Why we won so well today

[amer]

Troy Bond was a fantastically talented player.

seriously.

Of course he was a good player, but there's a touch of hanging onto the glory days in what you're saying.

Ricciuto has just said as I type, our current forward line is the best in the history of the club. How many times have we heard things like this from those associated with the club this year? So many of the club's longest servicemen (Craig himself, JR etc) have said our current list is the most talented in club history; we're hard pressed to get big calls from the conservative Craig hierarchy at the best of times, so it's significant imo.

If our current group doesn't go on to be remembered as our best ever I'll hand in my membership.

 

[dylan123]

Just noticed that we had 204 kicks to 196 handballs, maybe a reason why we scored much higher then normal? Normally our handballing outnumbers our kicks right?

 

[StonesThrow]

Dont forget, was done without our number 1 ruck in Moran, number 1 Defender in Bock, and without VB for 3 quarters

Maric is our number 1. Moran is yet to show anything to suggest he is our number 1 ruckman.

 

[hippyhippy]

Why we won so well today?

well it was so apparent that Carlton could not cope with our defensive pressure especially during kick ins ... how many times did a bomb from the kick in was spoilt and luckily went to an adelaide player and resulted in a goal, i have never seen this happen so much apart from against the saints.

also was our excellent ability to convert 50m entries into scoring shots, every time we went inside 50 im sure carlton shit themselves, just shows the class of our forward line compared to sub standard defence.

if u asked a carlton supporter that fev would have 5 goals and they would score over 100 points, im sure they'd be pretty happy.

 

[TheLeftFist8]

Maric is our number 1. Moran is yet to show anything to suggest he is our number 1 ruckman.

Moran has shown equally as much as Maric and prior to injury was clearly our better option. Since then Maric has improved to be at the level Moran was at, so they are now a dead heat (except the incumbent retains his position until forced out). Long term, i am betting Moran will be the better ruck but that's a matter of well known conjecture!

 

[WALL-e]

Moran is our #1 IMO. Maric our #2.

 

[Crow-mo]

Moran has shown equally as much as Maric and prior to injury was clearly our better option. Since then Maric has improved to be at the level Moran was at, so they are now a dead heat (except the incumbent retains his position until forced out). Long term, i am betting Moran will be the better ruck but that's a matter of well known conjecture!

the difference is that Maric has a physicality that will allow him to do the work in close, win clearances and bullock around the pack.

that is one huge area for improvement that Moran doesn't have.

 

[jo172]

Also have to consider that's the first must win game Carlton's played this millenium.

Very mentally fragile under a bit of pressure.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Maric is our number 1. Moran is yet to show anything to suggest he is our number 1 ruckman.

No offense but Maric is our #1 by circumstances not by form.

Overall he has had a very average year. He has played a few very good games but mostly he has been below par.

We will go into next season with everyone competing for the #1 and #2 spots because no one has the hold of their position in the ruck.

 

[Crow-mo]

No offense but Maric is our #1 by circumstances not by form.

Overall he has had a very average year. He has played a few very good games but mostly he has been below par.

We will go into next season with everyone competing for the #1 and #2 spots because no one has the hold of their position in the ruck.

I agree with this. we potentially have 0 long term future ruckman.

at least no one will feel they lack opportunity.

 

[we57st]

Awesome display from the Crows. Such a glut of super-talented players all over the field. BIG flag smoky for mine as I don't see Essendon troubling them much after putting all their energies, physical and mental, into beating the Hawks.

However, I do think the Carlton bandwagon has done a good job of talking up the Blues when there are some considerable chinks in their armour. Will be interesting to see how they go against the Lions.

 

[StuPendus]

Troy Bond was a fantastically talented player.

seriously.

And didn't he celebrate after kicking a goal, priceless.

 

[StuPendus]

The three major things that contributed to our winning were:

(a) Our constant pressure whether with the ball carrier or especially Graig's favourite, off the ball;

(b) Our effective disposal when we passed the ball;

(c) Our goal kicking was immeasurably better especially the set shots.

 

[RicMcHart]

I agree with all the comments on why the Crows won so well but we also played a very undermanned side that dropped 3 of their starting 22 players for disciplinary reasons before leading into the game and I think also a couple more changes were made to their line-up on the eve of the game. Don't get me wrong, the Crows also had players unavailable for this game & also VanBerlo for only 2 quarters but we had a more settled line-up than Carlton did.

 

[TheLeftFist8]

the difference is that Maric has a physicality that will allow him to do the work in close, win clearances and bullock around the pack.

that is one huge area for improvement that Moran doesn't have.

I agree Moran can still improve a bit in this area but if you watch his last few games closely he also got a few ground balls and fed out some handballs in tight while being tackled.

Still rate Maric slightly higher in this area, but only slightly. I feel you are underrating the improvement Moran has already shown with his physicality in close.

Prior to 09 i would've agreed with you without qualification. From where he started to where he needs to be in terms of physicality/clearances/tackling etc I'd say he got 75% the way there prior to injury. I look forward to 2010 to see if he can improve this area further. If he does, he'll be a first 22 fixture all year long.

2010...the year of Triple M.


Edit: Should also add that i feel Maric' competitiveness overrated by many in terms of its consistency. When his mind is right he is a very competitive beast but when his mindset and aggressive approach is lacking he really drops off in performance. Read his recent comments in media for how he attributes his better form to consistently hitting the contest harder and not dropping off intensity. Let's hope he is switched on for this Elimination Final and comes out breathing fire!

 

[sbenno]

2010...the year of Triple M

Moran, Maric, and ..... who?

 

[srv23]

Moran, Maric, and ..... who?

sMack is my guess

 

[sbenno]

sMack is my guess

oh yer! Moran, Maric, McKernan

 

[CROW36]

Class and talent. We have so much more of it now than we've ever had. Wind the clock back three or four years and with Carlton getting the jump such a game would've transformed into a grinding affair, certainly not the polished, runaway victory we had today. What we are seeing now are quality, quality footballers getting their hands on the ball at important stages and finishing the job. Bernie Vince, Jason Porplyzia, Chris Knights, David Mackay, and when there's a little extra pressure the old timers, reliable as ever, dip their hands in to steady the ship.

This is clearly the most talented list we've ever had and now as a result we are winning games of footy that you'd normally write off. In today's case we broke the opposition's back with opportunism robbing them of momentum in the first term. Are we good enough to win the flag this year? Personally I don't think so, but with Sloane, Walker and Davis still to step in (all bring class) we are finally getting a group together that can go with the opposition for talent, not just workrate.

I still think we are a couple of years away from a flag us crow supporters are realistic we don't jump the gun like the Power supporters and get mud in there eyes.

 

[TheLeftFist8]

sMack is my guess

(Don't ask me how to fit them all in the 22)

 

[CROW36]

Spot on, and not the first time we have been jumped at the start and won the game. Hawthorn game also would have been a loss in previous years.

The mental ability of these guys to bounce back is a great asset.

Maybe Williams needs to learn a few pointers of Craigy.

 

[marvin]

It's got to be said - Carlton were defensively very, very poor after the first 15 minutes. Not just in the back 6, where they were overmatched - but down through the midfield.

One passage of pay that sticks with me was in the 3rd term. Carlton had a mark about 60 metres out, we got numbers back, and Carlton left a zone through the centre square. Nothing wrong with that - but the 12 players who Carlton left outside the 50 did virtually nothing to close the ball carriers down, and we moved it through them like we had the numerical advantage. We really got through the corridor and down the flanks very, very easily. That won't happen in September.

 

[Huntercrow]

Spot on, and not the first time we have been jumped at the start and won the game. Hawthorn game also would have been a loss in previous years.

The mental ability of these guys to bounce back is a great asset.

97 Crows could have said Nah not this year, but........

 

[Macjoe]

and Rehn
and Smart
and Hart
and Roo
and Modra
and Stevens
and Bond
and Vardy

not too mention guys in their prime
and Goodwin
and Edwards

Loved that team too. My question is - I want to be clear about this - did you overlook McLeod, or choose not to include him?

 

[choo]

geel 2007 adel 2009

ablett thompson
bartel vince
johnston porplysia
corey van berlo
selwood goodwin
harley bock
scarlett rutten
milburn stevens
hunt johncock
ling doughty
chapman burton
mooney tippett
ablett henschel
ottens maric
king sellars
mackie otten
rooke dangerfield
kelly edwards
stokes knights
byrnes symes
wojinski reilly
enright macleod






I know this seems an over reaction to Saturday.

But you guys impressed the hell out of me. Some obvious misses, particularly ruck but that forward line is filthy.
Good Luck
please beat Essadum by a point and enjoy the 2 days extra break before the next final.