Carlton Supporters Club

I'm the opposite.

We are a big unknown right now.
We don't know how we will line up and how we will play.....how the hell do the opposition scout that?

We have the ability to come out of the blocks early and get the jump on them before they get a chance to react.
On the other hand, we have 2 ex-sydney players who would be well aware of their gameplan. The only difference with them is who they kick to in the 50 now.

Later in the year when we've shown our hand it will be harder to get wins IMO.
Early on, anything is possible.

Similarly, we could get done by 100 points if we haven't got our $h!t together.....but more chance of a win than that happened IMO.

Cant lose to a midpack team like the Swans and need to bank wins early and get the pressure off Voss. I dont see much fallout from the top 8 from last season apart from Collingwood who I think will struggle and we cant be losing to teams around us or below imho.

Quote from: shawny – on March 02, 2026, 11:05:36 am

Do you think they are around us EB?

Many of the experts have them in the top 4 and us in the bottom 6. They had an off year last year I expect them to jump right back up this year - their ruck, midfield and forward groups are as good as any if all fit. And if you add a fit Charlie who knows how far they can go.  

Their back 6 is their query so hopefully ball spends more time in that section of the ground on Thursday night for us to have a chance    

Shawny, apart from Charlie their list is the same as last season minus Haywood/Florent and they are relying on  organic growth plus their Coach improving his output. I'm less optimistic about their chances than the scribes, one injury to any of Heeney, Gulden or Warner and they are back struggling as Cox doesn't have the innovation or levers to pull that the top coaches have imho.

Gulden and Heeney concern me more than the traitor, Swans are half the side when Gulden is absent or under control.

Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on March 02, 2026, 11:30:43 am

Shawny, apart from Charlie their list is the same as last season minus Haywood/Florent and they are relying on  organic growth plus their Coach improving his output. I'm less optimistic about their chances than the scribes, one injury to any of Heeney, Gulden or Warner and they are back struggling as Cox doesn't have the innovation or levers to pull that the top coaches have imho.

Agree they dont have depth but if they are fit their list is very strong and has less holes than ours all things being equal.

I hope your right mate but after watching us get humbled by a reserve team outfit last year in R1 I'm dont have a heap of confidence beating Sydney in Sydney.

In melb it may have been an even money bet but up there is never easy
 

Quote from: shawny – on March 02, 2026, 01:27:08 pm

I hope your right mate but after watching us get humbled by a reserve team outfit last year in R1 I'm dont have a heap of confidence beating Sydney in Sydney.

In melb it may have been an even money bet but up there is never easy
 

I'm more optimistic the players will lift for the coach given this season is make or break in many ways and I think the Swans are also at the crossroads with their new coach and have sold the farm for Charlie for an instant fix when I think the problems are elsewhere.

Who is going to win?

Who is going to win?

Both Weiters and Charlie have talked about how much time they have spent competing against each other over the last ten years.  If anyone knows how to get the better of Charlie, it's Weiters and I don't buy the argument that Charlie is too fast for him.  Charlie is expecting Weiters to play on him and he probably will, at times.  I'm just not convinced that shutting Charlie down is make the best use of Weiters in terms of his intercept marking and setting up our transition from defence.

The only defender I wouldn't like to see spend a lot of time on Charlie is Lewis Young.  I think that his reaction time could give Charlie a metre or two, and that's all he needs.  Help defence from our other talls, and from wingers and small forwards should make it more difficult for Charlie to get that break.  Of course, cutting off the supply is the best way to stop Sydney's forwards and I think we've got the players to do that.

I'm quietly confident that we'll prevail.

Not that it was in doubt, but we have confirmation via socials that Harry Dean and Jagga Smith will make their debut this thursday evening.