Our captains need to step up

[1981]

Cripps and Doc had plenty of it against Port, if you look at the stats sheet it looks like they did well. But there's more to it than racking up numbers. The game against Port illustrated that. We had more inside 50s and shots but the way we used the ball we were never a chance and the gulf between us and Port in terms of ball use was startling.

In my opinion our two leaders need to step up. Cripps kicking for goal is atrocious. He may have kicked a couple set shots a week or two ago but against a top team in Port in a litmus test his missed set shot from point blank in front was just unacceptable. What kind of captain misses shots like that? And Doc has has some terrible one on one contests early in recent weeks , contests where he should have easily punched the ball to spoil but hasn't been able to and has been out marked. Like Cripps' miss Doc's pathetic one on one effort happened early in the games.

These failing set the tone early in games. It's simply not good enough from our so called leaders. Think of what the word Lead means!! Just think about it. Neither of these two are performing at a level I'd expect from a Carlton captain. They both need to step it up big time. It's 22 players but you need your leaders excelling and right now our leaders have disappointed especially early in games.

 

[RAPPA]

Regardless of their captaincy titles, you can’t keep fluffing set shots from 30 metres out or drop regulation chest marks. We excel at doing the basics wrong time and time again.

 

[Big Red is back]

Our issues are far bigger than this. Unfortunately, the drafts in which we targeted mids are looking to be poor. LOB is a clear bust, Dow almost certain to be a bust and SPS is at best a depth player. We need to see at least one of those players ideally two become elite mids.

Our midfield is devoid of highly talented depth and unfortunately, Zac Williams is more a wing or half-back.

On top of this other young running players appear to have stagnated such as Williamson.

Until we can find another 2 or 3 B plus mids we will at best be a middle of the road team.

Asking for more from the captains is fine but in reality, the impact is negligible we have far bigger issues than that.

 

[1981]

I can't see Teague getting stuck into his leaders.

 

[1981]

Our issues are far bigger than this. Unfortunately, the drafts in which we targeted mids are looking to be poor. LOB is a clear bust, Dow almost certain to be a bust and SPS is at best a depth player. We need to see at least one of those players ideally two become elite mids.

Our midfield is devoid of highly talented depth and unfortunately, Zac Williams is more a wing or half-back.

On top of this other young running players appear to have stagnated such as Williamson.

Until we can find another 2 or 3 B plus mids we will at best be a middle of the road team.

Asking for more from the captains is fine but in reality, the impact is negligible we have far bigger issues than that.

Yes obviously there are lots of problems but this thread is about the leaders, there's plenty of other threads to raise other issues. Not having a go, I just think we need to draw attention to our so called leaders. They don't get off Scott free.

 

[Dunna Heartknee]

Cripps and Doc had plenty of it against Port, if you look at the stats sheet it looks like they did well. But there's more to it than racking up numbers. The game against Port illustrated that. We had more inside 50s and shots but the way we used the ball we were never a chance and the gulf between us and Port in terms of ball use was startling.

In my opinion our two leaders need to step up. Cripps kicking for goal is atrocious. He may have kicked a couple set shots a week or two ago but against a top team in Port in a litmus test his missed set shot from point blank in front was just unacceptable. What kind of captain misses shots like that? And Doc has has some terrible one on one contests early in recent weeks , contests where he should have easily punched the ball to spoil but hasn't been able to and has been out marked. Like Cripps' miss Doc's pathetic one on one effort happened early in the games.

These failing set the tone early in games. It's simply not good enough from our so called leaders. Think of what the word Lead means!! Just think about it. Neither of these two are performing at a level I'd expect from a Carlton captain. They both need to step it up big time. It's 22 players but you need your leaders excelling and right now our leaders have disappointed especially early in games.

On the contrary. Them trying to step up is detriment to their performance, they are both trying to do to much.
Maybe the requirement is simple, by reverting back to what got them there in the first place.

 

[windows1]

On the contrary. Them trying to step up is detriment to their performance, they are both trying to do to much.
Maybe the requirement is simple, by reverting back to what got them there in the first place.

This. We need them to be reliable players. Let their relative strengths shine naturally and don’t try to add to them. Doc needs a sports psych. Shits the bed I’m afraid. He is regularly incapable of composing himself. I fear his performance in big games. Cripps needs to stay away from the forward line and stop trying to be Superman.

 

[Blue Pulse]

Our issues are far bigger than this. Unfortunately, the drafts in which we targeted mids are looking to be poor. LOB is a clear bust, Dow almost certain to be a bust and SPS is at best a depth player. We need to see at least one of those players ideally two become elite mids.

Our midfield is devoid of highly talented depth and unfortunately, Zac Williams is more a wing or half-back.

On top of this other young running players appear to have stagnated such as Williamson.

Until we can find another 2 or 3 B plus mids we will at best be a middle of the road team.

Asking for more from the captains is fine but in reality, the impact is negligible we have far bigger issues than that.

Agree, it's a cop out to put the blame on 2 players, football has and always will be a team sport. We have too many passengers on a weekly basis, we chose when we want to turn up, there is no consistency in our effort, game style and pressure on the ball carrier. We don't play as a team, we don't support each other, we are pretty sad to watch in reality. Cripps is doing too much, he is trying to lead by example, but it is still an instinctive game and he needs to go back to basics.

Our team do not look or play like a cohesive unit, and haven't since I don't know when.

 

[Magruder]

On the contrary. Them trying to step up is detriment to their performance, they are both trying to do to much.
Maybe the requirement is simple, by reverting back to what got them there in the first place.

This has a lot of merit.

As a team, not just the skippers, we need to emphasise what we do well and mitigate what we don't do well.

At the moment our helter skelter approach leaves us vulnerable on the break, saps energy at an alarming rate and consequently has a detrimental flow on effect to execution of our strengths later in a quarter.

Focus on what we do well, but moderate the pace/speed at which we try to do it. Modulate our approach within a quarter, drop the hammer when things are going our way but apply relentless pressure and then suck the heat out of the game when we don't have momentum. And then go again when regrouped.
But adjustments need to happen during a quarter not at a break.

I haven't seen us in the flesh since 2019 but from what I have seen, the players seem uncertain. The effort is there, but a smart gameplan that accentuates individual and collective strengths is missing.

Simplify and then build from there...

 

[mochacinolatte]

Docherty still gets lenancy from me coming back from 2 ACL's, he still puts his body on the line.

Cripps - idk, fix your set shot.

 

[jj1978]

I say we give Dow the captaincy, can't recede his output that much. He'd go from 1 kick a game to 0, and Doc and Cripps would have that weight off their shoulders.

Big problem as I see it, is having 2 captains. Instead of 1 player burdened by this responsibility, we now have 2, and these 2 are suffering mental demons and assumedly playing injured. Cripps has shown a lack of maturity the last 12 months in his leadership behaviour, so I'd just tell him to go back to footy and let Doc take it full time or if Doc can't handle it either then Dow it is.

 

[Gethelred]

This. We need them to be reliable players. Let their relative strengths shine naturally and don’t try to add to them. Doc needs a sports psych. Shits the bed I’m afraid. He is regularly incapable of composing himself. I fear his performance in big games. Cripps needs to stay away from the forward line and stop trying to be Superman.

I think it might be an idea to try and turn Doc into a wing, rather than continuing to use him behind the ball. You can afford a wing dropping a mark here and there; you cannot have your captain dropping chest marks behind the ball when under pressure.

Use his hard running and determination and his play to try and get the ball deep. Let him play Newnes role, and see if he can't go one better.

 

[Pentatonic Flat Fifth]

Cripps and Doc had plenty of it against Port, if you look at the stats sheet it looks like they did well. But there's more to it than racking up numbers. The game against Port illustrated that. We had more inside 50s and shots but the way we used the ball we were never a chance and the gulf between us and Port in terms of ball use was startling.

In my opinion our two leaders need to step up. Cripps kicking for goal is atrocious. He may have kicked a couple set shots a week or two ago but against a top team in Port in a litmus test his missed set shot from point blank in front was just unacceptable. What kind of captain misses shots like that? And Doc has has some terrible one on one contests early in recent weeks , contests where he should have easily punched the ball to spoil but hasn't been able to and has been out marked. Like Cripps' miss Doc's pathetic one on one effort happened early in the games.

These failing set the tone early in games. It's simply not good enough from our so called leaders. Think of what the word Lead means!! Just think about it. Neither of these two are performing at a level I'd expect from a Carlton captain. They both need to step it up big time. It's 22 players but you need your leaders excelling and right now our leaders have disappointed especially early in games.

Cripps' miss, Dochertys dropped marks cost us 3 goals. Add in SPS howlers and thats almost the game right there.

 

[Pentatonic Flat Fifth]

Docherty still gets lenancy from me coming back from 2 ACL's, he still puts his body on the line.

Cripps - idk, fix your set shot.

He has always had howlers. Its a strange one, does too many good things though.

 

[Pentatonic Flat Fifth]

I say we give Dow the captaincy, can't recede his output that much. He'd go from 1 kick a game to 0, and Doc and Cripps would have that weight off their shoulders.

Big problem as I see it, is having 2 captains. Instead of 1 player burdened by this responsibility, we now have 2, and these 2 are suffering mental demons and assumedly playing injured. Cripps has shown a lack of maturity the last 12 months in his leadership behaviour, so I'd just tell him to go back to footy and let Doc take it full time or if Doc can't handle it either then Dow it is.

Give to Weitering and Walsh - same format, backman and mid.

 

[Pentatonic Flat Fifth]

I think it might be an idea to try and turn Doc into a wing, rather than continuing to use him behind the ball. You can afford a wing dropping a mark here and there; you cannot have your captain dropping chest marks behind the ball when under pressure.

Use his hard running and determination and his play to try and get the ball deep. Let him play Newnes role, and see if he can't go one better.

Good call. When he made amends by running into the guts and marking it. We need players who can win a contest up on the shoulders to lock it in the forward line.

Williamson didn't do well enough. Newman can go back when he returns or Marchy (lols) - Parkes better, drop Newnes eventually.

 

[windows1]

This has a lot of merit.

As a team, not just the skippers, we need to emphasise what we do well and mitigate what we don't do well.

At the moment our helter skelter approach leaves us vulnerable on the break, saps energy at an alarming rate and consequently has a detrimental flow on effect to execution of our strengths later in a quarter.

Focus on what we do well, but moderate the pace/speed at which we try to do it. Modulate our approach within a quarter, drop the hammer when things are going our way but apply relentless pressure and then suck the heat out of the game when we don't have momentum. And then go again when regrouped.
But adjustments need to happen during a quarter not at a break.

I haven't seen us in the flesh since 2019 but from what I have seen, the players seem uncertain. The effort is there, but a smart gameplan that accentuates individual and collective strengths is missing.

Simplify and then build from there...

T Cotchin is the best Captain in the AFL by an absolute mile. He literally couldn’t give a s**t about his stats. I doubt he even ever knows them. He doesn’t care about champion data. He doesn’t care about All Australian selections or Brownlow votes.

All he cares about is winning.

 

[windows1]

I can tell you as a fact the Demons are doing better in part because their mids now embrace being tagged. They don’t sook. They instead turn their attention to blocking for the other mids or shutting someone down themselves.

This isn’t opinion. I’ve been told as fact from the club.

 

[BlueJet]

T Cotchin is the best Captain in the AFL by an absolute mile. He literally couldn’t give a sh*t about his stats. I doubt he even ever knows them. He doesn’t care about champion data. He doesn’t care about All Australian selections or Brownlow votes.

All he cares about is winning.

Exactly, sacrifices his own highlight reel for that of his team.

 

[Kreuuuzeurns]

Exactly, sacrifices his own highlight reel for that of his team.

When you’ve got the likes of Prestia, Lambert, Bolton and that other pretty good player who escapes my mind playing next to you it’s far easier to sacrifice your game.

Cripps is our main man and after doing literally everything for the best part of 4 years it’s going to be difficult for him to take a step back. He’ll learn and adapt I have no doubt.

Who’s stepping up is the real question?

 

[AndyWalkersGirl]

I can't see Teague getting stuck into his leaders.

We all saw it (a glimpse) last season in the change rooms.

 

[james Dean]

Docherty shouldn’t be captain. We all love his story and his heart, but he is not a great player anymore.

Cripps should run with it for another 2-3 years before handing over to Walsh

 

[Ash24]

T Cotchin is the best Captain in the AFL by an absolute mile. He literally couldn’t give a sh*t about his stats. I doubt he even ever knows them. He doesn’t care about champion data. He doesn’t care about All Australian selections or Brownlow votes.

All he cares about is winning.

I think Cornes brought up a good point surrounding this a few days ago.

 

[Gethelred]

I think Cornes brought up a good point surrounding this a few days ago.

You have no idea how much my heart sinks and my eyes roll whenever I see his name.

I am minded of a comment made on the main board by a Richmond supporter: 'you can only do these things by becoming a good well run club.'

He should just go and be Trent Cotchin, should he? It's that easy? Maybe he could ask SPS to become Dusty too, while he's at it? We could get Doc to approach and become Hodge's doppelganger, too!

Let's just make our player exact copies of other players that play their position yet have few traits in common, if it's that easy.

 

[Stamos]

You have no idea how much my heart sinks and my eyes roll whenever I see his name.

I am minded of a comment made on the main board by a Richmond supporter: 'you can only do these things by becoming a good well run club.'

He should just go and be Trent Cotchin, should he? It's that easy? Maybe he could ask SPS to become Dusty too, while he's at it? We could get Doc to approach and become Hodge's doppelganger, too!

Let's just make our player exact copies of other players that play their position yet have few traits in common, if it's that easy.

To be fair, Cripps has shown himself to be a much better player than Cotchin, and previously a good leader too. But he has gone away from what made him great, and what helped the team the most. He should go back to it.