Query for Carlton supporters

[hulld]

I'm not trolling.

Recently I have heard alot of people, both carlton and neutral supporters, talking up the blues' chances for this season.

I was just wondering though where carlton's improvement from last year is going to come from???

In the case of essendon we have picked up mal michael and lloydy is like a new pick up. we also have some first year draftess that will have an impact at senior level this year.

Does carlton have the same room for improvement???

 

[HBF]

I would expect the thrashings to be all but gone, and we just continue to close the gap against the rest of the competition. I still think we will win somwhere between 6-9 wins, with a likely finish to be 10-14.

 

[Jeremias]

Our ruckmen have improved 10 fold from last season. I know Ackland and Cloke are bagged a lot on BigFooty, but if you watch their performances for us so far they have been very good. They give our midfielders every chance of getting their hands on the footy first, rather than constantly having to chase and negate the opposition.

Our kids are now a year older, and have more experience, and look to be benefiting from that immensely. Murphy, Russell, Kennedy, Bentick, Carrazzo all look to have improved. We now have depth in the midfield, which frees Stevens up just a little, and he is showing how damaging he can be.

Fisher is finally starting to show how dangerous he can be. Was dogged by injuries in the past, particularly to his knees. Now they are healed, it looks as though he has improved his kicking.

And last but certainly not least-the emergence of Setanta O'hAilpin at full back, and Jarrad Waite at CHB. Setanta has been an absolute revelation at full back, and Waite provides another big body down back as well as plenty of run, and frees up Thornton to run off a flank where he is most comfortable. T-Bird has been excellent thus far, and he will continue it-he is a class act.

 

[btdg]

I'm not trolling.

Recently I have heard alot of people, both carlton and neutral supporters, talking up the blues' chances for this season.

I was just wondering though where carlton's improvement from last year is going to come from???

In the case of essendon we have picked up mal michael and lloydy is like a new pick up. we also have some first year draftess that will have an impact at senior level this year.

Does carlton have the same room for improvement???

- Murphy coming back into the team, more physically developed than last year. Offers plenty of poise and is already a genuine midfield threat

- Young players who have not been up to standard at AFL level, who looked in PS or late last year like they might step up this year: Russell, Kennedy, Betts, Wiggins, O'Hailpin, Waite

- Players just hitting their prime: Walker, Carrazzo (definites), Houlihan, Thornton (possibles)

- An improved ruck division. Ackland/Cloke aren't as good as French was at the hitouts, but are a massive improvement around the ground on French/McLaren last year. Plus both are playing for their careers

- A far more solid defensive unit: O'Hailpin (FB), Waite (CHB), Thornton (3rd tall) in the KP roles, as opposed to Thornton (FB), Whitnall (CHB), no-one (3rd tall) last year is an upgrade at every position.

- Emergence of Kennedy as a second forward target. Possibly Fisher as a third target as well (if PS GF is any indicator, although I'm not holding my breath there).

Those are the obvious areas of improvement for Carlton. Throw in a few smokies - you would think just on averages one of Edwards, Bower, Grigg, Hampson, Young, Jackson, et al would step up and surprise us this year - and we've got plenty of improvement. Might not win too many more games, but I think we'll shock a few teams - we mights start getting quality wins, instead of just the 50/50 games (ie blockbusters against Essendon and Collingwood, and against whoever is struggling).

 

[Andyt30]

I'm not trolling.

Recently I have heard alot of people, both carlton and neutral supporters, talking up the blues' chances for this season.

I was just wondering though where carlton's improvement from last year is going to come from???

In the case of essendon we have picked up mal michael and lloydy is like a new pick up. we also have some first year draftess that will have an impact at senior level this year.

Does carlton have the same room for improvement???

better entering the H&W 4-0 then loosing early in nab cup and loosing practice Matches

we got the stock to go along way this year goodbye to being flogged lets repeat Win in rd 1

also Carlton & Essendon games have been close of late
Essendon last beat us near end of 2005 season
since then been Carlton 1-0-1 (Draw) to 0-1-1 Essendon
2005 was 1 each

last time we beat Essendon in the Preseason was 2005 rd 1 then again rd 1 this year

so be interesting when we play essendon, Kangaroos, Hawthorn & Brisbane again to see if we can repeat it
we got chances to win more then last year if Stevens gets alot of The ball we'll be dangours
also if Fisher kicks 3 or 4 regually along with fev we'll be come very dangrous down forward
got the fire power to win games stick whitnall down forward for a while for another avenue to goal
maby fullback first half fullforward 2nd half or half in each quarter sorta rotate players around
o'halpin or Thronton on Richardson ?

 

[Bluebear]

2005 we were competitive for 2 Q's in many games then lost, sometimes very badly.
2006 for all but a couple of games we were competitive for at least 3/4. Picked up an extra 1/4 of ability to run with opposition. This was highlighthed most obviously in the games vs WB, WCE.

One of the features of our pre-season (yes, I know its only practice) was our ability to come back when headed, and finish off games strongly. more pre-seasons into young legs is paying off and we are running out games. This team would not have lost to the WCE last year IMO.

Agree with all that has been said re players individually.

Lastly, think of Collingwood last year - got some early wins, some confidence, and exceeded everyone's expectations. With some early form I believe we could do the same.
Don't underestimate what a little bit of confidence could do for a talented young list.

 

[J.Hetfield]

Id tip that Essendon and Carlton to rise up the ladder and Hawthorn to make minimal ground on last year unless Franklin goes nuts..With Kangas and Richmond to have shockers..Richmonds recruiting was poor this year..Why would you get Polak? Glad Sheeds got his head straight.

 

[AndSmithMustScore]

It's as simple as with experience comes improvement.

 

[thylacine60]

I'm not trolling.

Recently I have heard alot of people, both carlton and neutral supporters, talking up the blues' chances for this season.

I was just wondering though where carlton's improvement from last year is going to come from???

In the case of essendon we have picked up mal michael and lloydy is like a new pick up. we also have some first year draftess that will have an impact at senior level this year.

Does carlton have the same room for improvement???

So riddle me this, we had the Coleman Medallist and won the spoon last season. How does Lloyd returning make you such a certainty for improvement?

 

[J.Hetfield]

So riddle me this, we had the Coleman Medallist and won the spoon last season. How does Lloyd returning make you such a certainty for improvement?

Lloyd is our captain..he provides leadership and gives the team an air of confidence. He is more to our team then a coleman medalist. He and Hird are the two Pillars of strength at our club. Soon Sir James will be gone from the field and will one day return in an off feild role with David Hille to step up into on field leadership.

 

[hulld]

So riddle me this, we had the Coleman Medallist and won the spoon last season. How does Lloyd returning make you such a certainty for improvement?

we had lucas kick 67 goals, if lloydy can do that as well we will improve remarkably.

imagine how bad you guys would have been without fevola. that is what we felt like last year. and i'm sure north are going through it now.

 

[SurreyBlue]

Forward line:
Whitnall forward to assist Fevola. (Biggest improve of them all)
Kennedy with another preseason will play more.
Fisher fit, missed a big part of last year.

Backline:
O'hAilpin to take the "gorillas" up back and therefore release Thornton to a more attacking role.
Waite fit. Missed a big part of last year and to thrive across half back.
Saddington is fit as well and Bower is improving.

Midfield: Biggest improvement.
Murphy with another pre-season under his belt and can only improve. Played just 11 last year.
Simpson is now becoming what we all thought he would.
Walker to become an elite player.
Stevens fit and un injured leading the midfield, unlike last year where he played back more often than not.
Blackwell & Bentick another pre-season and are getting better as well. Had exceptional years last year considering it was there first as such.
Russell ready to take next step.
More midfield rotations with Scotland, Carrazzo, Lappin, Houlihan, and Koutoufides to assist above.

Rucks
Three ruckman (Ackland, Cloke & McLaren) not the tallest or best but 2 more than we had last year. French was injured for majority of 2006 and mentally finished.

Positiveness throughout the club!

 

[Bluebear]

we had lucas kick 67 goals, if lloydy can do that as well we will improve remarkably.

imagine how bad you guys would have been without fevola. that is what we felt like last year. and i'm sure north are going through it now.

Just one problem with your Lloyd + Lucas arguement.

How many of the goals kicked by Lucas last year would have been passes, or forward thursts with lloyd's name on the end of them. You assume that Lucas will get just as much ball within goal kicking range (which he won't) and that they will both kcik bags week in week out.
With your midfield I can't see them getting that kind of service.

 

[HBF]

Lloyd is our captain..he provides leadership and gives the team an air of confidence. He is more to our team then a coleman medalist. He and Hird are the two Pillars of strength at our club. Soon Sir James will be gone from the field and will one day return in an off feild role with David Hille to step up into on field leadership.

I actually think Essendon rely far too much on these 2 players, and that is why I think you will struggle again this year.

Much has been made of getting Mal Michael to the club, but, he is just another stop gap solution that wont ever see Essendon "bottom out" and get some real talent into the club.

 

[hulld]

mate we just finished 15th and got a priority pick.
bottoming out doesn't mean you have to spend 4 out 5 season on the bottom of the ladder

 

[borissey]

Just one problem with your Lloyd + Lucas arguement.

How many of the goals kicked by Lucas last year would have been passes, or forward thursts with lloyd's name on the end of them. You assume that Lucas will get just as much ball within goal kicking range (which he won't) and that they will both kcik bags week in week out.
With your midfield I can't see them getting that kind of service.

Yep. Its like Richmonds argument that Richo and Kingsley can work together by simply adding their best goal tallies over the past few years.

Kingsley is useless away from full forward. Lloyd can take a mark outside of 50 but he loses his effectiveness out wide. Same with Lucas. You have 2 players who should be full forward and neither is a true centre half forward. Maybe in time the big Gumbleton will do this and you can play Lucas closer to goal.

Until then you're just shizen.

Essendon talk about drafting players who can play in 2007. But theyve picked little zippy guys whilst we are building a tall team of the same pace. It will take time to mature.

instead the Bombers are loading up to save Sheedy's bacon.

 

[bluesteel]

In watching the pre-season games there were a couple of things that really stood out as areas of improvement:

1. our tackling - we seemed to hold more tackles and not let as many slip by
2. our speed - we really seem to move the ball very quickly out of our backline - there seems to be a definitely plan to how we are taking the ball out of the backline - I saw it very clearly in the pre-match warm-up for the NAB Cup Final.
3. improved backline - it has all been said before
4. general ball skills - targets were hit more often

This is in no particularly order - it is just some observations that I made.