Justnetime
Team Captain
- May 18, 2021
- 521
- 1,047
- AFL Club
- Carlton
I’ve been reading a lot on here and in the media about Carlton’s defensive woes. Blame has been apportioned in a lot of different areas, and ultimately the defensive group have taken a bit of a hit. When we fail defensively, Saad and Williams have been called out in the media. In the early part of the season, I even looked at Jones a few times and wondered if he had brain cells. Often we found him 20 metres away from his man who goals. Later in the season I was happy Jones was in our side.
What is really important to remember about our defensive group is that individually, so many of them ‘could be’ in that shortlisted all Australian defensive group. Weitering, Docherty, Saad, Williams have all been around the mark. Jones has been mentioned in the media in the last few seasons as a squad chance. Probably just us Carlton fans can see Stocker growing into a strong player. Plowman / Newman / Williamson incite a divided view on their value but they fill the last spots of a strong defensive group.
Personally I feel that defensive group is our strongest - yet evidence is there that we leak goals. I think the cause if further up the field (no brainer – but the detail is interesting). Throughout last season and this season I’ve watch some games with a different perspective. I’ve watched our players when we have lost the ball. Most people watch our players when we have the ball and rate them when they do well with the ball.
Example. Marc Murphy. Marc’s football traits are to find space, lose his opponent and either kick inside 50 or score a goal (creative force). His nature is not to find hard contests (latter years – sore shoulders). Each game he typically finds space and at least gets one goal. In the famous Freo game, a wonder goal. Over 3 years of watching Marc, without the ball, I have seen him often running behind an opponent midfielder 15 metres back as his midfield opponent goes inside 50 for a layup pass or kicks a goal. I doubt anyone really looks at the net effect of Marc doing that. Kicks one goal but his lack of closing down opponents leads to more than one opponent goal. No one sees that his lack of pressure then makes the defenders look out of place and poor due to lack of pressure.
So is above a one off thing at the Carlton footy club. No. It’s about footballer’s natural traits. Gibbons who didn’t play much this season is another link up player like Murphy. He wants space to do his best work (he loses most contested 1-on-1 situations). The cost of this is his opponent also gets space so it is about is a Gibbons better than their opponent’s use (not IMO). I think these link up / space players with no speed, are dead in the current game (Hasleby/Bell in their day), Murphy/Gibbons today.
When the start of 2021 commenced and I looked at Carlton and they talked about Gibbons/Murphy playing in our forward line, I just died a bit. The state of the game has moved to full ground transition plays. Every player now has to play a part in attacking or defensive transition. Not just attacking transition. Gibbons and Murphy’s week in week out traits just don’t include hard defensive running (and TACKLING/PRESSURE). Then looking at this as an impact we introduce Fisher (not his best season), Owies and Honey. Ultimately, Owies and Honey came in and tried 100% with defensive pressure but it requires ‘all forwards’ to do it as a group to be effective. If not, one opponent gets free and away they go. So Carlton had a confused forward setup with defensive pressure. Some players had the traits and others didn’t. No point having 1 defensive fwd like Owies chasing like a rabbit and Murphy waiting in space for a lucky turnover. Murphy should have made way earlier…and not even be played really. This is on the coaches and players so im glad the current coaching team are out. They are either confused or lacking game sense.
So a forward line that leaks on defensive transition is causing us a few headaches but it isn’t the only issue as we have our midfield to deal with. But before that i still think a new coaching set up can solve our forward line issues quickly. Take personalities aside and look at the traits of the role and then select the players. In 2/3 games when we did have dominance in the midfield and around the ground, all our small forwards looked great regardless. There was one game where all the smalls kicked goals. Our current smalls (Fisher, Owies, Honey, Durdin) will be good enough easily when we solve some of the transition and midfield issues. So long as they bring the pressure as their first trait, and as a collective group. That and removing dead IQ defensive players like Casbault also helps.
A similar lack of pressure problem exists with Cripps up the ground but from a slightly different viewpoint. Cripps has contested traits but it just too slow (in an overly slow midfield group). Watching him without the ball. Check it out yourselves. He is trailing his direct opponent by 20 metres on defensive transition (jogging mid-paced). Opponents are handpassing to Cripps direct opponent as an outlet play. So then it is about does Cripps value outweigh his slowness on defensive transition. 2021 says hell no on traits. Not enough possessions, terrible metres gained, terrible disposal efficiency. He did make us proud with his tackling efforts – proves he is trying.
One mindboggling observation which showed Barker and Teague completely struggling. I cant remember the specific games but there were at least 2 games where this occurred. At the centre bounce Cripps was placing himself behind his midfield opponent with his hand on his opponents shoulder guarding him. Our rucks weren’t winning any taps. So the midfield coach and Cripps somehow came up with a strategy that we will lose the tap to advantage so go defensive on your midfielder. I watched the CBA play unfold and just laughed time and again at the stoppage. Opponent won/split tap, Cripps direct opponent was either first in for the ball and ran away as Cripps too slow, or his direct opponent received a handpass and ran away. In every case Cripps too slow to hinder his opponent in any way. In each of the contests, Cripps didn’t even go for the ball, he just sat on defensive side of his opponent scared he would break away too fast. I mean it was slightly *ed thinking. This plan took away Cripps only strength (get ball) and left him with his biggest weakness (chase player). Most now accept/understands that in this transition game Cripps is basically a roll dice player. He wins clearance we go inside 50…Cripps loses clearance, the opponents goes inside 50. The coaches group somehow removed our chance at an inside 50 while leaving the opposition with their inside 50 strategy intact. One more perspective, Cripp's rushed inside 50 deliveries hardly resulted in a shot on goal. Cripps opponent getting 10-15 metres clear space and time did result in way more goals.
Kennedy (much better with implied running pressure), Setterfield (season write off), Ed are all not fast. Walsh gets a pass. Ed gets a passes too I guess but should be cover only. Zac Williams just went wrong. Dow a complete conundrum in general (watch carefully – cant turn at all at speed, great straight line speed). All don’t have enough defensive transition pressure. All look even worse due to a defensive forward set up leaking the ball so easily. Dow and Cripps are complete liabilities on the defensive side of the game. They don’t have the traits. They do have attacking traits.
So our midfield needs some refinement. After we refine the small forwards. Transition advances means the game is like netball with brutal hits. Back and forth with team transition. Footy a lot more complicated and hard due to more resources. Gibbons, Cripps, Dow, Murphy (gone), Casbault (gone), Mcgovern are all attacking players with liability in defensive transition. Kennedy, Cripps, Setterfield are mid paced to slow (Cripps) in a game where you have to turn and put on implied pressure on the kicker. This game is now reliant on 22 players all doing their part.
I haven’t really got the answers on the midfield due to our current list structure issues (Cripps, Setterfield, Kennedy, Stocker all being inside mids and slower). Cripps needs to hit 28+ possies a game or his dice rolling benefit is a net loss. With the current state of the game the only Carlton midfielder I currently like is Walsh. I’m completely pissed off that Teague didn’t at least try Stocker in the midfield to see ahead for 2022. Hopefully we get Cerra as he does look on the surface to be able to apply implied pressure. Annoyingly, Martin is always injured but has current midfield state of play traits. Can tackle, has speed, can kick, can get metres gained, has an AFL IQ brain unlike a few of our current mids. If we remove history and names, the traits of a current midfielder point us towards the following players: Walsh, Cerra (if we get him), Martin. Then take a chance on Zac Williams, Stocker & Kennedy. Then put up a prayer for Dow and Cunners. In all of this, see if Cripps can find 30 possessions a game as he needs too. Overall, I think we need to use the trade period to solve this as the draft is too slow for this rebuild group.
Strategically, If our midfield is weak in 2022 then remove Cripps and go with players who can really lock down on the opponent defensively as we can rebound from half back as we have 1-on-1 individual winners in that space. Just need pressure on the opponents inside 50 kick. This in a nutshell was what was missing throughout 2021.
So
What is really important to remember about our defensive group is that individually, so many of them ‘could be’ in that shortlisted all Australian defensive group. Weitering, Docherty, Saad, Williams have all been around the mark. Jones has been mentioned in the media in the last few seasons as a squad chance. Probably just us Carlton fans can see Stocker growing into a strong player. Plowman / Newman / Williamson incite a divided view on their value but they fill the last spots of a strong defensive group.
Personally I feel that defensive group is our strongest - yet evidence is there that we leak goals. I think the cause if further up the field (no brainer – but the detail is interesting). Throughout last season and this season I’ve watch some games with a different perspective. I’ve watched our players when we have lost the ball. Most people watch our players when we have the ball and rate them when they do well with the ball.
Example. Marc Murphy. Marc’s football traits are to find space, lose his opponent and either kick inside 50 or score a goal (creative force). His nature is not to find hard contests (latter years – sore shoulders). Each game he typically finds space and at least gets one goal. In the famous Freo game, a wonder goal. Over 3 years of watching Marc, without the ball, I have seen him often running behind an opponent midfielder 15 metres back as his midfield opponent goes inside 50 for a layup pass or kicks a goal. I doubt anyone really looks at the net effect of Marc doing that. Kicks one goal but his lack of closing down opponents leads to more than one opponent goal. No one sees that his lack of pressure then makes the defenders look out of place and poor due to lack of pressure.
So is above a one off thing at the Carlton footy club. No. It’s about footballer’s natural traits. Gibbons who didn’t play much this season is another link up player like Murphy. He wants space to do his best work (he loses most contested 1-on-1 situations). The cost of this is his opponent also gets space so it is about is a Gibbons better than their opponent’s use (not IMO). I think these link up / space players with no speed, are dead in the current game (Hasleby/Bell in their day), Murphy/Gibbons today.
When the start of 2021 commenced and I looked at Carlton and they talked about Gibbons/Murphy playing in our forward line, I just died a bit. The state of the game has moved to full ground transition plays. Every player now has to play a part in attacking or defensive transition. Not just attacking transition. Gibbons and Murphy’s week in week out traits just don’t include hard defensive running (and TACKLING/PRESSURE). Then looking at this as an impact we introduce Fisher (not his best season), Owies and Honey. Ultimately, Owies and Honey came in and tried 100% with defensive pressure but it requires ‘all forwards’ to do it as a group to be effective. If not, one opponent gets free and away they go. So Carlton had a confused forward setup with defensive pressure. Some players had the traits and others didn’t. No point having 1 defensive fwd like Owies chasing like a rabbit and Murphy waiting in space for a lucky turnover. Murphy should have made way earlier…and not even be played really. This is on the coaches and players so im glad the current coaching team are out. They are either confused or lacking game sense.
So a forward line that leaks on defensive transition is causing us a few headaches but it isn’t the only issue as we have our midfield to deal with. But before that i still think a new coaching set up can solve our forward line issues quickly. Take personalities aside and look at the traits of the role and then select the players. In 2/3 games when we did have dominance in the midfield and around the ground, all our small forwards looked great regardless. There was one game where all the smalls kicked goals. Our current smalls (Fisher, Owies, Honey, Durdin) will be good enough easily when we solve some of the transition and midfield issues. So long as they bring the pressure as their first trait, and as a collective group. That and removing dead IQ defensive players like Casbault also helps.
A similar lack of pressure problem exists with Cripps up the ground but from a slightly different viewpoint. Cripps has contested traits but it just too slow (in an overly slow midfield group). Watching him without the ball. Check it out yourselves. He is trailing his direct opponent by 20 metres on defensive transition (jogging mid-paced). Opponents are handpassing to Cripps direct opponent as an outlet play. So then it is about does Cripps value outweigh his slowness on defensive transition. 2021 says hell no on traits. Not enough possessions, terrible metres gained, terrible disposal efficiency. He did make us proud with his tackling efforts – proves he is trying.
One mindboggling observation which showed Barker and Teague completely struggling. I cant remember the specific games but there were at least 2 games where this occurred. At the centre bounce Cripps was placing himself behind his midfield opponent with his hand on his opponents shoulder guarding him. Our rucks weren’t winning any taps. So the midfield coach and Cripps somehow came up with a strategy that we will lose the tap to advantage so go defensive on your midfielder. I watched the CBA play unfold and just laughed time and again at the stoppage. Opponent won/split tap, Cripps direct opponent was either first in for the ball and ran away as Cripps too slow, or his direct opponent received a handpass and ran away. In every case Cripps too slow to hinder his opponent in any way. In each of the contests, Cripps didn’t even go for the ball, he just sat on defensive side of his opponent scared he would break away too fast. I mean it was slightly *ed thinking. This plan took away Cripps only strength (get ball) and left him with his biggest weakness (chase player). Most now accept/understands that in this transition game Cripps is basically a roll dice player. He wins clearance we go inside 50…Cripps loses clearance, the opponents goes inside 50. The coaches group somehow removed our chance at an inside 50 while leaving the opposition with their inside 50 strategy intact. One more perspective, Cripp's rushed inside 50 deliveries hardly resulted in a shot on goal. Cripps opponent getting 10-15 metres clear space and time did result in way more goals.
Kennedy (much better with implied running pressure), Setterfield (season write off), Ed are all not fast. Walsh gets a pass. Ed gets a passes too I guess but should be cover only. Zac Williams just went wrong. Dow a complete conundrum in general (watch carefully – cant turn at all at speed, great straight line speed). All don’t have enough defensive transition pressure. All look even worse due to a defensive forward set up leaking the ball so easily. Dow and Cripps are complete liabilities on the defensive side of the game. They don’t have the traits. They do have attacking traits.
So our midfield needs some refinement. After we refine the small forwards. Transition advances means the game is like netball with brutal hits. Back and forth with team transition. Footy a lot more complicated and hard due to more resources. Gibbons, Cripps, Dow, Murphy (gone), Casbault (gone), Mcgovern are all attacking players with liability in defensive transition. Kennedy, Cripps, Setterfield are mid paced to slow (Cripps) in a game where you have to turn and put on implied pressure on the kicker. This game is now reliant on 22 players all doing their part.
I haven’t really got the answers on the midfield due to our current list structure issues (Cripps, Setterfield, Kennedy, Stocker all being inside mids and slower). Cripps needs to hit 28+ possies a game or his dice rolling benefit is a net loss. With the current state of the game the only Carlton midfielder I currently like is Walsh. I’m completely pissed off that Teague didn’t at least try Stocker in the midfield to see ahead for 2022. Hopefully we get Cerra as he does look on the surface to be able to apply implied pressure. Annoyingly, Martin is always injured but has current midfield state of play traits. Can tackle, has speed, can kick, can get metres gained, has an AFL IQ brain unlike a few of our current mids. If we remove history and names, the traits of a current midfielder point us towards the following players: Walsh, Cerra (if we get him), Martin. Then take a chance on Zac Williams, Stocker & Kennedy. Then put up a prayer for Dow and Cunners. In all of this, see if Cripps can find 30 possessions a game as he needs too. Overall, I think we need to use the trade period to solve this as the draft is too slow for this rebuild group.
Strategically, If our midfield is weak in 2022 then remove Cripps and go with players who can really lock down on the opponent defensively as we can rebound from half back as we have 1-on-1 individual winners in that space. Just need pressure on the opponents inside 50 kick. This in a nutshell was what was missing throughout 2021.
So
- Fix the forwardline’s identity (pressure from all)
- Within reason review the midfield group with ‘traits’ suiting the current state of the game (2 way running, implied pressure etc.). Pick the players with the traits, not the names.
- Fix two more things. Stoppage/CBA craft and set ups/exits. Set up CBAs if we have to…to rebound in 2022 from half back while we rebuild that midfield.
