Carlton Supporters Club

We look physically and mentally fatigued, even drained,  from what I can see, with very little energy left to show full commitment and the will to win - a mental thing. Listening to Hodge's analysis during the game, we seemed to be showing poor awareness to situations and making pretty fundamental errors, especially at crucial times in defence which cost us goals. Seems like most of the team would rather be somewhere else.

In all fairness I have seen it in other teams too, but it seems to be really getting to us now.

I think that's the key. It's not just happening to our team. The bizarre nature of the season is affecting all teams at different stages.
As teams chances of making finals disappear we're likely to see more capitulations, some quite dramatic.
Players will just want it to be over.
Some have already switched off.
For many there will be real concerns about their playing future.
You can condemn that attitude as unprofessional...but these are unprecedented times

Not that long ago I would have put this one down as a certain win. Times change. Sydney beat Melbourne in Cairns while we've struggled in recent time.
We need something and we need it fast. Some of our guys need a rest.

Rest the sore, give some others a chance...and give a few  others their 'farewell' games.

IN : Kennedy, O'Brien, Gibbons, Marchbank

OUT :  Cripps, Docherty, Simpson, Betts,

Make Weitering & Walsh co-captains for the next game.

Would like to see Owies given a taste. He is the only untried player I'd think was important to have a look at by the end of the season. Ramsay we could give a game to I suppose but he is still in his teens whereas Owies is, what, 24? I don't mean that as a criticism, I understand he went out of the system for a while, but it seems to me we need to make a call on him and a look at him in AFL company would help and indeed it would be unfair on him to cut him at the end of season without that look IMO.

The other untried players are Phillips and O'Dwyer who I don't think are near it and the injured Kemp.

Others I'd like to give more time to this year are O'Brien who needs to show something and Macreadie who I really rate if he can stay on the park. If Cripps needs a rest play Kennedy in the role and see if he has what it takes. I don't think we can go with both in the same side too often unless they switch the centre/third key forward roles between themselves but that means having to make choices about other key forwards. We have a plethora of key forwards ATM but that doesn't mean we should play them all at once, much less then go 2 ruckmen into the bargain.

The team looked tired last night. We are back on Tuesday night Rotation time perhaps? Reading the comments about the recent scratch matches suggests to me that there are a number of the younger players who they would want to keep working on at that level at the moment - Ramsay and Philp being 2. If you really wanted to do a refresh without going uber-inexperienced you could look at bringing in Lang - I don't think there is a future for him but as a stop-gap if we rest the experienced guys en masse I wouldn't object. Other than Murphy who I think is trying his guts out and not looking tired there is no shortage of senior guys and indeed not so senior guys (eg Willo) who could do with a rest. Even Murphy might struggle to come up again so quickly. Not that I expect them to do this, nor do I think mass rotations is the way to go but if they wanted to how about this team:

OUT: Cottrell Dow Polson (omitted) Simpson Williamson Cripps Casboult Betts Pittonet Murphy (managed)

IN: Plowman Macreadie Kennedy Cuningham Gibbons (experienced returning from break) Lang (in for experience) O'Brien (time to show something) TDK (still a couple of years off his best but AFL-ready) Honey (kid) Owies (debutant but not a kid)

Thats TEN changes - out with 4 fairly young/inexperienced players, 1 slightly more experienced , 1 struggling superstar and 3 veterans, in with 5 guys with decent experience, 2 with a bit of experience and 2 kids 1 on debut. Yes we lose top end experience but they are all as it seems to me struggling ATM and facing a second short turnaround.

Here is how I would have them line up:

SPS Weitering Plowman
Docherty Macreadie Newnes
Fisher Kennedy Walsh
Cuningham McKay Gibbons
Jones McGovern Owies
TDK Martin E Curnow
Honey Lang O'Brien Setterfield

Jones can give TDK a chop out in the ruck to save McKay doing the role. McKay to push up as the outlet for defenders, McGovern leading into the space behind him Jones staying close to goal to give a contest for the long bomb in if nothing else presents. Don't expect him to be a goal machine but to contest hit packs hard, create some chaos and not be outmarked too often. McKay and McGovern (especially the latter) to be expected to work hard and keep presenting. If defensive talls get exposed Jones or McGovern can be thrown back. Fisher back in the middle where he wants to be and a look at some of the younger players we need to find out about.

MC will no doubt keep some of the older guys, hope they work out which ones have the legs to go again Tuesday, that is more crucial than form at the moment.

For all the whinging I have heard from people (not having a crack at you by the way) about SPS being played out of position, everytime a side is listed he is always in the backline. And there is a reason for that I reckon, he probably can't play anywhere else. If he was any good to play mid or forward, and if that's also his preference, wouldn't it be logical that Teague would have played him there by now? But he hasn't so that's a big tell. I personally hope they trade him as I have had a gut full of his insipid efforts.