Analysis The D Word

[Jabba73]

gimme 18 Matty Kreuzer types any day.

TheSheik endorses this concept

 

[thylacine60]

jab didn't mean one on top of the other........

 

[JustaBattler]

ummm - I was referring to size of heart.

 

[Jabba73]

Reckon we now have some, time to resurrect this lame thread.

Plenty of kids showing a bit, more about to join the party as the season progresses.

Thanks SOS and Bolts

 

[GapInIkonPark]

One more clean out at the end of Season 2017 and we will have a few players stiff to not be in the Best 22.

From the Essendon win, with Williamson in for Charlie, (and Armfield dropped for Kerridge), I can see Thomas, Kerridge, Palmer and White being replaced by ... Graham, Gus (rookie), Polson, Lamb, Cuningham, Fisher, Charlie, Byrne ...

I think it will take a bit longer for Harry to replace Casboult. It is perhaps difficult if Phillips is to come back in too (Kreuzer, Phillips and Harry in the same 22).

I think it will take a bit longer too for Rowe to be squeezed out by ... Well a slightly different back 6 ... Marchbank, Plowman, Macreadie, Docherty, Simpson, Byrne with Weitering able to swing back.

Just need the NB boys to kick the doors down but this does not excuse continued poor form from of some of our more experienced players.

But you wouldn't say the NB players are currently stiff not to be in the Carlton 22.

Exciting times for the D Word at Carlton.

 

[thylacine60]

 

[ParapMarkets]

It's really great to see Macreadie and now Williamson look good out there. If we are to go anywhere we need some of these lower draft picks to come on. It looks like we are really building some quality depth in our young players.

 

[Metalcrusher]

Depth is where it is at. The more our current starting 18-22 (positions) get pushed down to position 30 + in the list the better. Or better still one day into the hopefully not to distant future, other clubs will be looking at OUR fringe players and making offers ....

Wouldn't that be nice ....

 

[Jabba73]

Another senior player on the list, moves someone older to the back of the pack.

Depth keeps getting deeper

 

[Robbo's my hero]

I think we're getting to the shallow end.

 

[Jabba73]

I think we're getting to the shallow end.

Disagree, we no longer have a list full of players not up to standard. There are still a few that will be moved on at the end of the season, plenty to like about who is in the team and who is pushing for a spot.

Age profile has plummeted which excuses performance to some degree as they should improve.

 

[Robbo's my hero]

I think we agree.

 

[Jabba73]

Time for this to be moved from the depths of page 4 back to the top of page 1.

We have had our third RS nominee for the year and two more on the cusp. If we didn't know we had depth before, we do now.

Teenagers up the wazoo in the team, guys killing it in the NB's, a coach (and assistants) that is getting results from players who had been written off, a recognisable game plan and a club focussed in the right direction off the field. Even some older players are finding a new level of consistency.

As I have mentioned previously, thank god someone at the club finally understood that a strong Northern Blues team forces the top team to work hard to keep their spots, and provides proper opportunity for those aspiring to senior football to earn a shot.

Feeling good about where we are, our direction and who is guiding us. Going to be a fun couple of years ahead.

 

[Robbo's my hero]

I had to dig pretty deep to find this however the D word has been tested since the Fremantle game. We've had a number of injuries to test our list strength and I think we've done well.

 

[Aphrodite]

Oh no you *bumped thylacine60 's thread Robbo!

 

[GapInIkonPark]

I had to dig pretty deep to find this however the D word has been tested since the Fremantle game. We've had a number of injuries to test our list strength and I think we've done well.

Injuries from Best 22: Rowe / ASOS, Williamson, Ed, Marchbank, Cripps (5-6)
This week's extended interchange bench: Cuningham, Boekhorst, Graham, Buckley, Sumner and Sheehan.
Kerridge and Byrne in the 18.

 

[thylacine60]

soooooo.........what news on our depth 2018...............

 

[Metalcrusher]

 

[Jabba73]

soooooo.........what news on our depth 2018...............

Better vintage than 2010

 

[GapInIkonPark]

Some posters have been ringing the changes - White out, Byrne in, Buckley out, Daisy in. How will we know when we have enough depth? Or do you ever reach that stage of being able to cover your losses? It does feel good to have options (thanks largely to a shortish injury list) when you consider at times in the recent past we had something like 25 players to choose a team from.

​

... You need at least thirty players that can play serious AFL football and then you want to have the right types to cover some that may go down.
I'd say we have about 20-22 for now and many, many unknowns, including; Smith, Sumner, Jaksch, Plowman, DVR, Whiley etc.

We were getting to the point that our balance looked O.K. but unfortunately, the quality wasn't.

From the depths of the Depth thread when it started in March 2016.

The Consensus Best 22 we recently voted on is as follows:

Consensus 2018 Lineup
FB: Ciaran Byrne (98) - Liam Jones (156) - Lachie Plowman (161)
HB: Caleb Marchbank (164) - Jacob Weitering (156) - Kade Simpson (150)
C: Sam Petrevski-Seton (175) - Ed Curnow (157) - Marc Murphy (175)
HF: Charlie Curnow (150) - Levi Casboult (108) - Jarrod Pickett (143)
FF: Matthew Wright (119) - Harry McKay (101) - Jack Silvagni (135)
R: Matthew Kreuzer (181) - Patrick Cripps (183) - Matthew Kennedy (177)
I: Tom Williamson (76) - David Cuningham (67) - Zac Fisher (64) - Paddy Dow (67)
EMG: Darcy Lang (66) - Jarrod Garlett (39) - Aaron Mullett (19)

Elements of the story ...

Docherty has a LTI so is back in the 22 in 2019.

Of 10 players bolded in those 2 posts of March 2016, 3 are on the list with Plowman getting plenty of love in the 22, and Byrne and Thomas. We have hopes for Byrne, while Thomas is not in our Consensus 25 and most likely he plays VFL and covers for injuries.

Our interchange and emergencies have talent and running power: Williamson, Cuningham, Fisher, Dow, Lang, Garlett, Mullett.

Macreadie, Lamb and I think before long O’Brien too will all be in the ‘Stiff not to be in the Best 22’ group along with the emergencies IMO.

Kerr and Polson can elevate themselves into the ‘Stiff not to be in the Best 22’ group, if not higher, in their second year.

We go in with Kreuzer as our main ruck and Casboult as our ruck relief. McKay might start as well and might push Casboult out if he can take 15% of the ruck. Lobbe is certainly an upgrade on Gorringe and with Phillips and TDK we are ok for ruck depth for 2 years or so.

We have a ‘Break glass in emergency’ group in O’Shea, Kerridge, Graham, Thomas, Rowe, ASOS, Shaw ...

We have improved:

1. The ‘Bottom 6’ in the 22 (this will IMO more than anything cover for the loss of Gibbs)

2. The next few with the ‘Stiff not to be in the Best 22’ group of players like Lang, Garlett, Mullett, Macreadie, Lamb, O’Brien ... Polson and Kerr.

3. The tail of our list IMO with the replacements for our retired and delisted players (Buckley, Gorringe, Boekhorst, Jaksch, Sumner, White, Armfield, Smedts ... ) with the 4 during trading (Mullett, Kennedy, Lang, Lobbe) and the draftees (Dow, O’Brien, TDK, Schumacher, Garlett) and then O’Shea and Shaw. Some of it is trickle down where players like Thomas, Kerridge, Graham and Rowe are pushed into the tail of the list ...

4. Our rucks with Lobbe and TDK upgrades on Gorringe and Korcheck / Jaksch.

The D Word. It matters. Competition for spots will be intense in 2018 and might be even moreso in 2019.

 

[GapInIkonPark]

Right now we have very shallow midfield depth. There's no getting away from it.

We have two proven quality mids; Cripps & Murphy.
We have one proven workhorse in ECurnow and after that?

Potential quality inside mid stars in SPS & Dow. Fisher not too far away from those two, either.
Potential quality workhorse with Kennedy.

We then have the speculatives; Charlie Curnow, Cuningham, Williamson, Polson etc.

Nothing wrong with that given where we are, but it seems pretty clear we'll be targeting mids via FA/Trade over the next couple of years.

You are spot on HARKER ... we are an injury or 2 to midfielders / runners from some trouble. If Murphy does a hammy do we bring in Polson, O’Brien or Kerridge?

You’ve got most of the names there ... Missed Lang.

So, agree with the 3 in the center square: Cripps, Murphy and Ed Curnow.

Kennedy based on many games for GWS in 2017 should make it. I would start him in the forward pocket and not in the square at the same time as Cripps.

The running power is what excites me.

SPS, Fisher, Williamson and Charlie Curnow mainly off the wing.

Lang off the other wing.

Then there is Pickett, Garlett, Polson, Cuningham, Dow and O’Brien.

So 2-3 midfield runners on the bench and 1 midfield rotation through the forward pocket.

The VFL midfield looks somewhat bare: Graham, Kerridge, Thomas ... Polson ... O’Brien ... Mullett ... one of Dow/ Garlett / ...

Agree SOS goes back to the draft and trades to bring in 1-2 more elite midfielders ... and then there is Shiel at the end of 2019 ...

 

[Soapy V]

You are spot on HARKER ... we are an injury or 2 to midfielders / runners from some trouble. If Murphy does a hammy do we bring in Polson, O’Brien or Kerridge?

You’ve got most of the names there ... Missed Lang.

So, agree with the 3 in the center square: Cripps, Murphy and Ed Curnow.

Kennedy based on many games for GWS in 2017 should make it. I would start him in the forward pocket and not in the square at the same time as Cripps.

The running power is what excites me.

SPS, Fisher, Williamson and Charlie Curnow mainly off the wing.

Lang off the other wing.

Then there is Pickett, Garlett, Polson, Cuningham, Dow and O’Brien.

So 2-3 midfield runners on the bench and 1 midfield rotation through the forward pocket.

The VFL midfield looks somewhat bare: Graham, Kerridge, Thomas ... Polson ... O’Brien ... Mullett ... one of Dow/ Garlett / ...

Agree SOS goes back to the draft and trades to bring in 1-2 more elite midfielders ... and then there is Shiel at the end of 2019 ...

Not concerned with midfield at all. Just needs time and patience

Cripps Curnow Murphy Kennedy Lang SPS Cuningham Charlie Polson Pickett Fisher Dow LOB is as talented and diverse as there is. It wouldn’t surprise me if Kerridge steps up and plays a lot of footy. They just need games. Another season under their belts and watch out 2019.

I expect that they will cause a couple of upsets next season when the talent just steps up. Consistency will be the issue but it will pay off big time

 

[Soapy V]

It's fine being flushed with optimism, but simply casting out as many names as possible doesn't make for a killer midfield.
Take Cripps out of that starting midfield for one moment and there's little there right now, that suggests we're going to do a lot of damage against just about any other team. Even with Cripps, we'd be amongst the bottom few midfields in the comp.

We're going to want to top-up in an area we clearly haven't a lot of depth in. Sloane? Shiel?
Having missed on Kelly this year and with the money in a good-to-go position, quality ready made mids may be at the top of the hit-list.

I’ve named 14. If only 8-10 step up that’s a very good midfield. Personally I rate them all and it’s not blind optimism. My optimism comes from seeing the talent and how hard they are all driven to succeed.

I’ve said it many times before but this is the best group of kids I’ve see in 50 years at Carlton. These kids are good, it’s just a matter of how good

 

[thylacine60]

we need 14 through the midfield that can all play

 

[Soapy V]

we need 14 through the midfield that can all play

No doubt. I’m confident most of these will stand up and then we will add some more at the end of 2018 through draft trades and FA