Geelong V Carlton pre match discussion thread.

[Last Line Hero]

This is a bit of a stupid comment.

1) What changed at Geelong fron 06 to 07? They went from 10th to 1st at a canter.

2) Half there starting team are getting into that 100 game category

3) Judd back, Walker back, a talent small forward added (Yarran), Gibbs comming into his 3rd year, A backline that for the first year in ages has now taken shape. A new 205+ cm ruckmen comming off a season when they finished last for hitouts. Kruizer is a 2nd year player now who should also improve in the ruck.

Exactly where have they not improved?

Geelong had a settled, ready- made, experienced list in 2006, and we had proven that we could be a legitimate finals contender the two years prior. It was all a matter of getting the players on the same page and changing the state we were in mentally as a club after the 06 season. Completely and utterly different to Carlton's situation as a young, up-and-coming side with a plethora of evergreen ability across the ground.

Whether or not Carlton have improved from last season is yet to be seen because they haven't played, so noone, including yourself, can say they have as yet. However, allow me to make it perfectly clear that I think they should improve as a team (in whatever fashion), and I never mean't to insinuate otherwise. But my point was, those "additions" and "changes" you mentioned will hardly result in any "gargantuan" improvements in the immediete future and it is wrong for some Carlton fans to expect that, which is what I was alerting to with my first post. On face value, the Blues have changed very little from a year ago, they remain a youthful outfit, adapting to a new gameplan, settling their structure and developing a lot of fresh faces into their system.

 

[Blues_Man]

Yeah, we are taking it real serious mate. Have you seen the names we've been leaving out of the side? What makes you assume we care, because we win? The only team that ever takes this competition seriously is Carlton. I don't even know why anyone discusses these pre- season games, who could be bothered? In fact, I hope you guys win so you can spruke about your March success and talk up a Top 4 finish with your "great" up-and-coming team, only to be found wanting when it really matters.

So why are you here discussing them then peanut ?

I suggest you take your handbag and stay down in sleepy hollow discussing how your mob choked in last years GF, and leave our board for the more discerning posters.

 

[Alpha1]

So why are you here discussing them then peanut ?

I suggest you take your handbag and stay down in sleepy hollow discussing how your mob choked in last years GF, and leave our board for the more discerning posters.

lol peanuts are delicious.

 

[Last Line Hero]

So why are you here discussing them then peanut ?

I suggest you take your handbag and stay down in sleepy hollow discussing how your mob choked in last years GF, and leave our board for the more discerning posters.

Bit late, try and keep up. Me and the discernible fans have moved on. I don't recall actually discussing this weeks game specifically either.

Regards.

 

[blue gunslinger]

This is a bit of a stupid comment.

1) What changed at Geelong fron 06 to 07? They went from 10th to 1st at a canter.

2) Half there starting team are getting into that 100 game category

3) Judd back, Walker back, a talent small forward added (Yarran), Gibbs comming into his 3rd year, A backline that for the first year in ages has now taken shape. A new 205+ cm ruckmen comming off a season when they finished last for hitouts. Kruizer is a 2nd year player now who should also improve in the ruck.

Exactly where have they not improved?

Don't expect too much from Yarran early. He has much to learn and is not a stand up starter like Gibbs or Kreuz. Take what you can this year from him. He is not the messiah!

 

[Alpha1]

I think Yarran might play 5 - 10 games this year. Maybe he might play more games if he shows something. But not expecting much of him, still a kid and has a long way to go.

 

[blue gunslinger]

Skills and development he does need time. Depends on what the others are doing a bit as well, Yarran may offer more sooner and thus may get more call ups but I will not expect 100 goals this year and a rising star!

 

[Loramarthalas]

Every year for the last fifteen seasons, one team from oustide the top 8 the previous year finishes in the top 4 the following year. Every season. For fifteen seasons. That means that is its practically certain that either Blues, Richmond, or Essendon, are going to be in the top 4 this year.

Out of those 3, the Blues are the most likely.

 

[Alpha1]

Well 6 - 8.

 

[blue gunslinger]

Every year for the last fifteen seasons, one team from oustide the top 8 the previous year finishes in the top 4 the following year. Every season. For fifteen seasons. That means that is its practically certain that either Blues, Richmond, or Essendon, are going to be in the top 4 this year.

Out of those 3, the Blues are the most likely.

we have to earn it!

 

[Warsaw]

Bloody hell, if we win, all hell will break loose.

 

[blue gunslinger]

perhaps but it is Mar not Sept

 

[martyk]

On Topic: I feel that Ratten did not want us to lose this game with a full team as much as anything else. We've gained our confidence and don't want that shattered by losing to Geelong with our best team right now.
That makes perfect sense to me.

Have any other side other than Carlton put their best team on the park in the NAB cup?? Not to be too critical but your side to me still has a wide gap between its best(excellent) and worst(terrible). The media is all over Gibbs, Murphy, Judd, Fevola etc.. it doesn't matter how good they get, a premiership side requires great competence all over the ground. Carlton's success depends on the fringe players becoming good players, not the Gibbs/Murphy types improving, they will be stars either way.

Carlton are my 2nd favorite side to watch by a country mile. The raw talent is there and they play an attractive style, which is refreshing after the Hawthorn, Collingwood, Adelaide, StKilda zone garbage. Good luck!

 

[Sublime]

Just checked for the last 10 years and the average is closer to two teams that move in to the eight from the year prior.
Sydney and North alone will find it hard to hold their ground.

On most occasions the same two teams don't battle for the premiership either, yet most have just locked in Hawthorn & Geelong almost by default.

On Topic: I feel that Ratten did not want us to lose this game with a full team as much as anything else. We've gained our confidence and don't want that shattered by losing to Geelong with our best team right now.
That makes perfect sense to me.

OR (shock horror) he is resting the core group so they're fresh and ready next week so that come round 1 our best players are ready to hit the ground running.

I highly doubt he would be trying to help team confidence because the players he's left out are the ones who have all the confidence in the world. Going by the confidence theory if this team loses by 100 points this week, it'll only hurt the younger players who need that confidence.

 

[DanA]

Don't expect too much from Yarran early. He has much to learn and is not a stand up starter like Gibbs or Kreuz. Take what you can this year from him. He is not the messiah!

I reckon he will be a standup starter. I saw him play as a junior a couple of times and I think you will be surprised. His first year will be better than Gibbs and Kruezer's, he won't reach the levels of Kruizer and Gibbs but he will have more influence as a first year player I reckon. I think he will add a new dimention to your forwardline which is much needed. A bit more cleverness and class in the vain of Steve Johnson.

 

[Sublime]

That sounds simple enough and would be the first port of call for our thinking, but we are still 3 weeks away from the opening game.
With so many subs available it would have been just as easy just to have some of those boys on the park for only half the game if need be.

It's not all about just having a look at the other boys, even though we have given virtually every one a go other then the injured group.

If we're gonna go all out to win by playing these players a half isn't going to make a difference. All or nothing really. Its just saying have this week off then its time to focus on the season. We have had two good hitouts with pretty much all our best players playing so no need for them to be in this weekend. Looks like the MC doesn't want to play in a tough final before round 1, history suggests the teams who play harder early tend to burn out.

 

[Alpha1]

I think twice bitten, twice shy for us in the NAB cup.

 

[I LOVE THE CFC]

Everything has gone 100% according to plan and people are whinging about resting players and why isn't he playing etc.

THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING!!!!

RATTEN & CORDY>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>ANYONE!

Let's all just watch what happens on sat night, see the kids, enjoy it for what it is...a scratch match and move on to Freo in Bunbury...absolutely belt the living bejesus out of them and be in red hot form and ready to go come RD1 where the poor old Tiges won't know whats him them.

 

[celtic_pride]

If we're gonna go all out to win by playing these players a half isn't going to make a difference. All or nothing really. Its just saying have this week off then its time to focus on the season. We have had two good hitouts with pretty much all our best players playing so no need for them to be in this weekend. Looks like the MC doesn't want to play in a tough final before round 1, history suggests the teams who play harder early tend to burn out.

I would have thought that carrying winning form and momentum into round 1 would have been extremely helpful as well.

I don't really subscribe to the theory that clubs that do well in the NAB Cup tend to burn out late in the seasons, the Sainters won the NAB Cup last and displayed some of their best form all year towards the end of the season, and played a pretty decent final against Collingwood.

Also can someone please tell my why 'Fev' should be rested, the man is looking in amazing shape, has got a very resiliant and strong body (has only missed like 5 games in 3 years or something I'm lead to believe) and his form was looking sharp ...

 

[Sublime]

I would have thought that carrying winning form and momentum into round 1 would have been extremely helpful as well.

I don't really subscribe to the theory that clubs that do well in the NAB Cup tend to burn out late in the seasons, the Sainters won the NAB Cup last and displayed some of their best form all year towards the end of the season, and played a pretty decent final against Collingwood.

Also can someone please tell my why 'Fev' should be rested, the man is looking in amazing shape, has got a very resiliant and strong body (has only missed like 5 games in 3 years or something I'm lead to believe) and his form was looking sharp ...

If you're going to rest a few important players you may as well rest them all. Its pretty obvious we don't particularly want to win this match. If you can minimise the workload on players as much as possible, especially the most important ones then that can only be positive.

 

[Salaryman]

Carrying good form from the NAB into round 1 has served us so well in the past .

We know we are a competitive side now with a deeper list. We are fitter, stronger and play with more confidence than a few years ago..... prefer to manage the players as opposed to try to carry form over from the NAB

 

[Alpha1]

And some of the players reported they were a bit sore as well.

 

[Silvagnis]

Others will disagree, but it's a shame we're not resting Kreuzer as well.

We know what Kreuzer can do and he's still growing and filling out.

Jacobs and Hampson need the game time.

I would love to see us pick this squad.

I'm not sure how many players you can pick including the subs.

B: Armfield Jamison Thornton
HB: Johnson Bower Joseph
C: Russell Hadley Grigg
HF: Yarran Cloke Wiggins
F: Betts Edwards Fisher
R: Jacobs Stevens Ellard

I/C: Hampson Bentley Kreuzer Browne Austin O'Keeffe

Subs: Garlett Pfeiffer

 

[Alpha1]

Maybe they could have rested Kruz as well. But I think they want to see what it would be like having him as a target up forward. We all know he is quick on the lead and has great hands, he is also very good below the knees. It's going to be interesting to see how the very young forward line take on Geelong. Yarran, Betts, Garlet will rotate through the forward line I would say?.

 

[J-Train]

The only reason I'm disappointed in the decision is that after we caned North the other week i thought, we are going to go for the win this year and backed the Blues at good odds. There is a good chance we wouldn't have gotten over the Cats this week anyway, but with all our stars putting their feet up, my ticket is confetti.