Preview Round 0 - Carlton vs Brisbane Friday March 8 - 7.40PM AEDT @ The Gabba - Team Stickied

[Aphrodite]

Team is in …

AFL team news: Carlton's first team of 2024

There's a club debutant in the mix as Carlton returns to action for season 2024.

www.carltonfc.com.au

Opening Round team v Brisbane
Backs:	Brodie Kemp	Lewis Young	Adam Saad
Half-backs:	Zac Williams	Mitch McGovern	Nic Newman
Centreline:	Blake Acres	Patrick Cripps	Matthew Kennedy
Half-forwards:	George Hewett	Charlie Curnow	Matthew Owies
Forwards:	Orazio Fantasia	Harry McKay	David Cuningham
Followers:	Tom De Koning	Adam Cerra	Sam Docherty
Interchange:	Jordan Boyd	Jack Carroll	Matthew Cottrell
	Lachie Fogarty	Ollie Hollands
Emergencies:	Jaxon Binns	Alex Cincotta	Marc Pittonet

 

[gandaal]

Honestly I don't think we're much chance of winning this one, but I'll still be watching and cheering the team on. Hopefully we have a great game.

 

[BigFrizz36]

This is great, I remember as a kid having the TV on mute with the footy on the stereo.

I'm curious to know who's calling our game for SEN but anyone is better than 7's commentary team.

I think that Alastair Nicholdon has replaced Hamish (who is on an overseas sabbatical). So that's a good thing.

Might still be B.T. though.

 

[Blue and Blue]

Thats a strong team.

 

[morningbrown]

Ahh that familiar pit in the stomach, it's good to see you my old friend....

 

[Revenant1965]

Off to footy tonight with the fam. Their forward line looks strong but reckon we can match across the ground. Looking forward to an awesome game. Blues by 17...

 

[myblueroan]

It's GAME DAY!!!

Get UP!!!
GET NERVOUS!!!
Get out your LUCKY CHARMS

No more Re Hearsing and Hearsing a part...

 

[DollarsandSense]

Pretty pumped that footys back tonight. The young fella trying to convince me to take the day off from school so we can get to the pre match function early
Going to be a long day.
Goooooooooo BAGGERS.

 

[JuddgementDay]

I can't wait to watch this game.

It's only one game, but...

Imagine when we win with all of these top line players missing.
It would set us up for a great year
We'll know that we can match it with any teams, despite injuries - that's a great place to be

Let's go Baggers!!!

 

[Juddernaut08]

Ahh that familiar pit in the stomach, it's good to see you my old friend....

could just be your morningbrown

 

[Jatz]

Watched my NRL club completely s**t the bed, I'm really hoping Carlton don't make it 2/2 tonight

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Getting very excited humans.

Roast lamb & SuperDry’s a stone certainty.

Once again, very excited.

 

[Ald Gardiner]

I’m a bit high level on some of these rule changes..

So sub can come from extended bench named or emergencies - right?

Still 4 on the bench?

 

[Ald Gardiner]

I’m hopeful tonite but see us as a $4 chance which is roughly our odds.

After last week, I only wish Dees could have been better v Swans last night, would have given me more a bit more confidence.

 

[ArseClown]

I do laugh at our supposed lack of pace on ball. Surely no one thinks that Neill, Dunkley, Berry and McCluggage are likely to win any Stawell gifts do they. Good footballers though as are Cripps, Hewitt, Cerra and Kennedy.

I figure that they send Dunkley to Cripps and we send Hewett to Neill - not to tag but to be accountable for them.

If we can break even in the ruck and put enough pressure on the ball to force them to kick into their forwardline in a scramble way then we are right in it.

But please don't let Coleman and Big O dominate against us (fortunately McKenna is not playing). We've had 6 months to formulate a plan for that.

I agree. Leg speed alone doesn't make a side quick. Good ball movement does though.

 

[Lukey Skywalker]

thinking Cottrell or Fogarty to sit on Kitty Coleman after he tore us a knew one in the PF. Hoping Harry can play tough & make Harriss Andrew accountable & not taking a heap of intercept marks . Good chance with some guys out for some others to step up. Ollie Hollands looks primed to be a serious player over the next few years. Go Baggers

 

[btdg]

The key, as always, is that we need to kick 15 goals to win. That looks our biggest stretch most weeks at the moment, but we can't expect to beat Brisbane in Brisbane without it (particularly not with Weitering out).

So where do those goals come from? Typically, I think you want a 5-5-5 spread - that is, 5 goals from your KPF, 5 goals from your other forwards, 5 from your mids and defenders

Our issues:

-Our midfield REALLY struggled for goals last year, and in particular were almost totally absent during our pathetic run of 9 losses in 10 games (with something like 5 goals combined in that time, if I remember correctly). Our best goalkicking mid was Cottrell (who played a bit forward too) with 0.6 per game. No-one else even got to one goal every two matches. In our best run of form, though, the mids did better.

- Our non-key forwards were actually good when at full strength last year - Owies (1.5), Martin (1.5ish, allowing for injury), Motlop (1.1), Silvagni (0.9), and Durdin (1.0) all did their bit. The problem was when we included too many of Cuningham (0.5), Fogarty (0.33), TDK as a forward (0.45), Honey (0.5) or Kennedy (0.3) as forwards - they simply don't kick enough goals. And here is our issue in this one: Silvagni, Martin, Motlop and Durdin are out, and Owies is underdone.

- Our KPFs - to be honest, Brisbane have covered them very well over the past 2 seasons, with Curnow/McKay combining for 8 goals in 3 matches. Curnow was awful in the prelim final. In a win we can hope they get to 4-5 goals, but I don't see a big bag coming.

That suggests to me that the path to ANY win here involves:

• Cripps has a vintage/throwback game, pushes forward and kicks 2-3 goals (and probably has 35 touches too), with a bit of support from Cerra/Kennedy and maybe TDK getting up and clunking one
• Fantasia has to be the spark up forward and kick 3.

It might even just be that simple from what I can see. If those two things don't both happen, I simply don't think we'll score enough, and an honourable loss is the best outcome.

 

[haveago]

This is great. Unfortunately for me, my kid loves BT for some reason. Probably our biggest point of difference in life

WOWEEEE.

Mine too.

 

[Stamos]

I’m a bit high level on some of these rule changes..

So sub can come from extended bench named or emergencies - right?

Still 4 on the bench?

No, you name 23 players, and pick the sub from that team an hour before the game.

 

[BlueAbroad]

This was fun. Have a go making a 23 with the two selected teams.

 

[Gez1969]

Happy game day Baggers. Lets hope our boys surprise a few tonight. Going to be very tough but that makes it all the sweeter no?

 

[myblueroan]

Happy game day Baggers. Lets hope our boys surprise a few tonight. Going to be very tough but that makes it all the sweeter no?

 

[Aphrodite]

Changes from last years Prelim:-


IN: Williams, Carroll, Young, Kemp, Cuningham, Owies, Fantasia (new), Kennedy (sub last year)
OUT: Walsh, Weitering, Pittonet, Marchbank, Martin, Motlop, Cincotta

 

[Aphrodite]

Back at you Red Bull

 

[Spacedog]

About to head to training. Will report who I see (any surprise ins or outs). They will have brought a squad so being here obviously doesn't mean they're in the team.

Do you know if Kennedy was training with the mids or forwards?

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Do you know if Kennedy was training with the mids or forwards?

Half half but his knee is heavily strapped. If you have any sort of bets on his performance I would be erring on the side of caution.

Normally doesn't play too well if he has any niggles, has to be at peak fitness to shine.