Review R8: The Good, Bad and the Ugly vs. Carlton

[CrowBloke]

I think every single person on this forum, if asked at the beginning of the year, would have taken a 5-3 start.

Yes . I would have.
Currently 4th + 3rd-best % + other results will not boot us from 4th, this week.

Also 5 X 100 points or more + 3 X 10-goal wins, all good.
I looooove winning more games than we lose. It's a refreshing change, isn't it?
Sure beats the hell outta losing twice as often as not.

However, do I think Nicks will Coach us to a Flag? I do not.
I'm not as patient or optimistic as jenny61_99 or you, based on what I've seen in the last 5 years.
To be completely honest, I wish I was.

I said in a previous post that I tipped Carlton to win by 16 points and have never been happier to be SO wrong, by more than 12 goals. The previous week, I tipped Adelaide to win by 40 points and that's why I never enter Tipping Competitions. I am scheiße @ tipping, even if this Season is producing wild results (like the wonderful 90-point drubbing of PA).
However, if Nicks does Coach us to a Flag, I'll get drunker celebrating than I did in '98 (which might kill me, at my age). Will it make up for the last 5 Nicks years of losing and frustration?
I dunno. Maybe.
I hope I find out.
I'll even send Jen another Dan Murphy voucher .

 

[CrowBloke]

Maybe we need to believe Nicks he’s part of our future

... which is one of many reasons why I do not believe in Nicks.

 

[1970crow]

Well he absolutely pantsed the $2 million dollar man Dekoning all night and that went a long way towards our midfield curtailing Carlton's mids output.

And no Crouch makes us even better.

 

[spenze]

And no Crouch makes us even better.

It does, people hitting the contest with speed V a guy sitting under the tap. It also makes a difference that teams can’t play through Crouch.

He has been a good servant for the club but this stretch should give us fresh ideas on how Or midfield can run. My hope is that Nicks doesn’t rush him back if things are working

 

[1970crow]

Absolutely does help.

Tonight should see the end of Matt Crouch.

The pressure from midfield and forward was unbelievable, which doesn't happen when he's there

Without Crouch getting first possession we won’t win clearances, he’s critical to our midfield performing. Can’t return quick enough.

 

[AFC979810]

Nank is a half back and not a wing

He might get there as a wing but I’d be more confident he will make it as a half back

We have a hell of a lot of half back flankers though. Hinge, Milera, Laird, Nank, Cumming.

Cumming is tidy player. Hard to fault what he is doing and he oozes class. He just doesn't have the impact we are paying him for:

2023 Jones: 17.4 disposals, 2.5 I50's, .5 Goal Assists, .4 goals, 72.4% DE, 2.1 clangers, 2.2 clearances, 3 rebound 50's, 338.9 metres gained, 3.4 turnovers, 4.1 intercepts, 2.7 tackles

2025 Cumming: 15.1 disposals, 2.5 I50's, 1 Goal Assist, .2 goals, 74.2% DE, 1.2 clangers, .9 clearances, 1.2 R50's, 271 metres gained, 2.4 turnovers, 3.4 intercepts, 1.8 tackles.

We effectively paid 800k to make a 1% upgrade to keep a top 10 pick in the SANFL.

However, do I think Nicks will Coach us to a Flag? I do not.
I'm not as patient or optimistic as jenny61_99 or you, based on what I've seen in the last 5 years.
To be completely honest, I wish I was.

I am not patient or optimistic about Nicks. I would sack him immediately.

But - sitting at 5-3 in an even year across the competition with the list we have, our injury situation and our run home - I am on board going for broke.

 

[hippyhippy]

Worrell bog, he destroyed them.
Smith played well, but he shouldn't be playing let alone in the list. We should have played a newbie.
Rachelle getting his form back. He's gone to another level this year. Bringing some consistency.
With Crouch out, Berry had the chance to make that inside position his. He seems cleaner with the ball now. Maybe his hair was just in the way.
Also i think zac Taylor played a better game than Murphy ever has.
Imho, we are lucky that we got the rnd 1 Carlton. They were putrid.


Next week's game will be interesting.

 

[hippyhippy]

We effectively paid 800k to make a 1% upgrade to keep a top 10 pick in the SANFL.

He didn't get those stats last year. And Cummings is a bargain. We lost no draft capital for him.

 

[AFC979810]

Imho, we are lucky that we got the rnd 1 Carlton. They were putrid.

It's a bloody even year.

Once again - it depends on your perspective. Plenty on here love to discredit our wins and amplify our losses.

 

[AFC979810]

He didn't get those stats last year.

Jones was injured last year.

And Cummings is a bargain. We lost no draft capital for him.

Look - he was a great offseason addition. If a best 22 player wants to come home - you get him.

However - as we improve as club the Salary Cap becomes more and more important to manage and using 800k on a slightly more polished Chayce Jones for the next 5 years will become an issue.

 

[Captain Furious]

Good: Worrell. Again. Genuine star.
Coaching group having a rare win in the box, use of Dawson and dissecting Carlton’s clearance game outstanding.
Peatling’s dynamic clearance work vs Crouch’s ponderous clearance work makes us a better team.
Milera and Laird once again dominating an opposition small forward group, to go along with their 60 combined touches. Guaranteed some feeble minded, groupthink affected nufty will again call for them to be dropped this week.
Curtin showing a little bit more of the player he can be.

Bad: Nank, talented young player just out of form. Let him find touch in the 2s.
Carlton’s midfield and Voss. The names are big but they are a liability when they don’t have the ball. Our weakness when there’s midfield pressure is glaring yet they allowed us space and time and never changed a thing.

Ugly: An in form McKay having no influence or shots against Butts was the least surprising thing that happened last night. In the 1 point loss to GC, King and Walter took 8 marks inside 50 and had 9 shots at goal while Butts played SANFL. You know Treacy isn’t taking 7 marks, getting 15 touches and having 5 shots had Butts played in that 18 point loss. Having a defender who’s a lock to shut down the opposition’s most damaging key forward going a long way to winning football games is not a complex concept.

 

[spenze]

Chayce Jones

1

Chayce Jones

Age

25

Ht

180cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.0

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

4.6

3star

M

1.7

2star

T

1.9

4star

CL

1.3

3star

D

8.9

2star

K

4.9

2star

HB

4.0

3star

M

1.4

2star

T

1.6

3star

CL

1.1

3star

D

9.4

3star

K

4.4

2star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.8

4star

CL

0.8

3star

…

 

[Captain Furious]

Without Crouch getting first possession we won’t win clearances, he’s critical to our midfield performing. Can’t return quick enough.

Yet without him we smashed the best clearance side this year at both centre clearance and stoppage. When Crouch plays he does get first possession and a lot of touches around the ground. It’s what he does with those that’s the problem. With Dawson Peatling and Rankine getting 16 clearances between them, we move fast and most often, forward out of stoppage. When Crouch is there, it’s slower backwards and sideways movement + his opposite number has clear running + he can’t go forward. We’ll have enough injuries that he’ll play plenty of games but I’m not sure he’s in our best 22 if we want to win finals on September’s fast decks.

 

[FR0GGY]

Yet without him we smashed the best clearance side this year at both centre clearance and stoppage. When Crouch plays he does get first possession and a lot of touches around the ground. It’s what he does with those that’s the problem. With Dawson Peatling and Rankine getting 16 clearances between them, we move fast and most often, forward out of stoppage. When Crouch is there, it’s slower backwards and sideways movement + his opposite number has clear running + he can’t go forward. We’ll have enough injuries that he’ll play plenty of games but I’m not sure he’s in our best 22 if we want to win finals on September’s fast decks.

He’s being sarcastic. 1970 has consistently been on the “we don’t need crouch” bandwagon more than anyone.

 

[AFC979810]

He’s being sarcastic. 1970 has consistently been on the “we don’t need crouch” bandwagon more than anyone.

I think its more the get rid of anyone over the age of 30 bandwagon. Wants Walker & Laird & Crouch all out.

 

[FR0GGY]

I think its more the get rid of anyone over the age of 30 bandwagon. Wants Walker & Laird & Crouch all out.

Well maybe that would actually make us better?

 

[119others]

Carlton were awful tonight. Should have punished us for messing around in the 2nd and 3rd quarters and then just shut up shop.

Almost all Crows played well. I always think it's instructive when you've had a big win to look at who didn't play well.

Thilthorpe was poor, but that's to be expected given his fingers. Held up his end, anyway.

Walker was poor, just trying to do too much. The stationary fend-offs don't work, mate.

Keays with a poor game by his standards, albeit did a couple of decent things in the second half.

Nankervis just alright prior to being subbed. He has more to offer.

Pretty much everyone else played at or above their level.

Cmon time for Nank fan bois to admit their mistake, he is in shocking form and no where near the much derided Mileras talent level. Watch Mileras clean hands almost every time under pressure and distribute to the right option. He shits all over Nank. Nicks abused timee and time again - pathetically by some like the geriatric school teacher guy who I forget his name - but surely the truth can’t be denied any longer. Nicks was RIGHT, And that is:

Milera>>>>>>Nank

Waiting for everyone to own up inc some of our faves like Le Frog. Geroge, don’t respond I can’t see it

 

[AFC979810]

Well maybe that would actually make us better?

Good call.

Getting rid of Taylor Walker who is 10th in the AFL for goals and equal 9th in the AFL for Goal Assists will make us heaps better.

 

[119others]

I think its more the get rid of anyone over the age of 30 bandwagon. Wants Walker & Laird & Crouch all out.

Laird has been good all year, more than good. Walker is still critical. Crouch started well and has faded with injury.

What’s the obsessions with young guys who have been constantly been beaten up and lost in recent years.

Don’t we want to win? We are on track for finals and very likely 2 wins of next 3 sitting 7-4.

We are MUCH better this year. Blind bloody Freddy can see it

 

[Danger in Texas]

Well maybe that would actually make us better?

I see the vision with Crouch out, but I’m not really sure how Tex/Laird going out makes us better

Both having good seasons. Tex in allows Curtin to play a seemingly more comfy role up the ground, too

 

[FR0GGY]

Cmon time for Nank fan bois to admit their mistake, he is in shocking form and no where near the much derided Mileras talent level. Watch Mileras clean hands almost every time under pressure and distribute to the right option. He shits all over Nank. Nicks abused timee and time again - pathetically by some like the geriatric school teacher guy who I forget his name - but surely the truth can’t be denied any longer. Nicks was RIGHT, And that is:

Milera>>>>>>Nank

Waiting for everyone to own up inc some of our faves like Le Frog. Geroge, don’t respond I can’t see it

Given that Nank hasn’t been playing half back I’m not sure you can compare their roles. Nank hasn’t been in great form on the wing but I haven’t ever called for him to play the wing role and give no one has looked settled there except for maybe cumming, maybe it’s not the easiest role to play.
Milera has been good the last few weeks for sure.

 

[FR0GGY]

Good call.

Getting rid of Taylor Walker who is 10th in the AFL for goals and equal 9th in the AFL for Goal Assists will make us heaps better.

I’m more than happy for him to play but it’s certainly affecting curtins output imo, maybe it’s a good thing that he gets to play while not being heavily relied upon.
It’s still early in the season for Tex, he was top 5 in goal kicking early on, is he fading, who knows.

 

[crows dude]

He'd be in the bests behind Worrell and on par with Dawson wuuldn't he?

Worrell was the standout for mine,

Campo had

Rankine 3
Dawson 2
Worrell 1

 

[Grenville]

Soligo's 19 disposals is not bad by any standards.

64% TOG. Seems likely he's carrying something.

I think Nankervis has been overrated by this board. His last few games havent been great, but I think expectations are overblown and makes it seem worse. Needs to tidy up decision making, but theres definitely something to work with there. Hopefully we persist and get some more games into him.

 

[Captain Furious]

He’s being sarcastic. 1970 has consistently been on the “we don’t need crouch” bandwagon more than anyone.

Ah right. Living in the US at the moment makes it hard to work out what’s satire and what’s real.