Thoughts On The Carlton Game

[NTRabbit]

I think those years of working under Doc Clarke, Biglands and Hudson have really helped Maric - looks to have combined the strong, big bodied work of Biglands with the aggressive in and under work of Hudson, and much improved tap work (thanks to ruck coach Doc Clarke, no doubt).

Plus he has that extra string the rest of them never quite had - he's an excellent kick, especially in front of the goals.

The only downside is that he isn't quite as mobile as the "modern prototype ruckman" is these days, but hey, not everyone can be Dean Cox.

 

[Rave Slave]

The only downside is that he isn't quite as mobile as the "modern prototype ruckman" is these days, but hey, not everyone can be Dean Cox.

That's where Brad Moran comes in

 

[NTRabbit]

That's where Brad Moran comes in

I think Brad Moran, while a pretty good ruckman, will end up being a utility ruckman like Kurt Tippet. They made a similar point on ABC radio after the game, but personally I think he could do a comparable job to Matthew Robran - a good, not great, but serviceable CHF who can rotate through the ruck when needed, with Maric and Griffin shouldering the main ruck duties.

Think about this down the spine in the future - Rutten > Bock > Moran > Tippet. Once Moran and Tippet get some more valuable experience, that might start to look like a serious set of strong bodied, fast moving, creative and strong contested marking players.

 

[ams4crows]

I LOVE MARIC!!!

he's so passionate and not afraid to give a bit of lip and push and shove to protect his team mates Top Bloke!


awesomeness by Moran today I loved the tounge wagging after the 4th goal he looked stoked!

Shirley step up big time hled Judd to SFA and kicked 2 Sensational goals!!

and Last but not least "GOD" 40 possesions the man is a running machine! he's corageous, stronger and faster has got to be the next captain!

 

[Ferris_rules]

Really felt the players lifted for Porps will be interesting to hear about this.

I thought we looked in real trouble during the early stages of the game, but Porps showed courage and represented what it meant to be an AFC player.

Super effort.

When you think we should have got over the line against the Hawks and maybe beaten the dogs back in round 1 our season strangely within two straight kicks of being entrenched in the top 4.

still think the cats are far and away the best team.

they will only lose the GF if they have injuries during that game!

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

Maric?!

Seriously tho, Maric should be in the much famed "leadership group" after what he has shown this year. VC? DVC?

Could the mad Croatian be a smokey for the captaincy? Apparently NC and his teammates love him. Also he has a nice dose of aggression which is a pre-requisite for the better AFC captains?

 

[Drummond]

Douglas:
Looks classy in what he's doing and he is adding new "tricks" to his game ......but he is still too spasmodic and needs to get more involved and more touches.

I'll still maintain that if he can raise his fitness to a new level as Vince has done we will get a dynamite young rover.

Can’t get over your love for Douglas. How about we make it simple for you, he was rubbish today, is having an ordinary year and his form over the past 4-5 weeks should mean he isn't picked next week.

I thought that little sequence in the last term summed up his day. He was out in space running on the wing, took a bounce, lost the handle and then fumbled, lost his footing and Kruezer gained possessions and got the inside 50. How on earth that can happen is beyond me and he certainly looked classy in doing that….

Anyway as for other individuals, Rutten fought back very well against Fevola after being hammered in the first quarter and a half. Moran is proving to be a pretty handy acquisition and did more than Tippett has for about 2 months. His contested marking is a real feature and while his intensity and awareness must improve, there’s a lot to work with.

Maric is indeed a gem and 29 hit-outs would have to be a career high. He also kicked 2 goals and is proving to be a very accurate shot on goal and a goalkicking ruckman which are rare.

VB is indeed our next captain and don’t think there’s any doubt about that now. If it were up to me he’d be captain next year because I think Goodwin was once again fairly ordinary today, sure he lifted in the second half but he looks decidedly slow out there these days. Back to VB though, 40 possessions, 5 tackles and a heap of clearances and inside 50’s. Probably his best game for the club and he took it upon himself to lift when Porps and Knights went down.

Campbell was good in limited game time, not as productive as previous weeks but once again all of his disposals were effective and he had that lovely set up to Moran’s goal in the third quarter. I thought he was going to embarrass himself and get caught by the man he took on but he got away, backed himself and delivered a perfect pass to Moran.

Vince was very quiet and the less said about his game the better. He’ll be looking to improve next week.

Doughty, Massie both good contributors and Shirley really does own Judd. Fantastic game by him.

 

[jackster83]

His contested marking is a real feature and while his intensity and awareness must improve, there’s a lot to work with.

Not enough power running for mine though

 

[NTRabbit]

Can’t get over your love for Douglas. How about we make it simple for you, he was rubbish today, is having an ordinary year and his form over the past 4-5 weeks should mean he isn't picked next week.

I agree with that, he is slipping back into the same form that had me thinking he should have been delisted at the end of last season. Happily wrong about Vince on that, and earlier in the season it looked like I was weong on Douglas as well, but now...

Shirley really does own Judd. Fantastic game by him.

Best of all nobody will chew him out about it like they do with other taggers, because somehow he manages to do it without all the scragging that most taggers use.

Best game from Van Berlo in quite a while as well, expected a big season from him after last year, but he's really been in the shade of Vince and Porplyzia most of the season.

 

[-CG-]

Could the mad Croatian be a smokey for the captaincy? Apparently NC and his teammates love him. Also he has a nice dose of aggression which is a pre-requisite for the better AFC captains?

I must admit, that did pass through my mind today.

When they were coming off after the warm up Maric was giving everyone pats on the back, ruffling their hair, getting them fired up

Oh and his goal celebrations! Pumped.

 

[TheLeftFist8]

Johncock or Petrenko for Douglas

Otten for Knights, with Campbell taking Knights role in the rotations. I feel his accurate foot passing could be brilliant in that position, with that game time.

Is Goodwin fit enough to be playing? Is it an injury that will improve for a couple weeks rest? I know we are a miniscule chance of doing anything meaningful in the finals but if we do i feel we will need a fit Goodwin contributing.

 

[adelaide_40]

Great win

I thought we didnt look switched on in the first qtr and a half...until Porps got stretchered off that got us going.

3rd quarter was great, Moran was fantastic in the foward line

Last quarter had me worried and I thought shutting the game down was the right thing to do because they were beating us at the running game

B.O.G: Van Berlo greta game from him today

 

[CrowHop]

I thought that little sequence in the last term summed up his day. He was out in space running on the wing, took a bounce, lost the handle and then fumbled, lost his footing and Kruezer gained possessions and got the inside 50. How on earth that can happen is beyond me and he certainly looked classy in doing that….

Pluis his miss from 35 out straight in front was a bad miss too. Could have put us 6 goals up and made it difficult,Didnt think he played a terribly good game today, although didnt think he was rubbish.

 

[that_dood]

I think Brad Moran, while a pretty good ruckman, will end up being a utility ruckman like Kurt Tippet. They made a similar point on ABC radio after the game, but personally I think he could do a comparable job to Matthew Robran - a good, not great, but serviceable CHF who can rotate through the ruck when needed, with Maric and Griffin shouldering the main ruck duties.

A bit like the Lynch role for WCE, although he would be able to win a hit out unlike the cue tip.

Loved watching today's game. Gutsy win and that can give us some confidence to get a run on coming into September.

Possible changes for next week:

OUT
Goodwin (needs a rest to recover for the finals)
Douglas
Knights (If injured)

IN
Otten or Petrenko
Stiffy
Reilly ??? (No idea about his status over here in the West)

 

[Dandy_GO]

Douglas had a day to forget. He just had a case of the fumbles. Nothing was really working for him. He'll bounce back next week though. He's been very up and down this year, but he's still a first 22 player. He's been starting to put together full games, and his composure is coming along nicely. He's still averaging a goal a game, despite being poor the last few weeks, which isn't too bad for a part time crumbing forward. Dale Thomas, who plays a reasonably similar style of game to Dougie, and was recruited in the same year, has only kicked 2 more for the year from 1 more game, and the Victorian media would have you believe that Daisy's having a pretty good year.

Things just didn't click for Dougie today, but that's not going to happen every week. He's class. Just gets a bit ahead of himself sometimes. Early days yet.

 

[bus24]

Douglas had a day to forget. He just had a case of the fumbles. Nothing was really working for him. He'll bounce back next week though. He's been very up and down this year, but he's still a first 22 player. He's been starting to put together full games, and his composure is coming along nicely. He's still averaging a goal a game, despite being poor the last few weeks, which isn't too bad for a part time crumbing forward.

Things just didn't click for him today, but that's not going to happen every week. He's class. Just gets a bit ahead of himself sometimes. Early days yet.

He's been good on the whole this year. No doubt. He has bad games. Not unusual for a young player, who mainly plays the graveyard HFF position.

I can't understand calls for his dropping. Petrenko, Otten? There is no way in hell they're as good as Douglas. They might be in future. Might be. Definitely not now. They don't play the same position, anyway.

 

[McLeodMagic]

Possible changes for next week:

OUT
Goodwin (needs a rest to recover for the finals)
Douglas
Knights (If injured)

IN
Otten or Petrenko
Stiffy
Reilly ??? (No idea about his status over here in the West)

OUT: Porpy and Knights (inj)
IN: Stiffy, Otten/Petrenko

 

[magtrev]

Dougie had a shocker, but he's been pretty good tis year as a whole, including last week against Sydney.

Goody, on the other hand, is pretty much useless out there, and that makes me sad

 

[PCORF]

We had a brilliant two middle quarters. Was very pleased. Our final quarter was awful, the team appeared to give up at one stage. But it was a win and that is the most important thing. Richmond next weekend is a game we cannot afford to lose with two very difficult day TD games in red uniforms against Ess and Stk coming up, we've never been winless at TD during a season but most the wins came at night or with the roof closed. A spot in the 8 comes down to the Round 22 game vs the Bulldogs. Expect 1st or 2nd week elimination if we make the 8 and I'm not garunteeing that.

 

[King Elvis]

We have a very good, very strong, core of younger guys coming through, and they're obviously very close - when Porps when down, the first guys to fire up were Campbell, Moran, Mackay and Symes.

Good to see.

I'm a big fan of Douglas, but he is down on form a bit. I think he's a victim of circumstance; we need a small forward (who can be defensive), and Douglas seems like our current best option. I've got no doubt it's stifling his development a little, as he should be in the middle.

There is no way we'll drop Douglas - if Knights is out, we'll move him into the middle; if Porps misses a week, then we need Douglas down forward.

At this stage, Knights will miss, so probably Ottens comes in for him (not Jericho I hope), Porps is in doubt, so either Petrenko or Stiffy, and I think we should give Goody a rest - without question.

Maric - ****ing gun, I love the bloke. One of the reasons I'm such a big fan of Bass is that he's almost too passionate and he gives everything he has; Maric seems to be the same.

 

[NSWCROW]

Those who question his value to the club (NSWCROW I'm LOOKING at YOU) Eat a giant dose of humble pie.

After 1 good , sorry , GREAT game !!!!!
OK





( Am i your first ?? )

 

[Vince Van Mackay]

Reilly will come in next week for Knights, any other changes will be subject to injury, no one else will be dropped.

 

[macca23]

Reilly will come in next week for Knights, any other changes will be subject to injury, no one else will be dropped.

Presuming that Porps comes up, that's the one likely change.

 

[King Elvis]

Reilly will come in next week for Knights, any other changes will be subject to injury, no one else will be dropped.

Radar for Goody.

We need to take the pragmatic view - if we're going to do anything in Finals, we need Goodwin up and firing, so give him a week to refresh.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Bob! Bob! Bob!
Bob! Bob! MORAN!

As much as I LOVED van Berlo's game, I just felt like Moran was THE difference. He went to FF late in the 2nd and looked dangerous. Then after half time he just tore them a new one. Nothing Carlton could do to negate his influence as a tall forward.

If this kid can improve on his ruckwork, his goal kicking and his hardness and awareness around the footy he will be one hell of a player.

There comes a moment in everyone's career where they realise that they are good enough and that they belong. I think that big Bob might have just experienced that moment in his 6th game of AFL footy.

A gutsy win by the undermanned side!

On a side note, maybe I am a bit too much of a sportmenship type fan but what pisses me off the most about teams is when they go out to "test" out opponents injury. I hated it when the Lions did it to Reiwoldt a few year back, I hated it when Chad Cornes did it to Brown in the 2004 GF and I hated it yesterday when Carlton players wre sniping Porplyzia to test out his shoulder. Thats not what sport is about! Thats being cowards!

What sport should be about is 2 team going at it 100 miles and hour fairly and competitivly. If you are continually looking and going out of your way to test out someone's injury, well thats just piss weak. It tells me you are not good enough to beat that player fair and square. It tells me you need to step down to cowardly tactics to get ahead. Thats just piss weak. This is not about Browne flattening Porps but it started from the first bounce with Wiggins and went on from there.

PISS WEAK Carlton! PISS WEAK!