Pleasantly surprised. Excellent changes. Not our usual conservative approach. We want our players to be bold, good to see MC doing likewise... a good message to some that you have to earn games with consistent form.
Ollie needed to return to the Magoos and regain touch... perhaps, also, try him in different roles. Young is fortunate Rottingwood has Cox.
Carroll and Binns need Magoo time. Cerra and Cunners, good upgrades. Bring your defensive effort, Cunners... not a cameo.
Kemp is a little unfortunate but, if we're honest, his form has been patchy. Ticker? Great, but needs to work on consistency and decision making. Cincotta excellent replacement.
Fantasia or Durdin to be the sub, I would guess.
Upside for us with those dropped - a better looking Magoos!
Except when we rise the pressure rating to 200, rather than 150/160, then we have no issue. Then we are good defensively and we kick goals in a hurry. A case of switching on more. After the real bake the players got last week watch how much better we are defensively this week.
Nup, we're favourites. $1.77 to $2.05.
The season thus far indicates we raise this pressure rating in fits and starts - score heavily, or get scored heavily against, depending on this pressure. Our win/loss quarter ration is about 50/50. Again, inconsistency raises its head.
I wonder if we'll start favourites again!! Doubt it.
Plenty of articles in today's media about our issues. In a nutshell: defensively ordinary, and dropping the aggot on the heads of H and Charles and expecting them to work miracles... ignoring other leading forwards.
That's two games of the last three where we lost in a similar manner. That's a glaring issue. Maybe so many close wins prior papered over some cracks?
At half time my most dominant thought was just how wasteful we were. And how perplexing (to be kind) umpiring was sucking the wind out of our sails. Jason D (and others) summed up the umpiring rather nicely.
As Principal LODS noted, as did this little black duck, Vossy was most unimpressed with our lack of discipline. He refused to individualize as it was team discipline (defence), or the lack thereof, that he focussed on. The Pussycats were 'allowed' to be clinically efficient in front of goal (as were the Croweaters and GWS).
We're sixth on the ladder with an ordinary %. Good feedback. About where we belong. But we all know we're better than that... or are we? Perhaps after so many years in the wilderness we're (and players?) just happy to be in the eight? Not sure Vossy shares that contentment.
Some thoughts on individuals/specifics. Baffled as to why a strong-bodied, hard, quick and close checking Cincotta is being left out of our defence. Williams brings dash and some impressive cameos, but his defensive work is below parr. Young is way too one-dimensional and lacks intensity. Delivery into the forward line is ordinary. Sixteen times (or thereabouts) we dumped the aggot on Charles' head - defenders love that. When we looked for other options we were more productive (efficient?), as an example when E Hollands (who often made very good position) was utilized, it bothered the defence and we hit the scoreboard... just not often enough ...utilizing other forward options. Lazy stuff to put the aggot on Charles' head and expect him to produce miracles. When we were, all too seldom, delivering the pill in front of a leading Charles or H, or Chugga, or Owies, or Elija or...., it often had a better outcome. Small Durds just doesn't do enough.
Thank the gods for Crippa, Pitto, Walsh, Weiters, Acres, Chugga and H.
We were wasteful. Created plenty of opportunities, then butchered those opportunities - too often. The Pussycats were clinically efficient. They had no passengers.
For the commentators to be reporting that the Pussycats were getting the 'rub of the green' was telling. Umpire nude-nut needs a 'please explain' from the AFL.
20 more inside 50s and lose. That needs a lot of explaining. The efficiency of the Pussycats set them up so well. We'll learn much from this... and have plenty of potential to get better, which we must.
I think the Mirkov experiment is coming to an end but O’Keeffe is worth persevering with. His last VFL game was very good and he can pinch hit as a key forward.
I wouldn’t be rushing Moir into the seniors but I’m sure he’ll be demanding a game before the season’s out. He did OK in the pre-season games and should adjust to the tempo without too many problems. He has been a bit wasteful with his kicking for goal so let’s hope he gets his radar aligned.
I'd keep my powder dry re the Mirk. Ticker surgery and before that goodness only knows how much the crook ticker was affecting his game. Let's see how he progresses.
Like Mr O'Keefe... coming along nicely.
Moir's first goal was like he was a natural left footer, and the next goal, like he was a natural right footer. His defensive game is coming along well, also. Obviously a focus. Reckon we might see him a little sooner than some may expect.
Carlton V Port Melbourne Backs: [61] Tyson Sruk, [25] Jaxon Binns, [63] Kristian Ferronato Half Backs: [31] Harry Lemmey, [45] Alex Mirkov, [34] Rob Monahan Centres: [39] Alex Cincotta, [40] Hudson O'Keeffe, [67] Aiden Mills Half Forward: [43] Ashton Moir, [50] Zavier Maher, [51] Heath Ramshaw Forwards: [52] Liam McMahon, [54] Ned Cahill, [55] Lachlan Young Rucks: [57] Luke Nelson, [58] Michael Lewis, [59] Tom Phillips Int: [60] Blake Kuipers, [64] Archie Stevens, [77] Will White, [79] Jack Lefroy, [80] Bailey Lambert, [74] Logan Prout, [71] Callum Verrell Emergencies: [70] Darcy Hogg, [56] Flynn Riley, [76] Lachlan Swaney, [68] Jess Gedi
Very good to see Mirkov named. He is probably a way short of a gallop, but having him on the field is a bit plus. The other thing is that he gives our mids a decent look at the ball. O'Keefe did pretty well last week, but he doesn't give our mids the sort of service that Mirkov can when he's up and about. Nice to see Tyson Sruk named for us. He was like Ferranato, considered stiff not to be drafted. He gets a lot of the ball from half back. Ferranato was OK last week, but clearly needed a run.
Interesting to see Darcy Hogg and Flynn Riley named as emergencies, Hogg because I want to see him play, Riley because he is a 206 cm tall ruckman. Does that mean our seniors are going to have ruck issues? I have no idea, but it bodes poorly.
Nice to see Lachie Swaney named as well. He is one of our VFL leaders, when he can get on the park. He is an assistant coach for the girls and appears to be highly regarded. But, like Maher, he has been cruelled by injury.
Like seeing Monahan named on the half back... he'll learn more there.
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