Carlton Supporters Club

Thats just an excuse for defenders who don't know how to defend and we are full to pussy's bow of them. Midfield dominance isn't a new thing, ball has been streaming down the ground for eons, once upon a time there were (and we had plenty of them) defenders who could read the play coming their way and they could position themselves to get a fist in or heaven forbid, mark the thing. Like our team in general, our defenders are often asleep at the wheel because they thinking about more than beating, or stopping, their opponent. The good defenders don't worry about cheap possessions or getting involved in an attacking chain, they worry about making sure their man doesn't get a kick or has a very tough day at the office. I watched Plowman live last week and he was deadset asleep giving his opponent meters every single time. You can't see it on TV, it happens way before the cameras capture the ball about to be marked by the fwd. I understand team defence and mids have to do more when they don't have the footy, but as Bill Belichick says, "do your job". Plowman, SPS, Doc just don't do theirs way too often.

If you look at the numbers, and you look at Champion Data, the imputation is quite clear that the defensive problems are further up the ground. Plowman won't be dropped for the Freo game, and you have to ask why. Betts is being touted as an "in" and you have to ask why. Just my 2 cents.

Matthew Lloyd going through exactly what I posted on FC now!

He has defenders that are winners, losers and jury is out

Winners (smart defenders who coped with rule changes)
Howe
Grimes
Moore
May

Losers (poor defenders who didn't cope with rule changes)
Plowman
Davis
Kolodjashnij
Gardner
Hartigan

Jury's Out (50/50)
Alir

We're drifting off topic here, but Plowman's output compares favourably with both Darcy Moore and Dylan Grimes :

Yep he's not bad like the fans make out, but his last two games were a bit ordinary, then again at least half his team-mates can raise a hand to that one!
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I'd say pretty much the entire team has been patchy - some good passages of play, and some awful. When and if we tighten up the defensive structures, without sacrificing too much attacking flair, we will see better outcomes. But those defensive issues definitely need urgent rectification.

We're drifting off topic here, but Plowman's output compares favourably with both Darcy Moore and Dylan Grimes :

https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_compare?playerStatus1=A&tid1=4&playerStatus2=A&tid2=15&type=A&pid1=3797&pid2=3383&fid1=C&fid2=C

https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_compare?playerStatus1=A&tid1=4&playerStatus2=A&tid2=5&type=A&pid1=3797&pid2=4023&fid1=C&fid2=C

Plowman can be reliable ... at times ... but he's slow off the mark.  Last week, he failed to see hand signals coming upfield (e.g. Martin to Riewoldt) and left flat footed, easily beaten.

You MUST watch opponent's feet and at the right moment.  And yes, it's not entirely his fault, but he has to take some blame.

@LP ... I meant HIS direct opponent ... only takes a split second.  He was under the gun that's for sure.   

Those stats don't tell you how many goals he gives away or how he gets beat up in one on one's. We all have seen it and now the media have seen it and other teams will continue to isolate him and play through his man IMHO.

I'm no fan of the "eyes test" and I think the  media long ago abandoned analysis in favour of lazy cherry picking, pandering to the prejudices of noisy fans. Folks with outdated ideas will tell you that the eyes are objective, and see "what is there", but I don't think that's right.