Team: E- The first half wasn't that bad and the last quarter wasn't abysmal, but the 3rd quarter was match losing football. There were signs of life at times, but not enough and not often enough. And, for the first time this season, we came up against a side with a superior list and a much superior game plan. GWS's ability to move the ball quickly and accurately and take our guys on for pace all over the field shows they have a real future.
Explanations: [3] Judd: Considering how badly we were beaten in the middle, Judd's game was brilliant. he is playing really good football at the moment. [2.5] Curnow: Curnow's return to form continues. he took another invaluable scalp and got the ball 31 times himself. [2] Tutt: For the first time Tutt showed that he just might have a future. His first term was electric. He continued well enough, but not as good as the first and our guys appeared to ignore him later. he does need to work on his tank. [1.5] Docherty: Not a great game from Docherty, but solid. Usually a part of our forward moves. [1.5] Tuohy: For much of the game Tuohy really held his opponents in check. He was solid. [1] Murphy: Not a 4 quarter effort, but for long patches he was sidelined by the dominance of Mumford at the tap outs. He also missed a while when his face was being repaired. [1] Everitt: His first half was a huge improvement over last week, but he faded. [0.5] Wood: Tried his guts out and did OK around the ground, but he was slaughtered by Mumford after half time. [0.5] Yarran: Good in patches, but he needed the run. [0.5] Bell: Tried hard and was quite effective with the ball. [0.5] Armfield: Did a job and was in the action, much like last week. [0.5] Gibbs: Until half time Bryce was very good, but he struggled to have an impact after that.
Honourable Mentions: White: tried hard. Thomas: tried hard but just didn't have the hurt factor.
Other Comments: Our game style serious sucks. It is so slow and stagnant that it just allows other teams to set up against us. Our forwards must feel like sacrificial lambs on the high table, about to be slaughtered. GWS's style of game is going to get them a long way. They move the ball very quickly, before we could even think of setting up. I am not sure what the numbers were, but we just didn't do any sacrificial acts. It was a very heartless display.
This. Pagan took North to 12 consecutive finals appearances and two premierships with no money, poxy facilities and bugger all members, he built a gun side from the ground up. Malthouse has succeeded at three separate clubs taking two of them to premierships, his last at Collingwood with a team of battlers with a sprinkling of top line talent. Yet they both get to Carlton and our players won't play for them, you have to ask yourself why we are so different and whether the difference is why we have failed for over a decade and continue to fail. It's about time we stopped looking for scapegoats and looked at ourselves in the mirror if you ask me.
Yes, and like the Picture of Dorian Gray, we will not like what we see. However, there seems to be some sense coming out of the leaders' offices, so I can hope. But our on field woes need serious surgery and soon.
I don't want to feel sorry for anyone at Carlton: I am tired of that. I want us to be back in a position where everyone feels envious of us. To have some numnuts following GWS for 5 minutes sit back in the crowd and mock us was embarrassing.
There will be consequences from this game. [1] The Judge may become the President with the least tenure in Carlton history if things remain as they are. He knows it. He has made some changes but we have yet to see the benefit from them. [2] We have destroyed the coaching career of 2 of the greatest coaches in VFL/AFL history. Malthouse is a dead man walking as a coach. The players are not playing for him. It is clear because of the total lack of passion that our players have on the field. Malthouse probably knows it and it irks him. He is not a happy chappy. I do not know if it is all his fault: the inside workings of the club are something I am not privy to. Whether he is the cause or not, he will take the responsibility. He will either quit or his contract will not be renewed. As such he will be unfulfilled as a coach as he will go out very much on a low. [3] There are a number of players on our list whose careers are in terminal shape. Yes, we can identify that we lack develop and recruiting prowess, but the guys on our list have to take some responsibility. There will be changes. Judd will retire at the end of the season. There is nothing for him left to play for with our list in its present shape. Carrots may feel the same way: he has been excellent for us, but he is nearing the end and has no hope of seeing a successful final's campaign. Simmo may pull up stumps, although he may be able to be convinced otherwise by a new coaching panel. There are then our underperformers and the borderline cases. There will be changes here as well.
There will be more changes as well. It is going to be some time yet before we recover. I hate that.
2015 Peter Jackson VFL Northern Blues 3.2 4.2 8.3 11.7 (73) North Ballarat 2.1 6.8 11.8 14.10 (94)
GOALS: Northern Blues: Wilson 2 Warnock 2 Bransgrove Jones Russell Strachan Viojo Graham Whiley North Ballarat: Curnow 5 Black 2 Hooper 2 Lyle Kiel Staley Warren Preuss
BEST: Northern Blues: Graham Walsh Wilkinson Fields Ballard Strachan North Ballarat: Sewell Dumont Curnow Tippett Warren Durdin
I must admit I look at the best player list here and I wonder if these guys were at the same game sometimes. I would not have named Wilko: he was ordinary in defence. Ballard looked promising and should be looked at for Carlton if he keeps developing. His shock of blond hair stuck out, although he did run out of juice towards the end of the game. Fields did OK and looks more promising than many. I was pleased with Walsh: he appears to have a future. I was very disappointed that Holman got injured so early. I'll write later with a proper summary. Thanks to RR for his thoughts.
I have been reasonably impressed with Webster's output this season, so far. He is putting a bit of heart into a list that has little of it. Last year I would have flicked him: his speeches were uninspiring and he wasn't getting much out of them. he, at least, appears to have improved and developed over the Summer.
Of course, there is a long way to go yet, and things can still go pear shaped. But I did find that a positive.
I also found very positive the fact that, after losing our way in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, we came back hard and really put in an effort. Pity our forward line was so dysfunctional. But that is another issue.
Our game plan: it really does stink. Like the seniors, we spend a quarter and a half bombing the ball forward under pressure to 1 guy against 3 or 4. When our tall target didn't mark the ball, it came out extremely easily and set up goals going the other way. It was ugly and it gave a glimpse of what was to come in the seniors. We really need to change this rapidly, and not just the kicking backwards until all our players are covered either.
Since I am working at Echuca at the moment, I don't know if I'll bother yet. A 250 km trip to see us get pounded, followed by a 150 km trip to get home just doesn't sound like fun. Maybe I'll just go to the Gym instead.
It would be nice starting a thread like this after a win, but that is looking increasingly unlikely as the season progresses. However, we must move onwards, lest we develop the malaise that grips our playing group.
Remember: [1] At least 3 players need to get a mention. [2] No more than 10 votes for any one player. [3] Give a rating of team performance. It can be anywhere from A+ to F. Please don't leave this blank. Our guys do not deserve the default setting (B). [4] Votes must add up to 15.
Another ugly day, especially as we lost to a team who hadn't won a game until then. 6 guys ended up dropped as a consequence. That says a lot in itself. That said, we did have Curnow and Gibbs playing significantly better, although nowhere near their best. And this week we have the return of a bit of talent. So hopefully this improve on the field.
Votes were very concentrated this round, with very little spread at all. There were only 9 different players to get a mention. However, we did have more voters this year than we did at the same time last year, and we won this time last year! That is a positive. The rating was ordinary, but considerably improved on the previous round: 6.27, which is an E+. We can do better.
The Votes: Round #6 Carlton vs. Brisbane Bell, Tom 302 Casboult, Levi 245 Docherty, Sam 141 Curnow, Edward 82 Cripps, Patrick 69 Judd, Chris 65 Armfield, Dennis 13 Gibbs, Bryce 13 Murphy, Marc 10 Tuohy, Zach 10
Tom Bell produced one of his better performances and was a clear BOG, from Casboult and Docherty. Armfield managed votes (and probably deserved some) with less than 10 possessions. It was that sort of game.
Progressives: 964 - Docherty, Sam (0) 755 - Cripps, Patrick (0) 593 - Bell, Tom (0) 569 - Judd, Chris (0) 484 - Murphy, Marc (0) 366 - Everitt, Andrejs (0) 338 - Simpson, Kade (0) 266 - Henderson, Lachie (0) 265 - Casboult, Levi (0) 249 - White, Simon (0) 236 - Wood, Cameron (0) 179 - Armfield, Dennis (0) 151 - Tuohy, Zach (0) 142 - Rowe, Sam (0) 127 - Gibbs, Bryce (0) 89 - Yarran, Chris (0) 85 - Curnow, Edward (0) 84 - Walker, Andrew (0) 68 - Carrazzo, Andrew (0) 14 - Byrne, Ciaran (0) 6 - Jones, Liam (0) 6 - Menzel, Troy (0) 5 - Jaksch, Kristian (0) 4 - Boekhorst, Blaine (0) 2 - Ellard, David (0)
Docherty increased his lead slightly, while Bell rocketed up into 3rd place, in front of Judd.
Northern Blues vs. Box Hill Hawks Sunday, May 17 Preston City Oval at 12.00pm
Northern Blues
B: Walton J. Roberts Gleeson HB: McDonald Coulson Johnston C: Kur Cattapan Strachan HF: Armitage Dirago McDonagh F: Wilson Bolger Stevens R: Aurrichio Murray Perry Int: Asani Haynes Kinsella Yelland Langwell Soncin McCabe Aujla Tardio Dawson Wild
Box Hill Hawks
B: Codd-Miller Traynor Vizzarri HB S. Gibson Fisher Howe C Soccio Tobin Walker HF Lawlor L. Langford Lewis F R. Monkhorst P. McEvoy Dimasi R Tatupu Williams Hardisty Int Sheridan-Ferrie Jones Pell Kidd Burt Bond Donoghue Summers Franetic
B: Kristian Jaksch, Sam Rowe, Simon White. HB: Zach Tuohy, Chris Yarran, Sam Docherty. C: Andrejs Everitt, Chris Judd, Ed Curnow. HF: Dennis Armfield, Levi Casboult, Dale Thomas. F: Tom Bell, Matthew Watson, Troy Menzel. Foll: Cameron Wood, Bryce Gibbs, Marc Murphy. Int: Andrew Carrazzo, Patrick Cripps, Matthew Dick, Jason Tutt. Emg: David Ellard, Nick Graham, Nick Holman.
In: Simon White, Chris Yarran, Matthew Watson, Troy Menzel, Andrew Carrazzo, Matthew Dick, Jason Tutt.
Out: Clem Smith (Omitted), Mark Whiley (Omitted), Nick Graham (Omitted), Dylan Buckley (Omitted), Andrew Walker (Knee), Blaine Boekhorst (Omitted), Liam Jones (Omitted)
I am a bit surprised that Holman didn't get a go before Dick. I am sorry to say that Dick does not like the answer at this point. I am pleased to see White and Carrazzo return. They are important players who keep their opponents down much better than we've been able to do in recent times. I am a bit disappointed that Graham dot dropped: I would like to see him get the opportunities that Liam Jones got. I don't think he is the answer, but I'd like to see him prove it one way or the other.
GWS Giants
B: Heath Shaw, Joel Patfull, Matt Buntine. HB: Nick Haynes, Phil Davis, Adam Kennedy. C: Toby Greene, Stephen Coniglio, Tomas Bugg. HF: Adam Treloar, Cam McCarthy, Devon Smith. F: Lachie Whitfield, Jeremy Cameron, Zac Williams. Foll: Shane Mumford, Callan Ward, Tom Scully. Int: James Stewart, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Ryan Griffen, Dylan Shiel. Em: Josh Kelly, Jack Steele, Tom Downie In: No Change
Heath Shaw seems to love playing us. With no Garlett or Betts I don't see any way of embarrassing him by making him pick up a man. Mumford plays well against us. When he plays well, GWS usually do well. Ward saves his best games for us. Hopefully Carrots or Curnow can keep him under control for a change.
This is the first of 2 'curtain raisers' that the NB's play this season. Sei Danket Gott!!!! For years we have wanted this and now it happens. Get to the game early and you get a reward - seeing the Baby Blues strut their stuff! And there should be a bit of talent on show as a number of Blues are coming back from injury. I'll be very interested to see the team sheets this week.
