Re: Post Game Passion; AFL Rd 19: Carlton vs North Melbourne
Reply #32 –
Looking at the stats and North's 3 main mids had 22 clearances between them. Our entire struggled to get that many. That tells you almost all you need to know. If we are not getting use of the ball, then we're always under pressure, and that makes you look slow.
Then, when we get the ball, who is there to kick to? Nobody in the forward half to take a contested mark.
It is disappointing to see so little energy, but no team is going to win when they can't get the ball out of the middle.
I hope H and Charlie are ready for next week. We need something down forward.
What we are going to do in the ruck, I don't know. TDK is the future, but he needs someone with the strength to compete with the giants. And we don't use him well around the ground. He should be getting 10 or 11 marks per game, if we kicked it to him reasonably. We don't tend to look for him enough.
It has made we wonder all year why we haven't promoted Crocker. He has shown a lot in the VFL. Granted he is no giant, but can't we learn how to pass a ball to a leading forward? We did it for Pearce and it worked brilliantly. Or have out coaches forgotten that?
I like Teague, but when we don't turn up so often, and when get out-coached like we were today, then it makes his position pretty difficult.
I'd also be looking to trade out some of the players. Although a new coach might make a difference there.
We have a lot of improvement in us, but it is about time we started showing some of it. There isn't a lot of excuse now not to play guys like Honey, etc. But until we show up, I don't know if they'll want to play.
We were demolished and bullied in the middle of the ground and around the ball pretty much all day. H, Charlie, Kernahan, Lockett, Dunstall and Ablett Snr combined wouldn't have made one iota of difference today.