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

 

[Accidental genius]

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.

I agree with Longmuir on this…
If we are going to start a week earlier then all teams start earlier.

I Assume starting R0 and then removing the early bye means an extra round players need to play and they are against tge idea?

Not sure having two bye rounds bit further into season is doable?

mid season bye makes sense so when do you have the second one?

 

[Jatz]

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

Hard to believe that’s not a system issue huh…

 

[The Bighouse]

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!

Start of the 1st Q vs SYD Brodie Kemp has a set shot = misses

Start of the 3rd Q (players have had 20mins to grab their breath back) & Fog has a set shot = misses

Need to look deeper at this taxing game plan and the players inability to execute..all throughout matches, from the get go. Sam Walsh in the last minute vs RFC pops it on his left for a skyball straight to a Richmond defender. Dumb on both fronts to kick on his left and the bomb when in open space. Composure & execution, rinse & repeat.

Getting the opportunities but not the skill or mental set to put it together on the scoreboard. We should be further up to start with.

 

[teddy-hopkins]

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.

Can anyone explain why in the 4 years of Gather Round Carlton draws the short straw twice to play (what should be a neutral game) against Adelaide?

16 teams should share that evenly over the years (as it is a MASSIVE disadvantage) meaning it should only happen once every 16 years that we play Adelaide and Port in amongst that time period also.

We get it twice in 4 years. This is the sort of obvious inequity that is so easy for the AFL to prevent yet they do not care at all. They'll have calculated the TV ratings / revenue and that's it.

To all those who doubt the anti-Carlton sentiment at the AFL - wake up. It's either conscious or unconscious bias but it is very real.

 

[Accidental genius]

Not sure that’s correct…
Tiggies kept attacking although lynch missed several opportunities.

Why is that missed goals only impact our ability to maintain momentum?

 

[juzza316]

Can anyone explain why in the 4 years of Gather Round Carlton draws the short straw twice to play (what should be a neutral game) against Adelaide?

16 teams should share that evenly over the years (as it is a MASSIVE disadvantage) meaning it should only happen once every 16 years that we play Adelaide and Port in amongst that time period also.

We get it twice in 4 years. This is the sort of obvious inequity that is so easy for the AFL to prevent yet they do not care at all. They'll have calculated the TV ratings / revenue and that's it.

To all those who doubt the anti-Carlton sentiment at the AFL - wake up. It's either conscious or unconscious bias but it is very real.

We travel the least distance of ANY team in the comp this year! We should hardly be complaining.
How many times have we been to cats home ground in the last 16 years?

 

[The Bighouse]

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.

F.Young = yes, assess what the better ball use can do
Fog needs out. Frank or FY, would also like someone to make room for FTT if he’s fit..

Saad in as well, again if fully fit.

Mihocek & JVR with Fritsch as a mobile option..Haynes ready to go with Weiters & LY or Dean.

Dee’s are quite tall in defence with Lever, Petty (relief ruck), Disco, Howes & even Jiath. Perhaps get some more speed in there with Byrne?

 

[teddy-hopkins]

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

Out: Chesser
In: Acres

I would tend to agree. If he doesn't pick Newman I'll spew.

 

[berisha]

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

In the VFL?

 

[FitzroyBlueBagger]

I agree with Longmuir on this…
If we are going to start a week earlier then all teams start earlier.

I Assume starting R0 and then removing the early bye means an extra round players need to play and they are against tge idea?

Not sure having two bye rounds bit further into season is doable?

mid season bye makes sense so when do you have the second one?

Just start the competition at round1, every club plays…
No more ridiculous early byes…

 

[TeeJay Blue]

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

 

[NorthcoteDee]

Comparison is the thief of joy.

 

[ctwenty1]

Can anyone explain why in the 4 years of Gather Round Carlton draws the short straw twice to play (what should be a neutral game) against Adelaide?

16 teams should share that evenly over the years (as it is a MASSIVE disadvantage) meaning it should only happen once every 16 years that we play Adelaide and Port in amongst that time period also.

We get it twice in 4 years. This is the sort of obvious inequity that is so easy for the AFL to prevent yet they do not care at all. They'll have calculated the TV ratings / revenue and that's it.

To all those who doubt the anti-Carlton sentiment at the AFL - wake up. It's either conscious or unconscious bias but it is very real.

It’s not anti Carlton bias. We are a large club with supporters all over the country who will travel to see Carlton play.

Embrace who and what we are, and therefore why we will get the marquee games despite it not being “fair”

 

[ctwenty1]

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

I ageee but I feel that now maybe we have better younger options. I think he gets played now only because of injury or we resting players.

He let the club down last year so he needs to demonstrate a level of consistency

 

[teddy-hopkins]

We travel the least distance of ANY team in the comp this year! We should hardly be complaining.
How many times have we been to cats home ground in the last 16 years?

What are you on about?

We play Sydney, Adelaide, Freo, Lions, Port & Giants away. 6 close to unwinnable games.

Coll play Lions, Syd, Suns, Adel away.
(They also play WC but that's a bye by another name)

So they essentially start the year with a 2 win advantage over Carlton. Last year that was the difference between missing finals and top 4. Massive.

 

[teddy-hopkins]

It’s not anti Carlton bias. We are a large club with supporters all over the country who will travel to see Carlton play.

Embrace who and what we are, and therefore why we will get the marquee games despite it not being “fair”

Ok so we're all happy to play Adelaide on Gather Round every year when everyone else is playing neutral games.

1 win will decide making / missing finals.

 

[LemmingMaster]

Player that I would not blink if they missed next week.

Fogarty, Young, Chesser, O Hollands, HOF, Kemp, Hewett

These players have not had a great start to the season and might need a kick up the bum.

Byrne I feel just needs to come into the team, I feel like he is dangerous around the forward line. I would much rather see him develop in the AFL than rinse and repeat someone like Fogarty.
Derk is certainly worth a look if you're still selecting the likes of Young, could not do a lot worse.
Lucas Campo on the wing, could not do much worse than a Chesser or Hollands at the moment.

 

[teddy-hopkins]

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

Watch the highlights of the VFL match last week. That kick through the middle to set up Young's first goal was a ripper.

Not sure why we aren't playing one of the best kicks in the team when we struggle for kicking skills.

 

[TwiggleyFanClub]

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

And -20 against Stamina.

 

[branedotorg]

Not sure that’s correct…
Tiggies kept attacking although lynch missed several opportunities.

Why is that missed goals only impact our ability to maintain momentum?

because of an intangible, belief. Our team crumbles under pressure, either real or percieved and when Fog missed it's like the whole team dropped heads and expected to lose. Every club knows if they push us, we panic, chase the ball, lose our opponents, panic kick long down the line and fumble.

Sadly, as a Carlton fan and someone with a softspot for Tottenham we are very 'spursy' these days

"It was Tottenham at home. I thought please don't go on about Tottenham, we all know what Tottenham is about, they are nice and tidy but we'll f******g do them. He came in and said: 'Lads, it's Tottenham', and that was it. Brilliant."

 

[Blue__Balls]

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 (?)

Pretty sure he was top 3ish on the field the last two games for distance covered at high speed, top two for overall average speed, and top 5ish for total sprints, with 75% TOG.

I reckon we're misusing him a bit. He has pace, for sure, but we've got him in that workhorse wing role where he's going non-stop up and back all game, probably gassed a bit and therefore less able to turn on the jets. Suspect if we toned back the wing time, gave him a couple more spells (either on the bench or at half back), then we could probably add him into the centre stoppage rotation and maybe see a bit more of what he can offer on the burst.

 

[Garters]

Ok so we're all happy to play Adelaide on Gather Round every year when everyone else is playing neutral games.

1 win will decide making / missing finals.

We played West Coast last year

 

[Moon]

It’s not anti Carlton bias. We are a large club with supporters all over the country who will travel to see Carlton play.

Embrace who and what we are, and therefore why we will get the marquee games despite it not being “fair”

I'm dreaming of the Carlton era where it doesn't matter whether we play Sydney at the SCG, GABBA, AO, OO or Geelong at GMHBA. Carlton are an awesome team and feared by all... where a home ground advantage doesn't matter.

 

[JK61]

Pretty sure he was top 3ish on the field the last two games for distance covered at high speed, top two for overall average speed, and top 5ish for total sprints, with 75% TOG.

I reckon we're misusing him a bit. He has pace, for sure, but we've got him in that workhorse wing role where he's going non-stop up and back all game, probably gassed a bit and therefore less able to turn on the jets. Suspect if we toned back the wing time, gave him a couple more spells (either on the bench or at half back), then we could probably add him into the centre stoppage rotation and maybe see a bit more of what he can offer on the burst.

If he does stay on the wing it will be interesting to see how he matches up against Windsor from the Dees who is lightning quick.

 

[bourbons]

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

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