by gadj1976 » Sat Apr 11, 2015 9:56 am
as posted in the Carlton 2015 forum
So, we're not 100% full strength yet. Neither are West Coast and I don't know 100% but I'm pretty sure Richmond we're close but not quite.
That gives us a good reference point.
Against Richmond, we were ok for the most but get overrun easily with a slow midfield and weak backline. Richmond will be there and thereabouts, possibly, in my mind finishing 8th to 10th?
Against West Coast, our weakened defence shone through. Our forwards are pretty much getting the delivery of an Under 8's team and obviously with the giant frame's of Jones, Henderson, Menzel or Casboult won't even win 50-50's when the ball is put on their head or kicked along the ground. That type of game would be ok if we had Betts or Garlett but we've given them away. The latter for pick 80 and 100! Anyway, West Coast will finish maybe 10th to 12th this year.
So where does that leave us? We've gone backward in the draft(s) of recent years. Effectively losing those two games pitches us at about 14th or 15th. A great result for a coach that came in to polish us, given Ratts couldn't quite get the job done.
We're a none trick pony. When the game is open and flowing, we look great (see the past two first quarters) but we don't have any game plan to shut the opposition down, nor do we have the skill to set guys free. We get boxed up, the opposition rebound off us and run us off our feet. Our ruck stocks are a disgrace. Not having Kruezer on the park for the best part of 3 years hasn't helped but he's not the ruck solution we need. The opposition rucks give them first use of the ball every time and we tend to go backward from there.
Of the first 7 games, only St Kilda looms as winnable - maybe Brisbane if they lose a Rich type mid on the way through. Otherwise we're stuffed.
Our season was dead in the water before we picked up Jones and Tutt. It's going to be a long long long winter.