Skip to main content
Topic: AFL Rd 4 2026 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs North Melbourne (Read 767 times) previous topic - next topic
RiverRat and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Re: AFL Rd 4 2026 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs North Melbourne

Reply #15
I reckon there weren't too many Carlton supporters in the stands yesterday who thought when we went 40 odd points up that "We've got this!"
I certainly didn't watching at home.
It's become an expectation for supporters, and it seems the players too that we can't maintain it for four quarters.
What we need more than anything else is a 'circuit breaker' game that shows us all that it isn't inevitable we'll be overrun.
Start well and maintain it for four quarters and change the mindset.
It will happen eventually.
You can't dominate games for periods like we do without there being something there.
It just needs to be unlocked.

North will be under the impression that even if we get out to an early lead they can overrun us...that  expectation may be their undoing.

Re: AFL Rd 4 2026 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs North Melbourne

Reply #16
During the second quarter I told  a Melbourne supporter who was cracking the sads in the bar that they were actually getting on top and probably would come back and win. They hadn't kicked a goal yet.
2012 HAPPENED!!!!!!!

Re: AFL Rd 4 2026 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs North Melbourne

Reply #17
I reckon there weren't too many Carlton supporters in th stands yesterday who thought when we went 40 odd points up that "We've got this!"
I certainly didn't watching at home.
It's become an expectation for supporters, and it seems the players too that we can't maintain it for four quarters.
What we need more than anything else is a 'circuit breaker' game that shows us all that it isn't inevitable we'll be overrun.
Start well and maintain it for four quarters and change the mindset.
It will happen eventually.
You can't dominate games for periods like we do without there being something there.
It just needs to be unlocked.

North will be under the impression that even if we get out to an early lead they can overrun us...that  expectation may be their undoing.


The biggest concern I have is clubs are playing rope a dope against us.  Lull us into a false sense of security, and then up the intensity, and once they get on top we have no answers.

"everything you know is wrong"

Paul Hewson

Re: AFL Rd 4 2026 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs North Melbourne

Reply #18
I reckon there weren't too many Carlton supporters in th stands yesterday who thought when we went 40 odd points up that "We've got this!"
I certainly didn't watching at home.
It's become an expectation for supporters, and it seems the players too that we can't maintain it for four quarters.
What we need more than anything else is a 'circuit breaker' game that shows us all that it isn't inevitable we'll be overrun.
Start well and maintain it for four quarters and change the mindset.
It will happen eventually.
You can't dominate games for periods like we do without there being something there.
It just needs to be unlocked.

North will be under the impression that even if we get out to an early lead they can overrun us...that  expectation may be their undoing.


The biggest concern I have is clubs are playing rope a dope against us.  Lull us into a false sense of security, and then up the intensity, and once they get on top we have no answers.


Swans thought that as was proven by their interchange tactics of saving most of them for the 2nd half.

Re: AFL Rd 4 2026 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs North Melbourne

Reply #19
Unfortunately, its not new.  Even the tigers tried it, they just didnt have the firepower to get on top.  Melbourne did it effectively yesterday.   Wonder if Clarko will do it.  My gut is he wont.  He doesnt like dropping that far behind, and will likely play shoot out football.
"everything you know is wrong"

Paul Hewson

Re: AFL Rd 4 2026 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs North Melbourne

Reply #20
Unfortunately, its not new.  Even the tigers tried it, they just didnt have the firepower to get on top.  Melbourne did it effectively yesterday.   Wonder if Clarko will do it.  My gut is he wont.  He doesnt like dropping that far behind, and will likely play shoot out football.
Nth are terrible and likely to shoot themselves in the foot even if they control the game. The Ess v Nth game was the worst I have seen this season for skills and we might not have to win it so much but Nth will lose it.

Re: AFL Rd 4 2026 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs North Melbourne

Reply #21
The biggest concern I have is clubs are playing rope a dope against us.  Lull us into a false sense of security, and then up the intensity, and once they get on top we have no answers.
I doubt it's rope-a-dope when you go almost 10 goals down.

We had two bog standard as easy as it gets shots at goal from 35m out and b0rked both of them to let go of a 10+ goal lead! We did all the hard stuff 100% correct and f0rked up the easy finish.

But are we surprised, quite a few of us mentioned the inability to the pull the trigger in the pre-game thread. it's a headspace issue not a fitness or skill issue. Some of the same people missing easy shots from 30/35m dobbed goals from 50m.

How do we get the squad in the right headspace, somebody must see this mindset developing because it stands out like proverbials to the fans?
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

 

Re: AFL Rd 4 2026 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs North Melbourne

Reply #22
How do we get the squad in the right headspace, somebody must see this mindset developing because it stands out like proverbials to the fans?

The best way to do it drop players who are sub-par.

I hand picked some names which included, but not limited too.....
Kemp
HOK
Chesser

Problem, is, apart from the last name there, we haven't got anybody to replace them.
Thats when we struggle to pull ourselves out of the hole we are in. We don't have the cattle to swap them out.

Look at who our better players are in the 2's
Flynn Young.....we already promoted Byrne who plays the same role at the expense of Fogarty.

Are we going to have to go back to a team of 10 small forwards simply because they are the only ones 'in form' ??

Re: AFL Rd 4 2026 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs North Melbourne

Reply #23
The best way to do it drop players who are sub-par.
I think that works on transient issues, but we've had this fade out problem persisting across MC regimes and variety of player selections.

Off field we have new fitness, new MC, new executive but the same problem, and to me the early signs of this problem go back to the end of the Judd / sMurph era.

It can't be fitness, and we've had odd games go the other way as well, in which we've set out like slugs and come home like trains, but it's an understatement to say not often. It wasn't that long ago the media was full of argy bargy about our slow starts, with much the same playing list.

Balance seems to be the thing that is impossible for us to find.
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: AFL Rd 4 2026 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs North Melbourne

Reply #24
How do we get the squad in the right headspace, somebody must see this mindset developing because it stands out like proverbials to the fans?

The best way to do it drop players who are sub-par.

I hand picked some names which included, but not limited too.....
Kemp
HOK
Chesser

Problem, is, apart from the last name there, we haven't got anybody to replace them.
Thats when we struggle to pull ourselves out of the hole we are in. We don't have the cattle to swap them out.

Look at who our better players are in the 2's
Flynn Young.....we already promoted Byrne who plays the same role at the expense of Fogarty.

Are we going to have to go back to a team of 10 small forwards simply because they are the only ones 'in form' ??

You can drop them.  Ruck Pittonet solo, with Cripps as relief ruck (or bring in Derkson, and use Lewis Young/Harry Mckay as relief ruck), Flynn Young and Jordan Boyd would be the two runners I bring in.

Players we need back in the ones ASAP

Newman
Acres
Cotters

Young is the form reserve player who should be rewarded.  Maybe Williams may struggle after his knock, but id be bringing Newman in for him.  Acres in for Chesser, and if Cotters isnt ready for AFL level yet, id bring in Boyd and young to replace okeefe and kemp.

We got the team balance wrong again on the weekend and tried to use numbers to nullify a Melbourne strength, when we should have just conceded Gawn was going to dominate, and go to work differently.


"everything you know is wrong"

Paul Hewson

Re: AFL Rd 4 2026 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs North Melbourne

Reply #25
Given the way we are being swept aside at centre bounces as games progress, I would hope selectors bring in Ben Camporeale for some more grunt.
Didn't watch the game, but 27 disposals suggests he is running into some reasonable form.

Wade Derksen could be the obvious choice if Harry Dean with injured shoulder doesn't come up. I would hope they give Dean a good spell and allow his young body time to recover.