There is a game on this Friday night.
For the Peter Mac cup.
I wonder if we'll start favourites again!! Doubt it.
Plenty of articles in today's media about our issues. In a nutshell: defensively ordinary, and dropping the aggot on the heads of H and Charles and expecting them to work miracles... ignoring other leading forwards.
Except when we rise the pressure rating to 200, rather than 150/160, then we have no issue. Then we are good defensively and we kick goals in a hurry. A case of switching on more. After the real bake the players got last week watch how much better we are defensively this week.
Nup, we're favourites. $1.77 to $2.05.
Theyve not been travelling well this season, and despite our defensive woes, we have been scoring heavily, and dominating play but have shot ourselves in the foot a lot. I think we are favourites for good reason, and will start favourites most weeks, unless we start playing like Brisbane where we dont even look like winning.
Geelong never really looked likely to lose on Saturday, but you cant say we were ever out of the game and we lost it more than they won it IMHO.
Im just spewing this one is overlapping Good Friday for the Orthodox Christians. Expect a lower crowd as a consequence (or they can be heathens like me and skip the good friday service).
The season thus far indicates we raise this pressure rating in fits and starts - score heavily, or get scored heavily against, depending on this pressure. Our win/loss quarter ration is about 50/50. Again, inconsistency raises its head.
For those who don't want to listen to BT, Blues Radio is back this Friday.
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2024/04/30/carlton-legends-join-blues-radio-for-blockbuster-collingwood-clash/
Might be getting some good news on the injury front.....
Adam Cerra (hamstring)
- Availability: test
David Cuningham (calf)
- Availability: test
Orazio Fantasia (illness)
- Availability: test
Well at least five AFL listed players will front up in the VFL on Saturday,
Sam Durdin, Binns, Cincotta, the other two will be a toss up between Cunners, Owies, Fantasia and Durdin I personally think it will be Owies and Durdin but will see Thursday selection
Cincotta stiff not to be getting a game with players that are a liability at this stage. Never liked favouritism.
Degoey not likely for the Pies and Mitchell also struggling to get up, if we can get some troops back and they lose a few key ones we should have no excuses and Im confident we can knock the Pies over given their form is only fair this season.
Mitchell has been a liability this season. Losing him would probably help their chances.
I wonder if they’ll bite the bullet and drop Sidebottom 🤔 We’ll probably play him back into form.
Vossy’s response to our profligate play on Saturday suggests that our players will have a hard week. It won’t be “bring your mouthguards” but there will be some honest feedback and clarification of roles and expectations.
Most media commentators seemed to think that Vossy's response to last week's loss will be the making of this team.
The line in the sand has well and truly been set - Friday night is a great chance to show how far this team has come.
I was expecting us to come over the top of the Cats until we got to the last couple of minutes. I suspect that some of our players felt the same way and thought that their teammates would get the job done. I think we'll see a greater effort across the whole team this Friday.
And that's been the story of the season so far......patchy. Picking up the rating when we have needed to have won us games but caused us to piss two games down the drain too where we lost it more than the other side has win it.
Its good we are not flag favourites but one of the favourites. But this squad needs to start cracking.
De Goey and Mitchell both ruled out by McRae.
Gives us a bit of an edge in the midfield for sure. Great if we get Cerra back but I'd like to have McGovern down back this week too just to settle things down a bit.
If Cerra comes in, probably won't be too many other changes.
Jack Silvagni gives an interesting insight into the build up to the game and the importance of the Peter Mac cause.
https://www.carltonfc.com.au/
And Weiters and Doc have their say too.
All very well-spoken and thoughtful young men!
Very emotional watching that, especially Doc.
They will miss Mitchell, being doing the grunt work alone with Adams gone and he compliments their other mids imho.
If Sidebottom gets to run around on his own like he usually does when we play him he will get back into form...
Lachie OSullivan from Werribee will replace Mitchell, tough honest old fashioned VFA/VFL footballer but wont know what hit him with Cripps, Walsh and crew waiting for him....
Blues by plenty providing we man up correctly and dont try silly matchups like Cowan on Hill or Elliott or Similar...
Given they're not overly tall up forward, Cincotta might come in this week?
Watch their first gamer tear us a new one.
I'm expecting a win. 😎
Concerned we have been found out with good ball movement and our lack of run - will be interesting to watch this game unfold.
Not an easy game or a lock by any means. Pies are well on the way to regaining their 2023 form after a slow start. Very much a 50/50 game for mine.
Not if the way they played on ANZAC Day is any guide ...
Adam Cerra is back. That should give our midfield even more bite :)
Voss confirmed Cerra is playing.
McGovern another week.
Who goes out, place your bets?
Binns and Williams. Cerra and the Cinch.
Prof, Id be happy with those changes but I think Williams will be persevered with, hoping the bad press this past week might inspire a better game from him. The out of form and equally under pressure Lachie Schultz might be a good opponent for him...
Cerra and possibly Cunningham.....in for Carroll and Binns....with Cunningham as the sub.
Kemp and O Hollands out....
This is a big game for Carlton. This game will determine whether we are contenders or pretenders.
Cincotta, Cuningham, Fantasia and Cerra. Good ins. A stronger team than last week IMO.
Kemp stiff but obviously Young is a better match up for Cox.
I think so too.
I'm a bit surprised to see Kemp go out but Cincotta is an adequate replacement and probably provides a better match up.
I'm also a little surprised that Cuners is straight back in. He must have shone at training. Let's he can bring his best game on Friday night.
Kemp would have been a good match up for Mihocek.
Young on Cox and Weits on Mihocek as they don't usually play a third tall.
Feel the same way about Cunners. I never expect too much from him tbh. Hopefully he will give us a pleasant surprise.
Ollie a bit stiff IMO.
Still puts in every week even if the results are not as good as they could be......which is more than what some others do.....inluding one of the ins at least.
Pleasantly surprised. Excellent changes. Not our usual conservative approach. We want our players to be bold, good to see MC doing likewise... a good message to some that you have to earn games with consistent form.
Ollie needed to return to the Magoos and regain touch... perhaps, also, try him in different roles.
Young is fortunate Rottingwood has Cox.
Carroll and Binns need Magoo time. Cerra and Cunners, good upgrades. Bring your defensive effort, Cunners... not a cameo.
Kemp is a little unfortunate but, if we're honest, his form has been patchy. Ticker? Great, but needs to work on consistency and decision making. Cincotta excellent replacement.
Fantasia or Durdin to be the sub, I would guess.
Upside for us with those dropped - a better looking Magoos!
Dropping Kemp makes no sense....Don't mind Cunningham especially if he plays forward given our small forwards have been a non event and need to provide more support to our big key forwards.
I would have liked Kemp in as an option for Mihocek who is a different FF to most and requires a mobile defender.
Ollie has not been playing well and probably needs a refresh so OK with that one.
Carroll pretty much the same and Binns was always going to be the first to make way. The new Paddy Dow?
Kemp I thought would still be there purely because he can play on a tall, but he has been stuffing up all year so maybe it's a wake-up call.
Can't work out how Cunners goes straight in. Was not setting the world on fire and pretty sure he got dropped before getting injured?
Cerra back is one. We just need about 3 more.
Feels like another late change week?
Possibly...hope Cerra is right to play...
I don’t think you can fault Ollie’s effort but I suspect that he might benefit from freshening up in the Magoos. Same with Kemp and Carroll; the three of them should light it up against Werribee.
Our line-up:
B: [6] Zac Williams, [33] Lewis Young, [2] Lachlan Cowan
HB: [39] Alex Cincotta, [23] Jacob Weitering, [24] Nic Newman
C: [28] David Cuningham, [9] Patrick Cripps, [13] Blake Acres
HF: [46] Matthew Cottrell, [10] Harry McKay, [20] Elijah Hollands
F: [44] Matthew Owies, [30] Charlie Curnow, [12] Tom De Koning
R: [27] Marc Pittonet, [18] Sam Walsh, [29] George Hewett
Int: [37] Jordan Boyd, [7] Matthew Kennedy, [14] Orazio Fantasia, [19] Corey Durdin, [5] Adam Cerra
Em: [17] Brodie Kemp, [4] Oliver Hollands, [16] Jack Carroll
Considering our injury problems, this isn't bad line-up. It is a pity that a number of our players are not in great touch.
[1] I was a bit surprised by Kemp's demotion, but he didn't have a good one last week. He has been very up and down this year.
[2] Orazio is very lucky. I hope he can produce this week, as he's only kicked 1 goal for us as yet.
[3] I can understand why Ollie Hollands and Jack Carroll come out. Cerra is a better option. Ollie's form hasn't been great for all the work he has been doing. With a little luck, he might pick up some form. Jack Carroll I'm yet to be convinced about. But a good 20 - 30 possessions game in the 2's will help him no end.
[4] Mattie Owies is a little lucky to remain. He has made some terrible errors in the last few weeks. Corey Durdin is probably ever luckier. I was surprised to see us give him an extra 2 years. Both guys need to produce this week.
[5] Young :-\ I hope he can have a good one. Cox isn't the best forward if you body him. Give him the run at the ball, and he can be a real pain in the posterior.
Overall happy with the changes except Fantasia. Doesn't deserve a recall, however I suspect the discussion with him is let's find out what he can bring to the table in the first half of the season. If he doesn't lift in the next few weeks, I don't think you'll see him for the rest of the year unless there is a major injury crisis.
There is not one emergency I would replace Fantasia with tbh.
I thought that Fantasia could be handy injury cover when we signed him. The injuries to Martin and Motlop created an opportunity for him and he’s made the most of it.
Fantasia is a smart footballer who provides leadership, forward pressure and demands a decent opposition defender. He has missed one game through illness so the MC must be happy with what he’s delivering. I can’t see that changing at least until Motlop and Martin are back.
Media are making this one sound like we will win comfortably. Degoey is a big loss no doubt but we still have troops out in the back half and need to pay very careful
attention to Elliott Hill and co. They still have majority of their flag team in and imo this is a 50/50 game and Voss talking tough in the presser and at selection wont count for anything once the ball is bounced.
Reckon they will be loving the underdog tag in this.
Has all the hall marks of a upset and we cannot afford a slow start against this mob.
They have some firepower up forward with small/medium forwards when they move the ball quickly.....Hill, Schultz, Elliot, McCreary and Hoskin-Elliot etc. We should win it in the middle but need to rely more than just bombing it into Harry and Charlie and hoping they can mark it.
I agree Shawny. No doubt we’ve come a long way since the bad old days, but I hope the players and coaches don’t drink the Kool-Aid.
I don't get the favorites tag as we have SOOOO many injuries, they get a couple and it's panic stations.
We are still a work in progress, being the reigning Premiers with a couple of injuries should still make them the favorites.
Hopeful for a win but more to the point NO MORE injuries!
Yes agree BluePhantom. We need a few of our good players back and playing most of the season if we are to string together enough wins for a top 4/8 finish.
Schulz in particular reserves his best for us. 3 goals a game I reckon he would regularly score when he was at Freo.
The footy media is suffering from a bout of puppy love after hearing Vossy's post game response to our Geelong loss. However, Vossy has since made it clear that he changed his assessment of the Geelong game within 48 hours.
We're playing some brilliant footy but only in bursts - perhaps it's not possible to maintain that intensity for a whole game. We could blow Collingwood away with a quarter of our best footy, or we could let them back into the game with some mediocre footy. They're not travelling well and De Goey out is a big loss for them. However, anything less than a four quarter effort from us will simply play them back into form.
According to Matty Kennedy, our players are hurting after the Geelong loss and know what's required to beat Collingwood. Let's hope they are switched on and get the job done.
Elliott and Mihocek normally dine out us and Sidebottom runs around by himself racking it up. If I see that Ill spew up.
Our blokes ate pressure for breakfast last year (second half), we are struggling to cope this year.
Had some poor matchups on these players and non existant opponents on Sidebottom and Josh Daicos who just get on their own continually. I reckon we would have learned a lot from previous games and have better plans to curtail their more dangerous players and I think DeGoey is a major out for them that they cant replace in the middle.
Being more efficient ourselves is one of our major issues and being able to convert our chances are keys to beating Collingwood as much as worrying about their players imho.
Nailed it EB.
If we can make the most of our midfield dominance and forward 50 entries, we should come away with a good win. Failure to capitalise on our strengths opens the door for Rottingwood.
Wonder if it'll be Cottrell that goes to Daicos? Sidebottom has been terribly outta form this year so hopefully this isn't the week he discovers it again.
On paper we look to have the edge even without Saad, McGovern, Martin, Motlop.....but history shows ladder positions don't usually mean much. If we can bring the pressure that we showed for the majority of that GWS game (apart from 20 minutes of the second quarter), we can win.
Big question for me is will Nick Daicos start in the middle as an attacking option or will McRae look to run a negative group to restrict and stifle our midfield and then look to counter attack from half back where they have picked a few options.
I think he might play Pendlebury on Cripps and use Crisp to tag Walsh, I even think Maynard might get a run in the middle to shake things up and try and counter our bigger mids. Id expect Sidebottom to line up on the wing as per usual when he plays us.
Kennedy Sub. Strange choice.
Mm... yep, strange choice. Well, I guess (hope) they know what they're doing...
Maybe a question of speed, or lack of. Pies are quick.
Not gonna help if he does come on.