CARLTON
B: A.Saad 42 J.Weitering 23 L.Cowan 2
HB: N.Haynes 26 M.McGovern 11 O.Hollands 4
C: B.Acres 13 P.Cripps - C 9 L.Camporeale 21
HF: L.Fogarty 8 B.Kemp 17 Z.Williams 6
F: F.Evans 44 H.McKay 10 J.Motlop 3
R: T.De Koning 12 A.Cerra 5 G.Hewett 29
Int: O.Fantasia 14 M.Cottrell 46 J.Silvagni 1 C.Lord 36 L.Young 33 M.Carroll 32 S.Docherty 15 E.Hollands 20
Emerg: J.Binns 25 B.Wilson 35 A.Moir 43 H.Lemmey 31
Notable absentees: Sam Walsh, Charlie Curnow, Marc Pittonet, Corey Durdin, Jagga Smith, Alex Cincotta, Nic Newman
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
B: H.Himmelberg 27 S.Taylor 15 C.Idun 39
HB: L.Whitfield 6 J.Buckley 44 L.Ash 7
C: J.Kelly 22 F.Callaghan 17 C.Ward 8
HF: X.O'Halloran 33 A.Cadman 5 D.Jones 2
F: B.Daniels 16 J.Hogan 23 T.Greene - C 4
Foll: K.Briggs 32 S.Coniglio 3 T.Bedford 14
I/C: M.Gruzewski 35 O.Hannaford 13 H.Rowston 24 L.Keeffe 25 C.Stone 18 C.Angove 29 J.Wehr 10 J.Leake 30
Emerg: L.Aleer 21 N.Madden 41 H.Oliver 19 N.Wardius 42
Notable absentees: Jake Stringer, Callum Brown, Tom Green, Ryan Angwin
Shouldn't we be exposing Lemmey to AFL standard opposition more?
The only way he is going to be able to step up.
PS Hope JSOS's return is smooth and enjoyable for him
Get it done
No more injuries.
Yes totally agree on Harry l, he needs game time against AFL bodies, big time!! Also, the way our rucks are going injury wise. he could be needed for a game or so in that role.
Ab
Good to see Lucas get his chance we havent had a left footed winger - like ever. He won't disappoint.
Indeed. Still, it will be nice to see Lucas running around on the wing. We haven't had a Campo on the wing for quite a while. :) :)
Can't wait for the Injury Report :)) :))
Yes, I think it's important to pit Lemmey against AFL defenders and rucks. However, it's also important to give McKay and Kemp game time together. I would have gone with Lemmey on the bench and rotated all three as the KPFs.
Agree....like to play him down forward vs Taylor and Buckley who are the best KP defensive duo in the comp and see how he goes.
Jake Riccardi would be another notable absentee for GWS, wonder who will play on Toby Greene with Newman absent? Im thinking Cowan might get the job...
Considering he is supposed to be 'the great white hope' i wouldn't care if we played him forward or back or backup ruck. Just play him!
People try to justify our KPP stocks are OK because of blokes like Lemmey. But he can't crack a gig for a nothing game like this. Instead we play Kemp, Sos and Young and cross our fingers they can perform a miracle.
Its a big concern.
Just be competitive and get through the game without injuries. Is that too much to ask?
Lemmey is a fair way off imo but the way to improve that situation is to play him and be patient but thats more for a club in the rebuild phase not the premiership window phase like we are.
Not sure the club will want to over experiment when the real stuff starts and he may not get many opportunities unless we get injuries on mass, remembering he couldnt get a game last season when we were struggling to field a team.
Exactly why now is the perfect time to play him. Get him experience without hurthing our premiership window chances.
But no.
Destined to be one of the bottom 10 players on our list, closer to being delisted than being a player.
Wow we look like a footy team playing with cohesion.
Now lets see this mob fall apart
As opposed to last week, organised and composed is the best way to describe our opening qtr. Lucas Campo leading possession winner with 9. No injuries thus far.
I'm not really in the camp of 'it's only a preseason game' when it's the last hit-out before the season proper.
Just the 1st qtr, and the Midgets don't look much chop at present, but liked the signs thus far. Again, only one qtr of footy but sheesh, Lucas Camporeale already seems an upgrade on Binns.
Just his first game, but Evans looked off the pace and lost his feet too easily.
Williams and Mots the best of the small forwards thus far.
Let's see, most importantly, how we respond when (if?) the Midgets start applying intensity and pressure. That's what I'll be looking for.
Watch the foot go off the gas now.
Great mark by Fantasia.
Hewett and Cripps going at about 70% rat power at the moment.
Motlop's footy IQ is atrocious.
Lucas doesn't think this is a nothing match. Doing plenty.
He got a foot to it and was slung so his head hit the ground.
Not sure about his footy IQ, but the umps is non-existent.
Liking Campo of the Lucas variety.
Gov has done a hammy, usual suspects again.
Uh oh.
McG hammy?
Stick a fork in Gov, he is done
Gov down - bound to happen.
Next?
Its just the same blokes over and over again.
Anyone got Lucas Camporeale leading possession getter at half time on their bingo card?
What about 1 back TDK with 12?
Hopefully both can keep going for a full match. I suspect both will likely blow up by the end.
Pleasing to see that the Midgets brought some heat in the 2nd qtr to see how we respond. Gave up two early, then steadied.
They are saying Gov has done an ankle.
Looked more like a hammy to me.
Ankle is likely better than hammy.
On the replay again, he hobbled and hopped around like a hammy and grabbed at it twice.
He didn't look like he landed awkwardly on his ankle at all.
Might be a bit of misdirection from the club.
It’s a high hammy. He’s cooked.
Career over. Bring in SDK
TDK down....holding his gut/ribs
They've set the mark with the "not 15" interpretation.
But some of the calls are ridiculous.
It's a bit of a lottery at the moment.
Looks like Joel Wilson is umpiringf...lol!
Kemp nearly with the clever Harmes-like tap.
Cerra is fit and firing.
......... and Ben Campo is supposed to be the 'good' one!!!
Positives thus far....
Kemp
Williams
Cerra
Lucas Camporeale
All playing well despite question marks over them in one way or another.
Fantasia could almost be put in that category, but probably not quite up to the same standard as the other.....but still doing well.
Red hot on the 'Not 15' which is great.
One thing about the slight time lag on Kayo, I see if they kick the goal they kick the goal...haha.
Good final tune up have to be happy with that.
Hewitt on the left from the boundary.
I've only seen the stats, but they seem to have more of the ball than us: the top 4 possession winners on the ground are wearing orange. However, a 45 point lead late in the last isn't a bad thing. Cerra, Saad, Camporeale and Haynes with 20+ possessions!
Kemp with 3 probably books himself a spot for next week: he didn't play that badly last week, but he couldn't kick for nuts. Must be doing better today.
Who is rucking? Tom has been on the bench for the whole quarter.
Anything wrong with H? He's made no contribution and has been on the bench for 3 quarters.
"Bernie" gets his first in Carlton colors.
Possessions are actually equal.
We took an extra few players into the game, so our possessions are spread across more players and its been a more even spread .
Pressure has been a bit down on what you'd expect from an AFL game, but we are applying more.
I think anyone who's there at the time. Cripps has rucked quite a bit. One way to break a tag.
Young has quite a bit
Young and Cripps are rucking.
Young just threw his opponent away from a ruck contest inside F50. Grabbed it out of the ruck ready to snap a shot, but fumbled it.
Best thing he's done in the ruck....and still stuffed it.
Harry is just rested. Nothing wrong.
As mentioned, we carried extra players, so we are trying to rest a few more.
Lots of goals in the last couple of minutes. Is there any pressure?
The last quarter went for almost 40m minutes!
Liked our team defence, even more strength in close and in tackles, always someone at the drop up forward.
Cottrell would have been really good if he kicked straight.
Was 6 goals to 3, so nothing unusual. Pressure dropped when the game was near done late but must've been a few stoppages if it went near 40m
He's normally a pretty good kick. Must be rusty.
Apart from Gov, good hit out. Much more organised and cohesive. Everyone knew their roles and some really promising signs from SOS in defence, Campo with the tempo of AFL (didn't look out of place), TDK in the ruck.
The other negative was Motlop, a headless chook is the best way to describe him for mine.
Nearly got away with injury free, hopefully Gov was just on the slight side but knowing our luck, it will be season ending.
Free kicks were a little more even than the Saints game; 23 to 14 their way 🙄
For a bloke who gets his share of umpires’ votes, Crippa gets the rough end of the pineapple unless it’s the most blatant free.
Might want to check your stats.
It was our way
Nice final tune up.
Much better effort than last week
Saw a little bit from most players.
Whether that tansfers to the more intense level of AFL football will be a 'wait and see'.
It does augur well for the VFL side.
I wouldn't play him for a while but if Lucas Camporeale is the 'second best' of the duo we're going to be very pleased with that outcome.
He was only on for a short time but Matt Carroll also had a bit of a presence about him
Our pressure was better than theirs but still well below what we'd see in a real game.
GWS have Collingwood in a weeks time so might have had one eye on that... we have a couple of extra days before we play.
Clean out your locker MacGovern
Hamill just said Gov will be fine??? Just a precaution! Same words uttered prior to the news on jagga
Give it a rest. Are you talking about the St Kilda game? If we had more free kicks in that game I'll go he.
Those that havent watched the game
-Moo, was tough and reliable.
- Silvagni , very reliable - guts and determination in everything he does.
- Ollie - good game
- Lucas - he was collecting 25-30 possessions u18 seems to think he is playing against u 18 players again... his direct opponent Ohallarahan just didnt have the class to keep up with him imo
- Hewett - solid
- Haynes - extremely reliable
- Cerra - simply excellent and probably our best player before sitting out rest of match
- Lord - very good
- TDK - very good
- Kemp - very good... very quick and very good when ball hits the ground - give him a contract extention now.. took Taylor and Buckley to the cleaners
- Zac - never seen him move like he is right now - very good
- Cottrell - severely missed him last year when he was injured - so underrated and so important
-Fantasia - like Zac never seen him move like he is right now - very good
-
It's alright we have lots of depth.
You might want to check your stats; GWS got 23 frees to our 14 🙄
It looks like AFL.com stuffed up the stats.
On the Team stats page it shows Carlton hasd the frees in their advantage 23-14
On the player stats the frees for GWS add up to 23 for Carlton 14.
I thought the free kick discrepancy in GWS’s favour stood out like dog’s bollocks. My AFL app showed 23-14 GWS’s way and I tallied up the individual frees for and against just to be sure.
I don’t think there’s much difference in the way each team plays and tackles were even. We just got shafted … again!
Jesus.
He was flawless until he went off. Important player.
I've looked at the 'Match stats' on AFL.com this morning and it's still showing the blue line with a 23 along side it and the opposition with 14
It's clearly a mistake when compared to the individual player stats which would be the correct ones.
It's understandable why folks who just checked the match stats would believe that we won the free kicks.
Yep, that's what I checked.
Must have the work.experience kid in charge of uploading the data this week as it does indeed show differing figures depending on where you look.
For the record, I didn't think umpiring was terrible, about on a par with relative player skill level. Only questionable decision that jumped out at me was motlops free against.
EDIT: Still showing backwards here....
https://www.afl.com.au/afl/matches/7178#team-stats
With the staggered season opening now it's a case of two teams in very different stages of prep. Great for the young blokes though.
Totally agree, Fine Wine. Nice summary.
Not wanting to be negative, but... Mots' defensive game is good but seemed to offer little else, he's got to learn some evasive skills. Eddie B, get down to PP and teach the kid some 'moves.'
Binnsy is going to have a hard time displacing L Campo. One of the things I really like about Lucas is that he hurts the opposition with his disposal by foot.
And as you pointed out, Fine Wine... Sausage Roll looks at home in defence and Ollie will be a pest for opposing forward lines.
We cut Frankie E some slack being his first hit out. His defensive pressure seemed a focus - good building block.
Bambi time: Doc's disposal is fine if he has time, but under pressure is a real concern.
If we are struggling for form and fitness we'll get a chance to see how the coach is setting us up more than anything else.
Gotta look for the positive in the negative.
One of the key takeaways from this game: Efficiency.
Apparently the 2's beat North Melbourne last evening by 7 points. White kicked 2, including the sealer, but that is all I've managed to glean. Hopefully, we'll hear some more soon.
Yes, that not very skillful Cripps got one free for and four against; Haynes had two against, none for; and only four of our players got more frees for than against; Lord 3-0, Williams 2-0; and Weitering and Silvagni 1-0. The only player whose questionable ruck skill level played a part was Young with 1-4.
OK, so I have watched the game in it's entirety and marked down the free kicks for both clubs (that's what you can do when you're retired and alone). I can also confirm that the free kick count was in GWS's favour. It was around the 22-24 to 12-14 mark. Looks like out on the full free kicks aren't counted. Apologies to Krudd. I thought you were talking about the St Kilda game.
Anyway , my thoughts on the game.
Acres - Sloppy (he looks like he's got the OOF kicks working for him again) but still works very hard.
Camporeale - Gee couldn't have hoped for a better start. Could be a starter for round 1
Carroll - Only got a run in the last but he's making the most of his opportunity
Cerra - BOG (IMO) Fingers crossed for an injury free run. Very, very important player.
Cottrell - Much better than last week but his kicking at goal was terrible.
Cowan - Really good. Tough and hard. Must start round 1
Cripps - Just like an exercise session for him. No injuries. No worries
De Koning - Excellent. They chose not to play their no 1 ruck and he took advantage. Very good
Docherty - Also came on late and I'm not sure he's in our best 22 at the moment. Certainly can't be played on-ball at the moment.
Evans - Like a more unfit Owies. VFL
Fantasia - Best game for him for a while. Based on last years MC selections will be a certain starter round 1.
Fogarty - My 1st choice small forward but started terribly. Worked his way into form as the game went on so hoping he'll be picked round 1
Haynes - Do not rate this bloke at all after his 2 showings. It's NO from me.
Hewett - a bit quiet but like Cripps No injuries. No worries
E Hollands - Another one late on and made the most of his time
O Hollands - better last week but OK I thought
Kemp - Will start up forward and gives us a bit of X factor. Maybe if his kicking improves could be very dangerous
Lord - I like the look of this guy. 2 solid showings. Maybe a starter round 1
McGovern - Good until he injured himself, again. I really hope the club is being honest with this "ankle tweak injury, he'll be fine dialogue"
McKay - Played one quarter and kicked our first two goals. Deja vu.
Motlop - Lazy, dumb, selfish. not a fan at the moment
Saad - Looks like he's got a spring back in his step. Hope it lasts
Silvagni - Saw enough to suggest he is a WAY better option than Young. Solid as a rock.
Weitering - Like a lot of blokes way better than last week.
Williams - Pretty happy with his game. Very dangerous around goal and rotated through the middle where he was very effective. Good
Young - Not horrible but purely a backup. Silvagni has him covered.
Overall, it amazes me how bad we were last week and how much more improved we were yesterday. Every aspect of our game was 100% better. Contest at the ball, kicking efficiency, morale. Play like that against Richmond and we'll win by 100+
Exactly!
It's funny how many supporters jumped to the conclusion that he'd done a hammy. Nathan Buckley called "ankle" as it happened and the way McGovern limped off suggested a rolled ankle at best, a sprain at worst. But of course the club was telling prokies when they confirmed it was an ankle ::)
Interestingly, during the game Buckley said, "Mitch McGovern’s been used as a small back who drops off. I actually like the idea of McGovern playing on bigger players and using his aerial strength more frequently, but (Jack) Silvagni and (Jacob) Weitering are the key backs at the moment." However, before the game Buckley said, "I have got massive doubts about if McGovern should be that second key back because he gets exposed on small players and on any fast movement ..." Make up your mind Bucks!
I think that his in game comment was correct: McGovern's ability to fly for marks and spoils complements our other defenders and makes their task a little easier. However, our team defence has to be functioning well to cover McGovern's direct opponent when he backs himself to impact a contest.
Good if you spelt his name right.
Sure, he does that well but how many games is he going to miss this year, when you need him? Tease, tease, tease
I liked the clean marks and the swarming goals.
Dan gorringe reckons hamstring on instagram.
Not sure about what he did, but the club would never tell us lies...
Can't wait to see Jagga round 1 next year unlike what they told us two weeks ago.
I'm happier for them to be coy. Tactically it works for us but lets call it for what it is.
It was only a practice match and GWS was missing Green, Briggs and Riccardi (who would have stretched our defence) but that was a promising performance.
Sammy Hamill said that we went in to the game with nine players yet to play 50 games and most of those nine were among our best players. I was expecting that Lucas Camporeale would take a while to be able to match it at AFL level but his was an outstanding performance and he's got to be in contention for Round 1. Cooper Lord didn't do his chances any harm either. Motlop wasn't anywhere near as good as he was last week but he still worked hard, laid some tackles and got a couple of clearances when he had a run in the midfield. Kempy showed that he can be a handful for conventional KPDs and I'd like to see him cement a spot in our forward set up. Ollie was good again and Lij did OK from limited game time. Cowan was very good and Carroll did his job. Frank the Tank was quiet but worked hard defensively and I think that's what his role was.
It was if the natural order of things had been restored watching Jack Silvagni in the backline. Sammy mentioned SOS's advice to his fellow defenders back in the day; "Don't worry about the ball, just hit their arms!" Things won't be quite as simple for Jack but I think he showed a lot as a key defender and already works well with Weiters.
Hopefully, Blake Acres has used up his quota of OOFs for 2025. The shots he missed on the run were probably excusable but the set shot from 30 metres out :o
I suspect that many supporters and commentators thought it was a hammy due to the way Gov's hand grabbed the top of his left hammy.
Perhaps Dan should have waited for the scans rather than making a goose of himself ::)
Gov has a jarred ankle with no major issues.
PS: Tim Clarke probably should have waited for Jagga's scans before attempting a diagnosis too.
One of the things I've been concerned about is Docherty's situation post injury.
He was a long way from his best in the last game of last year.
Some comments suggest he still hasn't been at his best this year.
But Docherty's an experienced campaigner.
He's done this many seasons before.
He'd be playing well within himself
Having said that 13 disposals and a goal in half a game is good enough for me.
His experience and ability is a must for a spot in Round 1
Results don't matter in these games. However, the way we apply ourselves, adapt to what's ahead, maintain connection and goal-focused does matter. That performance was solid.
It also allowed players to show their wares, particularly those pushing for selection.
Gee L Campo showed some good signs and seemed to be able to sustain his work rate 👏🏼
Lord, Cowan, + Hollands x2 developing nicely.
Fantasia wound the clock back.
ZW, Cerra, TDK are cherry ripe.
SOS back - Kemp forward worked and gives us handy options.
Saad. Mr consistent. Loved the bounce and running goal.
McGovern very good. Hopefully uninjured.
I'd say we're ready.
Go Blues
Doc seems to me to have lost a bit of time. I don't know whether he's lost foot speed or reaction time but he seems to be under more pressure and that's affecting his disposal. Maybe he's just a bit rusty after not much footy in the last 12 months.
Jack Silvagni, on the other hand, looks like he hasn't missed a game.
We won't know for sure about Docherty until we see him under real match pressure.
I'm backing him in.
I'd be surprised if he doesn't play
We'll see.
Another commentator callde it a high hammy when after seeing a couple replays.
I thought it was a hammy after he grabbed, well, his hammy.....twice.
Not really a huge jump to get to that conclusion.
Perhaps instead of 'backets' we should rename him Mitch "The Magician" McGovern as he is a master of misdirection as he fooled just about everyone.
He definitely grabbed his hammy twice, he tried to play on as the ball was in his vicinity then grabbed the lower leg when he was hobbling off. Perhaps he hurt his ankle when when he was limping or trying to run when injured. FIIK.
Doc just seems a little out of form more than anything. He is running, jumping and cracking in contests.. his decision making and ball handling is a little off. It will come. We need experienced hard bodies when the whips are cracking. He is experienced to the point he knows where to run when momentum is swinging and that is priceless. He is a top top footballer.
I just have a feeling that after many pre-seasons Docherty knows how to treat these pre season games as they should be treated by experienced players.
These are games for the youngsters to show their talents and maybe book a spot for Round 1.
They're also a time to do a bit of experimentation
But you're not going to put the kids and newbies out there without the likes of Cripps, Docherty and Weitering to give a bit of guidance...even if it is on limited game time.
Cripps is going at half pace.
I think Weitering probably is as well.
We're probably more concerned about Docherty because of his injury last year and the fact that he really struggled in the final against Brisbane.
If he'd had a good year last year we'd accept his pre-season form for what it probably is...just a tune up.
But time will tell.
I cant believe all negative talk about doc. FFS the bloke had secondary cancer of the lungs and still made it back to top level and someare writing him off based on a practice match!
Watched Doc live countless times look physically spent but if the game was on the line late on the 4th you knew he would crack in and be as fast across the ground as any player young or old.
Has a big tank and an even bigger heart. lets get fully behind this champ until he hangs the boots up.
its the least we can do for him considering what he did to play for our club again.
As inspirational as Doc’s story is, if his disposal, decision-making or reactions aren’t good enough, he doesn’t play, same as every other player.
AFL is a tough brutal business with no room for charity, he has to earn his spot like any other.
Names mean squat.
It goes without saying that if his form doesn't warrant it he shouldn't be picked.
If it's a toss-up between him and another player though, his experience and leadership will always give him the advantage.
Docherty is capable of being one of our best players.
Class is permanent. Form is fickle. How many bad games has he played?
What has docherty played 2.5 games in 18 months....including this practice game.
Was he the worst player out there? Far from it.
Was he the best player out there? No.
Is he best 22?
That might depend on how many injuries we have.
and yet again misread the post.
i said fans to ‘support’ him i didn't say play him every week if his form doesn't warrant it.
Fans offering an honest assessment are not dishonouring Doc, they are just speaking the truth which is better than lying to his face.
Time stops for nobody.
Docherty is in my best 22 and Id expect him to play round 1, have a good game and be part of a winning team. My concerns are more with his health and injury so I wouldnt be running him into the ground early in the season and be looking after him where I could.
Exactly - Doc like Crippa and Weitering are not just names on a list they are the spiritual leaders and heartbeat of our club, play for the Guernsey and make others stand taller. The best clubs are close and like a second family to players and stories like Docs are raw and so inspirational that his mates inside the club would want that bloke beside them when the whips are cracking and to share success with a bloke who looked death in the face and beat it.
I think that you’re underestimating the spiritual leaders of the club; Silvagni, Newman, Curnow, McKay, Walsh and Saad are right up there.
The thing with Doc is that he refuses to be defined by illness and injury; he’s not a cancer survivor or bloke who’s done three ACLs, he’s a ten year veteran with 169 games under his belt and he is determined to add to his game tally and have a crack at a premiership. However, Doc’s teammates would only want him beside them if he was at his best and I’m pretty sure that he wouldn’t want to be out there either unless he was in better form than the youngsters that are competing with him.
Doc’s not playing his best footy now and, on form, he’s way off our best 23. Can he turn that around before Round 1? Of course he can, but he has some serious competition.
I’d hate to see Doc running around in the Magoos but there’s every chance that he will.
I get it, Shawny. Really do. But we're making two important distinctions here regarding a bloke, and player, we all love.
Doc the person: courageous and inspirational, admired and respected by the entire footy community... and beyond.
Doc the footballer: still good, but seemingly not the player he was based on what we've seen in his last few games. The harsh reality is that there is very little room in a top 4 side for sentimentality. Selection of best 23 must be based on form, not reputation.
Are we writing off Doc, the footballer? Nuh. He may very well return to excellent form and will no doubt be given that opportunity. But there are concerning signs.
As for 'spiritual leader' (an overused term IMHO), you don't need to be on the field to be this, just your presence about the place lifts people. And if a 'spiritual leader' makes costly mistakes on-field, it can damage cohesion and morale even moreso (than other players).
I could be wrong re Doc.
But I'll have a crack at it :D
My theory is that he just cruised through pre-season...like others with similar experience.
Nothing to prove
I'll be very surprised if he doesn't play round 1 and end up with 20+ possessions.
You may be right about Round 1, but cruising usually doesn’t mean missing targets and shanking kicks. To me that’s from being under more pressure than usual, and I don’t think the opposition put extra effort into Doc.
Crippa’s version of cruising is novel; taking on the ruck duties 🙄
And for a different perspective on the game:
https://www.carltonfc.com.au/video/1724258/bench-cam-reactions-conversations-and-more-from-gws-clash
Perception is sometimes a funny thing.
We get it in our head that a player is having a good day or a bad day based on a couple of pieces of play.
An absolute shocker of a kick gives extra weight to that perception
They stick in our head and we judge the overall performance on that basis.
You probably saw a few bits of Docherty's play that concerned you.
I probably saw a few that impressed me to the point I though he would be OK.
Time will tell who is right.
The stats for the game have Docherty's disposal efficency at 84.6%
He had a pretty even split of kicks 6 to handballs7
One or two of those kicks probably went astray.
One was a goal...so we're making a judgement on 5 kicks.
I believe we all want Doc to shine, hence perceptions are filled with hope and cutting him some slack.
However, I don't think there are coloured perceptions re his last three games. And I think we're factoring in these when posing concerns.
I recall pretty clearly Doc's disposals with little or no pressure - pretty good, but under pressure... oh dear.
Over the duration Doc has not been an elite disposer of the ball by foot under pressure, a culprit many a time of kick and hope with a habit of putting way too much air under the aggott. In the last game you might recall the commentators also making mention of uncustomary fumbles by Doc.
Like you I have little doubt Doc will be in our starting 23 against the Tiggers Thursday week.
For season 2025? Fingers are crossed, but have concerns.
In those 3 games are you rating practice matches ?
I understand you're deeply sympathetic to Doc due to his off field courage and determination - pretty sure we all are. One of the finest characters ever to don the navy blue.
Comments and concerns regarding Doc's on-field are just that. Right or wrong, sentimentality regarding players is a trap. Harsh reality is if we're to improve significantly in 2025 we need around 28 blokes at their best on the paddock. Doc's not the only one with question marks at this time of the year. Let's keep our powder dry until rounds 5-6 before definitive comments can be reasonably made regarding Doc, Ollie to the backline, Kempy up forward, Walshies back, Charles' foot, no back-up ruckman, JSOS down back, impact of Newey not being available... and so on.
i get all that but my question was what 3 games were you referring to that he was being judged on?
You can only judge players on their recent form. Doc doesn’t get a game in Round 1 because his 2023 form was good.
The catch for supporters is that we don’t know what benchmarks were set for Doc in the match sims and practice match.
I dont understand all the Doc "hate", when the whips are cracking he can be relied on. I am way more concerned with our small fwds led admirably by the headless chook Motlop.
150% !!!!
What amazes me is blokes negatively comment on a 'proven AFL performer' like Doc after 1 single game back in a cut throat interstate final after doing his 3rd ACL earlier in the same year and a meaningless scratch match but find positives for
Too many on here make a comment that upon reflection is off yet their ego refuse to allow them to concede it so they just keep doubling down and spin it anyway possible to justify.
If our 21st player has gone past Doc that's great, as it means we wont drop a game this year and will win the flag by 20 goals.
I don't understand "all the Doc hate" claims, because it seems that they are a myth! ;)
Yep
I'm one of his supporters and I'm not seeing any 'hate' on the other side.
It's more an assessment of how he's playing based on the final last year and the practice games.
That's valid.
I had doubts he'd ever make it back.
Those doubts have somewhat lessened.
For some they still remain....and that's valid.
But we really won't know until we see him under the pressure of a 'full-on" AFL game.
Need at least half a dozen games to assess Doc and some others imo. We have mixture of easy and harder games in our first half dozen and I'll be looking at who can get a kick and do their job in the tough games vs A grade opposition.
Richmond to me is a practice game and building for the real stuff so I won't be forming any opinions or writing players off based on that game and that includes Doc, Motlop, JSOS, Ollie and others with questions marks over their names either in new roles or like Doc and Jack trying to reestablish themselves in the team.