Autopsy vs Carlton - Round 8, 2020

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7577969923

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 20, 2018
6,178
16,391
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North Melbourne
Probably contentious and I do love the way he goes about it when he's on, but I'm of the opinion that Zurhaar hasn't given us as much as I would have expected in the last couple of games.

I'm not sure what it is, but if he's having a quiet patch, he needs to at least impose himself at the contest. I don't expect 30 touches from him, but I just feel his energy has been off a touch.

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Not contentious in my book. He has cost us quite a few scoring shots in the last few weeks with selfish play when ignores the handball option in a better position than him and does the u-turn and hack kick forward. Yesterday when he received a handball on the half-forward flank (from Scott I think) the obvious play was to handball back having drawn the defender and Scott having run on and in the clear. Instead, he hacks a kick forward that gave Larkey no chance. There is a lot to like about CZ but a lot of improvement as well.
 

Bluesome

Team Captain
Oct 3, 2018
354
1,169
AFL Club
Carlton
I'm staying positive too. Didn't get too angry during the match, as perhaps I'm now pre-conditioned to losing and looking at draft picks.

Nice to see Bailey continue to build. With the time missing last year, he's practically a first year player. Polec was good. LDU very quiet, but coming off injury and little match practice - just got to get games into him. Larkey showing how invaluable he is, and can only continue to help take pressure off Brown. No major injuries.

Our delivery to unmanned defenders is baffling, but Carlton were just as bad at times. Despite how poor we were, we could have still pinched the game, because of those WTF moments that went against us:
1. JMac handball turnover for a goal
2. Goldy missing a sitter
3. Zurhaar missing a sitter (we should have been 3.0 not 1.2 at this stage).
4. 50m penalty against Higgins (it was there)
5. 100m penalty (still not sure of the 2nd 50m penalty)
6. Pittard costing Polec a shot after the 3/4 time siren.
7. Brilliant collect, and goal from 50m in the wet to seal the game by Carlton.

if any of those things didn't happen, we probably win the game. No luck, injuries, woeful skill execution...

Haha come on mate, was a terrible game...we were terrible, you were terrible...wasn’t one either of the coaches will be remembering beyond this week...

...but to say if 10 pivotal moments in a game don’t happen you win is like saying we both should have been undefeated coming into this week...

anyway, good luck for the rest of the year guys...hopefully we both improve next week!
 

SonofSamsquanch

Enjoy decent coffee but don't dunk yer biscuits
Mar 31, 2016
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Haha come on mate, was a terrible game...we were terrible, you were terrible...wasn’t one either of the coaches will be remembering beyond this week...

...but to say if 10 pivotal moments in a game don’t happen you win is like saying we both should have been undefeated coming into this week...

anyway, good luck for the rest of the year guys...hopefully we both improve next week!
I think you’ll find that he said if any one of those pivotal moments had gone the other way... But don’t worry about it. Carry on.
 

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Bluesome

Team Captain
Oct 3, 2018
354
1,169
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Carlton
I think you’ll find that he said if any one of those pivotal moments had gone the other way... But don’t worry about it. Carry on.

fair enough...misread it...still think it is a bit of an arbitrary assessment that could go either way...

but I am in enemy territory and genuinely like tha kangas, so didn’t mean to offend really...
 

7577969923

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 20, 2018
6,178
16,391
AFL Club
North Melbourne
fair enough...misread it...still think it is a bit of an arbitrary assessment that could go either way...

but I am in enemy territory and genuinely like tha kangas, so didn’t mean to offend really...
I'm sure you could create a similar list but they are valid points. We would be silly not to acknowledge that ill-discipline and lack of composure at key times didn't cost us yesterday.
 

Le Grille

Cancelled
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ChoppyGun

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 19, 2020
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Agree with the Zurhaar comments.

Like him but seems preoccupied with heavy hitting stuff, than doing all the basics first.

Needs to round out a balanced game as his priority, and keep the hits etc as a bonus.
 
Sep 16, 2001
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Yeah sadly. I recently watched a snippet of whatever game of North from ages ago, resulted in a goal ...... in it there is a flash of M.Pyke clearing someone out of the way so it may have been Winston can have a ping at the sticks. That was my thought as well, we don't bloody do this anymore.
Pikey just liked clearing people out of the way
 

r_boy

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 12, 2007
5,471
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Northern Territory
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We are getting our hands on the ball but we struggle to do much with it, we have too many scrappy users of the ball and sure we are getting plenty of clearances but we are turning most of them over.

Ball retention, or lack thereof, was one of my major gripes about the Scott era, as was our general skill level. We work so hard to get the ball and we then just hand it over to readily through a poor system of ball movement. The conditions didn't help this week but it has been a problem not just this year but year after year.

I just can't believe anyone thinks we are going to win a flag with the way we move the ball out of our defensive 50 or the way we deliver it inside our forward 50. The way we go up the line is us raising the white flag and saying we just plan on hanging in there rather than play to win.

It has been like that since the Laidley era at least 2007.
 
People are underestimating how much heavy lifting Cunnington did, outside of Goldy he is the most important player in our team. You can have a lot of injuries and still function well as a side, it highlights how fragile our midfield is and how badly it is conditioned to function a certain way with Cunnington playing too significant a role.

As painful as it is going to be, we need to evolve a much better system because Ben is nearing the end.

I certainly wouldn’t underestimate the power of work that Cunnington does. However, if his loss is always going to result in the collapse of our team, then there is a fundamental problem with our team. He’s good but he’s not that good. Last year, he even struggled to shake a tag.


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fair enough...misread it...still think it is a bit of an arbitrary assessment that could go either way...

but I am in enemy territory and genuinely like tha kangas, so didn’t mean to offend really...
No offence... we are a terrible team, and the point I was trying to make was if any of those boneheaded errors didn't happen, we may have accidentally undeservingly won. But bad decisions/bad kicking/turnovers are part of footy, and we will have to improve all that to drag ourselves back up the ladder.

You're right that the game was forgettable.
 

Bluesome

Team Captain
Oct 3, 2018
354
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AFL Club
Carlton
No offence... we are a terrible team, and the point I was trying to make was if any of those boneheaded errors didn't happen, we may have accidentally undeservingly won. But bad decisions/bad kicking/turnovers are part of footy, and we will have to improve all that to drag ourselves back up the ladder.

You're right that the game was forgettable.

cheers mate...sorry, misread your original post...

And to be honest probably taking out my frustrations from a few on our board saying ‘if Gray hadn’t kicked that goal we’d be top 4’...In the same breath ignoring the many things that had to go right for us to be 4-4 now...

anyway best of luck for the season mate...won’t make finals but you can hope to take a few scalps through the year...

plus trust me...it is good to let go and just focus on how the kids develop...warts and all...love Zurhaar...he was a half a step off being a game breaker on the weekend, and if he gets some continuity will be a real good player!
 

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BowWow1978

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Feb 6, 2012
802
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Was hoping to get top 2 pick and see something from LDU. Top 2 pick secured, LDU weak as piss. Pulled out of contests, didn't defend and looked lazy.


OH FFS. It's his first game back after injury. There is no VFL. He has been playing 11 a side practice matches as preparation. Can we give the kid more than one game before we stick the boots in? Jesus
 

BowWow1978

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Feb 6, 2012
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Perfect result.
Gave it a crack with a couple young lads playing well. Keep spot #2 in the draft. Carton go a game ahead of the Dees 🤷🏼‍♂️

My thoughts exactly. We should all be thanking Pittard. He's single handedly stopped us from going on yet another pointless mid season run of 3-4 victories, just so we can finish 11th and get a mid level draft talent.
 

BowWow1978

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Feb 6, 2012
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The Mahoney drafting was baffling, really. So very slow.

I'm struggling to see the rationale too. Surely a small forward needs to have some tricks in his kit bag? I've not seen anything from him yet. We desperately need a small forward and on current sample size, it's not him. I don't think he's kicked a goal yet?
 
Feb 11, 2013
15,353
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I'm struggling to see the rationale too. Surely a small forward needs to have some tricks in his kit bag? I've not seen anything from him yet. We desperately need a small forward and on current sample size, it's not him. I don't think he's kicked a goal yet?
I disagree here, he’s a very smart footballer, neat skills, clean with ball in hand, always seems to hit up an option.
something we’re actually lacking in that team in the forward half, a cool head.

but he does need to work on getting an elite attribute or the game will sail past him because of his size.
Lucky he has boomer to guide him.
 
Jun 9, 2001
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Wouldn't mind our small forward impacting the score board occasionally though........

Agree. I think his best case scenario is a Peter Bell style mid-fwd but he'd need to start scoring and show some overhead marking prowess to get there.

Fwiw Bell wasn't doing anything in the AFL at the same point.
 

BowWow1978

All Australian
Feb 6, 2012
802
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He's not suddenly going to become fast though. Players either have pace when they are drafted, or they don't.

I think we probably drafted him more for his smarts around goal, rather than his speed.

"smarts around goal" I'd like to point out that he hasn't kicked one.....
 

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