Re: AFL Rd 6 2023 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs St Kilda
Reply #238 –
That was my exact thoughts also on the St Kilda game. Ball use and decision making was crap.
My concern is why is it crap? I think our players are simply not as skilled as the better teams. Look at our forwards in particular Harry, Charlie, Fisher, Jack, are all unreliable by foot if they have to field kick. (Jack used to be decent but he has fallen away this year) And if its a shot at goal Charlie is the only one you can 'just' rely on - the others and it literally could go anywhere.
And midfield wise Cerra, Cripps, Kennedy, Acres and Hewitt are also IMO average at best by foot with Walsh being the only one I think you can genuinely rely on consistently hit a target under pressure.
Compare that to the top teams where they have good users on each line and we are miles behind and this factor decides games most weeks.
Is it training that is sub par at our club or just in the players DNA.... I dont know?
- Charlie is the best kick (field and goal kicking) at the club by a long way so I disagree with you on this. I trust him implicitly when he has the ball in his hand. He is a straight, long, penetrating kick.
- Harry has always been a bad kick, unless he does the around the corner kick he is terrible in front of goal. I would love to know his % of goals from drop punts versus the around the corner method. I would suggest it would be very highly weighted towards the snap. For me its between the ears.
- Jack is just terrible in front of goal, has been for a while. Field kicking he isn't too bad, I watched him practice and warm up having shots at goal at the Geelong game. I didn't see him put one through, not one and he had plenty of goes.
- Fisher I have commented to death, shouldn't be in the side (from an outsiders point of view).
- The mids maybe with the exception of Cerra are "off" with their disposal ATM, they are normally pretty good I feel especially George. I have mentioned that Cripps is 0-7 in front of goal this year, he had 10 goals at the same time last year and finished with 20 for the year.
I'm really hoping its a bit of a form slump with a lot of the players, its amazing what a couple of wins will do for the confidence of the group. It can turn quickly and you can get a roll as winning and confidence becomes infectious (just like poor disposal on the weekend).
We shall see.