Carlton Supporters Club

I don't agree with that, because I don't see skill just as a subset confined to ball use.

The physicality and pressure we brought yesterday, Levi shoving opponents around, Ed stripping the ball off the opposition, SoJ's 1%ers, the gut running, the clock running, they are all skills. Daisy seizing the moment to push forward to be in the goal square, that's a learned skill. SPS making himself a pest inside F50, that's a knowledge based skill! The Simmo and SoJ set shots, those little moments!

I've got to give credit to Teague or whoever took the pressure off the players to allow them to perform in this way! Those skills were developed over a long period, that's all the coaches including Bolton, but they couldn't execute them in the recent past!

Notice Dow, a very similar error to Charlie just a couple of weeks back, but you have to be in the right place doing the right things to get the footy, another week or two might see Dow with a bagful based on a learned skill that isn't counted by disposal efficiency!

We saw glimpses of the other skills as well, O'Brien in particular hit some nice targets, as did Plowman to my surprise despite a couple of clangers. Fisher and Setterfield were both very good by hand in traffic. sMurph did what sMurph can do! I realise the slowness of the Freo midfield worked in our favor.

I distinguish between effort/attitude/physicality on the one hand, and cleanliness of disposal, avoiding clangers etc on the other, and the latter is what I mean by skills.

I understand, but I also see effort, attitude and physicality as things that can be learned.

For example, in years gone by Levi would have stood watching yesterday's play unfold around him!

Let's think of it this way, when it all comes together things are only going to get better!

Yes, I agree to a degree, but to give an extreme example, when I saw Mumford break Murphy's ribs, I didn't think "wow, great skills." We're arguing semantics, but I'm sure you get my drift.

That's also valid to my point, Mumford acted, he joined in the fray, maybe he does so naturally.

But what's that famous line?

"Do Something!"

There'd be about 5-6 sides saying "thankyou Carlton" last night. Adelaide not being one of them. Port, Essendon, North, Sydney, Dogs and even the Saints are all only one game out of the 8 now instead of 2 because of us.

That was the best part about yesterday.

When Dow made that mistake in the final quarter, I checked the live ladder and noticed that Freo winning meant they drew level on points with Adelaide, so either we were going to jump up the ladder, or they were going to have teams hot on their tale.

I am less fussy about us rising.  I doubt anyone but Gold Coast are destined to get pick 1 with their injury list.  We will give Adelaide a top 4 pick irrespective of what happens from here bar a miracle where it becomes a top 6 pick.  We need Adelaide to free fall more than us to rise.  If they lose a couple, they can drop 4 spots on the ladder, and it starts to look like a top 10 draft pick for us if they miss finals.  That is where this trade is going to be won and lost.

Dear Marc

er, um, yeah - I know we’ve had our differences, and hope I wasn’t outta line when I called you a soft f&$@ who was also a selfish pr!ck and needed to retire immediately.
What I was trying to say was i’m actually one of your biggest fans. Have been from day one.
So ... we’re good, yeah? Me and you?
Ok, great. Call me.

Cheers

eggsackery Thry.  In reality, it doesn't matter what Adelaide gets.  It means absolutely zero to us, as it's not our pick.  Our pick is determined where Adelaide finish.  That is all that matters to us.

I didn't say the Hawks are top 4 - I said their best is easily top 4 material. I also said they have too many lapses and inconsistencies to actually be a top 4 team.

I don't exactly know why Malthouse failed at Carlton, but I seriously doubt it was because "his style was found wanting."

You can make an argument for different teaching methods. As you infer, Teague is starting off by freeing up the players, and then the style hopefully becomes more disciplined and structured as the players mature and gain experience. Or you can try to teach good habits from the start like Bolton did, which means short term pain but longer term benefits, since you don't have to teach twice or hope for an evolution that may never occur.

One reason why Ratten only won 1 final is because run and stun is not really suited to finals footy. I know he got very close and i know some bad luck was also involved. My concern is that Teague may be Ratten MKII. Given where we've been, folks may well take that, but it's not where we want to be, and it won't save Teague's bacon when the wheels start to wobble, assuming of course he gets appointed.

I don't agree that Hawthorn's best is top 4 material any more. Carrying too many guys over the hill or not good enough and a range of trades which was never going to work.

With the run they've got over the next 6 rounds they could be in the bottom 2 in a month.

Coll / Freo / Gee / Bris / Norf / GWS.

I'm more than happy for you to disagree. They won't string their best together for 4 quarters any more, so it's probably a moot point.