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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 5 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Adelaide
Last post by crashlander -[1] I really hate Adelaide. I've never seen a team squeal and complain as much as these turkeys do.
However, there is much we can learn from these guys:
(a) they are so much stronger than us. We need to address that. This is an area we have failed to address since our glory days.
(b) they are so much more organized than we are. This is something we should have addressed, but do not appear to have.
(c) their team structure is better than ours.
[2] We really play like a bottom 4 side. The lack of structure going forward irritates me intensely.
(a) We don't lead. The few times we do lead, the lead isn't honoured. We just fill up the spaces so there is nowhere to lead into.
(b) We always seem to kick under pressure. It is no wonder we don't hit targets when we're always under pressure. Yet, do we put our opponents under that sort of pressure? No. Our opponents always seem to have someone free.
(c) Our defence is terrible at the moment. It should improve with Weitering back, but the lack of structure, the lack of intelligence and the lack of confidence really stood out. We spoiled each other any number of times. Our guys were in position to mark the ball, but didn't. Sometimes we simply dropped the mark, other times we punched the ball instead of marking it.
(d) we don't want the ball as badly as our opponents. In 2023, our pressure was excellent and we appeared to want the ball. That is not the case at the moment. We just don't have the desperation. We don't exert enough physical pressure.
(e) Our game style is extremely inefficient. We handle the ball a lot to move forward, which doesn't work well in the wet or under pressure. Our skills ... I've mentioned that enough. But, if we handle the ball so often, our lack of skill is exposed.
(f) We rarely kick goals from turnovers. For that matter, we rarely score goals that do not come from centre clearances, and we don't do enough of those. Until we find a way to score other than from clearances we won't be winning many games.
[3] We get out-coached almost every week.
Our initial plans seem to be good enough, but we don't react to changes in the game. When Walsh was being tagged, did anyone block for him? No. During the last quarter we had Cripps matched up to Rankin, who is much quicker. Did we change that? No.
[4] Some of our players have really gone backwards:
(a) Harry McKay: H is presenting, but he isn't going to mark the ball with the way he is approaching the ball at the moment. Kane Cornes repeatedly pointed out that H had 'flat hands'. That wasn't going to help him with conditions as they were.
Does H use his strength? If he does. I don't see it. He can show it when he rucks in the forwards 50, but that is about it.
Does he get separation? Very rarely. It is hard when every mark is going to be a contested one.
(b) Lachie Cowan: Lachie has been pretty ordinary this season. We aren't seeing the strength or the attack on the ball that he showed in his first season. He can be an excellent grab, but he isn't taking his marks. When the pressure comes on, he just no longer grabs the ball in the air. He isn't as tight as he was. He doesn't attack the ball like he did. He is really stagnating.
(c) Patrick Cripps: the way things are officiated now doesn't do Crippa any favours. We will never be quick, but when he doesn't get frees for being held and gets double teamed whenever he has the ball, he isn't going to thrive or provide us with drive.
Our coaching staff should have woken up to that and planned for it, but that hasn't happened.
Crippa is still a warrior, but he isn't getting the assistance he needs.
As for his disposal, it is often terrible. He worked on that a lot and was pretty reliable for a while, but it had really dropped off. Like many, he is always under pressure, which doesn't help. But he has to go back and get his kicking sorted.
(d) Adam Cerra: Cez is just a shadow of what he was in 2023. He isn't getting to contests, he isn't winning them, he isn't blocking or helping his teammates and he is butchering the ball. I'm sure some of this is confidence, but some is just the way he is approaching the ball. He is probably our least effective mid at the moment.
(e) Nic Newman: Nic was always going to take a while to get back to his best, but he isn't having the impact he did. He isn't doing the things that made so effective for so long and he isn't stopping his opponent. I'm willing to give him the chance to get back to his game, because we really miss his drive, but he is struggling at the moment.
(f) Hudson O'Keefe: HOK has gone so much backwards that I'm really worried about him. He isn't taking marks, he isn't getting many taps and not guiding them that well. He is a player seriously lacking in confidence.
[5] Umpiring:
If we were playing well, the poor umpiring wouldn't bother me so much. We've lived with it for a long time. But, with us struggling, we've been hugely effected by the poor decisions. This, at least is out of our control, but we need to start squealing like certain Geelong or North Melbourne coaches does. We notice the same thing week in and week out, but the umpires ignore them like the rules don't exist. I'm tired of it.
[6] Do we have anyone who hasn't gone backwards? Yes!
(a) Marc Pittonet: the new ruck rules don't favour him, but he is doing his best and producing his best. There is a reason why he is 2nd in the Jim Park at the moment. He still has issues: he doesn't take enough marks and his kicking isn't reliable, but he is putting his best out there every week. Not many can say that.
(b) Nick Haynes: he might be as old as the hills, but the desire and effort are still there for Haynes. He is showing what is required to succeed at senior level, even with his relative lack of strength.
(c) Mitch McGovern: Mitch has underachieved for so long, but he is doing his best as a forward this season. We don't make it easy for him, but he is kicking goals.
Agree on Frank, think we might need him down forward.
