Autopsy 2025 Rd 1 Most Embarrassing Loss in Years

[Jimmyonesix]

If the list was playing to their ability and falling short, that would be one thing. But they’re not.

We are falling well short of what we’ve shown we’re capable of.
Our best is good enough. It’s just our consistency which isn’t.
Which comes down to mentality and coaching.

Same players have been playing at same inconsistent levels for a few seasons already- think there is enough evidence to suggest many are not up to it..

 

[Stamos]

When have they played to their ability? Only a few ever do. That is the problem. How can you be considered a good player if your effort and performance is inconsistent and conditional. Having skills doesn’t make you a good player unless you can consistently play at a level that helps your team perform. Too many looking through rose coloured glasses around here.

2nd half of 23, first 2/3 of last year before we got completely destroyed by injury.

The pieces are there. The team as a collective just needs the mentality to click, like it did for Richmond after round 9 and 4 losses in a row in 2017.

The coaching needs to improve to give us the best chance though.

 

[Stamos]

Same players have been playing at same inconsistent levels for a few seasons already- think there is enough evidence to suggest many are not up to it..

Hasn’t really been the same players though, I don’t think.
How many have had a decent run of fitness and had poor consistency? McGovern?

I think it’s much more about the collective not exceeding the sum of their parts than many individuals’ poor performances.

 

[Moon]

Carlton haven't played to their ability since Brett Ratten was Coach in a year that we outplayed the more favoured Collingwood twice. That was the best footy I have ever seen Carlton play. Only 2 sensational games in that season and both against Collingwood. It was beautiful to watch. The whole team was on fire. Hasn't happened since

 

[hoops2fev]

I know it's only rnd 1 and soo early to hit panic button, but the way we lost and the same guys that are having the same impact on games is a worry,
I'm a supporter from WA so I don't get to many live games but our current players don't play for the club with the same amount of heart that we support this club.
Our support for this great Club is first class

 

[lily of laguna]

I haven’t read the entire thread as after the loss I needed some time away from footy.
And I know this is not by any means a fix to a lot of our issues but I got to thinking about our full preseason gearing up for our first outing and setting the tone for our season.
In preparing for the game I wonder if we have done any match sim on a Thursday night at ikon?
Given our schedule with many night games in the first part of the season surely it would be a basic necessity to train match sim under lights to simulate playing conditions.
Haynes comes to mind in dropping simple marks but wasn’t alone and Eddie on the boundary was saying it was dew conditions.
I wonder if we did any prep for games under lights?
Does anyone know?
If not the footy dept. should be roasted for this gross omission!

 

[TrueQldBlue]

My only defence of our small forwards is early on they looked good. When you move it in with purpose and to advanatge they do okay. After qtr time we kept bombing it high and their talls just picked us off.

I admit they aren't the greatest bunch of small forwards but we don't make it easy for them

Too true that Soapy...I saw a couple of times it being bombed long to Motlop with two Richmond players with him... ridiculous....

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[TrueQldBlue]

When our senior players play well we look ok but as soon as they drop their intensity we don’t have a core group of other players who pick up the slack.

Our list is so unbalanced.Too many 5-15 disposal players who don’t get involved enough.

Very hard to get back after this.Something not right behind closed doors.

I thought our motto this year is " SPEED & PRESSURE"

on Thursday night we showed none of both...

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[TrueQldBlue]

Early in the 3rd we kicked into our forward line & rather than bend down to control the ball, Motlop tries a weird trap of the ball with his feet, loses possession and the ball rebounds.

So many poor moments beyond skill - the tigers were at least prepared to be front & centre in every contest - where the hell where we mentally last night??

What's worse is that in Weiterings Summer Sessions video he said that Haynes ball use was ELITE....

I will let you chew on that for a while...

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[Broadside]

I thought our motto this year is " SPEED & PRESSURE"

on Thursday night we showed none of both...

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we've never been under so much pressure so quickly

after round 1!

we are delivering on the motto

 

[JustaBattler]

I bet everyone on here thought the game plan and team were humming when the score was 40 something to 7.

Game plan has nothing to do with player execution of basic skills especially in key moments. I think the team put the cue in the rack mentally way too early - meanwhile Richmond kept on plugging away and the bounce of the ball started going their way and then the basic skill execution got worse and worse...

To me all the game said was that Carlton is carrying a few too many NQR players who get by on the work of others - so nothing has changed because a coach or game plan cant change the basic capabilities of too many players having a bad day - especially when you get experienced players like McGovern Haynes and Docherty spudding it up monumentally on repeat occasions.

I dont think supporters can expect to see anything else except a roller coaster ride - there aren't any easy fixes.

Winning or losing will get down to having the best players available and for the role players to not stuff it up too often.

 

[katmanblue]

What's worse is that in Weiterings Summer Sessions video he said that Haynes ball use was ELITE....

I will let you chew on that for a while...

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It's elite when the pressure is coming from Carlton small forwards...not when it's coming from decent ones.

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[Big Red is back]

The list management team and coach have been out of step with modern football. Obsessesd with contested football and kicking the ball long to contests. It has been apparent for best part of the decade that speed and skill wins, yet we have stayed the course on the same slow top heavy team filled with one paced mids many whom can't kick.

The list is in some regards a mess, we simply haven't read the play at all on this.

The 2023 run of close wins papered over all of these issues.

2023 we suffered through 2 Rucks and 3 tall forwards sometimes 4 if include Jack
2024 similar issues until injury prevented that team being assembled, instead we went with the slowest midfield in the AFL, with Hewitt, Cripps, Cerra, Kennedy and Walsh
2025 we opened the season with 4 talls in defence which is truly shocking and the slowest on-ball line up in the league of Cripps, Cerra and Hewitt.

AFL is about speed, skill and pressure.

Unfortunately we have wasted a once in a generation spine and now need an urgent rebuild. Our running wingers, half backs and small forwards are by far the worst in the AFL outside maybe the Eagles.

This side on paper looks every bit a bottom 4 side, and the second half of last season and round 1 confirmed that.

The top end talent will ensure the occasional rousing win but outside that 6 to 8 wins is where we will land.

 

[Big Red is back]

I bet everyone on here thought the game plan and team were humming when the score was 40 something to 7.

Game plan has nothing to do with player execution of basic skills especially in key moments. I think the team put the cue in the rack mentally way too early - meanwhile Richmond kept on plugging away and the bounce of the ball started going their way and then the basic skill execution got worse and worse...

To me all the game said was that Carlton is carrying a few too many NQR players who get by on the work of others - so nothing has changed because a coach or game plan cant change the basic capabilities of too many players having a bad day - especially when you get experienced players like McGovern Haynes and Docherty spudding it up monumentally on repeat occasions.

I dont think supporters can expect to see anything else except a roller coaster ride - there aren't any easy fixes.

Winning or losing will get down to having the best players available and for the role players to not stuff it up too often.

Not at all, we were bombing the ball into the 50 and it looked a horrible way to play, everyone I was with was saying lucky we are playing Richmond.

 

[ITCHY EYEBALLS]

Not at all, we were bombing the ball into the 50 and it looked a horrible way to play, everyone I was with was saying lucky we are playing Richmond.

100%
It was the most unconvincing 40 pt+ lead i've witnessed.
We looked bog ordinary at the ground, not sure how it came across on tv.
I don't really have the stomach to watch the replay.

 

[Big Red is back]

It’s fun to play us. Push extras behind the ball. Charge forward on turnover and expose pace and the terrified backline. Rinse repeat. Over 80 points against from 40 inside 50s.

It’s been the game plan to beat us for 3 years and we still fall for it.

No team is easier to coach against.

1. Extra behind ball
2. Give us an extra at the clearance, thus allowing us to win clearance, due to poor decision makers and lack of pace wait for the long bomb or panic kick
3. Encouage Carlton to forward press and wait for 2 to unfold
4. With pace and skill burst through and open us up

===
What could the coach do given the list issues, the below might help
1. Remove the forward press and hold a back 4 or 5 in defensive half even if means 2 players are free. This immediately stops the fast counter attack.

2. Rather than have an extra (if opposition drops one back) at clearance drop one back as an extra in defence, helps with defending clearance loss and rebound

3. Push small fwds up and get them away from Harry, none of them can win a one on one so utterly pointless having them inside 50

4. Make some match day moves before game is lost, try Saad fwd or on a wing, move Gov fwd, remove a tall defender or two urgently as we have zero run out of backline

 

[ajb72]

Watching Carlton saves me money. I dont have to spend money on tickets to go to the fringe and watch comedy shows. I can watch Carlton, which provides better comedy on free to air tv.

 

[JustaBattler]

100%
It was the most unconvincing 40 pt+ lead i've witnessed.
We looked bog ordinary at the ground, not sure how it came across on tv.
I don't really have the stomach to watch the replay.

Do yourself a favour watch the replay and decide wether players not executing basic skills had a greater impact on the game result than "the Game plan".

Not at all, we were bombing the ball into the 50 and it looked a horrible way to play, everyone I was with was saying lucky we are playing Richmond.

The TV commentators actually remarked about how well Carlton were able to find shorter smarter entries into the forward fifty and that there were clear signs of an improvement int his area - I dont think that teh coaches asked the players to bomb the ball into a forward fifty which comprised of a bone bruised Harry and 4 gamer in Kemp who was injured himself by Motlop.

Every team in the competition "Bombs the ball" better to lose possession deep in oppositions territory than between the arcs is why every team does this. Teams that are able to find a mark in teh forward fifty have players presenting to areas where they can take an iuncontested mark- this is on teh player during a game to manufacture- it is made on a whiteboard training session.

Maybe - just maybe Cottrell/Motlop/Evans are just bog ordinary on a good day players....just a thought.

I can see a bit of a difference with Curnow McKay and Kemp presenting versus a dumb kick to a Motlop guarded by two players as a tactic - I'm sure the coaches do to.


btw - neither of you two responded my specific references regarding player fails - I understand why it is easier and perhaps more comfortable to blame coaches and coaching - I think it is a boit of both and more on players than not.

 

[Stamos]

Watching Carlton saves me money. I dont have to spend money on tickets to go to the fringe and watch comedy shows. I can watch Carlton, which provides better comedy on free to air tv.

I don't have to spend money on a dominatrix...

 

[agro]

I don't have to spend money on a dominatrix...

 

[JJBagger]

100%
It was the most unconvincing 40 pt+ lead i've witnessed.
We looked bog ordinary at the ground, not sure how it came across on tv.
I don't really have the stomach to watch the replay.

I’ve rewatched the replay. We looked good until about 5 minutes left in the second. Our ball movement was good, pressure was high, kicking inside 50 was crisp too. It was just that when it fell away, it fell away completely, and we had zero composure to wrestle back momentum.

One thing that really stuck out to me on the rewatch from the second half was Richmond’s ability to not make errors. Even when our pressure was up, they were so clean and precise. I actually think they’ll be better than what people thought pre season. Might even finish above a team like west coast. However, don’t think they can count on players like Ross and Dow having the games they did every week.

The rewatch really made me think this game was a complete outlier. Don’t think we could have played any worse or made more mistakes if we tried. But we’ll see

 

[goreds]

I don't have to spend money on a dominatrix...

Hang on a minute, this escalated quickly...

 

[Stamos]

I’ve rewatched the replay.

I don't think I've got it in me, but well done.

 

[Stamos]

Hang on a minute, this escalated quickly...

Almost as quickly as our missed shots at goal and fumbles escalated...

 

[ITCHY EYEBALLS]

I’ve rewatched the replay. We looked good until about 5 minutes left in the second. Our ball movement was good, pressure was high, kicking inside 50 was crisp too. It was just that when it fell away, it fell away completely, and we had zero composure to wrestle back momentum.

One thing that really stuck out to me on the rewatch from the second half was Richmond’s ability to not make errors. Even when our pressure was up, they were so clean and precise. I actually think they’ll be better than what people thought pre season. Might even finish above a team like west coast. However, don’t think they can count on players like Ross and Dow having the games they did every week.

The rewatch really made me think this game was a complete outlier. Don’t think we could have played any worse or made more mistakes if we tried. But we’ll see

Might get round to it one day.
Got GP weekend and TPC to catch up on first.