Carlton Supporters Club

wait, wait, wait … just watched the Sunday Footy Show highlighting how they blocked Cripps at every centre bounce.

 I mean, COME ON. If that sort of treatment doesn’t warrant a rule change I don’t know what does.

So the ball is NOT in play, there’s NO actual contest yet, in some instances the location was more than 10 metres away from where the ball was about to be bounced, and the opposing player did NOT have eyes for the ball.

So if you take your eyes off the ball and look at your opponent for a split second in a marking contest it’s a free every single time.

Also an instant free for “blocking” if the player’s path to a marking contest is impeded.

Why is that treated differently?

Of course, nothing new here - has been happening for years, and not just to Cripps.  McCrae is portrayed as the good guy but I think this belies his Sheedy- or Clarkson-like approach to pushing things to the limit. He was even astute enough to make Pendlebury the blocker knowing he’s an ump favourite who has the footballing IQ to disguise the blocks.

Which brings me to Pendelbury’s last centre clearance - did he or did he not head straight for the boundary line?
Great observation from one commentator that doing that is win/win. If the ump pings him for “insufficient intent” it gives them time to set up behind the ball. If the ump is too gutless to make the call it’s a throw in just far enough away from goal.

What stood out for me was Cripps jumper being pulled at most stoppages, he got a few and they missed a few more.

Agreed Thry.....if we're serious and on, we should win easily. We still need to learn how to really bury sides when we have the advantage and % could be critical come the pointy end of the season.

I think that this comment from Matt Cottrell is relevant:

"People don't come to the footy to watch a half-forward run his patterns. They come for Charlie Curnow, not a high half-forward whose job it is to connect with the winger. But it's a good role, it suits my game and the way I play.

I can get up and support the backs, then hopefully challenge my opponent going back to goal. But, to give credit to the club, they really value it. Internally, it's highly valued. It gives me a bit of motivation to keep doing it."

Supporters naturally pay more attention to the big name players and spectacular individual efforts (or errors).  The work done by lesser lights like Cottrell, Hollands, Cuningham, Fogarty, Owies, Fantasia and Boyd is often overlooked.

I still like the Owies/Motlop set up. Owies is already on his 1.5 goals/game average from last year and that's hard to complain about.

Individually, we had our fair share of blokes down, well down - Fantasia, Hollands, Cuningham.

Is Lachie neale a protected species or what?  He holds scraps and hits off ball all the time and whilst opponents do it to him, he is happy to dish out.  Watch George Hewett get a suspension for that hit.

While Smith did OK getting a start, before we crumbled, I remain convinced that Smith as opener does more for Smith's own career than it does for Australian cricket.

He is basically extending his own career at the expense of developing the next pair of openers. We've let these blokes go on too long, they won't go because they earn too much money, they have to be pushed!

Green is a good mate of Nathan Lyon and might as well be a NSW player given he hardly every plays for WA. He lost his place to fellow WA allrounder in Mitch Marsh and should have been dropped out of the squad because his form isnt that great.
His only decent test innings was on the flattest track of all time in India where both teams made big scores, his record isnt as good as Shane Watson who averaged more with the bat and had a lower bowling average and also had a greater degree of difficulty having to open the innings on many occasions.
Renshaw is averaging 31 in Shield cricket this season...if we are talking batsman in form and who can roll their arm over you would be picking Beau Webster who is averaging 71 or Nathan McSweeney with 45.
The selection process is skewed to who the inner sanctum want in the team and has nothing to do with form or stats it seems...

GTC...Its a bit of WA vs Cricket Australia at the moment, in the old days form and runs in Shield cricket got you selected but now its about who the inner sanctum want in the team as much as anything else and its clear that Bancroft isnt wanted even though he has been the leading run getter for the last two seasons.
Smith will probably make it look a good move vs the hapless Windies who are struggling vs some no name team in their tour game and Bailey will get the kudos but long term its not a good move and we should be introducing younger players for the future.