Preview 2024 Rd 20 Carlton vs Port Adelaide Friday 26th July 7:40PM AEST @ Marvel Stadium

[Aphrodite]

Team is in …

3 Changes

AFL team news: Three big additions

Mitch McGovern is among a trio of inclusions for Friday night football.

www.carltonfc.com.au

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[Gethelred]

Carlton vs Port Adelaide
Friday, 26/7/2024
7:40pm, Marvel Stadium​

Last 5 Matches

Carlton

W-W-L-L-W

We beat Essendon when they still thought they were fair dinkum and took the Cats and the Tigers to the cleaners. We then lost to a pretty good Giants lineup away (understandable if disappointing) but lost in an extremely disappointing performance against the Dogs, pipping us by 14 points. We’ve just beat North by 19 points, with them playing a very old school ‘If we can’t beat you, we’ll make you beating us hurt’!

We’ve hit a low patch of form just as we seemed to get players back. Players were moved back into the ones seemingly without twos form, and it felt like coaches were tinkering with matchups to our detriment.

Port Adelaide

L-W-W-L-W

Port were obliterated off the park by a resurgent Lions side at home, before turning their form around by increments. Victories against a lacklustre Dogs - who chose to play out of their skins two weeks later, their season on the line - and Richmond weren’t terribly convincing, and losing to the Suns away isn’t really a barometer as to where they sit.

Their form is a bit of an enigma. They’ve won some pretty notable victories away - Geelong in their little niche is nothing to sneer at - but outside of that they’ve lost an awful lot at home.

What was once a bastion has been very hospitable of late.

This will be their second game at Marvel this year, following a narrow victory over the Aints. Our form - for all that we’ve won more than we’ve lost - at Marvel is 3 wins, 2 losses; it’s an interesting form map to enter into this game with, wanting to improve a record whilst in second.

Considerations

Port should have a number of players they didn’t have last time, with both Butters and Rozee missing last time we played. As a consequence, their three headed beast midfield - completed with Horne-Francis - will be decidedly faster and - in theory - should in theory be much more dangerous.

Marshall is the main man ahead of the ball, and Aliir is still the interceptor behind the ball. They’ve been undersized behind the ball, but this is something Port have been for a long, long time. Even when they were at the pinnacle of their game - to call them ‘in contention’ would feel strange, as even when they were at the top of the ladder it felt transient, as though they were never quite good enough - they were mid sized at best behind the ball, relying on smart footy and good body work as well as pressure on the kicker to defend the ground. They’ve lost some cattle back there over the past few years, so that lack of height could really come back to bite them.

We on the other hand are very exposable around the ball. If it’s a wrestle, we’re going to belt and slam and bruise into and through you until you simply cannot go where we can go. If you get the ball outside that first 5m, we struggle to match you around the ball and we can be exposed. We try and compensate for this with staunchly defensive wings and contested/intercept marking behind the ball: we can default to playing two tags, Cincotta and Hewitt around and in front of the ball, and we can set up to pressure you into turnovers. Sometimes this works; against the best, it’s a struggle.

Verdict

If we’re credible, we should be winning this. We’ve been down over the last three-four weeks, and we’ve gone away from our best footy.

We need to find the love of the game again. Everything looks difficult at present, and we look laboured, fatigued. Clean touches are fumbles; kicks and kickers are missing 95% kicks. I’m getting very, very sick of losing players vital to transition play in Boyd, Williams, McGovern, and Kemp without replacing them; we were very, very lucky to do just enough on turnover to beat North, running with an ad-hoc Newman/Saad/Cerra transition component behind the ball.

But let’s be clear: we beat them pretty cleanly earlier in the season on their own patch. We are a substantially better footy side this year, and we should have enough winners across the ground to get over the line.

The important part is to emerge from this game with a win. I do not care about the margin.

Carlton by 20 points

 

[kreuze_missile]

OUT: Durdin, Cerra, TDK (rested)

IN: Kemp, McGovern, Pittonet

 

[Arr0w]

Depends on who is actually fit to go

Gov and Boyd will come back in

Carroll was okay early then a tad quiet 2nd half, Cowan struggled, so most likely the 2 outs

I'd bring Pitto in to give TDK a rest/chopout

 

[jimsta10]

Dont drop boy george ever again

 

[xDQ82x]

Depends on who is actually fit to go

Gov and Boyd will come back in

Carroll was okay early then a tad quiet 2nd half, Cowan struggled, so most likely the 2 outs

I'd bring Pitto in to give TDK a rest/chopout

They won't play two rucks again

 

[bradfisher14]

OUT: winning while playing horribly.
IN: winning while playing beautifully.

 

[kreuze_missile]

Carroll was okay early then a tad quiet 2nd half, Cowan struggled, so most likely the 2 outs

Cowan slipped under the radar for awhile. Kemp can do that role better.

Carroll is developing but I can’t see him in the picture for September so may as well drop him now.

 

[Arr0w]

They won't play two rucks again

Double or nothing?

 

[Juice030103]

I expect a win. We will return to form soon

 

[Wickzki]

As much as I personally never want to see him in navy seniors Guernsey again...

it's pretty obvious TDK has been fighting through various ailments for a month or so now.

Therefore given the construction of the list Pittonet is an absolute must this week. We just don't have another option who can ruck at the level over the course of an AFL game.

Wouldn't be surprised if on the short turn around he ****ed (E: rucked autocorrects to the F word lol) 90% of the game and TDK either sits out to get him cherry ripe for the following week or plays predominantly forward.

In: Pittonet - McGovern - Kemp - Boyd

Out: De Koning - Durdin - Cowan - O Hollands

 

[jj1978]

So what's the updates on Acres? Plus Kennedy, Walsh and TDK all took some carnage.

 

[Wickzki]

They won't play two rucks again

Never say never.

TDK can't do it all by his own and carry us to a premiership. He's done a mountain of work for a lad on his first season of solo ruck especially when you consider he's essentially an extra mid around the ground

Its either a combo of both or TDK getting week(s) off in the lead up to finals.

 

[kreuze_missile]

So what's the updates on Acres?

Officially, tactical sub.

Unofficially, he had his left boot off while sitting in the 2nd row with docs looking at the top of the foot. I am no doctor but that seems like the worst part of the foot to be looking at.

 

[kreuze_missile]

Never say never.

TDK can't do it all by his own and carry us to a premiership. He's done a mountain of work for a lad on his first season of solo ruck especially when you consider he's essentially an extra mid around the ground

Its either a combo of both or TDK getting week(s) off in the lead up to finals.

For now, rotate.

September - just finish top ****ing 4 and win.

 

[xDQ82x]

Double or nothing?

Hahah... Sure

 

[Accidental genius]

Can’t wait for lord to debut …reckon he’ll be perfect for our midfield

Sounds like Binns had a cracking game today …he needs another crack at afl

 

[TENACIOUS]

OUT: Durdin, Hollands, Cincotta, Cuningham
IN: McGovern, Martin, Boyd, Kemp

FB: Boyd - Weitering - Kemp
HB: Newman - McGovern - Saad
C: Cerra - Cripps - Acres
FOL: TDK - Walsh - Hewett
HF: Hollands - McKay - Fogarty
FF: Martin - Curnow - Motlop
BENCH: Owies, Carroll, Cottrell, Cowan
SUB: Kennedy

Possible Outs:
TDK, Walsh, Acres, Harry

 

[Opium]

Never say never.

TDK can't do it all by his own and carry us to a premiership. He's done a mountain of work for a lad on his first season of solo ruck especially when you consider he's essentially an extra mid around the ground

Its either a combo of both or TDK getting week(s) off in the lead up to finals.

Did Xerri get a chop out today? Felt like he rucked the whole game

 

[BigFrizz36]

As much as I personally never want to see him in navy seniors Guernsey again...

it's pretty obvious TDK has been fighting through various ailments for a month or so now.

Therefore given the construction of the list Pittonet is an absolute must this week. We just don't have another option who can ruck at the level over the course of an AFL game.

Wouldn't be surprised if on the short turn around he ****ed (E: rucked autocorrects to the F word lol) 90% of the game and TDK either sits out to get him cherry ripe for the following week or plays predominantly forward.

In: Pittonet - McGovern - Kemp - Boyd

Out: De Koning - Durdin - Cowan - O Hollands

I don't get the hate. Pitto is ranked as the best pre clearance ruckman (as in impacts hit outs and clearances) in the whole comp. Why would you never want to see him play again. Tries his guts out every time he pulls on the jumper. Cantankerous for much more than that.

 

[Benaly28]

For now, rotate.

September - just finish top ****ing 4 and win.

We can’t just finish top 4 or most likely going interstate we have to finish second which if we continue to play like this won’t.


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[Benaly28]

Has to be at least 4 changes to freshen up.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Wickzki]

Did Xerri get a chop out today? Felt like he tucked the whole game

He did. There were occasions when the commentators called McKay vs their backup at the very least.

 

[Just Kreuzing]

He did. There were occasions when the commentators called McKay vs their backup at the very least.

Comden yeah ??

 

[Wickzki]

I don't get the hate. Pitto is ranked as the best pre clearance ruckman (as in impacts hit outs and clearances) in the whole comp. Why would you never want to see him play again. Tries his guts out every time he pulls on the jumper. Cantankerous for much more than that.

Had a physical (strength) advantage at the centre bounce last week and we got headmen 37 to 8 out of the middle when he was in the ruck. TDK, on the other hand, won 27 to 18

The only difference? The ruck.

He offers next to nothing around the ground so if he's not winning the centre bounces he's not succeeding in the one role he's in the side for

 

[Wickzki]

Comden yeah ??

I believe so