https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/896420/reserves-practice-match-report-carlton-v-williamstown
At the very bottom of that report is the following. Make of it what you will :
"Caleb Marchbank did not feature in Saturday's VFL practice match. He will look to get through training next week in order to play VFL next weekend."
Williamstowns star recruits this season were Cameron Polson and Harrison Macreadie....which probably tells you how we really went.
We had a team full of AFL listed players with considerable experience and only beat the boys from Willy led by their star recruits and a few other discards and we won by 4 goals.
Sensational performance.....outstanding reserves form...yeah right.
Can only beat who you play against and our non afl players in the vfl are hardly battle hardened warriors.
Any footage other than the highlights?
Crash, RiverRat and those who watch tons of VFL footy can answer this, when was the last time one of out blokes transferred great VFL form into AFL performance?
Liam Jones was definitely one.
Justin Murphy in his first stint at the club. he was dropped from the senior, got about 50 possessions in the 2's and was back the next week to play well. That's the one that sticks in my mind.
A slightly more recent one: Jacob Weitering. He was dropped in 2018 after some ordinary performances where he really lacked confidence. He played in the Northern Blues against Frankston at Frankston. He had 18 marks and close to 30 possessions in defence and returned to the seniors a much better player.
Another one of Note: Liam Jones. He played defence for the first time a couple of years back and was looking impressive in the 2's after failing as a forward. He was then moved into the ruck against Williamstown to play against Nick Meese (?), who had been rucking very well. Jones played a ripper and was promoted the next week. he went into defence and played excellently. he has remained one of our key defenders.
Gibbons, he'd been good in the VFL for half a decade!
CARLTON VFL 2.3 5.6 11.11 15.12 (102)
WILLIAMSTOWN 5.0 7.7 8.10 11.11 (77)
GOALS
Carlton: McGovern 3, Cuningham 2, Honey 2, Owies 2, Stocker 2, Kennedy, McDonald, O’Brien, Wooller
BESTS
Carlton: Williamson, Stocker, Cuningham, Stephens, O'Brien, Ramsay, Kennedy
Very true. Alas, he was not wearing our colours at the time.
Michael Jamison got picked up on good vfl form and that translated into afl form...albeit over a pre-season and a change of clubs
(https://scontent.fmel8-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/166227462_1142341939615179_4261026898982912809_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=825194&_nc_ohc=MMHx1jRUpQQAX8Wa2qR&_nc_ht=scontent.fmel8-1.fna&oh=b4127c99d7eb850cd41c3246219c8719&oe=60901399)
Cottrell then, was probably the last player to bring some good form from VFL to AFL, but it didn't last.
We have a habit of leaving the players to overripen, and by the time they are picked it's too late!
Exactly what I meant, apart from the one Crash and Thry listed, typically ours play well in the 2's and seem lost at sea in the 1s.
Often they play well in the 2s in completely different positions, we don't bring them into AFL in a preferred role.
A lot of the issues being discussed are MC based issues, I think for decades now or MC has been one of the poorest performers in the AFL, and I've no reason to believe that has changed.
If you go and watch Geelong or the Filth in VFL, players play in the VFL in the same role they play in the AFL, and when they come into the AFL they know exactly what they are doing. At Carlton players come into AFL and look lost!
https://www.carltonfc.com.au/video/896615/vfl-practice-match-all-carlton-goals-v-williamstown?videoId=896615&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1617429272001