Opinion The 'Carlton related stuff that doesn't need it's own thread' thread Part 3

[ferrisb]

One thing i find interesting is the amount of kids that win the TAC cup / NAB/Coates league B&F that do not fire a serious shot at AFL level. Very consistent anomaly. Punctuated by the odd one that continues on said trajectory. Biggest kid wins probably still quite prevalent at that point, but conversion should still be higher you would think.
TAC Cup

025	Brodie Atkins	Gippsland Power
2024	Xavier Lindsay	Gippsland Power
2023	Patrick Hughes Colby McKercher	Geelong Falcons Tasmania Devils
2022	Taj Campbell-Farrell Lachlan Cowan	Dandenong Stingrays Tasmania Devils
2021	Flynn Lakey Joshua Rentsch	Calder Cannons GWV Rebels
2020	No winner due to COVID-19
2019	Lucas Rocci	Western Jets
2018	Liam Stocker	Sandringham Dragon
2017	Jack Higgins	Oakleigh Chargers
2016	Hugh McCluggage	North Ballarat Rebels

2015​	Clayton Oliver​	Murray Bushrangers
2014​	Alex Carr​	Gippsland Power​	17​
2013​	George Cameron​	Geelong Falcons​	17​
​	Ben Cavarra​	Eastern Ranges​	17​
​	Jacob Chisari​	Bendigo Pioneers​	17​
​	Josh Scott​	Gippsland Power​	17​
2012​	Nick Graham​	Gippsland Power​	16​
2011​	Alex Benbow​	Dandenong Stingrays​	22​
2010​	Dyson Heppell​	Gippsland Power​	21​
​	Jackson Sketcher​	Sandringham Dragons​	21​
2009​	Anton Woods​	Northern Knights​	24​
2008​	Jarryd Blair​	Gippsland Power​	18​
​	Farran Priest​	Murray Bushrangers​	18​
2007​	Matthew Kreuzer​	Northern Knights​	19​
2006​	Fortunato Caruso​	Calder Cannons​	22​
2005​	Fortunato Caruso​	Calder Cannons​	22​
2004​	Matthew Bate​	Eastern Ranges​	21​
2003​	Mungara Brown​	Northern Knights​	25​
2002​	Luke Shackleton​	Tassie Mariners​	22​
2001​	David Rodan​	Calder Cannons​	29​
2000​	David Rodan​	Calder Cannons​	25​
1999​	Matthew Stolarczyk​	Gippsland Power​	21​
1998​	Lenny Hayes​	NSW/ACT RAMS​	21​
1997​	Derek Murray​	Murray Bushrangers​	20​
1996​	Nathan Brown​	Bendigo Pioneers​	21​
1995​	Paul Hood​	Geelong Falcons​	26​
1994​	Gary Moorcroft​	Northern Knights​	17​
1993​	Dean Watson​	Southern Stingrays​	25​
1992​	Brad Smith​	Northern Knights​

One factor is that in some years, the winner is not good enough to play champs. So they play more TAC matches than the more talented kids. Giving them a leg up in votes...

Also, there'd be a bunch of talented kids that just can't make the leap to AFL level. They can find the ball, but aren't athletic enough. They are athletic enough, but don't run defensively etc.

Also, I guess Caruso was not so Fortunato...

 

[MileHigh]

I agree with most. Butters at his best is a star. Would make a difference

However, he will cost 3-4 very good picks (PA will match) and 2 mill a year. That restricts us dramatically. We have been down this path and hasn’t worked. He will be 26-27 in 2027 and is injury prone. I wouldn’t do it

We also need to keep Walsh. Walsh Cerra Lord Jagga is a very good core

Walker will be a great addition. I believe Ainsworth is a very good mid and can add minutes. Key will be how quick and good Moir Ison BenC Cheeser Ollie Wilson (Elijah?) can become and is there cheap young options that may be guns? Can we look outside square and throw Cowan in there?

My take is our list will be ready to challenge in 27/28. Will Cripps/Hewett still be top players by then? If not we need to start moving past them. I believe that by mid 26 we can’t be playing both of them each week

With a coach fighting to keep his job it’s not an easy decision to make

If we dont strike 2027/28 then the window closes short of some savvy recruiting. You need Cripps and Hewitt in the same side because of one of them goes down and the other isnt listed we are weak through the guts. They are both 30 and if well managed with youth can play until they are 35. With a 5 man interchange we can play both if fit and rotate them or rest Cripps forward. Plenty of youth to run through the middle with either one of those there as a big bodied mid. Walsh and Cerra do their thing and hopefully we see a Lord or Jagga take a step up in 2026. I feel as though Lord is very underrated and a real smoke for me. Has great vision, game sense, one touch player and is ready for a breakout year. The fact him and Jagga are good mates does not hurt at all. Can't expect much for Jagga as a first year player but he will provide bursts of brilliance. Soapy I agree with you we are one KDP short and thats where we will struggle this year. Gone of our days of hacking balls inside 50 and hoping Harry or Charlie clunk it. Our unpredictability now forward 50 and with added skill and speed on the ball its just a matter of how quickly this team can click.

 

[FitzroyBlueBagger]

Having a better balanced spread of midfielders throughout the CB’s and Stoppages, should help provide us with a far better combination of versatility and impact…

 

[Coona Blues]

Having a better balanced spread of midfielders throughout the CB’s and Stoppages, should help provide us with a far better combination of versatility and impact…

It is totally on the coaches to integrate a working midfield that harnesses the strengths of our quality veterans, while developing and utilising the strengths of our developing youngsters.

Crippa can play forward, George player both forward and back in Sydney, but the elevated pace of the game makes that difficult, Cez had quite a time in his developmental years at Freo (I followed him closely after championing his draft creds ahead of Dow. He played HB, HF, Wing more than mid due to being more versatile than his young contemporaries), I maintain his best role is as first receiver, but his disposal efficiency has declined of late. Walsh is a key to the mix, inside, outside or wing, and was very effective starting on a HFF before becoming an extra mid. Jagga’s development and deployment will be fascinating. Our engine room would benefit from his dash, evasiveness and run, but he surely has the scope to play on either flank or a wing. Jagga’s mate Cooper Lord has impressed me no end, he is now an established AFL player in his own right. While not express pace, his athleticism and willingness to run both ways is a major plus. Lord’s ability to lower his eyes, indeed his peripheral vision and ability to craft an effective linking kick is under rated by many. I want him in the mix, but while his versatility makes him easy to fit in, it also makes him harder to perceive a permanent spot for. Ben Camporeale is an AFL inside/defensive mid in waiting. He has a difficult task to replace any of those named above, so might play plenty of VFL in the immediate future, but I have every faith in his future value.

On “the outside” we have incumbent Acres with so many positives and a couple of glaring negatives. Chesser was a very highly rated junior and finished the season at the Eagles in fine fashion. Chess is a big, solid, athletic and skilled winger who could become a star in the role, I will be surprised if he is not a staple from game 1. Both Ollie’s can play defence or wing, Florent has made an impact on the track with his voice and vision behind the ball, so it is hard to see him in the wing mix. Hollands is a great contributor prone to the odd clangers. IMO most of his ineffective disposal is linked to the options presenting, or not presenting up the ground. Ollie H. Is a top team staple for mine and possibly is the one to switch between wing and half back to facilitate rotations. The development of Lucas Campo will be interesting, undoubtedly needs to add more “punch” to his kicking, but is another player who covers heaps of ground and gets to the right spots.

We have other options both inside and on the wings, Williams, Moir and Motlop did plenty of pinch hitting last season, add Ainsworth and possibly Ison and eventually Byrne to that inside mix, while Cottrell, F.Young are in the mix, and a couple of young defenders also seem capable of playing higher up the ground.

I hope Vossy is creative, it is not the year to pick and stick with a line up in my opinion. The (modern) game demands we change up our engine room mix and devote more focus to spread and defensive work rate along with disposal efficiency and ball retention. The ability to connect has to take precedence over possession numbers.

 

[FitzroyBlueBagger]

It is totally on the coaches to integrate a working midfield that harnesses the strengths of our quality veterans, while developing and utilising the strengths of our developing youngsters.

Crippa can play forward, George player both forward and back in Sydney, but the elevated pace of the game makes that difficult, Cez had quite a time in his developmental years at Freo (I followed him closely after championing his draft creds ahead of Dow. He played HB, HF, Wing more than mid due to being more versatile than his young contemporaries), I maintain his best role is as first receiver, but his disposal efficiency has declined of late. Walsh is a key to the mix, inside, outside or wing, and was very effective starting on a HFF before becoming an extra mid. Jagga’s development and deployment will be fascinating. Our engine room would benefit from his dash, evasiveness and run, but he surely has the scope to play on either flank or a wing. Jagga’s mate Cooper Lord has impressed me no end, he is now an established AFL player in his own right. While not express pace, his athleticism and willingness to run both ways is a major plus. Lord’s ability to lower his eyes, indeed his peripheral vision and ability to craft an effective linking kick is under rated by many. I want him in the mix, but while his versatility makes him easy to fit in, it also makes him harder to perceive a permanent spot for. Ben Camporeale is an AFL inside/defensive mid in waiting. He has a difficult task to replace any of those named above, so might play plenty of VFL in the immediate future, but I have every faith in his future value.

On “the outside” we have incumbent Acres with so many positives and a couple of glaring negatives. Chesser was a very highly rated junior and finished the season at the Eagles in fine fashion. Chess is a big, solid, athletic and skilled winger who could become a star in the role, I will be surprised if he is not a staple from game 1. Both Ollie’s can play defence or wing, Florent has made an impact on the track with his voice and vision behind the ball, so it is hard to see him in the wing mix. Hollands is a great contributor prone to the odd clangers. IMO most of his ineffective disposal is linked to the options presenting, or not presenting up the ground. Ollie H. Is a top team staple for mine and possibly is the one to switch between wing and half back to facilitate rotations. The development of Lucas Campo will be interesting, undoubtedly needs to add more “punch” to his kicking, but is another player who covers heaps of ground and gets to the right spots.

We have other options both inside and on the wings, Williams, Moir and Motlop did plenty of pinch hitting last season, add Ainsworth and possibly Ison and eventually Byrne to that inside mix, while Cottrell, F.Young are in the mix, and a couple of young defenders also seem capable of playing higher up the ground.

I hope Vossy is creative, it is not the year to pick and stick with a line up in my opinion. The (modern) game demands we change up our engine room mix and devote more focus to spread and defensive work rate along with disposal efficiency and ball retention. The ability to connect has to take precedence over possession numbers.

There has certainly been a combination of factors that has made this team, one of the most frustrating to watch through the various ways we play and are coached…

Gameplan as a whole, there has been some great football played when we were smashing the contested ball along with flashes of decent ball movement but mainly off the back of our top end players dominating than to an overall spread and rounded system…

Players basic & poor skills execution decision making has certainly played its role in hurting ourselves in a number of ways by dumping the ball, basic turnovers and poor goal kicking misses…

As far as the coaching staff goes there’s a couple that clearly stand out with the first one being the defensive lines kick ins, by far the worst organised and creative line in the league (along with forwards but for different reasons) and a plan to generate basic rebound…

Far to much obvious reliance on repeated kicking down the line, to which we we’re usually outnumbered and out positioned for an opponent turnover, continuously dragging the entire forward line down the ground limits ball movement targets ahead of the ball, having a non existent presence stationed ahead, slows down play and limits options…

The forward line is a shitshow, there’s the structural & organization side of it as a whole it doesn’t function as a unit, forward line coach - players poisoning/presenting - players ignoring free players - players poor decisions and execution - poor conversion…

General spread & ball movement, presenting multiple options around and ahead of the ball, creating opportunities from turnovers rebounds or general play, thought there was a shift in the back half of the season to run and generate more…

Injuries have played a huge part some are clearly just out of anyone’s hands it’s part of football, there’s the injury prone who through there own bodies which can’t continuously hold up to the rigors of the highest level, questions on the HP program, then the match selection committee continuously rushing players back from repeated injury occurrences and long layoffs, rewarding reserves form and loading returning injured players back through the reserves until right to go…

Looking forward to hopefully seeing a shift in gameplan and fresh ideas across the board, create a more balanced functional system & spread the load, like the players we have brought into the club and looking forward to a bunch of exciting young prospects at different stages who should be ready to take the next step towards improving and impacting more regularly….

A fresh fit Walsh back to his best, Weiters Cerra McKay Cripps Saad Acres had ordinary years Kemp Newman and of course Jagger back from LTI’s…

 

[teagueyubeauty]

Cool story.. now tell us how we can possibly recruit Butters whilst maintaining the picks required for Walker...

Death ride Port for a bottom 3 finish…they’re going to need plenty for Dougy and to get another crack at a top 5 pick in a great draft and reset their own salary cap will be very very tempting.