed some skills I doubted that he had.
How much would Tom Lynch cost us?
Gold Coast were horrible today, poor skills, unaccountable, bruise free and more turn overs than I can remember. We should have won by 100 points plus, so even though we won I honestly don't believe that there were a real lot of positives to come out of this.
One big positive. When the game was there to be won we were 46 pts up at half time. Pity it was a snore fest after. We did nothing but neither did they.
Lot of passengers all day long today, Menzel, Casboult, Touhy all poor. McLean was embarrising when Hall I think just ran away from him treating him with contempt making the piss poor commentators on Fox almost laugh at him.
All Healy could do was praise Gold Coast when they did the occasional good thing in the first half. I hate how they guess why a player wasn't playing, like Bell saying he was going up and down to the VFL for form, whenit was injury. So called experts.
A decent win, should of done more but if you would have said we'd win by 40 points then you'd be very happy.
Good to see Daisy looking more like his best, good running and kicking. Bell played very well as did Waite, Murph, Simmo, Judd and a few others.
Just back from the game.
Blues were very good early but the second half was terrible football from both sides.
Waite was very good but whenever he went off for a spell our front half was non existent, Levi had a shocker.
Thomas, Judd, Murphy, Simpson and Gibbs all very good, Sheehan showed a bit, Bell did some amazing things and showed some skills I doubted that he had.
How much would Tom Lynch cost us?
Think Levi's feeling a long season and is knackered. Probably never had to work so hard in a season before. If we were playing finals I'd leave him off all football for a week and freshen him. Seeing we're not just keep him going. He's been good this year so he's something to work with.
Whats the go with Yarran?
Gold Coast were horrible today, poor skills, unaccountable, bruise free and more turn overs than I can remember. We should have won by 100 points plus, so even though we won I honestly don't believe that there were a real lot of positives to come out of this.
GC incredibly bad... we looked like we were cooked in the 2nd half.
Think Levi's feeling a long season and is knackered. Probably never had to work so hard in a season before. If we were playing finals I'd leave him off all football for a week and freshen him. Seeing we're not just keep him going. He's been good this year so he's something to work with.
I know Lynch was a first round pick and Levi was 40 in the rookie draft but when you see a 21 year old key position command the ball like he did today in a badly beaten team you just want to move heaven and earth to get hold of him.
He and Levi are chalk and cheese.
Whats the go with Yarran?
Calf. Possibly 'season ending'
I reckon we were pretty good, Waite played an awesome game as did Juddy. We wouldn't be a very good side without them in it next year.
Sheehan looked very promising with that beautiful left boot.
How much would Tom Lynch cost us?
The one real highlight for the Suns, and I expect he'll get Brownlow votes for his effort today.
How much would Tom Lynch cost us?
The one real highlight for the Suns, and I expect he'll get Brownlow votes for his effort today.
O'Meara would probably get a game at Carlton too.
O'Meara would probably get a game at Carlton too.
O'Meara would be in the starting 18 of every one of the other 17 clubs. Kids going to be a superstar.
If Casboult thinks he is worth a big payrise then he is clearly misinformed if todays game is anything to go by. He should be near BOG every time against the two new clubs given their relative inexperience and lack of body strength.
If Casboult thinks he is worth a big payrise then he is clearly misinformed if todays game is anything to go by. He should be near BOG every time against the two new clubs given their relative inexperience and lack of body strength.
Suns have been around a few years now, Not so small anymore hence sitting on the tip of the 8. Think Levi's a bit cooked now but shown enough when the whole season is taken into account. Will be a handy 2nd ruck/3rd forward in the future.
Think Levi's feeling a long season and is knackered. Probably never had to work so hard in a season before. If we were playing finals I'd leave him off all football for a week and freshen him. Seeing we're not just keep him going. He's been good this year so he's something to work with.
I know Lynch was a first round pick and Levi was 40 in the rookie draft but when you see a 21 year old key position command the ball like he did today in a badly beaten team you just want to move heaven and earth to get hold of him.
He and Levi are chalk and cheese.
Levi's not going to be a superstar but as a 2nd ruck/3rd forward he'll be more than handy.
So we'll just get Lynch and keep Casboult in his current role....easy...lol.
If only we could.
Levi's not going to be a superstar but as a 2nd ruck/3rd forward he'll be more than handy.
So we'll just get Lynch and keep Casboult in his current role....easy...lol.
If only we could.
I think that we're in serious trouble when we lose Waite, whether it's at the end of this year or the end of next.
He's a class above any other tall forward on our list.
Levi's not going to be a superstar but as a 2nd ruck/3rd forward he'll be more than handy.
So we'll just get Lynch and keep Casboult in his current role....easy...lol.
If only we could.
I think that we're in serious trouble when we lose Waite, whether it's at the end of this year or the end of next.
He's a class above any other tall forward on our list.
Agree on that. Poetry in motion when on song.
No Ablett, No Suns.....
Take the win but GC are rubbish...they have a lot of small bodies that made our blokes like superman.....
Jamison...did his job..
Rowe..thought he might be in for a hard day on Lynch but GC being light on for talls had to move him down back and our man was servicable after that.
Docherty....so so...does some good things but also makes the odd mistake.
White....some good, some poor.......still remains a concern if playing on anyone decent IMO...
Simpson...worked like we were playing the Hawks or Swans and was BOG IMO..
Touhy....ok without being brilliant
Sheehan...didnt let me down...uses the ball well and seems composed allbeit the Suns are a novice team and dont applly much pressure..nice debut.
Bell....had a picnic...was like a bowling ball out there and the Suns kids just bounced off him, couldnt miss near goal and probably played his best
game for the club although like I keep saying the opposition wasnt a great yardstick.
Ellard...tackled well and was handy at times but isnt up to it IMO.
Graham ....got some easy kicks and looks more comfortable...needs to dummy his kicks more often as he often gets smothered..a lot of it being
he has no left foot...
Judd..like Bell was just to big a unit for the Suns kids to stop and he was his usual classy self....
Gibbs.....did some good things but also missed some targets...didnt over exert himself given the game was over at half time...
Murphy....plenty of the footy, bit less of it when Stanley manned him up and he got posted up near goal in marking duels which isnt his thing...but was very good.
Wood...plenty of good tapouts and both him and Casboult ruled the ruck but both didnt do much aruond the ground and were not dominant players....Casboult seems to have got carried away with the media hyoe and isnt presenting as well...probably in part due to Waite being being back and the Bolt being ignored as a target..
Waite...dominated...to slick for the GC Key defenders and could have kicked 8.....contract time always brings out the best in players...agree with Tony Shaw that I would only offer him a 12 month deal with the option of a second ....
Menzel...didnt get near it all day...
Brock...too slow, kicking is also just average and should make way for Cripps.
Daisy....loving half back with no opponent...used the ball well most times and was a good player.
Curnow....got a bit of the ball but butchered it IMO and while is a great tagger is a liablity when he has the footy.
Carrazzo....like Curnow does his job but we need more offensive work when we play the better teams
Probably Tommy Bell's most consistent game, used his bulk to advantage and kicked some impressive goals. If he could set that performance as the bench mark and build on that he will become a very important player.
I thought like you do Elwood. Judd and Bell looked like kings out there, against no real opponents. Brock and Curnow didn't really look great and against better sides will need to be replaced. Sheehan looked O.K, but I had to laugh at his attempt to bounce the ball. How did it bounce back to him while on the run, when he bounced it in the middle of the ball, and not towards the point end.
Levi's not going to be a superstar but as a 2nd ruck/3rd forward he'll be more than handy.
So we'll just get Lynch and keep Casboult in his current role....easy...lol.
If only we could.
I think that we're in serious trouble when we lose Waite, whether it's at the end of this year or the end of next.
He's a class above any other tall forward on our list.
Yes, class act. We forget that sometimes with other things he does and we'll be poorer when he retires. Right now Henderson, Waite with Casboult as 3rd forward/2nd ruck, plus others forward like Menzel, that forward line is pretty potent.
I thought like you do Elwood. Judd and Bell looked like kings out there, against no real opponents. Brock and Curnow didn't really look great and against better sides will need to be replaced. Sheehan looked O.K, but I had to laugh at his attempt to bounce the ball. How did it bounce back to him while on the run, when he bounced it in the middle of the ball, and not towards the point end.
As far as the Suns go, although their a bit off the boil, are a side that have been in the 8 most of the year. They're decent opposition now, not newbies anymore, so anytime you pump them it's a good win. Remember they're were 4 games ahead of us before today. .As brilliant as Ablett is there's never any such thing as a one man team and other's well and truly stepped up to get them into the situation where they've been most of the year.
As much as I agree with almost everything you write (laj), Gold Coast have lost a couple of players and are way down on form over the last few weeks. They shanked and butchered the ball, about as bad as I have seen this season. Port have been out of form in the last 6 games of footy too. these sides should be beaten convincingly when they are in this current form. However I hear what you say and cannot say I don't agree with you at all. ;)
A great 1st half by the Blues, we fell asleep in the 2nd half. Not sure if that was mental, physical or other wise but it was disappointing.
Wood showed more than Warnock around the ground, again.
Sheehan made a good debut.
I think McLean is a good footballer, but I do think the speed of the game is too fast for him now, and you need to be elite to have that attribute looked over. It's hard to carry a player that can't keep up with the pace of the game.
Ellard used to be a fairly reliable shot at goal, whats happened?!
Oh well, I'll take the win and see what we can come up with next week !!
Go Blues !!
Menzel...didnt get near it all day...
I think I was as confused with his role as he was. Started in the midfield and then kind of tried to make cameo performances up forward in a team that was hell bent on kicking to Waite in the pocket. Menz is probably a better foil with Hendo and Levi presenting front and centre than with Jarrad as the sole target.
That 2nd half was unspeakably bad......wow, it was bad.
Waite continues to be the ultimate conundrum doesn't he? Play like he has the past 3 weeks and another contract with us should be a no-brainer, but how long will it last?
Sheehan kicks the ball every bit as well as Tuohy & is a very solid unit. Judd shouldn't even be considering retirement, Bell excellent, Simmo superb.
We won, nothing to see here.......moving on.
Mclean was awful. It's time to go......Brock.
Does anyone else think Docherty has been sheizen recently??
I remember Touhy's first bounce along the wing....it bounced back straight over his head !!
Sheahan Ok but a long long way to go.
That 2nd half performance was typical of this group. They were clinical till half time and had the supporters smiling and cheerful and relaxed for the 1st time in how long.....?
Then they dish up that rubbish in the 2nd half that even after a win......leaves you ith that yuk taste in your mouth.
This team makes it so hard for the rank and file to be "proud of".
Fits and spurts dont cut it. We had a lot of 1st choice players out I know, but we aint too dissimilar with them in the bloody team!!!!
I'm still not sold on Waite. Regardless of his past 3 weeks, Jesus what about the past 10 yrs???? How quickly people forget. Dont ant him to go but want him on minimum age....AFAIC....he owes US that!! >:(
Just on Waite, Robbo and Jeffy. I couldnt give 2 hoots if they r all gone by yrs end but I will absolutely spew if we they all walk for nothing. Club must ensure we get adequately compensated for all of them 'cos in the right environment, they will ALL come back to bite us on the ar5e !!
Mclean was awful. It's time to go......Brock.
Does anyone else think Docherty has been sheizen recently??
Some good some not so good, overall has been a good pick up as his disposal and thinking is generally composed.
Thing I find with him is he can be inconsistent with his contested footy...sometimes he goes hard and you say that was a brave effort and other times he either stands back or slows up to avoid heavy contact.
Like to see him put on some more weight and build up the confidence....Docherty for Hampsons(pick 28) was the deal and I reckon thats been a win for us and thee is plenty of upside in Docherty and hewill be a 200 game player for us and wont play too many bad ones...
Docherty for Hampsons(pick 28) was the deal and I reckon thats been a win for us.......
It was the deal of a lifetime EB, I still can't get my head around it.
I like Docherty a lot, he won't be a champion but he's got lots of upside.
The remarkable story is Sheehan, 14 VFL games and less than one season after switching to Aussie Rules and he doesn't look out of place at the top level, his 40 metre kick into Waite's chest yesterday was perfectly weighted and showed real class, and he's built like a brick dunny.
Get some more scouts on the ground in Ireland I reckon.
Agree with B4L... I'm not really sure Sheehan knows what he is doing, but at least he was smart enough to kick it long when he got it... and he has a nice and natural looking kicking style. He didn't look out of place. Not slow and a good size.
Docherty had an interrupted pre season, in fact I've read somewhere that while at Brisbane he never did a pre season due to injury.
This years pre season is critical for us, Thomas, Henderson, Docherty, Kruezer, Menzel, Buckley, Cripps, Graham... all need an uninterpreted go at it for us to get anywhere near finals next season.
Docherty had an interrupted pre season, in fact I've read somewhere that while at Brisbane he never did a pre season due to injury.
This years pre season is critical for us, Thomas, Henderson, Docherty, Kruezer, Menzel, Buckley, Cripps, Graham... all need an uninterpreted go at it for us to get anywhere near finals next season.
Watching the first half yesterday, with the outs we had, looking at the list of youngsters with talent..tell you what, I feel really optimistic for next year. Especially if trade & drafting is a repeat of the last year. Things are starting to knit together. Wonder what the tapestry will show when it's finished.
I remember Touhy's first bounce along the wing....it bounced back straight over his head !!
Sheahan Ok but a long long way to go.
That 2nd half performance was typical of this group. They were clinical till half time and had the supporters smiling and cheerful and relaxed for the 1st time in how long.....?
Then they dish up that rubbish in the 2nd half that even after a win......leaves you ith that yuk taste in your mouth.
This team makes it so hard for the rank and file to be "proud of".
Fits and spurts dont cut it. We had a lot of 1st choice players out I know, but we aint too dissimilar with them in the bloody team!!!!
I'm still not sold on Waite. Regardless of his past 3 weeks, Jesus what about the past 10 yrs???? How quickly people forget. Dont ant him to go but want him on minimum age....AFAIC....he owes US that!! >:(
Just on Waite, Robbo and Jeffy. I couldnt give 2 hoots if they r all gone by yrs end but I will absolutely spew if we they all walk for nothing. Club must ensure we get adequately compensated for all of them 'cos in the right environment, they will ALL come back to bite us on the ar5e !!
Much of Waite's last 10 years have been pretty good unless i've been looking at his double.
Waite's a free agent. If he goes it's for bugger all. Who in their right mind would let him go.
Much of Waite's last 10 years have been pretty good unless i've been looking at his double.
Waite's a free agent. If he goes it's for bugger all. Who in their right mind would let him go.
He's had he's fair share of injuries as well as too many suspensions but overall the footy he has played when fit has been to a very good standard. He let himself down lately so MM challenged him and he has answered in the best possible way. If he wants 2 years and is prepared to play for a performance based contract then I say give it to him. If he'll take one year for a bit more coin than base salary then I would give him that too.
The fact that so many are talking about him attracting a lot of interest from other clubs is no surprise as he is a valuable commodity who would enhance any forward line with the possible exception of Sydney. We'd be nuts to let him walk unless someone was offering ridiculous overs.
Key forwards are hard to find and Waites best is very good but his worst is shizen with not much in between...
I think he has been inconsistent and unreliable for ten years and prone to brain fades.....12 months contract only imo.
I was there at the game yesterday.
My comments:
1. The fact that we have no ability nor desire to grind a team into the dirt (and put the foot to the throat and not let go) speaks more to me than anything else.
2. There are too many players in this group that are getting paid big bucks, happy with life and are comfortable with a 39 point lead.
3. That says to me that I still want the list to be seriously cleared, if there are available players to recruit.
4. My preference is to now chase a core group of 5 to 7 new kids that will play 10 years for Carlton
5. That means I would seek a compensation pick for Waite, trade and de-list/trade alot of players at years end
6. On another observation we lacked a small forward clearly yesterday but Garlett is not the answer
7. Finally. Carlton plays are much better brand under MM. We look straight up and down- and none of this outside running whippet sling type play under Ratten.
Key forwards are hard to find and Waites best is very good but his worst is shizen with not much in between...
I think he has been inconsistent and unreliable for ten years and prone to brain fades.....12 months contract only imo.
Not sure about totally unreliable from a playing view. Been better and worse from the reliability angle. Unreliable from the mental side though doing dumb things and some bad decision making at times. He's still just about out most important player. Still, at his age, contracts are just 12 months, maybe with an option on both sides.
MM is slowly turning players around. Some that have had some issues, like Yarran once when he sooked it up, he's getting the best out of. Seemingly similar with Waite hopefully.
Pity it's all so late in the year. If there's an omen, the last time we played a sh1t majority of the season, on the bottom for a lot if it, but finished like trains made the Grand Final the next year with a famous PF victory along the way.
Btw - anyone else pleasantly surprised with the crowd who attended? I thought just a smidge under 29,000 was an outstanding corwd result & just shows what the people want. There were clearly more families/kids at that game than I've seen all year at any of our Etihad games.
Btw-Btw......our form at Etihad this year in general has been nothing short of spectacular compared to any previous season, which is kind of a shame now that we're most probably gonna be moving more games away from the venue.
Btw-Btw......our form at Etihad this year in general has been nothing short of spectacular compared to any previous season, which is kind of a shame now that we're most probably gonna be moving more games away from the venue.
I wonder if that relates in any way to our style of football.
Btw-Btw......our form at Etihad this year in general has been nothing short of spectacular compared to any previous season, which is kind of a shame now that we're most probably gonna be moving more games away from the venue.
I wonder if that relates in any way to our style of football.
Malthouse changed the boundary at Visy to be the same as Etihad. We can't win at the MCG now though :P
I suspect it is game plan. It's easier to defend switching the play and harder to open up defense at at Etihad IMO.
I can't remember who it was (might have been Finey) but some media personality said we wouldn't beat Gold Coast for 15 years.
Lasted about 2 months.