Senior 7. Matthew Kennedy

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I like what he adds with his marking and goal kicking ability. Question mark on his defensive running with both Cripps and Setterfield in the side, so it'll interesting what blend Voss goes with.
 

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TerryWallet said:
My baseline thought on Kanga is that he's a very good footballer. I remember in his draft year, i ranked him very highly. His 1st game for the Giants he kicked a ripper snag, did some nice things and i thought "yep, got that one right".

From then on, i just haven't seen it though. As he progressed he looked a little more and more off the pace each week and season. By last year, i had lost all hope for him. He just couldn't go on the firm AFL decks. A very good footballer but a step off AFL pace.

But then he returned mid season, slimmed down a bit, but still muscled, and he got around and contributed better than he had. Looked a bit rejuvenated. I wonder whether he had slackened off a bit subconciously(it has been a Carlton thing for a while) only for the delisting to make him leave no stone unturned in his prep. But whatever, he looked and played better.

I'm still not sold. He is not in my team at the moment. I think it will be hard for him amongst harder competition now. But i'm happy that he's back in the mix, and will have no trouble with it if he earns a spot early on. I like him and hope he ultimately proves me both wrong, and going back to my draft ranking of him....right.
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I read he had gotten pretty homesick over recent times and had worked through that thus the spike in performance.

Hope the trend continues.

Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk
 
Lace_Out said:
I read he had gotten pretty homesick over recent times and had worked through that thus the spike in performance.

Hope the trend continues.

Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk
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Can't be easy being in such a stressful environment as Carlton seems to have been.

One thing I have noticed about the new leadership at all levels is an easy going nature, but that is backed by a steely focus on achieving goals, with benchmarks and accountability at all levels.

Much healthier environment than the PTSD Carlton we've had for 20 years.
 
Accidental genius said:
Can mark kick handball tackle and has physicality. Why can’t he be an A grader? I think he can. Very impressive this season.
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Here is where I think Kennedy and Carlton are at.

I think he's very good offensively, very good with the ball in his area, get the ball to him and he does the rest quite well. While his defensive efforts are really good, it comes down to ability and he lacks in this area. When it comes to getting to that next contest quickly he's not that great but he is good if he can get to that contest if that makes sense.

Defending in modern footy is not about stopping your man, it's about creating a contest and your teams ability to do that for the duration of a game. Good teams get to where the ball is quicker than the poor teams. Good teams turn an opposition possession into a contest. Ability to get to where the footy is and create contests is crucial over the whole of your team and that comes down to pace, agility, fitness and determination. These were the key areas behind Richmond and Melbourne's premierships and is probably our greatest weakness.

To put it another way, put the ball in front of him at close enough range and he's great, this is how he makes up for it and this is his strength. Put the ball to the side of him or a little further away and things get a bit sketchy. This is probably the difference between the A graders and the next rung down a lot of the time. Their effective range, where they can get to quickly. In saying this Cripps, Setterfield and Dow are the same, thought Dow shouldn't be and Cripps never used to be as poor as he has been. I don't think he's ever going to be an A grader because his range is limited. He's not in the same category as Walsh, Bontempelli, Patrecca, Cripps (at his best) and Martin and never will be. I think at his best he could be the next rung down which is still very handy.

He's definitely strong when the ball is in his zone but when it's not he drops off considerably and his zone probably doesn't have the radius and the range of the elite players. It's improved because he's got fitter, a bit more agile and quicker but it probably is as good as it will get. He makes up for this short coming by being very good when it's in his zone, diversely skilled, good in the contest and a strong competitor with a strong body. He would make a good centreman however with Cripps locked into this position that makes things hard for him.

Could he be an A grader despite these weaknesses? He was given some time as a centreman with Cripps out and he played well without being elite. Possessions were mid to high 20s without cracking the 30 barrier. A graders in this role regularly get over the 30 possession mark so he's not an A grader or elite player without improving on that. Missing possessions usually come down to a player's weakness being a bit too significant. Those games that are 25-27 possession games that are missing 5-10 possessions come down to what I have mentioned with his limitations. He didn't get there so he didn't win that possession. Makes him above average but not elite. So he's probably not going to be a high possession player at his best but he may be a 25 possession Centreman who kicks a little over a goal a game which would be really good but not up with the very best players in the comp, which is fine, it's still really good.

I just don't think he quite has that range to be elite or the running ability to get to enough contests but he is still quite an impactful player, however in terms of team defence with Cripps a sure thing in our side, I have concerns with Kennedy there as well. It was bad watching Dow, Cripps and Kennedy get torched going the other way at times last year. They were all good offensively but badly lacked that defensive ability and that comes down to being able to quickly cover a full radius, cover that space quickly around the contests. Melbourne and the Bulldogs where so good last year because there wasn't a spot where the ball could go where at least one of their players couldn't get there quickly compared to us who had a lot of holes to exploit and were made to look like witches hats. Those holes came down to lack of pace, agility and determination to get to the lose ball and man quickly. This doesn't mean there is no spot for a player like this, it means there are limited spots for players like this. If Cripps was out of the side I would have Kennedy in the side as a key onballer in a heart beat. If Cripps form drops and Kennedy holds there is no reason Cripps should not be dropped for Kennedy.

Here is an example of what I am getting at. The ball goes 3 or 4 meters to the side (180 degrees) of Kennedy who is our closest man and they have a player slightly closer. The opposition are likely to win that ball and clear it with an effective possession. The ball goes 3 or 4 meters at 180 degrees to the side of Walsh or to use the reining premiers as an example, Jack Viney who is elite at this. There is going to be a contest with them. This is the difference between good team defence and poor team defence. This here is an example of the main thing wrong with Carlton and why we were one of the worst defensive teams in the AFL last year. It's how we get blown away by opposition sides despite being able to blow them away at times. It's my concerns with Kennedy in the side with others who are not great in this area, it just opens up too many holes.

To put it simply, I like Kennedy as a player. I do not like the idea of a he and Cripps in the side, particularly if a Setterfield or a Dow are there as well. Lack of defensive determination (Dow), lack of speed and agility (those other names) who aren't good at getting to the man/ball quickly and don't have a wide degree in terms of the space around them they can cover quickly. They are great with the ball in their zone and witches hats when it's not and the opposition figure this out.

I think this expresses my issues with Carlton as a whole. A team that can get 5 or 6 goals up when the game is on their terms and still lose by 7 or 10 when it's all of a sudden not is a team that is great with the ball in hand and at their advantage and terrible with the ball at the opposition's advantage and in their hands. I think it's an example of where our defensive issues lie. Not saying Kennedy is the problem, but because we have Cripps and a few other inept defensive types in our midfield, we will struggle carrying guys with too many defensive weaknesses like Kennedy.

Port Adelaide had the same issue a few years back with Rockliff. Rockliff was a gun player but they had a few of these types and with all of them they were too immobile, slow and defensively inept and when his form slipped a little, he was the one to miss out. I think we will have the same issues with Cripps and Kennedy in the same team. I'd love to have them both in the side as I rate their footy and like how they play but with the way the game is played now and how it's defended and won and lost and with where our problems lie, we are going to struggle to do this and win a premiership I feel.

Kennedy is a handy footballer who probably isn't the greatest fit for our side. He's never going to be an A grader but he's still a good footballer. He's going to play games next season but I have some big questions around our defensive capabilities with our side if Cripps and Kennedy and a few others are in the team.

I don't think Kennedy can be elite, I think he can be a very good player who will have his limitations and I feel we probably have to make a decision between Cripps of Kennedy if we are to fix our defensive issues and become premiership quality. That may not be next year but will have to be soon. Cerra and Hewett will bring some intensity to the midfield I hope some of our young players step up as well. Can we be a good defensive unit with Cripps and Kennedy in the midfield? I have my doubts but that will be one for the coach to figure out.

I think we will let the season play out and answer these questions for us. I hope he does well again for us and it would be nice to have him in and still be a strong defensive unit. Just how we do that, I don't know, that will be something for the coaches to ponder over.
 
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gbatman said:
Here is where I think Kennedy and Carlton are at.

I think he's very good offensively, very good with the ball in his area, get the ball to him and he does the rest quite well. While his defensive efforts are really good, it comes down to ability and he lacks in this area. When it comes to getting to that next contest quickly he's not that great but he is good if he can get to that contest if that makes sense.

Defending in modern footy is not about stopping your man, it's about creating a contest and your teams ability to do that for the duration of a game. Good teams get to where the ball is quicker than the poor teams. Good teams turn an opposition possession into a contest. Ability to get to where the footy is and create contests is crucial over the whole of your team and that comes down to pace, agility, fitness and determination. These were the key areas behind Richmond and Melbourne's premierships and is probably our greatest weakness.

To put it another way, put the ball in front of him at close enough range and he's great, this is how he makes up for it and this is his strength. Put the ball to the side of him or a little further away and things get a bit sketchy. This is probably the difference between the A graders and the next rung down a lot of the time. Their effective range, where they can get to quickly. In saying this Cripps, Setterfield and Dow are the same, thought Dow shouldn't be and Cripps never used to be as poor as he has been. I don't think he's ever going to be an A grader because his range is limited. He's not in the same category as Walsh, Bontempelli, Patrecca, Cripps (at his best) and Martin and never will be. I think at his best he could be the next rung down which is still very handy.

He's definitely strong when the ball is in his zone but when it's not he drops off considerably and his zone probably doesn't have the radius and the range of the elite players. It's improved because he's got fitter, a bit more agile and quicker but it probably is as good as it will get. He makes up for this short coming by being very good when it's in his zone, diversely skilled, good in the contest and a strong competitor with a strong body. He would make a good centreman however with Cripps locked into this position that makes things hard for him.

Could he be an A grader despite these weaknesses? He was given some time as a centreman with Cripps out and he played well without being elite. Possessions were mid to high 20s without cracking the 30 barrier. A graders in this role regularly get over the 30 possession mark so he's not an A grader or elite player without improving on that. Missing possessions usually come down to a player's weakness being a bit too significant. Those games that are 25-27 possession games that are missing 5-10 possessions come down to what I have mentioned with his limitations. He didn't get there so he didn't win that possession. Makes him above average but not elite. So he's probably not going to be a high possession player at his best but he may be a 25 possession Centreman who kicks a little over a goal a game which would be really good but not up with the very best players in the comp, which is fine, it's still really good.

I just don't think he quite has that range to be elite or the running ability to get to enough contests but he is still quite an impactful player, however in terms of team defence with Cripps a sure thing in our side, I have concerns with Kennedy there as well. It was bad watching Dow, Cripps and Kennedy get torched going the other way at times last year. They were all good offensively but badly lacked that defensive ability and that comes down to being able to quickly cover a full radius, cover that space quickly around the contests. Melbourne and the Bulldogs where so good last year because there wasn't a spot where the ball could go where at least one of their players couldn't get there quickly compared to us who had a lot of holes to exploit and were made to look like witches hats. Those holes came down to lack of pace, agility and determination to get to the lose ball and man quickly. This doesn't mean there is no spot for a player like this, it means there are limited spots for players like this. If Cripps was out of the side I would have Kennedy in the side as a key onballer in a heart beat. If Cripps form drops and Kennedy holds there is no reason Cripps should not be dropped for Kennedy.

Here is an example of what I am getting at. The ball goes 3 or 4 meters to the side (180 degrees) of Kennedy who is our closest man and they have a player slightly closer. The opposition are likely to win that ball and clear it with an effective possession. The ball goes 3 or 4 meters at 180 degrees to the side of Walsh or to use the reining premiers as an example, Jack Viney who is elite at this. There is going to be a contest with them. This is the difference between good team defence and poor team defence. This here is an example of the main thing wrong with Carlton and why we were one of the worst defensive teams in the AFL last year. It's how we get blown away by opposition sides despite being able to blow them away at times. It's my concerns with Kennedy in the side with others who are not great in this area, it just opens up too many holes.

To put it simply, I like Kennedy as a player. I do not like the idea of a he and Cripps in the side, particularly if a Setterfield or a Dow are there as well. Lack of defensive determination (Dow), lack of speed and agility (those other names) who aren't good at getting to the man/ball quickly and don't have a wide degree in terms of the space around them they can cover quickly. They are great with the ball in their zone and witches hats when it's not and the opposition figure this out.

I think this expresses my issues with Carlton as a whole. A team that can get 5 or 6 goals up when the game is on their terms and still lose by 7 or 10 when it's all of a sudden not is a team that is great with the ball in hand and at their advantage and terrible with the ball at the opposition's advantage and in their hands. I think it's an example of where our defensive issues lie. Not saying Kennedy is the problem, but because we have Cripps and a few other inept defensive types in our midfield, we will struggle carrying guys with too many defensive weaknesses like Kennedy.

Port Adelaide had the same issue a few years back with Rockliff. Rockliff was a gun player but they had a few of these types and with all of them they were too immobile, slow and defensively inept and when his form slipped a little, he was the one to miss out. I think we will have the same issues with Cripps and Kennedy in the same team. I'd love to have them both in the side as I rate their footy and like how they play but with the way the game is played now and how it's defended and won and lost and with where our problems lie, we are going to struggle to do this and win a premiership I feel.

Kennedy is a handy footballer who probably isn't the greatest fit for our side. He's never going to be an A grader but he's still a good footballer. He's going to play games next season but I have some big questions around our defensive capabilities with our side if Cripps and Kennedy and a few others are in the team.

I don't think Kennedy can be elite, I think he can be a very good player who will have his limitations and I feel we probably have to make a decision between Cripps of Kennedy if we are to fix our defensive issues and become premiership quality. That may not be next year but will have to be soon. Cerra and Hewett will bring some intensity to the midfield I hope some of our young players step up as well. Can we be a good defensive unit with Cripps and Kennedy in the midfield? I have my doubts but that will be one for the coach to figure out.

I think we will let the season play out and answer these questions for us. I hope he does well again for us and it would be nice to have him in and still be a strong defensive unit. Just how we do that, I don't know, that will be something for the coaches to ponder over.
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Thanks. Good review of Kennedy and Cripps and our defensive issues with the midfield group. Will be a major step forward if we can sort it out. With acquisition of Hewett and a preason with focus on team defensive im hoping we can be a lot more competitive particularly when oppo has momentum. Going to be important for Cripps to regain his best form.
 
gbatman said:
Here is where I think Kennedy and Carlton are at.

I think he's very good offensively, very good with the ball in his area, get the ball to him and he does the rest quite well. While his defensive efforts are really good, it comes down to ability and he lacks in this area. When it comes to getting to that next contest quickly he's not that great but he is good if he can get to that contest if that makes sense.

Defending in modern footy is not about stopping your man, it's about creating a contest and your teams ability to do that for the duration of a game. Good teams get to where the ball is quicker than the poor teams. Good teams turn an opposition possession into a contest. Ability to get to where the footy is and create contests is crucial over the whole of your team and that comes down to pace, agility, fitness and determination. These were the key areas behind Richmond and Melbourne's premierships and is probably our greatest weakness.

To put it another way, put the ball in front of him at close enough range and he's great, this is how he makes up for it and this is his strength. Put the ball to the side of him or a little further away and things get a bit sketchy. This is probably the difference between the A graders and the next rung down a lot of the time. Their effective range, where they can get to quickly. In saying this Cripps, Setterfield and Dow are the same, thought Dow shouldn't be and Cripps never used to be as poor as he has been. I don't think he's ever going to be an A grader because his range is limited. He's not in the same category as Walsh, Bontempelli, Patrecca, Cripps (at his best) and Martin and never will be. I think at his best he could be the next rung down which is still very handy.

He's definitely strong when the ball is in his zone but when it's not he drops off considerably and his zone probably doesn't have the radius and the range of the elite players. It's improved because he's got fitter, a bit more agile and quicker but it probably is as good as it will get. He makes up for this short coming by being very good when it's in his zone, diversely skilled, good in the contest and a strong competitor with a strong body. He would make a good centreman however with Cripps locked into this position that makes things hard for him.

Could he be an A grader despite these weaknesses? He was given some time as a centreman with Cripps out and he played well without being elite. Possessions were mid to high 20s without cracking the 30 barrier. A graders in this role regularly get over the 30 possession mark so he's not an A grader or elite player without improving on that. Missing possessions usually come down to a player's weakness being a bit too significant. Those games that are 25-27 possession games that are missing 5-10 possessions come down to what I have mentioned with his limitations. He didn't get there so he didn't win that possession. Makes him above average but not elite. So he's probably not going to be a high possession player at his best but he may be a 25 possession Centreman who kicks a little over a goal a game which would be really good but not up with the very best players in the comp, which is fine, it's still really good.

I just don't think he quite has that range to be elite or the running ability to get to enough contests but he is still quite an impactful player, however in terms of team defence with Cripps a sure thing in our side, I have concerns with Kennedy there as well. It was bad watching Dow, Cripps and Kennedy get torched going the other way at times last year. They were all good offensively but badly lacked that defensive ability and that comes down to being able to quickly cover a full radius, cover that space quickly around the contests. Melbourne and the Bulldogs where so good last year because there wasn't a spot where the ball could go where at least one of their players couldn't get there quickly compared to us who had a lot of holes to exploit and were made to look like witches hats. Those holes came down to lack of pace, agility and determination to get to the lose ball and man quickly. This doesn't mean there is no spot for a player like this, it means there are limited spots for players like this. If Cripps was out of the side I would have Kennedy in the side as a key onballer in a heart beat. If Cripps form drops and Kennedy holds there is no reason Cripps should not be dropped for Kennedy.

Here is an example of what I am getting at. The ball goes 3 or 4 meters to the side (180 degrees) of Kennedy who is our closest man and they have a player slightly closer. The opposition are likely to win that ball and clear it with an effective possession. The ball goes 3 or 4 meters at 180 degrees to the side of Walsh or to use the reining premiers as an example, Jack Viney who is elite at this. There is going to be a contest with them. This is the difference between good team defence and poor team defence. This here is an example of the main thing wrong with Carlton and why we were one of the worst defensive teams in the AFL last year. It's how we get blown away by opposition sides despite being able to blow them away at times. It's my concerns with Kennedy in the side with others who are not great in this area, it just opens up too many holes.

To put it simply, I like Kennedy as a player. I do not like the idea of a he and Cripps in the side, particularly if a Setterfield or a Dow are there as well. Lack of defensive determination (Dow), lack of speed and agility (those other names) who aren't good at getting to the man/ball quickly and don't have a wide degree in terms of the space around them they can cover quickly. They are great with the ball in their zone and witches hats when it's not and the opposition figure this out.

I think this expresses my issues with Carlton as a whole. A team that can get 5 or 6 goals up when the game is on their terms and still lose by 7 or 10 when it's all of a sudden not is a team that is great with the ball in hand and at their advantage and terrible with the ball at the opposition's advantage and in their hands. I think it's an example of where our defensive issues lie. Not saying Kennedy is the problem, but because we have Cripps and a few other inept defensive types in our midfield, we will struggle carrying guys with too many defensive weaknesses like Kennedy.

Port Adelaide had the same issue a few years back with Rockliff. Rockliff was a gun player but they had a few of these types and with all of them they were too immobile, slow and defensively inept and when his form slipped a little, he was the one to miss out. I think we will have the same issues with Cripps and Kennedy in the same team. I'd love to have them both in the side as I rate their footy and like how they play but with the way the game is played now and how it's defended and won and lost and with where our problems lie, we are going to struggle to do this and win a premiership I feel.

Kennedy is a handy footballer who probably isn't the greatest fit for our side. He's never going to be an A grader but he's still a good footballer. He's going to play games next season but I have some big questions around our defensive capabilities with our side if Cripps and Kennedy and a few others are in the team.

I don't think Kennedy can be elite, I think he can be a very good player who will have his limitations and I feel we probably have to make a decision between Cripps of Kennedy if we are to fix our defensive issues and become premiership quality. That may not be next year but will have to be soon. Cerra and Hewett will bring some intensity to the midfield I hope some of our young players step up as well. Can we be a good defensive unit with Cripps and Kennedy in the midfield? I have my doubts but that will be one for the coach to figure out.

I think we will let the season play out and answer these questions for us. I hope he does well again for us and it would be nice to have him in and still be a strong defensive unit. Just how we do that, I don't know, that will be something for the coaches to ponder over.
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You need to post so much more on this forum, brilliant mate.
 
gbatman said:
Here is where I think Kennedy and Carlton are at.

I think he's very good offensively, very good with the ball in his area, get the ball to him and he does the rest quite well. While his defensive efforts are really good, it comes down to ability and he lacks in this area. When it comes to getting to that next contest quickly he's not that great but he is good if he can get to that contest if that makes sense.

Defending in modern footy is not about stopping your man, it's about creating a contest and your teams ability to do that for the duration of a game. Good teams get to where the ball is quicker than the poor teams. Good teams turn an opposition possession into a contest. Ability to get to where the footy is and create contests is crucial over the whole of your team and that comes down to pace, agility, fitness and determination. These were the key areas behind Richmond and Melbourne's premierships and is probably our greatest weakness.

To put it another way, put the ball in front of him at close enough range and he's great, this is how he makes up for it and this is his strength. Put the ball to the side of him or a little further away and things get a bit sketchy. This is probably the difference between the A graders and the next rung down a lot of the time. Their effective range, where they can get to quickly. In saying this Cripps, Setterfield and Dow are the same, thought Dow shouldn't be and Cripps never used to be as poor as he has been. I don't think he's ever going to be an A grader because his range is limited. He's not in the same category as Walsh, Bontempelli, Patrecca, Cripps (at his best) and Martin and never will be. I think at his best he could be the next rung down which is still very handy.

He's definitely strong when the ball is in his zone but when it's not he drops off considerably and his zone probably doesn't have the radius and the range of the elite players. It's improved because he's got fitter, a bit more agile and quicker but it probably is as good as it will get. He makes up for this short coming by being very good when it's in his zone, diversely skilled, good in the contest and a strong competitor with a strong body. He would make a good centreman however with Cripps locked into this position that makes things hard for him.

Could he be an A grader despite these weaknesses? He was given some time as a centreman with Cripps out and he played well without being elite. Possessions were mid to high 20s without cracking the 30 barrier. A graders in this role regularly get over the 30 possession mark so he's not an A grader or elite player without improving on that. Missing possessions usually come down to a player's weakness being a bit too significant. Those games that are 25-27 possession games that are missing 5-10 possessions come down to what I have mentioned with his limitations. He didn't get there so he didn't win that possession. Makes him above average but not elite. So he's probably not going to be a high possession player at his best but he may be a 25 possession Centreman who kicks a little over a goal a game which would be really good but not up with the very best players in the comp, which is fine, it's still really good.

I just don't think he quite has that range to be elite or the running ability to get to enough contests but he is still quite an impactful player, however in terms of team defence with Cripps a sure thing in our side, I have concerns with Kennedy there as well. It was bad watching Dow, Cripps and Kennedy get torched going the other way at times last year. They were all good offensively but badly lacked that defensive ability and that comes down to being able to quickly cover a full radius, cover that space quickly around the contests. Melbourne and the Bulldogs where so good last year because there wasn't a spot where the ball could go where at least one of their players couldn't get there quickly compared to us who had a lot of holes to exploit and were made to look like witches hats. Those holes came down to lack of pace, agility and determination to get to the lose ball and man quickly. This doesn't mean there is no spot for a player like this, it means there are limited spots for players like this. If Cripps was out of the side I would have Kennedy in the side as a key onballer in a heart beat. If Cripps form drops and Kennedy holds there is no reason Cripps should not be dropped for Kennedy.

Here is an example of what I am getting at. The ball goes 3 or 4 meters to the side (180 degrees) of Kennedy who is our closest man and they have a player slightly closer. The opposition are likely to win that ball and clear it with an effective possession. The ball goes 3 or 4 meters at 180 degrees to the side of Walsh or to use the reining premiers as an example, Jack Viney who is elite at this. There is going to be a contest with them. This is the difference between good team defence and poor team defence. This here is an example of the main thing wrong with Carlton and why we were one of the worst defensive teams in the AFL last year. It's how we get blown away by opposition sides despite being able to blow them away at times. It's my concerns with Kennedy in the side with others who are not great in this area, it just opens up too many holes.

To put it simply, I like Kennedy as a player. I do not like the idea of a he and Cripps in the side, particularly if a Setterfield or a Dow are there as well. Lack of defensive determination (Dow), lack of speed and agility (those other names) who aren't good at getting to the man/ball quickly and don't have a wide degree in terms of the space around them they can cover quickly. They are great with the ball in their zone and witches hats when it's not and the opposition figure this out.

I think this expresses my issues with Carlton as a whole. A team that can get 5 or 6 goals up when the game is on their terms and still lose by 7 or 10 when it's all of a sudden not is a team that is great with the ball in hand and at their advantage and terrible with the ball at the opposition's advantage and in their hands. I think it's an example of where our defensive issues lie. Not saying Kennedy is the problem, but because we have Cripps and a few other inept defensive types in our midfield, we will struggle carrying guys with too many defensive weaknesses like Kennedy.

Port Adelaide had the same issue a few years back with Rockliff. Rockliff was a gun player but they had a few of these types and with all of them they were too immobile, slow and defensively inept and when his form slipped a little, he was the one to miss out. I think we will have the same issues with Cripps and Kennedy in the same team. I'd love to have them both in the side as I rate their footy and like how they play but with the way the game is played now and how it's defended and won and lost and with where our problems lie, we are going to struggle to do this and win a premiership I feel.

Kennedy is a handy footballer who probably isn't the greatest fit for our side. He's never going to be an A grader but he's still a good footballer. He's going to play games next season but I have some big questions around our defensive capabilities with our side if Cripps and Kennedy and a few others are in the team.

I don't think Kennedy can be elite, I think he can be a very good player who will have his limitations and I feel we probably have to make a decision between Cripps of Kennedy if we are to fix our defensive issues and become premiership quality. That may not be next year but will have to be soon. Cerra and Hewett will bring some intensity to the midfield I hope some of our young players step up as well. Can we be a good defensive unit with Cripps and Kennedy in the midfield? I have my doubts but that will be one for the coach to figure out.

I think we will let the season play out and answer these questions for us. I hope he does well again for us and it would be nice to have him in and still be a strong defensive unit. Just how we do that, I don't know, that will be something for the coaches to ponder over.
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This was me reading your post...

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gbatman said:
Here is where I think Kennedy and Carlton are at.

I think he's very good offensively, very good with the ball in his area, get the ball to him and he does the rest quite well. While his defensive efforts are really good, it comes down to ability and he lacks in this area. When it comes to getting to that next contest quickly he's not that great but he is good if he can get to that contest if that makes sense.

Defending in modern footy is not about stopping your man, it's about creating a contest and your teams ability to do that for the duration of a game. Good teams get to where the ball is quicker than the poor teams. Good teams turn an opposition possession into a contest. Ability to get to where the footy is and create contests is crucial over the whole of your team and that comes down to pace, agility, fitness and determination. These were the key areas behind Richmond and Melbourne's premierships and is probably our greatest weakness.

To put it another way, put the ball in front of him at close enough range and he's great, this is how he makes up for it and this is his strength. Put the ball to the side of him or a little further away and things get a bit sketchy. This is probably the difference between the A graders and the next rung down a lot of the time. Their effective range, where they can get to quickly. In saying this Cripps, Setterfield and Dow are the same, thought Dow shouldn't be and Cripps never used to be as poor as he has been. I don't think he's ever going to be an A grader because his range is limited. He's not in the same category as Walsh, Bontempelli, Patrecca, Cripps (at his best) and Martin and never will be. I think at his best he could be the next rung down which is still very handy.

He's definitely strong when the ball is in his zone but when it's not he drops off considerably and his zone probably doesn't have the radius and the range of the elite players. It's improved because he's got fitter, a bit more agile and quicker but it probably is as good as it will get. He makes up for this short coming by being very good when it's in his zone, diversely skilled, good in the contest and a strong competitor with a strong body. He would make a good centreman however with Cripps locked into this position that makes things hard for him.

Could he be an A grader despite these weaknesses? He was given some time as a centreman with Cripps out and he played well without being elite. Possessions were mid to high 20s without cracking the 30 barrier. A graders in this role regularly get over the 30 possession mark so he's not an A grader or elite player without improving on that. Missing possessions usually come down to a player's weakness being a bit too significant. Those games that are 25-27 possession games that are missing 5-10 possessions come down to what I have mentioned with his limitations. He didn't get there so he didn't win that possession. Makes him above average but not elite. So he's probably not going to be a high possession player at his best but he may be a 25 possession Centreman who kicks a little over a goal a game which would be really good but not up with the very best players in the comp, which is fine, it's still really good.

I just don't think he quite has that range to be elite or the running ability to get to enough contests but he is still quite an impactful player, however in terms of team defence with Cripps a sure thing in our side, I have concerns with Kennedy there as well. It was bad watching Dow, Cripps and Kennedy get torched going the other way at times last year. They were all good offensively but badly lacked that defensive ability and that comes down to being able to quickly cover a full radius, cover that space quickly around the contests. Melbourne and the Bulldogs where so good last year because there wasn't a spot where the ball could go where at least one of their players couldn't get there quickly compared to us who had a lot of holes to exploit and were made to look like witches hats. Those holes came down to lack of pace, agility and determination to get to the lose ball and man quickly. This doesn't mean there is no spot for a player like this, it means there are limited spots for players like this. If Cripps was out of the side I would have Kennedy in the side as a key onballer in a heart beat. If Cripps form drops and Kennedy holds there is no reason Cripps should not be dropped for Kennedy.

Here is an example of what I am getting at. The ball goes 3 or 4 meters to the side (180 degrees) of Kennedy who is our closest man and they have a player slightly closer. The opposition are likely to win that ball and clear it with an effective possession. The ball goes 3 or 4 meters at 180 degrees to the side of Walsh or to use the reining premiers as an example, Jack Viney who is elite at this. There is going to be a contest with them. This is the difference between good team defence and poor team defence. This here is an example of the main thing wrong with Carlton and why we were one of the worst defensive teams in the AFL last year. It's how we get blown away by opposition sides despite being able to blow them away at times. It's my concerns with Kennedy in the side with others who are not great in this area, it just opens up too many holes.

To put it simply, I like Kennedy as a player. I do not like the idea of a he and Cripps in the side, particularly if a Setterfield or a Dow are there as well. Lack of defensive determination (Dow), lack of speed and agility (those other names) who aren't good at getting to the man/ball quickly and don't have a wide degree in terms of the space around them they can cover quickly. They are great with the ball in their zone and witches hats when it's not and the opposition figure this out.

I think this expresses my issues with Carlton as a whole. A team that can get 5 or 6 goals up when the game is on their terms and still lose by 7 or 10 when it's all of a sudden not is a team that is great with the ball in hand and at their advantage and terrible with the ball at the opposition's advantage and in their hands. I think it's an example of where our defensive issues lie. Not saying Kennedy is the problem, but because we have Cripps and a few other inept defensive types in our midfield, we will struggle carrying guys with too many defensive weaknesses like Kennedy.

Port Adelaide had the same issue a few years back with Rockliff. Rockliff was a gun player but they had a few of these types and with all of them they were too immobile, slow and defensively inept and when his form slipped a little, he was the one to miss out. I think we will have the same issues with Cripps and Kennedy in the same team. I'd love to have them both in the side as I rate their footy and like how they play but with the way the game is played now and how it's defended and won and lost and with where our problems lie, we are going to struggle to do this and win a premiership I feel.

Kennedy is a handy footballer who probably isn't the greatest fit for our side. He's never going to be an A grader but he's still a good footballer. He's going to play games next season but I have some big questions around our defensive capabilities with our side if Cripps and Kennedy and a few others are in the team.

I don't think Kennedy can be elite, I think he can be a very good player who will have his limitations and I feel we probably have to make a decision between Cripps of Kennedy if we are to fix our defensive issues and become premiership quality. That may not be next year but will have to be soon. Cerra and Hewett will bring some intensity to the midfield I hope some of our young players step up as well. Can we be a good defensive unit with Cripps and Kennedy in the midfield? I have my doubts but that will be one for the coach to figure out.

I think we will let the season play out and answer these questions for us. I hope he does well again for us and it would be nice to have him in and still be a strong defensive unit. Just how we do that, I don't know, that will be something for the coaches to ponder over.
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needs the gman to run through his tapes with him........
 
Poor Matty - only good for contested marks, goals, tackles and winning hard ball get contests - useless at everything else.

Need more runtish run in circles and missed tackles and inablity to take a mark kick a goal or halve a contest from exciting 'talents' like Setterfield/Dow/Fisher/Cottrell/LoB and co - because they can run sideways faster whilst flapping limpish arms waiving like half-masted wind turbines and corralling opposition into goals.
 

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JustaBattler said:
Need more runtish run in circles and missed tackles and inablity to take a mark kick a goal or halve a contest from exciting 'talents' like Setterfield/Dow/Fisher/Cottrell/LoB and co - because they can run sideways faster whilst flapping limpish arms waiving like half-masted wind turbines and corralling opposition into goals.
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Strongly disagree with you JaB.

I think we have way too many of those types already...





















Oh, wait. Hang on a second...... ;)
 
gbatman said:
He's turned himself into a competitor which is crucial for making a long AFL career. A few years ago he wasn't but somewhere along the line things clicked. He's just got to keep doing what he's doing.
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ts;dr
 
JustaBattler said:
never let the facts get in the way of a good story....
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Watching that makes me want to cut the sleeves of my work suit, get some tatts and try and headbut an inanimate object of sorts. Awesome.

You could not put a highlights reel like that together for majority on the list from this season gone. His ability to commit his head over the ball first and subsequently winning contest after contest was A grade. Good synergy with Walsh on numerous occasions. Watching that you realise we get so preoccupied on the cants you forget that he is a bonafide serious footballer. Makes you question the impact of his ankles on the last few years. I get that Cripps and he are B1 and B2 in terms of attributes however put some pace around the two and I think you have a pretty formidable couple of inside animals. Kennedy's cream also being can go forward and kick straight.
 
Dramoth said:
Title is wrong... should be back on the senior list for 2022.

But that being said, getting dropped to the rookie list has allowed him the time to recover from any issues he had and has let him work on the things the club wanted him to work on without the pressure from us know it all supporters. I hope he really smashes it next year under Voss.
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Kennedy is an elite kick, mark, tackler and generally one touch at the stoppages. His 2nd efforts, blocks before and after the contest are rare compared to many of the players on our list, has great team ethos. Suffered from an ankle injury most of 2020, but we saw many of those elite/solid attributes 2nd half of 2021.

Sure, not the most agile or quickest player going around, but has lost that extra weight and looked to be moving a fair bit better. I think a more contested gameplan will continue to help Kennedy's game and can/does win his own pill

If H is resting on the pine or doing a stint in the ruck, would like to see Kennedy playing out of the square when he is rotating/resting forward
 
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Arr0w said:
Kennedy is an elite kick, mark, tackler and generally one touch at the stoppages. His 2nd efforts, blocks before and after the contest are rare compared to many of the players on our list, has great team ethos. Suffered from an ankle injury most of 2020, but we saw many of those elite/solid attributes 2nd half of 2021.

Sure, not the most agile or quickest player going around, but has lost that extra weight and looked to be moving a fair bit better. I think a more contested gameplan will continue to help Kennedy's game and can/does win his own pill

If H is resting on the pine or doing a stint in the ruck, would like to see Kennedy playing out of the square when he is rotating/resting forward
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After watching the vid, I had forgot how solid kennedy was this year. He’s a definite starting round 1 for mine.
 
Arr0w said:
Kennedy is an elite kick, mark, tackler and generally one touch at the stoppages. His 2nd efforts, blocks before and after the contest are rare compared to many of the players on our list, has great team ethos. Suffered from an ankle injury most of 2020, but we saw many of those elite/solid attributes 2nd half of 2021.

Sure, not the most agile or quickest player going around, but has lost that extra weight and looked to be moving a fair bit better. I think a more contested gameplan will continue to help Kennedy's game and can/does win his own pill

If H is resting on the pine or doing a stint in the ruck, would like to see Kennedy playing out of the square when he is rotating/resting forward
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Voss has plenty of options - Charlie | McGovern can both be decent in the square options when Harry is having a breather - but yeah Kennedy is a very strong contested mark and a trustworthy kick at goals - cant see him being omitted easily because of his versatility and footy brain as well as his now well-proven skill sets. People who are harping on about his slow leg speed are about 6 months behind the reality of his on-field performance.

Kennedy will be around (if he chooses to be) long after a few current BF crowd favourite runts are pizzed orf at the end of the year..too much talent in Carroll/Philp/Stocker/Kemp with better midfield attributes to waste on fumbling non-tacklers anyway.
 
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Doro said:
I like what he adds with his marking and goal kicking ability. Question mark on his defensive running with both Cripps and Setterfield in the side, so it'll interesting what blend Voss goes with.
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Historically, in recent years, there has been a question mark over everyone of our players' defensive running.

(maybe Walsh aside)

Defence is a team thing.
 
4flagsin5yrs said:
Historically, in recent years, there has been a question mark over everyone of our players' defensive running.

(maybe Walsh aside)

Defence is a team thing.
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I've said several times that I like Kennedy in the side. His leg speed is a deficiency that may or may not be an issue depending on who else is playing. Please stop quoting me, I'm sick of having the same conversation over and over.
 
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