Hard to fathom how Curnow's could be graded the same as May's? May was much later, much more forceful? But if Curnow misses then maybe another chance for Kerr or Casboult or both this week.
They probably have to look at it because Swallow went off concussed and didn't come back on. But yes, none of the commentators thought there was anything in it. Definitely not two actions and he didn't drive him into the ground with any intent like the Natanui one earlier this year. Cripps is a big guy and if he'd wanted to drive Swallow into the turf and hurt him then it would've been a lot worse.
Cripps would be very unlucky. Both him and Swallow had momentum going forward when he was tackled. No pinning of the arms and didn't drive him into the ground forcefully...just an accidental one for mine. If they're going to rub him out then Moore should get a week for kneeing his own team mate in the head in that marking contest! May's was way worse....he's just lucky that Curnow has got a hard head and got up. That was about as late as you could possibly get...shoulder to the head....minimum two weeks surely?
For mine, collectively, that was the best I've seen the young blokes perform and many would've played their best games for the Blues.....Dow, O'Brien, Kennedy, SPS. We look much better with Byrne in the side providing some run out of the backline. Said it last week, put Docherty, Plowman and also Williamson back in there and it will look better. And again, thought Lobbe was terrific....Witts is a massive unit but Lobbe was competitive all night and fought hard around the ground. Cripps is a phenomenal player and has had leader written all over him since day 1.
Yes we're 18th and Gold Coast are 17th, but mighty proud of the Blues on Saturday night....felt more pleased for Bolton than anyone. It was like the shackles were removed after 1/4 time and the young blokes were just told to play with some freedom, take the game on and just go out and play....certainly looked that way.
Glad that Shaw was omitted. Woeful in his two games and looks a LONG way of AFL level. As for Levi, needs a good run at it in the VFL and see if he can take some marks and kick some goals. Still think he's worth a position on the list even if it's just as a back up ruckmen/forward. Phillips is always injured, Kruezer looks closer to the end than we'd like and other than that it's Lobbe who was only recruited as a back up back up ruckman....the cupboard looks bare otherwise.
Actually thought that Lobbe wasn't too bad last week against Hawthorn. Casboult did nothing. I'd be going with two ruckmen (Kruezer & Lobbe) and leave McKay at FF.....he doesn't look to have the strength or tank to play as an on-baller at this stage. Kruezer, Thomas & Byrne in for Casboult, Fisher and Shaw. And maybe Rowe in to replace Jones with someone else to go out. Shaw has shown absolutely nothing in his two games and doesn't look up to AFL standard for mine.
Thanks for the welcome folks. Just to qualify my original post, I wasn't trying to knock individual players as such...they can only put up what they've got and then clubs/recruiters decide their worth. My point was more about the development of the young blokes and how it just seems to have stalled and whether that's an indictment on the club or its systems or coaching methods? Jacob Weitering is the classic example. In his debut year I think we all marvelled at how composed he was....commentators were saying he looked like a bloke who'd played 100 games. Fast forward 2 years and he's a shadow of himself....looks bereft of confidence, some bad skill errors and decision making and most of the time he looks like a deer caught in the spotlights. Last weekend was probably the best game he's played this year. No doubt it would be hard to play in a backline under siege but if it's because of the lack of more experienced blokes around him then that goes back to some earlier recruiting too?
It's hard to know how long it's going to take. No Free Agents will be putting their hand up to go to a team that's parked on the bottom of the ladder. If we can get a priority pick around pick 4 then offload pick 1 to Adelaide so they can get the SA boy they want and demand quality in return...go for a Mitch McGovern or a Tom Lynch AND a first round pick...turn an early pick into another pick and a quality player. But the problem in getting the quality blokes is they won't want to go to a team that is conceivably 3-5 years away from playing finals.
I've loved the Blues for more than 35 years and will be a supporter forever....but I'm tired of getting No.1 draft picks and still not moving up the ladder.
New to this but just needed a forum to vent the frustration that most Blues fans are feeling at the moment. Yes, injuries have hurt, but the lack of depth and quality is there for all to see when some of the blokes getting games are just not AFL level. I was keen to see what Shaw offered but his two games have been dreadful....poor skills and decision making. Nick Graham will get 40+ possessions in the VFL and come back into the seniors and show why he's one of those in-between players. Turns it over far too often.
I know O'Brien is very young and in his first season but would love to know what the recruiters saw in him that warranted giving up a top 10 draft pick. Have watched a lot of games on TV this year and saw the Lions game live and he turns it over more than Andrew Carazzo! And I don't want to hear the term "elite runner"....no point in being an elite runner if you turn it over every time you get it. Elite running at Carlton is only good because you're chasing tail all day.
The concern is that of the young blokes drafted in the last 3 years, only Curnow looks like he's up to it at this stage. So many young blokes at other clubs have flourished in their first and second years but not at Carlton...and that's been a trait for a long time for some reason. Ross Lyon gets a lot of -ve criticism over this way for his coaching but he's playing a lot of young blokes and plenty of them look up to it already.....Brayshaw, Cerra, Banfield etc.
The club took the official position it didn't want a priority pick!!! WTF....we might not want it but we sure as hell need it. If it's there, take it...it could be pick 2, 3 or 4 depending on which way the AFL go and depending on a compensation pick Gold Coast will get for Lynch. But if we can get it then seriously look at trading pick 1 to Adelaide for a combination of later first round picks or be bold and demand a quality player. Please don't blow more picks on picking up fringe players from other clubs who don't do anything for our list...we've got enough of those already.
The club could easily clean out another 10 list cloggers at the end of this season.
