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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: Jim Park Voting AFL Rd 13 2026 Carlton vs Essendon
Last post by DJC -5 - McKay
4 - Hewett
3 - Newman
2 - Cripps
1 - Acres
5 - McKay
4 - Hewett
3 - Newman
2 - Cripps
1 - Acres
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: VFL Rd 11 2026 Carlton vs Drug Cheats away
Last post by crashlander -
What I gathered:
[1] Moir as a defender:
It wasn't that he did a bad job, even though he did make a couple of horrendous turnovers, it was that he still couldn't get more involved in the game. Considering how our forward line functioned, I think he would be better back as a forward.
[2] Our dislocation between midfield and forwards:
I know the senior got a bad rap for being unable to hit targets, but the 2's made this an artform on Sunday. Not that our forwards move well: they don't, and they don't make space well. However, when you kick the ball directly to the Essendon defenders, it makes the forwards look hopeless.
Tyler Sellers, who North flicked after starring against us, was again huge. he had 14 or 15 intercepts with 12 marks, because we kicked it directly to him. It was embarrassing.
Young Liam Farrar was probably the most effective forward on the ground when it came to getting the ball: he was an example more of our players should follow. Unfortunately, his kicking radar was just so off. He could have 7 goals: he managed 1 goal 3 with 8 marks.
Essendon players kicked them from everywhere, while we couldn't hit the side of a barn from inside.
[3] Our 'better' players didn't make the contribitions they could have.
Williams was OK, but he could have been better. I would have been tempted to have in the middle for a while.
Moir wasn't that bad, but he should be damned good.
Saad: I'm not sure he saw out the game, but he didn't do much when he was on. He is really struggling.
Ben Campo on the wing didn't really work. He wasn't bad, but he didn't produce the drive he can in the middle.
Flynn Riley won most of the taps, but we didn't get that much from them. And poor Riley provided nothing around the ground.
Hudson O'Keefe rucked reasonably well, and kicked a couple of goals, but just isn't getting it enough. Not a danger to other teams.
Matt Duffy: he has regressed terribly in the last month. He has the athleticism to play anywhere, but his game awareness isn't good enough to play anywhere at the moment.
Our guys play a high possessions game with short kicks and handballs, and it didn't suit the conditions at all. A lot of our guys got inflated numbers for play that went nowhere.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 13 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Essendon
Last post by kruddler -I like his aggression but, instead of the late (unnecessary) bump that seems to surface from time to time, he needs to sell those actions as an attempt to smother or adversely effect the kick.
after shocking start to the season, hayward was really starting to find his form, kicking goals, and working as that last kick into 50. but the previous couple of weeks (prob since caroll went down), he seems to be playing more wing, and getting a lot of ball at half back. he may be good at this role, but he is exceptional in the forward half. they need to get him back to where he is most dangerous - kicking goals or creating them
You almost wanna keep them in just to keep the opposition honest.
Its a bit like Robbo back in the day. You never know when he's going to bury someone. Sometimes it will give away a free, other times the perceived pressure results in a turnover.
Keep them guessing. Can't always be 'nice'.
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Ladies Lounge / Re: VFLW 2026
Last post by crashlander - Carlton: 4 - 7 - 31
Drug Cheats: 10 - 3 - 63
Note again our inability to kick straight. It is a curse across 3 levels at the moment. The 2's lost, even though they had a lot more scores shots.
Teams weren't even available the morning of the game, which was disappointing.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 13 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Essendon
Last post by RiverRat -I like Heyward's mongrel but not the stupidity that yet again led to a dopey free kick for a late bump.
after shocking start to the season, hayward was really starting to find his form, kicking goals, and working as that last kick into 50. but the previous couple of weeks (prob since caroll went down), he seems to be playing more wing, and getting a lot of ball at half back. he may be good at this role, but he is exceptional in the forward half. they need to get him back to where he is most dangerous - kicking goals or creating them
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 13 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Essendon
Last post by crashlander -i know we won ugly but is everyone else concerned that ess had 6 senior players out and lots of youngsters playing and also John Brown (brissie lions Champion ) would rather coach Essendon than Carlton
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 13 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Essendon
Last post by Milhanna13 -I like Heyward's mongrel but not the stupidity that yet again led to a dopey free kick for a late bump.
after shocking start to the season, hayward was really starting to find his form, kicking goals, and working as that last kick into 50. but the previous couple of weeks (prob since caroll went down), he seems to be playing more wing, and getting a lot of ball at half back. he may be good at this role, but he is exceptional in the forward half. they need to get him back to where he is most dangerous - kicking goals or creating them
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 13 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Essendon
Last post by pew2 -29
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 13 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Essendon
Last post by DJC -I know Florent has become a whipping boy for some fans, but he keeps doing the right things at the right moment.
More than once Florent was the one intercepting the CheatsFC attempts to go through the corridor, he left his direct opponent and took the risk for the team and it paid off. Furthermore, in the first half when much of the team appeared to be on holiday he seemed to be making an effort, effective or not, and it kept us in the game.
I can't say the umpiring made much difference either way, but it was contributing the low quality game. Sometimes having all those umpires just seems to make things murkier!
Apart from the dubious centre ball up frees Essendon got, I agree that the poor umpiring didn't really favour either side. I don't really think that the umpires are at fault. It's more about how and what they're asked to adjudicate ... particularly paying frees and 50m penalties for inconsequential actions.
Florent arrived with a spurious claim about turnovers and he does occasionally miss his targets ... but that's true for all players charged with aggressively transitioning from defence. As I mentioned previously, having experienced, reliable defenders like Florent, Haynes and Newey in the back half gives the youngster confidence to take the game on, and that's why Derksen, Dean and Cowan led the team in intercepts.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 13 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Essendon
Last post by LP -Ever since I started watching AFL I thought the game, which at times is a great spectacle, was over umpired. I know that there are long established traditions but I think that a deep review to significantly lessen umpire involvement and intervention could be very beneficial for the game. I’ll probably get crucified now by the traditionalists! 🤪
Sure, I get that one umpire might miss a lot, but I'm not sure that makes things worse.
If the MRP penalties for sneaky crap were heavy enough, the game would self-regulate.
I watch a lot of Ammo and local footy, most games only have 2 umpires, and they move the footy as fast as the AFL. Only two umpires is not a big deal, and in the local footy the umpires are not fit and do not get regular Ad breaks to recover!
Going back to 2 umpires cuts away 50% of the variability, and to me variability is the biggest frustration.
I'm not saying only two umpires per game, but perhaps just two umpires on the ground at any one time would be a big improvement. Why can't umpires interchange the way players interchange?