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

 

[ctwenty1]

Im going to bored this weekend waiting for next next Sunday...

 

[Espio]

Im going to bored this weekend waiting for next next Sunday...

No F1 this weekend either!, thank goodness for Horse Racing.

 

[Blue By Blood]

Im going to bored this weekend waiting for next next Sunday...

At least we don't lose this weekend, that's something right.

 

[ctwenty1]

At least we don't lose this weekend, that's something right.

nah - I still have faith in the boys

 

[Blue By Blood]

nah - I still have faith in the boys

In case you didn't pick up on it.. I was joking.
I'd rather us play this week naturally but it is nice to have a week of less stress and hopefully they can use the extra week to figure out why the 2nd half fades happen and rectify it.

 

[Blue since 72]

Still having a hard time understanding how Boyd is not favoured as much anymore.

Perhaps it is his lack of ball winning ability.

But I just a week or so ago watched his 2022-2023 highlights.

Damn his kicking was almost chef's kiss. Those low piercing darts were a thing of beauty.

I guess Carroll is younger and fresher but I can not see why both can't play half back. Because Saad is getting on and Williams, Gov and the Hollands boys aren't the answer there

Carrol overtook him, is a better defender has a better tank and is at least as good a kick if not better.

 

[Sector 7G]

Still having a hard time understanding how Boyd is not favoured as much anymore.

Perhaps it is his lack of ball winning ability.

But I just a week or so ago watched his 2022-2023 highlights.

Damn his kicking was almost chef's kiss. Those low piercing darts were a thing of beauty.

I guess Carroll is younger and fresher but I can not see why both can't play half back. Because Saad is getting on and Williams, Gov and the Hollands boys aren't the answer there

Have you watched the VFL team for the last year? His decision making has been poor and kicking inconsistent. His stats have been padded by taking kickouts. He has not been the player he was in 2023.

 

[Graffy4242]

Have you watched the VFL team for the last year? His decision making has been poor and kicking inconsistent. His stats have been padded by taking kickouts. He has not been the player he was in 2023.

Unfortunately, hard to think of too many of our players who have improved with us.

 

[CCurnow3picks]

No F1 this weekend either!, thank goodness for Horse Racing.

Whomever you back will smash it out of the gates… then at the half way mark;

 

[Espio]

Whomever you back will smash it out of the gates… then at the half way mark;

You are probably right, I rarely actually have a bet these days but I do have a small interest in Guest House in the Slipper.

 

[BlueLocke]

Little focus for Smith this game is to clean up those dinky little kicks; would love to see him back his agility to get that bit of extra space. Some of his handballs though - exquisite.

 

[BlueLocke]

Any theories on how the MC will look at nulifying Gawn's influence?

Playing 3 rucks?

 

[thegreatbeast]

Any theories on how the MC will look at nulifying Gawn's influence?

Playing 3 rucks?

The whole team rucks against him. That should do it.

In fairness to Pittonet, he has played well against him in the past.

 

[katmanblue]

This.

List is still in a diabolical state, I would say we still have over half that can't actually execute the game's core skill with any regularity

And the thing is, the pivot to do a faster and more outside game happened years ago and we still haven't really made any inroads.

Even going all in on Walker won't make a difference there.

 

[Aphrodite]

These 2 so cute

 

[Accidental genius]

And the thing is, the pivot to do a faster and more outside game happened years ago and we still haven't really made any inroads.

Even going all in on Walker won't make a difference there.

Will change with the right HC and a preseason under their belt.

 

[Blues_Man]

Dees looked good against the aints, i have little confidence in a win

 

[The Coach]

Dees looked good against the aints, i have little confidence in a win

Even though they are long odds v Freo, they are already favourite against us. 2 games then 17 days off is ridiculous

 

[SurreyBlue]

Cerra in would be a bonus. Need the other rotation and run through the middle.

 

[Lukeblueboy]

Cerra in would be a bonus. Need the other rotation and run through the middle.

I’d rather let cez come back through the twos sb. Really get peak fitness up and test that hammy right out.
And he’s another one paced mid.

 

[SurreyBlue]

I’d rather let cez come back through the twos sb. Really get peak fitness up and test that hammy right out.
And he’s another one paced mid.

Runs both ways, but yes, I'm happy for him to play VFL, if needed. Just want him up and running through the middle.

 

[Lukeblueboy]

Where imo really got ourselves into a pickle with our midfield atm.
I believe some tough calls need to be made if where to move forward and want to implement a more modern game plan/style

 

[katmanblue]

Will change with the right HC and a preseason under their belt.

I don't think it's that simple. We have too many who miss targets under minimal pressure. Coach isn't going to change that.

 

[The Blue Weirdo]

I don't think it's that simple. We have too many who miss targets under minimal pressure. Coach isn't going to change that.

Coach also has to be brave enough to drop players who have poor disposal occasionally.
Our backups are far from perfect and fully developed, but there's some decent kicks amongst them.

Flynn, Moir, Boyd, Cottrell, Ison, Frankie, Newman, Derksen, maybe even Mona now.

 

[Blue since 72]

Where imo really got ourselves into a pickle with our midfield atm.
I believe some tough calls need to be made if where to move forward and want to implement a more modern game plan/style

Agree but realistically the cupboard is somewhat bare.

Voss doesn't seem to have any issue with our mid mix given it's been the same few (apart from Jagga) for quite awhile.
Has tried Williams, Fog, Mots and Moir sparingly and I think E hols year before last but there's really no one else who they could use. For me can they use the above names more often throughout a game? is it even worthwhile, don't know perhaps they don't have the tank for more minutes.

Next year it will be Walsh, Jagga, Kody, Ben C?, Cerra I guess given he's 26 and still has a way to go on his contract and hopefully Ison.

However I'm assuming Cripps and George (both 30 at the moment and in the last year of their contracts next year) will still be very prominent.

If we're to believe Marc Murphy (and I do) the mental fragility is a more pressing issue but potentially harder to fix.