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92
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 18 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Hawthorn
Last post by Lods -
Comprehensively beaten

Outmuscled-too easily brushed aside.
Outlasted-we looked pretty exhausted at the end.
Ouclassed- They're a level above us. We were missing players, but so were they.

Flynn Riley is only 22. Played his first game and probably got a bit of a lesson from Meek.
But there were signs there that he could be a pretty valuable addition with a couple more preseasons.
He was one of those that looked pretty tired at the end and there were a few occasions when he was late to the contest and sometimes didn't even contest.

But when Pittonet comes back I'd be keeping him in the side...as a second ruck/forward.
Kemp is not the answer.
Put Riley up there. It couldn't be less effective.
Our forward line was completely dysfunctional last night.

Special mention to Frankie Evans though who tried his guts out last night.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 18 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Hawthorn
Last post by tonyo -
Quote from: RiverRat – on
Riley looked okay but it was disappointing that the coach didn't trust him enough to start the final three quarters in the ruck.
I thought that was a big mistake.  It robbed our forward line of any height to at least compete, it meant part-timer Harry was up against a seasoned ruckman, and we were on the back foot in each quarter.

The other thing that was obvious was the difference in skill level.  We went for some ridiculous handpasses and kicks that would even be difficult to execute in the dry, and turnovers killed us.   Hawthorn are the best wet-weather team in the game, and put the ball into dangerous positions when going forward using wet-weather smarts.  It's like our lot have never seen rain before. 

Unfortunately, it seems we are still miles off the pace.  Imagine if Watson, Battle, Weddle had played.

At least now we will find out if Fraser can coach - if he can get them up for next week, 
94
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 19 2026 Pre Game Predictions Carlton vs Collingwood at MCG
Last post by crashlander -
Well, we need to show more than we did this week. Opportunities abound, if anyone wants one badly enough.

Unfortunately, tonight's game also showed our structural issues:
[1] Our ruck division:
We have 4 rucks on our list, but not one that is a matchwinner. As others have pointed out, a great ruck may not win you a premiership, but a ruck division that can't even break even will lose one. We got a lesson today on just how important a ruckman can be.
Pitto is a warrior, but he is probably at his peak now. He averages about 1 mark per game. Had we had him tonight, we probably wouldn't have lost by so much, but that is neither here nor there.
Flynn Riley has a future, but he has his limitations. He is very tall, but not hugely strong. He does have a better jump that the rest of our rucks, but he isn't a premiership ruckman either.
Hudson O'Keefe has gone backwards. I don't expect him to remain unless he can start showing more.
Reidy isn't a bad ruckman, but he isn't the man either. He dominates at VFL level, but does not at AFL level.

[2] Our key position players:
We lost two of our best and didn't replace them. Sometimes it is obvious. It was tonight: we had nobody to change the flow of the game. Brodie Kemp had one of his worst ever games and contributed nothing. Mitch McGovern was strong, but we didn't get the ball near him enough. H had a poor day. There is nobody else.
Our defenders are better, but we have few of these either.

[3] Negative Mids:
We don't have run-with players. We badly need a couple, preferably with the athleticism to deal with the opposition's best mid.

Can we get over this for next Saturday night? I would hope so. I don't think our present game holds up in the wet very well, but I am willing to be convinced otherwise.
95
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 18 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Hawthorn
Last post by crashlander -
We lost the game when Pitto was out: Meek dominated, giving them first use of the ball. Our mids didn't run out of the front once.

The Umpiring: I don't want to go there. There are limits to what was acceptable, and those clowns we had to tonight were far too far past them. Those decisions were unforgivable. And they gifted Hawthorn goals they didn't deserve.

We probably won't complain, but we really should.

Their skills held up under the poor conditions, while ours didn't. After that we lost confidence and they had their tails up.

Our forwards: Mitch McGovern was the only one who can put his hand up. Kemp was dreadful. H didn't do a lot.
One ruck works when it works: it didn't work tonight. Young Flynn Riley showed something, but he needs a lot more muscle to beat guys like Meek.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 18 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Hawthorn
Last post by townsendcalling -
Freo, Hawthorn, Geelong get smashed in recent weeks and 'it's the loss they needed to have'. We get touched up after 7 straight wins and the guy can't coach, the team is crap, no game plan etc, etc!!  Shocking conditions for the first half and we didn't adapt, granted. Tried our guts out in a quarter of slug fest football when anything in the forward 50 was a bonus..... only to have the absolute wind taken out of our sails by the worst 50m penalty of the decade! A day of learning.