Carlton Supporters Club

I don't smoke or partake of other mind altering substances but I reckon there could be some truth in K's statement. Vickery's main problem has been feckwittery and the Hawks environment may fix that.

Clarkson is a very good coach but he's not a miracle worker 

What were you smoking when you wrote that?

Not my scene mate, but remember that post after he kicks a bag and wins the hawks the game*

* This is assuming he doesn't succumb to injury.....i need these caveats in the same post because you seem to dig them up later and ignore them in an attempt to point score.

I sort of hope you're right, because he's an embarrassment to the game. Personally I think the Fugu Kick Specialist is more likely to turn left into a goal post and do a Where is Wally for the remainder of the game. He has a tendency to make Kosi look coherent!

Interesting observations from Sam Edmund of the HUN :

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/carlton/carlton-coach-brendon-bolton-keeping-it-simple-with-new-game-plan/news-story/46ae3b51c996f37592e012fc8e761d3b

Thanks Sheik.

That explains the sluggish ball movement I've been complaining about. I can see why he's doing it, but I still don't like it. More time chipping around means more opportunity to turn it over, more often in the wrong part of the ground.

Thanks Sheik.

That explains the sluggish ball movement I've been complaining about. I can see why he's doing it, but I still don't like it. More time chipping around means more opportunity to turn it over, more often in the wrong part of the ground.

Personally, I see this sort of stuff as a developing of Plan B or C.

We complained for years that Carlton only had one plan, when things were not working we had nothing else to offer.

If Edmund is correct, and that's a big "if", it may be that BB is teaching the recruits some alternate plans one plan at a time!

But think about this, if they can learn ways to win under such a diversity of plans, then that can only be a good thing!

Sort of fits with BB's mantra, get comfortable at being uncomfortable!

The sluggish ball movement is more a comment on the structure of the forward line.  Quite noticeable that we are getting better at setting the tempo of the game, and thus controlling it. If we have the ball, the other side doesn't.  Squeeze the opposition out of the match by starvation - Hawthorn 2013-15 was based on this.

Once we get a bit more potency in the front half and get scoreboard reward for the control, we will be a difficult team to beat.

One concern I have (among many) is that both the AFL rules and the top teams at the moment (Crows, GWS etc.) have both great leg speed and speed of ball movement. I don't really want our team to be left behind on this score.

It seems to me that Bolton is implementing a tweaked version of the Hawks precise kicking game style, which is fine if you have the personnel and understanding to pull it off. The Hawks scoring capacity have been declining steadily over the last few years, and is one reason among many why they have fallen off the pace.

We don't have the cattle to play the same way as those teams. At best we can be a 'poor mans version'. Why would you bother?

Better to go your own way and play a brand that is designed to be played by the blokes you have. If you are the best at playing the way you want to play, then you have the potential to be the best in the league. If you are the 3rd best at playing the way you want to play (or worse) you have basically zero chance of being the best in the league.

Whilst I understand there are some limits to how much you can mold a player to play different styles (if you want to play fast leg footy, recruit Gary Rohan types rather than Brock McLean types), I would've thought most players can adapt and play different ways. My personal opinion is that Bolts is gong with what he knows, and what he feels comfortable with.

You could also argue that we don't really have the cattle to play kick and catch, given the frequency with which we turn it over.

There is a point at which you must have a look at what other teams are doing, especially the successful ones. We're not competing with ourselves.