Opinion Best Guesses - what game changes will MM make to how Carlton plays and why?

[JustaBattler]

There seems to be a view out there that Malthouse has a fixed idea on how the game should be played. The tag words associated with commentary include boundary line, defensive mindset, running both ways, avoid up the middle, cluster defence..I am sure I have missed some others.

Common sense suggests that a change in the way MM wants the team to play will make some things easier and some things harder - which might lead to significant changes in who is regarded as definite starting 22 versus the rest.

I thought a discussion about how the forum sees things changing and why. Also some ideas about who the likely players who will thrive under MM and those that might do less well and why.

Are we in for a more boring but more consistent Carlton? Or will the baby be thrown out with the bathwater and some of our exciting players - restricted in what they are or are not allowed to do?

Do we have the personel to do a better job of the 'Malthouse way' than Collingwood? Or does MM have the opportunity to develop some kind of hybrid game - employing the best of what he achieved at Collingwood and the best Carlton achieved under Ratten ?

Thoughts?

 

[Menzel 2 Murphy]

I wouldn't be surprised if we leave a forward in the 50 deep one out and see a return of every player behind the the ball in the oppositions half, when we get possession of the ball i think, Watson or Tuohy will be the go to men.....Yarran will play forward, along with Eddie and Garlett....once our designated long kicker(Tuohy and Watson) find posession, nice big torpedo puntinto space, with the three amigos bolting forwards........i also think we will see a trend of taking kick ins very quickly, not allowing the zone to set up in time

 

[Menzel 2 Murphy]

I choose to coin the phrase "Malthouse's Meadows"

 

[Blue since 72]

I've seen a fair bit of dribble on the main board (unusual I know) mainly from opposition supporters suggesting good old Mick will have the Blues playing up the boundary line and essentially doing the same thing he did 3 years ago with the Pies.

TBH I just can't see this happening.

One of the biggest benefits Mick would have got from being a commentator last year was to be able to assess every other team's game plan and while I acknowledge teams continually tweek their plan I doubt there will be a radical departure by any team from last season.

We will see a greater emphasis on defense across the board but particularly from the midfield, greater use of our longer kickers out of defense which will aid faster ball movement through transition, faster ball movement in general and a combination of boundary and corridor transition play (the last two parts could very well be pre determined set plays at various stages throughout a game).

Reckon he will also still ignore employing hard tags, the benefit of which does free up that player to be involved more in team play (read general defensive play in particular) rather than concentrating on a particular opposition player.

We've all heard Mick's mantra of defense first and I reckon it will really help our game, particularly considering we have a number of seriously quick players in the squad who can take advantage on the rebound.

 

[Menzel 2 Murphy]

I think it will be two seperate game plans, quite simply, one willbe set for with the ball and one for without the ball......Mick is no dummy, he knows the game has changed since his last season in charge.....all the playing along the boundary stuff is just a smokescreen to catch teams unaware.....opposition coaches will be stupid and study how Mick set up with The Pies......there is zero chance we adopt his game plan at the Pies......the game has evolved, and so has Mick!

 

[Dramoth]

I think that Mick will try and exploit our pace on the break to get around opposition defensive floods. I can see Tuohy or Watson taking the kick in and getting it to a tall on the HB line. From there, we will spread and run in all directions changing the focus of attack quickly to stop the opposition from setting up a zone in our forward line. You will see both of our big forwards leading in opposite directions to drag the defence around and then we will either hit them up or aim for one of our small/medium forwards.

There will be minimum chipping along the boundary line with Micks plans for Carlton. He knows we have some serious speed in the side (including our talls) and will be looking to utilise that speed on the spread to break up defences.

If we use the chip it around the boundary, it's a waste of our talent and speed and someone needs to be shot.

 

[Menzel 2 Murphy]

I think that Mick will try and exploit our pace on the break to get around opposition defensive floods. I can see Tuohy or Watson taking the kick in and getting it to a tall on the HB line. From there, we will spread and run in all directions changing the focus of attack quickly to stop the opposition from setting up a zone in our forward line. You will see both of our big forwards leading in opposite directions to drag the defence around and then we will either hit them up or aim for one of our small/medium forwards.

There will be minimum chipping along the boundary line with Micks plans for Carlton. He knows we have some serious speed in the side (including our talls) and will be looking to utilise that speed on the spread to break up defences.

If we use the chip it around the boundary, it's a waste of our talent and speed and someone needs to be shot.

I reckon we will have a lot of grunt players, feeding the ball out...being physical etc, Robinson, Cachia, Bell, McLean, Curnow, Carrazzo being the foot soldiers...probably using more handball than kick that group, whilst having specialist wingers....Lucas on one, Simpson on the other getting in position for handball receives.......guys that can actually kick, this is why i can see O'Keefe featuring sometime this season if he stays healthy

 

[Dramoth]

I reckon we will have a lot of grunt players, feeding the ball out...being physical etc, Robinson, Cachia, Bell, McLean, Curnow, Carrazzo being the foot soldiers...probably using more handball than kick that group, whilst having specialist wingers....Lucas on one, Simpson on the other getting in position for handball receives.......guys that can actually kick, this is why i can see O'Keefe featuring sometime this season if he stays healthy

Thats a good call. But the thing is that Carlton spreads quickly and utilises kicks and handpasses better than just about any other side going.

If Mick adapts his plan for us using our pace, we will just about be unstoppable.

 

[Menzel 2 Murphy]

the fact we aren't training with much contact, really points to them actually being very physical, bullying teams, imho.... Mick knows that the players need to be fresh going into a season...both physically and mentaly......the key position players will stand strong, playing a lot of the game time.... the midfield rotation will be Yarran, Betts, Garlett starting forward but moving into the middle, so Robbo, can rest in the forwards, perhaps swapping with Yarran, by then the opposition mids being beaten up, will have to contend with Yarran, Betts and garlett running all over them. watch out for higher scoring 2nd halfs than first halfs....just attrition really

 

[toomuchsparetime]

to be honest everything we are going to say ratten would have tried at one stage or another.

getting them team to work as a whole group is the main challenge for any coach.

in the end you've got to get the ball, move it forward and kick goals. this is what i think mick malthouse will emphasise.

 

[Menzel 2 Murphy]

to be honest everything we are going to say ratten would have tried at one stage or another.

getting them team to work as a whole group is the main challenge for any coach.

in the end you've got to get the ball, move it forward and kick goals. this is what i think mick malthouse will emphasise.

yes. but you also need to preserve the players, alot of teams run out of gas around 3/4 time

 

[toomuchsparetime]

yes. but you also need to preserve the players, alot of teams run out of gas around 3/4 time

not sure i'm taking you the right way here, but are you suggesting mick is a drug dealer?

 

[Menzel 2 Murphy]

haha, fair play

 

[JustaBattler]

to be honest everything we are going to say ratten would have tried at one stage or another.

getting them team to work as a whole group is the main challenge for any coach.

in the end you've got to get the ball, move it forward and kick goals. this is what i think mick malthouse will emphasise.

Sounds simple I guess but when you have an opposition that wants to do exactly the same thing to you - thats when things get a little more complicated..
Liking the idea of big second half scores coming - but our inside mids have to do the job in the first place - Bell / Curnow have to stand up and give McLean/Carrazzo a big helping hand to free Murphy/Judd Gibbs/Garlett/Simpson..for mine it is one of the big questions - can a couple of teh younger now bigger bodies blokes stand up and have a break through year..will go a long way to freeing up our potential gamebusters..otherwise Murph/Judd/Gibbs will be doing all the grunt work - which would be a continued waste of attacking spread and talent.

 

[Menzel 2 Murphy]

Tom Bell, Cachia, Robbo, Ellard possibly could free Judd and Murphy up

 

[Jeremias]

No doubt there will be changes but it remains to be seen whether they are to be minor, or drastic.

We need to see more of the boys in action before we can really get this discussion moving, as pre-season training sessions & one intra-club match simply isn't enough to tell the story.

In the past Mick has shown preference to moving the ball along the boundary line rather than through the corridor. I think there is merit to that for a number of different reasons, which I won't go into now. What was noticeable to me in the first intra-club was that we did seem to be using the boundary more than we have in the past, and we really didn't go straight through the middle of the ground on a regular basis. Whether that translates to game-day remains to be seen but I believe it will to an extent.

An area of our game in which I feel we will see some real structure under Mick is the kick-outs and moving the ball out of the defensive 50. Over the past few seasons this area of our game has seemed to be a real weakness. We had a structure in place for sure, but it wasn't clean. We have a number of outstanding users of the football in the side and I hope we see them given the majority of kick-ins for 2013. Watson, Tuohy, Gibbs and Yarran in my opinion have the best skills at the club and we should give the ball to them as much as possible as we move out of the backline.

Mick is all about the team working together as a cohesive unit and I expect to see that reflected in the way the players conduct themselves on the field. That doesn't mean that it is expected that each week, every player will have a blinder. We know that won't happen because it is impossible - there are going to be weeks where both individuals, and the team as a whole, performs below expectation. We've shown general improvement in the area, but too often too much is left to too little. No longer can we afford to have certain players carry us. Each player in the side will have a clearly defined role and they either meet/exceed expectation, or fail to reach a level expected of them. Unlike Ratts who (somewhat understandably) only chopped and changed things when injuries gave no other alternative, I feel that Malthouse won't be afraid to rotate the squad, particularly if players aren't performing to an acceptable level. I'm quite comfortable with how we sit in terms of our depth and expect to see a fair few players used, injuries or no injuries. Mick has never been afraid to throw some younger players straight into the deep end to see if they sink or swim, and I don't expect him to deviate too far from that mentality. Most players will get an opportunity to show that they can fill a role prescribed by the coaching group and as a result our depth should continue to thrive.

Flexibility throughout the playing group is increasing in importance across the league. Ratts was a big fan of flexibility and it seems that Mick is too. Personally I believe flexibility to be of huge benefit on game day and I expect to see players moved around in different roles at certain stages. Hopefully the NAB Cup is used to really test players in a number of positions which they may not be completely used to playing at AFL level. A big example of this is Jeffy who, in the past, hasn't done much outside of deep in the forward line and therefore if the midfield is struggling to supply the forwards, he struggles to get into the game. Mick certainly won't like that and is keen to expand Jeffy's game. We can't conclude much from one game but Jeffy played more up the ground during the intra-club match than I've ever seen him do before, so much so that I hardly saw him as I was always looking for him deep in the forward 50. Under Mick I get the feeling that he won't accept players being limited to just the one specialist position - to contribute and contribute well you need to be able to do so in a number of positions across the field.

The other major change, and a lot of this goes down to luck, is player availability. Before last season we got physical and suffered as a result. We didn't play well at all at stages throughout the season but a huge contributor to us missing out on finals football was our injuries and a lack of continuity amongst the playing group. This season tells a different story thus far, we've clearly held back a fair bit without it hindering our preparation for the season. Teams with enormous injury lists and little continuity don't win the flag, it's as simple as that. The teams that do win the flag invariably have relatively small injury lists, leading to continuity and stability on the field. Not for a moment am I suggesting we'll win the flag if we remain injury-free, but we put ourselves in a significantly better position than we would be in if, once again, injuries hit hard.

 

[Beer n Skittles]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-01-30/roll-out-the-barrel

CARLTON coach Mick Malthouse is considering bringing back the 'barrel'.
..."We don't want to be predictable. We want to have as many plays in our playbook as possible, and try to penetrate the opposition's defence as many different ways as we can, because that makes it harder for the opposition to pick you off"

Doesn't sound like boundary line footy to me.

IMO we'll see very direct ball movement. Last year when there was no good option downfield the ball would get flicked around, back & forth across the field to try and make a hole. It resulted in far too many turnovers in the end.

Defensively we may not have the personnel to play a zone defense quite as well as Collingwood do. Seem to go ok 1 on 1 anyway (except against small forwards)

 

[Menzel 2 Murphy]

Maybe attack down the wings and defend through the middle, big bodied players owning the corridor and if they get a turnover dispose to a run and carry type

 

[Menzel 2 Murphy]

Maybe Judd becomes a predominantly an outside runner, it could prolong his career an extra year, maybe he could even fill in for Scotland on the back flank, it would make sense, tough marshall of the defence OUT, tough leader that could still rotate into the mids like Heath IN also both rarely beaten, one on one

 

[goreds]

Overwhelm, press high, numbers numbers numbers, block, hit the scoreboard...

Run and carry, know your role, hit the scoreboard...

Get it to the kickers, go long, know your role, hit the scoreboard...

Take your pick!!

 

[thylacine60]

to be honest everything we are going to say ratten would have tried at one stage or another.

getting them team to work as a whole group is the main challenge for any coach.

in the end you've got to get the ball, move it forward and kick goals. this is what i think mick malthouse will emphasise.

 

[Sanders]

Coaches today are more managers, than old school coaches of yesteryear.

What has made Mick who he is, is his ability to adapt and his talent for performing the executive level management of specialists.

So he's very good at delegating, challenging, analysing at a strategic level industry trends and opportunities, and taking all these inputs to formulate and communicate an overall game plan & strategy.

His talent is making the big calls, man management and getting the best out of those people.

Nothing about that says he is wedded to the past, or a fixed ideology.

I see 2013 being a year of transition game plan wise from the old to his vision of what suits your club & list. I.e. more minor tweaks, mixed with old staples in short term - things like more boundary running out of defense; but without the key forward up front, i see more switching inside forward of centre.

Unless he tries to turn hampson into his dawes

 

[Dramoth]

Coaches today are more managers, than old school coaches of yesteryear.

What has made Mick who he is, is his ability to adapt and his talent for performing the executive level management of specialists.

So he's very good at delegating, challenging, analysing at a strategic level industry trends and opportunities, and taking all these inputs to formulate and communicate an overall game plan & strategy.

His talent is making the big calls, man management and getting the best out of those people.

Nothing about that says he is wedded to the past, or a fixed ideology.

I see 2013 being a year of transition game plan wise from the old to his vision of what suits your club & list. I.e. more minor tweaks, mixed with old staples in short term - things like more boundary running out of defense; but without the key forward up front, i see more switching inside forward of centre.

Unless he tries to turn hampson into his dawes

A bit early Dawes there... but I think that Hampson is better than Dawes already!

 

[Jock]

Expectation on attacking the ball - He won't accept half arsed attempts, players that don't keep their bodies behind the ball and don't bend down and overrun the ball. Walker and Yarran will be challenged by MM I'd say.
Running both ways - Players will be expected to push back twice as hard as previously when we don't have the ball.
I will be rapt to see the likes of Murphy get 30 posies instead of 35 but push back to stop a couple of goals a match. I'm not so sure about the game style etc. However these two traits are obvious to MM sides.

 

[Menzel 2 Murphy]

Expectation on attacking the ball - He won't accept half arsed attempts, players that don't keep their bodies behind the ball and don't bend down and overrun the ball. Walker and Yarran will be challenged by MM I'd say.
Running both ways - Players will be expected to push back twice as hard as previously when we don't have the ball.
I will be rapt to see the likes of Murphy get 30 posies instead of 35 but push back to stop a couple of goals a match. I'm not so sure about the game style etc. However these two traits are obvious to MM sides.

i think delaying the ball carrier is enough, just as long as we can get everyone behind of centre and ready to reset