Carlton Supporters Club

Saints are well coached. We knew that.

You need to move the ball fast, long and accurate to beat them. We didn't have Docherty and Saad today who are our best at that by a country mile. I'd like to come up against the saints later in the year with those 2 playing and see the difference. They were able to flood back chop off the space and force us to play the possession game. As soon as we stuffed one up, they swooped and scored.

That was the difference.

We had a shocker in front of goal. Easily 5 shots missed we'd kick most weeks. I think it was acres who chose not to toe poke one through from the goal square, instead letting it dribble past him....and the goals...in for a point.

But, its not all doom and gloom. We played poor, against the top side, and absolutely dominated them in the first half in every area except the scoreboard. Gives us something to work from, and we'll get better as a result.
I'd rather find out this now, than come finals time.

We have to accept that unless we change some of the things we are doing, we are probably 6-7th at best, and certainly not ready for the really pointy end of the season.

Here's a few leftish-field ideas to try and get our side on an upward trajectory. 

(1) For a side that boasts the last two Coleman medallists, our scoring this year has been abysmal.  Put Kemp as a mobile marking option in the F50 - they tried it for a while a couple of years back, and he did not look out of place.  Alterrnatively, play Cripps more in F50 as that mobile target.

(2) Given # 1, play Harry as a true centre half forward, getting marks on the wing etc.   That is where he has looked the most effective this year.

(3) Binns in.  Maybe even give Dow a go.  We are so slow, I would give anyone with leg speed a crack.

(4) Give Cincotta, Saad and McGovern (perhaps even Boyd) absolute license to run off half-back, with defense as a secondary consideration (especially when Doc is back).

(5) Get TDK and Mirkov in tandem off the bench.  Pittonet is just too slow.

There's a start.  

 

 

I dont think pace is the problem, when I strip it all back, the biggest problem is extremely poor disposal. Whether is its:
- General field kicking
- Kicks I50
- Goal kicking
I watch a lot of footy every week, I reckon we are one of the worst in comp for both deciding what to do with it and executing the disposal.

We are not switched on like last year. Work rate is incomparable. Disposal inefficiency is a symptom of that as there is a lack of care.

Hope it isn't the same as with previous coaches. Play our best football under them year 1 them gets worse from there as the intensity and "want" drops off. Malthouse through to Teague have been the same. St.Kilda have been the same. Last year we were the most exciting to watch, ripping it out of stoppages, playing with dare and setting ourselves up. Our turnover game was much better last year. We're not even close to that this year.

Small forwards aren't giving us enough...but I reckon we could also do with a Brad Pearce type fast leading medium sized forward to act as a foil to the Curnow/ McKay combination.

(One that isn't always injured. )

We worked our butts off yesterday. We were outplayed/outsmarted. The players can't give anymore. Blaming the lowest possession players on the ground and the substitute is primary school stuff.

Its not about possession numbers, we blew StK out of the water in that regard, it was the poor quality of last kick into the fwd 50 that killed us....again.