Carlton Supporters Club

Plenty of highlight moments.

Lets get things started shall we.
A few questions to ask:
1.. Will Walshy get up?
Possibly.  I believe that his back injury will be ever present and has to be managed by lighter training loads than normal.  It could be a line ball but I suspect we'll be conservative.

2. Will Motlop miss?
It was reported at the time that he was taken out of the game as a precaution.  As Vossy often says, it will depend on the results of the scans.  I'm tipping that he'll play.

3. Do Williams and Kennedy come in?
Probably not on the back of limited pre-season minutes.  Kennedy looked good though.

4. Do we play TDK and Pitto or TDK and H?
I can't see how we could play Pitto on Wednesday's form.  Short of a gallop and didn't really get near it.  The King and Harry for me.

5. Does/Can Marchy come in or is he hurt also?
Marchy is recovering from a virus (long COVID?) and is a couple of weeks away.

A lacklustre performance tonight to say the least, but I'm reliably told its a praccy match and so just ignore it.

From what I saw of Young tonight, Durdin plays if he is fit.
Tall Durds has played in one VFL practice match and I don't think they'll take a chance with him.  I thought Young and Kemp did OK.

Despite H hurting my eyes in the ruck, Pitto made him look like Big Nic.
Harry must have spent a lot of the summer working with Matty K and he provides so much more around the ground than Pitto.

I think Williams and Kennedy need to come in for sure.
Kennedy possibly but I doubt whether Zac is ready.

Cant see us beating the Lions up there, but Ill wipe tonight from my memory and say you never know.

Lij Hollands is an out and Kennedy is a possible replacement, depending on his match fitness.  I'd prefer to see Binns get a run.  He was lively when he came on.  I would be tempted to play Moir in the Jack Martin role.

It's going to be a tough ask without Weiters, Walsh and Martin and with Brisbane close to full strength.  The temperature and humidity won't help either but we've had similar conditions for training and our practice matches.

Midfield need to get it together - they are doing okay just not connecting with backline.
Need a general in the backline to orchestrate things - maybe Doc needs to fill a leadership hole there until Weits returns

Docherty hasn't played as a defender since midway through the 2022 season.  When we were short of medium defenders last season, Cerra and Hewett were preferred over Docherty ... or he was preferred as a midfielder ahead of them. 

If Docherty was to be played in defence, which defender would he replace and who would take his spot in the midfield?

Newman and Marchbank are Weitering's "deputies" so we need McGovern and Saad, as our other senior defenders, to step up and support Newy.  More importantly, we need all players to switch on defensively, trap the ball in our forward line, slow Brisbane's ball movement and force them to go down the line.

With his injuries and cancer he had to reinvent himself as he couldn't defend like he used to. The backline has been better since he moved out of it and he has been better since he has established himself as a legit midfielder.

Haven't beaten Brisbane for an awful long time.  I think the last time we won was Teague's first game as coach. Our midfield needs to fire and if you shut down Neale they tend to struggle. Their forwards are dangerous and we are missing our best defender and defensive leader. I believe their defence is good except when it isn't. When things go wrong they can be scored against both heavily and quickly. It will be interesting what our side looks like considering the injuries we have to key personnel but I think it will be our attitude which determines how we go.
The question we must answer is are we satisfied with last season or do we want to go all the way?

R12 2019, Teague's first game as coach.

Minimum six starting 25 players will be missing
Zac Williams
Jack Silvagni
Jacob Weitering
Sam Walsh
Jack Martin
Caleb Marchbank

Good test to see how deep this list bats against one of the best sides on their home turf.

Only Weitering and Walsh were in everyone on this forum's best side, Martin was in most.

What virus does Marchbank have?

Williams will play if he gets through training

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=806263548202241&set=a.633214885507109

Need to give a youngster a debut imo - maybe Moir in a Jack Martin role and see how he goes

Williams will play if he gets through training

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=806263548202241&set=a.633214885507109

Moir has impressed me but has he done enough to earn a game?

I think Binns is well ahead of Moir in the debut ranks.

Apparently Voss has confirmed Williams, you may recall what I said from pre-season observations, so I am not surprised.

Pre-season form is rubber, but fitness and frame size can't be faked, you have to do the work to get the look. Williams looks like he is cut from granite at the moment, let's hope good form follows.

There is no substitute for match fitness though.

Remember when Cousins made his miraculous return with the tigers. Could've won some Mr Universe events with his physique. A friend of mine commented that he looked 'too big and too good' and that he will get injured.
He last 3 quarters of the opening game before *PING* went the hammy.

Don't be fooled by beach muscles.

Don't be fooled by beach muscles.

Zac Williams is a definite starter if he gets through training. Good to see him back.

B: Kemp    Young   Newman
HB: Williams   Gov   Saad
W: Acres     Cerra    Docherty
HF : Cunners  McKay  Fogarty
F: Owies    Charlie    Fantasia
R: TDK    Cripps   Hewett
IC: Kennedy Ollie Boyd  Cottrell (Binns sub) 

TDK and H as the rucks you reckon.

Yeah I think so. If we are going to beat them then we need a team that can run and win their own footy and more rotations the better.

I cant help but think we need Pitto AND TDK to really work OMac over. It worked well in the PF for a large part of the game.
Im sure one day TDK will be the solo big dog in the Ruck for us like OMac and Gawn. From what I have seen of Tom to date, he isn't there yet and the 1-2 combo of him and Pitto is what works best for us right now. We'll know by roughly this time in 3 nights.

I cant help but think we need Pitto AND TDK to really work OMac over. It worked well in the PF for a large part of the game.
Im sure one day TDK will be the solo big dog in the Ruck for us like OMac and Gawn. From what I have seen of Tom to date, he isn't there yet and the 1-2 combo of him and Pitto is what works best for us right now. We'll know by roughly this time in 3 nights.

I reckon you are right GTC but the success of Joe Daniher, Mason Cox etc as key forwards who can ruck means other clubs have to try and emulate what is on trend so we have to try it too with Harry and given he has played the role in the practice games Id expect us to go in with only TDK as a bonafide ruckman. When Nankervis or the like knee Harry in the guts/nuts or he does a knee they will probably figure out its not going to work so well for us and Pittonet will return. I thought the idea of Pittonet doing the heavy lifting and softening up the opposing No1 ruck early so TDK could come in later and use his athletic prowess to take over games was working fine..

EB I had a think about potential key match ups (assuming theirs is a similar side to the PF) and given we are short on personnel I came up with this:
Im sending Pitto to OMac to start formalities in the centre
Im sending TDK to the fwd line to challenge (maybe even stretch) the tallish defenders (probably Gardiner as Andrews will get H)
Curnow will get Lester and Im sending Cottrell to be the defensive fwd on Coleman and just run with him (hopefully into the ground with his running power).
Cripps will Dunkley for company, Cerra to Neale and Doc to Berry
Acres and McLuggage will resume pleasantries on the wing.
Gov whilst undersized will have to have first crack at Hipwood. Young will have Daniher who if he gets supply and kicks straight will tear him a new one (but he's all we have right now).
Saad to Rayner, Newman to Bailey (or swap that one around).
They are the main ones, Im sure there will be other we need to mind.
It'll be a challenge no doubt and we will need some luck on our side.

7 changes from the Preliminary Final.

Kennedy is lucky, his lack of pace hurt us in the prelim. I'd prefer him playing as a 3rd forward rather than wing, but we'll see.

Jack Carroll named - good to see.

I suspect that squad tells us we've a few more injuries around the club than we are letting on.

Like who?

Cripps was shifting down last time, Kennedy gives him a chop out.

Like who?

I think you'll find Kennedy will be the 3rd tall target, tagging at time with Cripps.

That was me who made that suggestion, but i don't expect the MC to follow through on it.

I've got plenty of good ideas they ignore. ;)

My thoughts:
B: B.Kemp 17 L.Young 33 A.Saad 42
HB: Z.Williams 6 M.McGovern 11 N.Newman 24
C: B.Acres 13 P.Cripps 9 M.Kennedy 7
HF: G.Hewett 29 C.Curnow 30 M.Owies 44
F: O.Fantasia 14 H.McKay 10 D.Cuningham 28
Foll: T.De Koning 12 A.Cerra 5 S.Docherty 15
I/C: J.Boyd 37 O.Hollands 4 M.Cottrell 46 J.Carroll 16 L.Fogarty 8

Emerg: J.Binns 25 A.Cincotta 39 M.Pittonet 27

[1] I'm worried about the ruck, but Pitto needs more game time before he is ready. McInerney is the one I worry about.
[2] Owies and Fantasia are probably lucky, but with the injuries we've had, we had to take a punt on at least one of them.
[3] 2nd ruck is an issue. Yes, H has been doing more work there, but I'm yet to be convinced.
[4] Cincotta is a little stiff, but he needs a matchup. With Williams in, that became more problematical.
[5] Jack Carroll: I'm hoping he steps up. I've been disappointed so far, especially with his kicking under pressure. He drops the ball very high.
[6] Tall defenders: I hope Young can step up. McGovern and Kemp can do jobs, but if Young fails, we're in trouble.

B: B.Starcevich 37 J.Payne 40 R.Lester 35
HB: K.Coleman 18 H.Andrews 31 D.Gardiner 27
C: J.Fletcher 28 Z.Bailey 33 J.Berry 7
HF: C.Cameron 23 E.Hipwood 30 H.McCluggage 6
F: C.Rayner 16 J.Daniher 3 D.Zorko 15
Foll: O.McInerney 46 J.Dunkley 5 L.Neale 9
I/C: K.Lohmann 1 C.Ah Chee 4 L.McCarthy 11 J.Lyons 17 D.Wilmot 44

Emerg: J.Tunstill 29 D.Fort 32 N.Answerth 43

[1] McInerney is the one I fear. If we can control him, then we're going in the right direction. If McInerney gets injured, they're in deep trouble with only Daniher as a backup.

To me Its about damage minimisation for the first round or two.

Jack Carroll wasn't on my Bingo Card.

Clearly our conditioning isnt where we want it to be.

I don't believe clubs do this anymore BUT Binns has been named as an emergency and could come in for Owies ???? I dont think Owies is right. Would allows us to play Kenndy forward and Binns on a wing??

So why is Owies picked? He has been barely able to muster up a gallop in the training vids that I have seen.

Have we conceded this game?
There are 4 points up for grabs.
They could be very important at the and of the year...and anything less than a full effort isn't acceptable

Have we conceded this game?
There are 4 points up for grabs.
They could be very important at the and of the year...and anything less than a full effort isn't acceptable

Lions could go in extra cocky and have been drinking their own bathwater with all the press picking them to be premiers in 2024.
Shame we didnt have all of our key pieces out there but good teams find a way to be competitive and I expect a contest from a Voss coached team and not a capitulation with injuries as excuses..