Carlton are the one to watch out for - They can win The Premiership

[Blue1980]

It’s actually a good sign that they’ve won while their midfield was down.

Previously they’ve been overly reliant on midfield domination.

As the season continues on I find it very hard to believe a midfield with Cripps, Hewett, Cerra, Kennedy and maybe Walsh is going to struggle winning clearances.

Seems this has been the plan so far under Voss

2022 - work on contested side of the game, ultra hard to beat in a contest. Still lacked wingmen and running capacity, so vulnerable to that.

2023 - team defence, be really hard to breakdown. Looked awful middle of the year but even then we weren’t being blown away.

2024 - turnover game, get that going with quick ball movement. Teething issue at the moment seems to be our contested game has suffered a bit, and sometimes have lacked that combativeness we had last year.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Seems this has been the plan so far under Voss

2022 - work on contested side of the game, ultra hard to beat in a contest. Still lacked wingmen and running capacity, so vulnerable to that.

2023 - team defence, be really hard to breakdown. Looked awful middle of the year but even then we weren’t being blown away.

2024 - turnover game, get that going with quick ball movement. Teething issue at the moment seems to be our contested game has suffered a bit, and sometimes have lacked that combativeness we had last year.

Think our turnover game will improve a fair bit when our injured players are back. Contested game seems to come and go depending on how banged up Cripps and Kennedy are. Cerra a bit out of form too

 

[Juddernaut08]

definitely in the mix. bookies have us 4th fav which is about right.

zero chance without walsh though

 

[Bagger72]

I's like to think so but injuries have already curtailed our best 22 in the final day

 

[HairyO]

Only if they are awarded from a stoppage. Besides that, if you have the ball at a stoppage and are infringed upon, then you have genuinely won the stoppage. It's not like they are gifts.

There were a bunch of gifts to Carlton from the umpires.

Cripps tackled 3 separate times without disposing then throws himself forward and gets a free for in the back. That was terrible.

 

[Juddernaut08]

There were a bunch of gifts to Carlton from the umpires.

Cripps tackled 3 separate times without disposing then throws himself forward and gets a free for in the back. That was terrible.

He had 2 frees for the game.

Stop making s**t up, you add nothing but negativity to this forum and likely to those you meet in person.

 

[carlton_99]

At one point they had 26 clearances. Of those, 24 were from free kicks.

How did this comment not get any attention - one of the more bizarre things I have seen on BF.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

I can't believe I'm batting for Carlton. But never let your bias get in the way of a good yarn.

Ok so how many close games did we win last year? And really should have lost both games to The Crows. But we didn't. We won them. and won the flag.

Brisbane made the Granny and also were pushed to the brink at home by The Crows. Where did the Crows play last year in September? Exactly. But let's be honest they would have been there if not for some pathetic umpiring against Sydney who made it at their expense. That's the fine margins we're talking though as Adelaide played well and lost and missed out and in some games we played below par, won, and went on to win the Premiership.

Certain teams struggle against others it's a fact of Sport. On any given day anything can, will, and does happen. Teams go through slumps and teams go through streaks. Richmond and West Coast in recent years are prime examples. I'll say it again at the end of the day they're 2 from 2 and that's a hell of a lot better then being 0-2 or 1-1. Just get it done it's how you be number 1.

You can't knock their talent pool. You can't knock them beating Brisbane in Brisbane and you can't take away their Prelim Final from last year. If they had some luck recently some might claim well they were on the flip side of that coin in 2022 getting rolled with 9 seconds left off the boot of Pickett and then Elliot doing what Elliot does in destroying teams hopes and dreams off his own boot ( couldn't resist that one sorry I had to )

Kerno is a Coleman medalist. McKay's Monkey well and truly off the back and they still have a bunch of small forwards to come back into the side.

Bloody Dangerous.

 

[CCurnow3votes]

Swans, GWS and Brisbane are going to be hard to beat. So many options in the forward lines and the rest of the teams looking pretty stacked too.

We'd need a Curnow and Mckay masterclass to get past any of the 3 in a big game imo, we just don't have much else going for us up forward in comparison.

Wait for Martin, Motlop, Walsh & E Hollands to make their way back in.

The forward line will be transformed brother!

 

[Robertio]

How did this comment not get any attention - one of the more bizarre things I have seen on BF.

Because he wants attention mate.

 

[joy division]

The Brisbane win was great but it was vengeful for their last game of 2023. The Richmond game wasn’t inspiring imo but a wins a win. Sydney look stronger imo.

They can win every H&A this year but finals footy talks.

 

[Worm4]

What I've seen so far -
1 -Swans ranked 1 on strength of beating the premiers and melbourne
2 -GwS very close behind
3 -Gold Coast
4 -Carlton

Subject to change after this weekend results

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

There were a bunch of gifts to Carlton from the umpires.

Cripps tackled 3 separate times without disposing then throws himself forward and gets a free for in the back. That was terrible.

Okay. First, I just want to acknowledge that you have moved on from the ridiculous assertion that free kicks are recorded as clearances. Kudos.

Secondly, I'm going to assume that your observations are based on your observations while watching the game live, and not from a forensic re-watching where you looked at free kicks given and not given.

Neither of us can confidently argue the umpiring without doing that, and then giving a time stamped analysis.

 

[Tomford]

Reminds me of 2012…

 

[Jeremias]

Reminds me of 2012…

Well, if North beat us in round 4 hopefully it’s not for the same reason Essendon managed to in 2012…

 

[Juddernaut08]

Well, if North beat us in round 4 hopefully it’s not for the same reason Essendon managed to in 2012…

round 3

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Big Blue break: Carlton takes unique approach to early-season bye

Carlton's players won't return to training until later this week after an unusual approach to the early rounds

www.afl.com.au

 

[Ambrosia]

Weitering will be a huge in for them. Looked very shaky when the Tiges got anything resembling a good entry

 

[Jeremias]

Weitering will be a huge in for them. Looked very shaky when the Tiges got anything resembling a good entry

Easily our most important player. So yes, he'll be a massive inclusion for us when he's fit and ready to go.

To be winning without him is seriously impressive, even if it for the most part hasn't been pretty football.

 

[citizen-erased]

Over-the-top Carlton hype train started by a Pies supporter

View attachment 1928352

hahaha
reverse moz!

I don't have them top 4 in the comp early, but they're yet to get Walsh and Weitering back.
Ball movement is still a little poor/wayward, but if they straighten up, those twin towers are good targets.

 

[carlton_99]

Ball movement is still a little poor/wayward, but if they straighten up, those twin towers are good targets.

Think the final ball i50 needs some more work but we have seen much improvement in terms of our transition game. Pretty sure our scores from turnover have been much higher so far compared to what we were getting in 2023 where we were more reliant on clearance.

Think it's largely off having more elite ball users off the HB including McGovern, Boyd, Williams, Saad and Newman. With Weitering to come back who is one of our better kicks it should only continue to improve. Walsh's running ability will also help with this when he comes back (hopefully soon!)

Alsp hoping the addition of Martin, E.Hollands and Motlop will help us get more out of our i50 entries.

 

[Juddernaut08]

Big Blue break: Carlton takes unique approach to early-season bye

Carlton's players won't return to training until later this week after an unusual approach to the early rounds

www.afl.com.au

This is surprising. Like they were almost ready to sacrifice performance in the first 2 weeks?

 

[GC2015]

First real test for Carlton coming up this weekend against fellow undefeated side Fremantle on a neutral ground in Adelaide. So far the Blues have only faced bottom 6 opposition (2 of which are winless in 2024) so this game should give us a better gauge on where they currently sit.

 

[Kreuuuzeurns]

First real test for Carlton coming up this weekend against fellow undefeated side Fremantle on a neutral ground in Adelaide. So far the Blues have only faced bottom 6 opposition (2 of which are winless in 2024) so this game should give us a better gauge on where they currently sit.

The first game against Brisbane was supposed to be the test. We passed that, 3 weeks later the win is meaningless.

We will win the next two games and no doubt you will move the goalposts again before the GWS game.

You did the same thing for the last 10 rounds of 2023.

It’s a bit boring.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

First real test for Carlton coming up this weekend against fellow undefeated side Fremantle on a neutral ground in Adelaide. So far the Blues have only faced bottom 6 opposition (2 of which are winless in 2024) so this game should give us a better gauge on where they currently sit.

Who?