Preview 2026 Rd 3 Carlton vs Melbourne Sunday 29th March 3:15PM ADST @ MCG

[Aphrodite]

Final Team is in …

AFL team selection: Evans returns among two inclusions

Francis Evans returns for his first game of the season this Sunday.

www.carltonfc.com.au

 

[katmanblue]

May as well throw Fog into the centre bounces. He has really good hands and doesn't often fumble.

 

[Accidental genius]

May as well throw Fog into the centre bounces. He has really good hands and doesn't often fumble.

Jagga
Cripps
Hewett
Walsh
lord
Fog?

Which combo would fog be suitable for?

 

[Lukeblueboy]

Yep.
Chesser, Ainsworth and anyone more fleet footed than what we currently have should be rotating through the midfield imo

 

[RAPPA]

May as well throw Fog into the centre bounces. He has really good hands and doesn't often fumble.

If those centre bounces are in the VFL then I’m all for it

 

[Red_man2008]

Jagga
Cripps
Hewett
Walsh
lord
Fog?

Which combo would fog be suitable for?

Any. He can be a new tagger. A player that doesn’t contribute elsewhere and can have a role on a NWM Daicos Bont/Ed or Butters. None of these players cope with a tight tag.

 

[Michael Jezz]

In: Newman, Haynes
Out: Fogarty, O'Keeffe

Lewis Young stays to play as the second ruck/defensive cover to combat the ominous Mihocek/van Rooyen combo. Williams to go forward with our best distributor in Newman returning to the backline. Acres could possibly come in for a Chesser or Ollie Hollands, but I'd rather persevere with the younger duo who need more games pumped into them. Acres' running power would probably be an asset in this game-style though...

I also think we might see an incredibly tough call made on George Hewett sometime during the year ala Kennedy, as it really feels like we're one slow inside-mid too many. There's just not room for Cripps, Hewett, Lord and Cerra if we want to evolve.

Okeefe is the future. You don't drop him after 1 game

 

[Accidental genius]

Yep.
Chesser, Ainsworth and anyone more fleet footed than what we currently have should be rotating through the midfield imo

Keen to see chesser with some speed/explosiveness…

…was supposed to be one of his strengths but not sure it was on display so far (?)

 

[Just Kreuzing]

Yep Kody Walker can't come quick enough. Also wasn't Billy Wilson a mid when we picked him up, has he ever been given a decent run in the middle? Use Moir a bit more, Williams a bit more. Given the faster game style we're trying to play and given our reliance on slower/bulkier players in the middle fresh younger legs would be worth looking at surely.

Voss/the midfield coach are pretty stubborn with going to the same old well.

I do not know why Cripps in particular doesn't have games off nowadays to freshen him up.

I would be switching Florent & George’s roles…

 

[Just Kreuzing]

Ollie was terrible but he has earnt the right to another chance.
On the wing though, please.

A fit Blacres is an improvement on Chesser at this point.
Hope this happens.

Gotta be Derks for Young.

Changed my mind on H helping out for some minutes in the ruck.
It will get him more involved and hopefully help his confidence.
This leaves HOK with more responsibility, but I think this will be good for him also.

Frank Evans will be a walk up, possibly Newy too.

Love to see Byrne but not likely with Frank coming in.

So two more to come out......

Fog and ??????

Elijah maybe ??
Think Haynes will be recalled before Derksen, especially if he gets to improve fitness & conditioning somehow this weekend.

 

[Accidental genius]

How much does it suck having a bye this early in the season, we just got going...

What on earth is afl house trying to achieve with this ridiculous start to the season

Trying to appear to be doing something is all I can come up with..

 

[Accidental genius]

Still not comfortable having all 3 of Saad, Williams and Gov in the side at the same time. We should be at the stage now where 2 max should be selected.

I don’t see an issue if Gov and Zac play up front and Saad in defence.

Gov/Zac should continue their remaining years in f50 imo.

 

[Accidental genius]

Wonder if Chesser could move into the midfield, including some centre bounce starts, this week?

He'd definitely be worth trying…

supposed to be explosive …although haven’t seen it just yet…which I assume will become more apparent as he continues his recovery from his recent injury.

 

[Just Kreuzing]

I don’t see an issue if Gov and Zac play up front and Saad in defence.

Gov/Zac should continue their remaining years in f50 imo.

Agree, can’t be in the same area, especially if Young is in the team/area as well.

 

[FitzroyBlueBagger]

Any. He can be a new tagger. A player that doesn’t contribute elsewhere and can have a role on a NWM Daicos Bont/Ed or Butters. None of these players cope with a tight tag.

They’d all run off him far too easily, just like they already do with some of our mids, and like the opposition defenders constantly create rebounds too…

 

[Bluechip66]

Half the problem is, we don't have the players to play the modern game. We don't have players who are fleet of foot and can kick the ball. Half our team is made up of ball butchers

Not true…we have the players but the game plan is so taxing, that after 1/2 time they’re physically gassed, no player is good with the ball when they’re so rooted they can’t breathe properly.
If they can do it in 1st half, why not the 2nd…go figure!

 

[Benaly28]

The argument is that the new rules are turning football into basketball so games like that may become the norm

If coaches are smart they’ll reign it in.

 

[T2B_]

Keen to see chesser with some speed/explosiveness…

…was supposed to be one of his strengths but not sure it was on display so far (?)

Seems like whenever a player joins Carlton they get an automatic -10 hit to their speed stat

 

[Bluechip66]

Seems like whenever a player joins Carlton they get an automatic -10 hit to their speed stat

Or…they never really had speed & why other teams are happy to let them go.
Due diligence has been an issue at Carlton for some time.
We always seem to be 5 years behind the times…..coaches included.

 

[RedFury]

Any. He can be a new tagger. A player that doesn’t contribute elsewhere and can have a role on a NWM Daicos Bont/Ed or Butters. None of these players cope with a tight tag.

Depending on the tag, some of them cope just fine, very often. All these players would be too quick and crafty for Fog.

 

[Sin City]

I liked McGovern forward. Only change I’d really make is HOK out for either F Young, L Camporeale or Saad depending on where we needed another runner.

 

[teddy-hopkins]

Chesser went at 47% DE.
Ollie went at 64% DE.
Elijah went at 79% DE.

If you dive down deep into the analytics, our wings and half backs had lower metres gained than their Tigers opponents and all went at a lower DE as well. It's honestly what really hurt us out of that game. No drive and run from our wings and half backs and butchering it going forward which broke most attacking chains.

I think Ollie is more in line to be dropped than Elijah if you're simply looking at those two but it's unlikely either get dropped in my opinion as the options to come in for a wing spot don't really improve our ball use. Unless they want to give Flynn Young a go and re-jig the wings.

I will almost guarantee Acres comes in for Chesser. He's nobody's favourite but Acres did look a million miles better than the rest of the VFL guys last week. Kicked a couple of beautiful passes into the forward line.

Matt Carroll can play on the other wing and Newman hbf.

IN: Newman, Acres, Frank, Saad, Haynes, Derksen
OUT: HOK, Ollie, Fog, Chesser, Kemp, Young

That means Derksen takes the odd centre bounce but having Haynes means the defense plays a bit taller. Can also push gov back at times. If we want to keep playing guys like Fog, Chesser, HOK who "fill a role" but aren't performing at an AFL level we'll lose.

 

[teddy-hopkins]

May as well throw Fog into the centre bounces. He has really good hands and doesn't often fumble.

VFL centre bounces?

 

[teddy-hopkins]

Wonder if Chesser could move into the midfield, including some centre bounce starts, this week?

Not sure how successful that will be. He's playing at a level that wouldn't justify time in the VFL midfield.

 

[dangertroy]

What on earth is afl house trying to achieve with this ridiculous start to the season

Trying to appear to be doing something is all I can come up with..

I get the reason for opening round and competing with NRL earlier.

But with the extra match in Melbourne now, it's just diluting the focus and making the byes a bit of a farce. Especially considering they already had gather round. I know that South Australia swooped in to secure it long term, but it really should be a rotating thing. Or have a couple of them a year for all I care.

Just get rid of the early byes.

At least until Tasmania comes in.

And we have a bye every week.

Sigh.

 

[bigblueboy]

I will almost guarantee Acres comes in for Chesser. He's nobody's favourite but Acres did look a million miles better than the rest of the VFL guys last week. Kicked a couple of beautiful passes into the forward line.

Matt Carroll can play on the other wing and Newman hbf.

IN: Newman, Acres, Frank, Saad, Haynes, Derksen
OUT: HOK, Ollie, Fog, Chesser, Kemp, Young

That means Derksen takes the odd centre bounce but having Haynes means the defense plays a bit taller. Can also push gov back at times. If we want to keep playing guys like Fog, Chesser, HOK who "fill a role" but aren't performing at an AFL level we'll lose.

i agree with some of these changes … but you just know that Voss will do something like:

Out: Chesser
In: Acres