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Messages - LP

2
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: VFL Rd 5 2026 Carlton vs Tasmania in Hobart
Quote from: Lods – on
We seemed to play a pretty small defence in the VFL last night and it did quite well.
Derksen played as much ruck and forward as defence and kicked a couple of goals
Devils had their lowest score of the year.
In fairness, they had no ruck, their KPPs are "only" Cripps size.

In fairness they run and run and run like no VFL team I've seen before. This is the direction AFL is going in, once they start making better decisions and use the pill wisely they'll hurt a lot of opposition.

It just goes to show how valuable the giants really are, if they were so easy to find Tassie would be full of them.
3
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 8 2026 Pre Game Predictions Carlton vs St. Kilda at Marvel
Quote from: RiverRat – on
Big Harry can't kick goals anyhow and can't hold a one-grab mark up forward so maybe he should play mainly in the ruck - except at centre ball-ups because he would be bound to get hurt.  At least it would be something different.
Form versus ability is a tough thing to debate, when H was snapping around the corner goals from outside 50m a couple of years back he was the bees knees, now he's struggling.

We shouldn't forget what a confident and in form player is capable of, he's bigger and stronger now, he has lost no pace, and is hardly even perhaps never out marked. We need him with his head on straight and chock full of confidence, any club would.
4
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 7 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Fremantle
Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on
Doesnt help either when our blokes are playing off their man and he gets to do a give and go with Switkowski who was unmanned and then Jackson just strolls into goal  ...set play?
Seriously @ElwoodBlues1 who is our 200cm player who can run with Jackson, or for that matter who is our 195cm player that can run with Jackson?

FWIW, is there another playing anywhere in the AFL that is comparable in size and can go with Jackson on the burst?
5
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 7 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Fremantle
Quote from: RiverRat – on
Williams has been pretty good in this area so far this year - as well as in defence.
It's the right way to use him @RiverRat, it makes sense.

Too many fans are incapable of seeing the difference between nuanced approached and an all in. Williams and others in pinch hit roles are one of several keys needed to break moments of opposition domination. You diminish the oppositions stability when you have pinch hitters display short periods of competence. It was the same for us in reverse last night with Bolton.

I don't think this is primarily a coaching problem, it's about getting players to buy into the and accept periods through which they aren't the big show. Moments when Cripps, Walsh, Cerra, Hewett are the support act.

FWIW, I think we can do the same with H and other forwards, at the moment H leads and we kick it to him, he can break that predictability by spending some time as a decoy forward. But he has to buy into it, he can't always lead expecting the footy. In this regard we are better off without Charlie, because technically we now have more roughly equal choices.
6
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: VFL Rd 5 2026 Carlton vs Tasmania in Hobart
At the moment having Saad and Hewett is distorting the performances of the rest a bit. Opponents are loathed to leave either with too much space to work in, and they both hold their position well, it makes a huge difference to the players around them. I wonder what our MC want from them in terms of change or evolution. Hewett looked to be a step up on Cerra yesterday, the only negative I can see is that both Hewett and Saad tend towards safe options, they have become a bit turnover gun shy. But AFL 2026 style no longer allows you to "safe yourself" to a victory, it's not soccer and a 1-0 ain't going to cut it!

2026 is being defined by attacking momentum bursts, not stoic defence.

The Tassie side is pretty raw, lots of young talent, aggression, energy, living off the excitement, but it's all a bit naivé.
7
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 7 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Fremantle
Some positives.

I thought in the end Reidy did pretty well against someone who when fit and in form is probably one of the leagues Top 5 players.

Finally, Williams showed us some glimpses of what he can do inside, it's been too long since we listened to the noise and gave up on him as a midfield rotation option. One stupid little bump off the ball and we decided the gig wasn't for him, I'd argue that's exactly what we've been lacking.

Walsh has now fully transitioned his game, to all the naysayers who keep claiming nothing changes, he's the A-Grade counter argument to your otherwise spurious claims. To think just a week ago certain AFL Special Comments types were potting him. Even some fans were potting him yesterday for missing a +50m running shot at goal by 1m. :o For me at least we pulled the trigger, the first few rounds we've been gun shy!

If you want to see what Kemp might be able to do as a mid-rotation watch Jackson yesterday, Jackson has gone full circle and now he is a weapon in every role he plays. Kemp has the acceleration and enough size to be a genuine transition type mid-fielder.

It pays not to pigeonhole players.

It would be stupid to make permanent changes to rotations, but it's just as stupid to say never, variety is the spice of life!
8
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 8 2026 Pre Game Predictions Carlton vs St. Kilda at Marvel
Quote from: Professer E – on
Maybe if blokes could get to his feet wed do better, not enough from the small blokes. But then again, out kicking into F50 isn't suburban standard.
I think part of the problem is that we are continually outnumbered at the fall because opposition seem to know where it is going before our own blokes know!

When you are at the ground and not ball watching it becomes obvious, we are always second to react, we've been that way for a long time. I think partly we could get away with it having twin KPFs, at least when they were fit and firing they knew were to lead. Now with H solo it's become a major weakness.
9
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 8 2026 Pre Game Predictions Carlton vs St. Kilda at Marvel
Quote from: kruddler – on
Honestly, i don't know if i'd want Harry back in this week.
Give him an extra week just for $hits and giggles.
Kemp+McGovern worked well together - 9 goals between them is about as good as you could hope for.
I pretty sure H will be back if fit, but it tells us something about our ball use and decision making. When we make H the default we are too predictable, we almost need to be without him for a few weeks to break the habit. Then bring him back as a genuine option alongside the others.
12
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: VFL Rd 5 2026 Carlton vs Tasmania in Hobart
Quote from: kruddler – on

Ditch the prior opportunity and there is consistency across all contests.  ;)
Well, I'm afraid they've already gone halfway to that, and for the simple reason the imbalance in the decision making combined with variability of the stand rule has made things worse than ever before.

You can lay a perfect tackle in the goal square and umpires are afraid to pay the free, even after moments of clear play, that's nothing to do with prior opportunity.

Further to that, when those calls go the exact wrong way, and you've already pressed forward, you're basically screwed by the stand rule going the other way.
13
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: VFL Rd 5 2026 Carlton vs Tasmania in Hobart
There is something I just do not understand about AFL 2026 style, blokes take the footy in clear space and just stone cold drop it when tackled, often after taking a couple of steps, and it's play on.

How is that ruling rational when in the same game you see a bloke like Cripps pinged for holding on the inside of a stoppage, often when tackled and being held before he even takes the footy?