Mid season report card

[Aphrodite]

Mid-season report card

CARLTON

Win/Loss: 8-1-2 Ladder: 3rd
Next four: Syd, WC, Rich, WB
Flag odds: $7.50

SuperCoach hero: Marc Murphy (118)

In a nutshell: Rapidly closing on top-four qualification. Playing an unrelenting style of football -- based on contested ball and tackling - that will hold it in good stead when the whips are cracking.

Mid-season report card

 

[Aphrodite]

The Age's version ............

Half time report

CARLTON (3rd, 3rd)

WHAT'S GONE RIGHT: The season began with debate about Brett Ratten's future, but the wins have come, allowing the club to focus on what counts. A string of players — Mitch Robinson, Andrew Walker, Chris Yarran and Michael Jameson — are having career-best seasons, and Chris Judd and Marc Murphy are having blinders.

WHAT'S GONE WRONG: The Blues have just fallen short against the big-two, although Robbie Warnock's sprayed kick cost them late in the game against Geelong.

THE COACH: Ratten has not been re-signed, but surely will be now. The Blues are on track to achieve their aim of playing and winning a final.

Half time report

 

[Wickzki]

Woah - Mike Sheehan is on the bandwagon pretty hard. Thinks we'll finish second now due to Selwood's suspension (out Vs St Kilda, Adelaide, Essendon and West Coast).

He doesn't give Hawthorn enough credit with their very easy remaining schedule (4 of 11 remaining games are against teams in the eight and one of those is Essendon). I wonder what the numbers on the other side are (worked it out: differential in position on ladder from now and predicted).

The Age is being pretty harsh on Lachie too. Played well on the weekend and had a massively interrupted preseason. He looks very promising.

 

[Jabba73]

Looks like they know we are coming.

 

[jj1978]

Mike is really sniffing something...

Assuming we win the remainder of our games 11/11 Geelong would have to have at least 2.5 losses in their remainder for us to leapfrog them on the ladder.

So to be realistic we probably will lose at least 2 more games for the season.. so he's expecting Geelong to lose a minimum 4.5 games out of 11 and %

The guy has become senile.

 

[NAUGHT5]

Yeah it's been a good start.

However come deep September noone remembers the first 12 rounds.
Keep going Blues

 

[HBF]

What a great feeling it is that our club is finally back to where it belongs. Up in the top echelon of the ladder, and a contender this year (although a few things would have to go our way).

All that suffering through the '00's is starting to pay off.

 

[Aphrodite]

What a great feeling it is that our club is finally back to where it belongs. Up in the top echelon of the ladder, and a contender this year (although a few things would have to go our way).

All that suffering through the '00's is starting to pay off.

What suffering.

It's all a blur now HBF

 

[thylacine60]

That's just crazy, confident talk reeking of optimism and massive pride, HBF.

 

[LemmingMaster]

It is still important to remember we've only beaten one side in the top 8. Very close to beating Geelong and Essendon, but we did not get over the line.

I look forward to the second half of the season and how we progress.

 

[olrac]

Mike is really sniffing something...

Assuming we win the remainder of our games 11/11 Geelong would have to have at least 2.5 losses in their remainder for us to leapfrog them on the ladder.

So to be realistic we probably will lose at least 2 more games for the season.. so he's expecting Geelong to lose a minimum 4.5 games out of 11 and %

The guy has become senile.

I believe his ladder is after the finals. Assuming that Geelong has to face either Collingwood and or Carlton on the way to the GF it is an each way bet weather Carlton can make the GF making the blues second.

 

[DJMacca]

It is still important to remember we've only beaten one side in the top 8. Very close to beating Geelong and Essendon, but we did not get over the line.

I look forward to the second half of the season and how we progress.

Good point. The next two weeks are huge, if we win both of them the wheels will really have to fall of for us not to finish top 4. Exciting times ahead though this is the most committed and deep Carlton team I've seen for many years.

 

[captain peanut]

pardon the intrusion

you blokes will be better than geel come sept. should have beaten them a few weeks back already. on the mcg you will run them ragged, just like the pies did in last year's prelim. and you have alot more improvement in you than they do - kreuzer and bower just off the top of my head and obviously not having as much knowledge of your team as you blokes do. cats have little if any improvement to come - their good players are ageing and have been up and running since rnd 1, and they have had to fight bloody hard to win 5 of their 11 games which has to start taking a toll at some stage

i can easily see it finishing like this - pies will overtake geel at the top, cats will finish 2nd, you blokes 3rd and any one of haw/syd/eagles in 4th. we'll both win our 1st finals, you'll get the easier prelim against the 4th placed team assuming they win their semi (which usually happens under this system) and we'll do a repeat job on the cats of the 2010 prelim. and we will meet in the GF. i hope melb's ready for a coll v carl GF again...MASSIVE

 

[BlueGibbs2011]

Things are def on the up for the Blues.

With Bower, Big K and Hendo all to improve, it would see us a strong top 4 contender so long as other injuries dont bite. We also have a few other players like Houla, Brock and Lucas who can come in at some stage and do a job.

Any team that wins a flag needs luck, and so do we. If we can continue to build and Hendo, Bower and Big K find their BEST form come seasons end, then we might be lucky enough to have a similar season like the Pies last year. Early doors they weren't a standout favourite but they continued to build as the season went on - so can we.

It also helps that the leading contender (the pies) are suffering injury woes. If this continues to Swan/Jolly, it brings them within our reach for sure.

 

[bobsyouruncle]

pardon the intrusion

you blokes will be better than geel come sept. should have beaten them a few weeks back already. on the mcg you will run them ragged, just like the pies did in last year's prelim. and you have alot more improvement in you than they do - kreuzer and bower just off the top of my head and obviously not having as much knowledge of your team as you blokes do. cats have little if any improvement to come - their good players are ageing and have been up and running since rnd 1, and they have had to fight bloody hard to win 5 of their 11 games which has to start taking a toll at some stage

i can easily see it finishing like this - pies will overtake geel at the top, cats will finish 2nd, you blokes 3rd and any one of haw/syd/eagles in 4th. we'll both win our 1st finals, you'll get the easier prelim against the 4th placed team assuming they win their semi (which usually happens under this system) and we'll do a repeat job on the cats of the 2010 prelim. and we will meet in the GF. i hope melb's ready for a coll v carl GF again...MASSIVE

I like your optimism, though the finals are a long way away. But currently the MCG is too small to hold a Coll v Carl GF. Needs at least another 80k seats IMO

 

[Tanks_Alot]

I like this pearler from The Age report when talking about our remaining draw: "only 2 games against other top-four teams"

Yeah well considering we're a top 4 team how many are we expected to play?