Carlton Supporters Club

Well it's over...but at some stage through the final series we had lots of players stand up to show they're more than capable finals performers.

Week three...and of course Walsh is there again
I'll add
Marchbank (please stay healthy in 2024) stood up
and
Boyd (good selection) stood up.
There are a few more.
Add them on.

Some would suggest Curnow wasn't significant but that could be more about how the ball was delivered, opposition tactics, double and triple teaming.

Charlie just needs to work more when he doesn't mark it. If he can't he has to make sure it comes to ground. Just don't get outmarked where possible. Matty Lloyd was today saying what Sheedy would do. He told his forwards never to get outmarked. Do it once and they were forgiven, it happens a second time though you were joining Sheeds for a chat on the bench.
Charlie never had to worry about that much during the season but with the pressure of finals balls are much tougher to mark. It takes alot more work to make sure the opposition don't mark it.

Yep Harry stood up.

Despite his wobbles vs Sydney his game against Brisbane was very good. 

I'm wondering if voss rotated the squad as much to ensure as many players as possible got a taste of finals heat football without compromising the ability to win.

Internally I think they gave us every chance whilst surrendering that we were unlikely to do much this year and still blood players into the finals fold where and when possible.

Going into this season, we had about 6 senior listed players with finals experience (Ed curnow, Mitch mcgovern, Blake acres, adam saad, george hewett and Zac williams) and now we have about 27 who know what it feels like to win a final.  That's an achievement itself. 

Fair enough Laj. His ground level abilities are also very elite, he can crumb them as well as mark them.

In such situations we needed to do what other sides sometimes do with their key forwards, give him the odd run through the midfield to get him into the game. Get his hands on the ball because he is number one for efficiency of kicks into the F50 in the competition. Throws out the opposition too.

Think we are a bit tough on Charlie, he is a major reason we are where we are and achieved the impossible from where we started mid season. The finals footy being played has been tough contested non pretty scrimmage stuff which isnt the formula for kicking a lot of goals or feeding a full forward of Charlies class with opportunities. He gets double teamed a lot and our other forwards should be making more out of that fact and I thought it was a mistake dropping Owies who leads and creates another option which helps Charlie imho.

Yes, it seems a lot of people take my Owies / Motlop mistake comments as bashing Motlop, but it's not about Motlop being poor, it's about what Owies brings that Motlop doesn't, and Charlie and Harry suffer because of it.

The tell was early in the game when we were dominating, and Motlop and Martin were flying against Harry and Charlie instead of crumbing. Owies would have either been front and square, or drawing a defender away form the contest not taking them to it!

My point is that I think Owies being in the team works better for Charlie, he may not be the most talented player and have his limitations but as a cog on the forward line I think he supplies a bit of oil to the engine that makes it work smoother for Charlie.

Fans have short memories, they make a big deal about Charlie marking in D50, and Martin as well, but Owies was deep running pretty much the whole season and regularly, starting as our small forward, was found next to Weiters or McGovern deep in D50 when teams tried to run off our forwards and Mids. That gut based effort wins you games, not the flash stuff that catches fans eyes!