Training 15th Dec

[Fullmont101]

I know lots of people asking questions on how well guys are training.......so thought I would add another

Can anyone tell me how well Saddington is moving? In the pics I've seen he doesn't seem to have the knee strapped (which I wouldn't expect for a cartilage injury anyway).

I know most supporters bag him, but if he has gotten over his knee he may be a bit of a wild card for next year - releasing Lance a bit etc.

Thoughts?

He did have another op on his knee, but when they did this op they found what was wrong with his knee and have now fully fixed it.

He is running well and looks in pretty good shape, he joins in some ball drills and then run laps fwhile the team do others.

 

[Bluebear]

He did have another op on his knee, but when they did this op they found what was wrong with his knee and have now fully fixed it.

He is running well and looks in pretty good shape, he joins in some ball drills and then run laps fwhile the team do others.

Great to hear.
Unlike many poster here I was actually very pleased when we recruited him, and had high hopes, for the very reason that he brings a senior body and brain to the backline, is generally quicker than Lance (not hard) and plays taller than he is.
Many people have written him off because he is older and has had a few (very few) injuries.
I agree with those that have said here that if he can get through a pre-season I think he could really add something to our defence, and have many here thinking they were a bit harsh.

 

[drusswaylander]

I think it would be nice to get a training thread sticky
It is a nice positive for us to concentrate on and it is great to see how the kids are getting on. The comments and pics of those making it to training are much appreciated

It would just be great to have everything in one place. So you can easily compare pics and comments from various sessions


Perhaps a sticky about the Bullants as well once the season gets underway. News about the games etc from those who make it to games would also be a bonus Again just an easier way to access info

 

[Bee Vee]

Bentick and Carrazzo play completely different positions, so there is no way they will be competing for the same spot.

Carrazzo has excellent hands in close and is a true ball winner. He was a midfielder in the TAC and when he won Geelongs reserve B&F as a kid.
He could play the ball winning inside midfielder, as Bentick does.
Perhaps Pagan could having some faith in the players instead of playing them as run with/negators. He might be pleasantly surprised.

A senior player told me that Kouta/Stevens and co. really rate Carrots. He has deceptive pace and he's hard at it.
Heaven forbid Denis should try to improvise!

 

[av76]

I'd like to see a bit more of Carazzo in the centre...he's very solid boy and can win the ball. His stats are comparable with many of the other 2nd string midfielders too and he plays quite a bit down back too. I agree he should be given a few full games in Bentick's role and see what happens...maybe an NAB cup experiment.

 

[sticks74]

I'd like to see a bit more of Carazzo in the centre...he's very solid boy and can win the ball. His stats are comparable with many of the other 2nd string midfielders too and he plays quite a bit down back too. I agree he should be given a few full games in Bentick's role and see what happens...maybe an NAB cup experiment.

Unfortunately his disposal is not up to a first class midfielder...especially when we now have Murph, Gibbs, Stevens, Simpson and Walker!

Back pocket and rotation player at best

 

[BlueWorld]

Unfortunately his disposal is not up to a first class midfielder...especially when we now have Murph, Gibbs, Stevens, Simpson and Walker!

Back pocket and rotation player at best

In fact Carrazzo makes far fewer clangers than all those players.

http://www.talkingcarlton.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12652&highlight=clanger+kings

Walker first class disposal????

 

[sticks74]

In fact Carrazzo makes far fewer clangers than all those players.

http://www.talkingcarlton.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12652&highlight=clanger+kings

Walker first class disposal????

Blueworld...

Please dont tell me you can see him playing in front of the guys mentioned above...Youre kidding me???
Walker has more class in his right testicle than carrazzo...

 

[Bee Vee]

Unfortunately his disposal is not up to a first class midfielder...especially when we now have Murph, Gibbs, Stevens, Simpson and Walker!

Back pocket and rotation player at best

Stevens, Simpson and co are ball carriers and finishers. You dont want them om the bottom of packs getting jumped on.

Does'nt anyone differentiate between ball winning clearance players and running midfielders?
They are completely different players and should'nt be compared.

 

[anth22]

Saddington is a bit better than that. Was in Sydney's best 22 until he did his ACL & was an emergency for their 2005 premiership side in his return season from his knee reconstruction. Unfortunately he had complications with his knee during pre-season last year & like most players who miss a significant amount of the pre-season, could not catch up the lost time & succumbed to injury again (note Jarrad Waite also missed a significant amount of the pre-season & then followed it up with an injury riddled season). If Saddington can get through this pre-season unscathed he will have an important role to play in our defence, allowing the likes of Bower, O'Hailpin & Austin to develop at a realistic pace.

Yeah I do understand he WAS a good player but because of those reasons you have just outlined he has no chance to be spectacular ... if I had to choose between him playing or one of Bower, O'Hailpin, Hartlett, Flint or even Austin I know my choice regardless of their ability to have an impact on a game.

 

[av76]

In fact Carrazzo makes far fewer clangers than all those players.

http://www.talkingcarlton.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12652&highlight=clanger+kings

Walker first class disposal????

His other stats are comparable to the likes of Houlihan, Bentick, Walker depite playing in positions where he gets slightly less opportunity. My impression was that he had poor disposal and was surprised by those clanger stats. All I am saying is that people seem to rank him quite lowly but I think we might all be under-rating him a little. I think it is worth giving a better go in the centre like Bentick has had...worth a try.

 

[BlueWorld]

Stevens, Simpson and co are ball carriers and finishers. You dont want them om the bottom of packs getting jumped on.

Does'nt anyone differentiate between ball winning clearance players and running midfielders?
They are completely different players and should'nt be compared.

No it's not all black & white. Stevens may ideally be an 'outside' player but wins more clearances than any other player. You can't always stand around waiting for someone to give you the ball because it may not happen.

 

[mediumsizered]

Yeah I do understand he WAS a good player but because of those reasons you have just outlined he has no chance to be spectacular ... if I had to choose between him playing or one of Bower, O'Hailpin, Hartlett, Flint or even Austin I know my choice regardless of their ability to have an impact on a game.

Wouldn't it be handy to have that extra experienced tall down back that would allow the flexibility to push Whitnall forward against teams that lack height in their defence? The defence without Saddo down back, would have T-Bird as the most experienced tallish defender followed by O'Hailpin then comes Bower, Hartlett, Flint etc, if you have pushed Whitnall forward. Remember how Richmond exploited our lack of height in defence this season, or even the Kangaroos in Round 1, 2005 in the absence of T-Bird & with Livo getting injured? I would like to think we had that option against some of the smaller defences & Saddo gives us that option.

 

[mediumsizered]

His other stats are comparable to the likes of Houlihan, Bentick, Walker depite playing in positions where he gets slightly less opportunity. My impression was that he had poor disposal and was surprised by those clanger stats. All I am saying is that people seem to rank him quite lowly but I think we might all be under-rating him a little. I think it is worth giving a better go in the centre like Bentick has had...worth a try.

It is no surprise that people are under the impression that the likes of Carazzo & even Bentick, are poor users of the ball. This rubbish is being rammed down our throats by many opposition supporters & even a minority of Carlton supporters. We constantly hear how poor the disposal of our youngsters is, yet the stats show otherwise. AB's clanger percentage is even lower than Murph's. We have a strong core of midfielders among our youngsters, who are made to look unskilled at times by the immense pressure applied by some of the leading AFL clubs. As these kids become fitter & more confident, they will feel the pressure less & therefore use the ball better.

 

[Bee Vee]

No it's not all black & white. Stevens may ideally be an 'outside' player but wins more clearances than any other player. You can't always stand around waiting for someone to give you the ball because it may not happen.

I agree BW.
My point is that Carrazzo shouldnt be left out of the team because Simpson and Stevens are midfield candidates. There is still a role for a bullocking ball winner.

 

[Jeremias]

Wouldn't it be handy to have that extra experienced tall down back that would allow the flexibility to push Whitnall forward against teams that lack height in their defence? The defence without Saddo down back, would have T-Bird as the most experienced tallish defender followed by O'Hailpin then comes Bower, Hartlett, Flint etc, if you have pushed Whitnall forward. Remember how Richmond exploited our lack of height in defence this season, or even the Kangaroos in Round 1, 2005 in the absence of T-Bird & with Livo getting injured? I would like to think we had that option against some of the smaller defences & Saddo gives us that option.

The only objection I have is that Saddo isn't really a player suited to a key defensive post. Whitnall has been playing CHB, and we still need him down there until someone like Hartlett or Austin develop into key defenders.

That's the problem with our defense, we have no key defenders. The vast majority of them are suited to the role of a 3rd defender.

 

[blues4flag]

In fact Carrazzo makes far fewer clangers than all those players.

http://www.talkingcarlton.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12652&highlight=clanger+kings

Walker first class disposal????

Bannister the best disposal in our team . Just wondering what they actually refer to as a clanger - ie. would a missed goal be a clanger? Because Bannister's turnovers in defense resulting in opposition goals are much more costly than a missed shot at goal by a forward, which he does way too often.