Analysis 2024 Season Review

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Now that our 2024 campaign has come to an end, it would be good to see what all of the BigFooty Blues members thought of the season.

Which players improved?

Which players went backwards?

Which players are you excited about for next year?

Which players should we move on from?

What impressed you?

What disappointed you?

What did you think of the coaching?

Best wins?

Worst losses?

 

[kreuze_missile]

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Really hard to say what happened after that GWS game. Players never stopped fighting but our system and fitness completely died in the arse.

A new fitness boss next year will make a huge difference if he can get this list fit and healthy but the issues on our list must be solved by Nick Austin and the team.

Motlop, Durdin, Owies, Fantasia... All absolutely horrific.

The overall pace of the team is awful

Footskills across the board need to improve

Walsh needs to find his way back to 2021 form.

 

[Hurricane Murphy]

Taking a wide lens, tactically one of our biggest problems all year was delivery inside 50. Whatever the current 'plan' is, needs a massive adjustment. We were rushed and hurried all year, several mids default to a no look high kick when not under pressure. Thats up to the coaches, I hope Vossy can bring someone in to help solve it.

We have a tall, strong, contested footy team when the competition is starting to get very fast. We need to find speed somewhere. Our transition is always a step behind, meaning we are more rushed than we should be, which often results in the above mentioned blind high kick inside 50.

With another year under their belt, I can't see how Durdin or Motlop fit into the forward line next year, Durdin especially. How he made the EF team astounds me.

We can't keep relying on Cripps in the midfield and our next in line probably only went backwards this year. Not sure if its temporary or if we have big issues long term in that area.

A pretty shit year, lots to work on, but with what we've learned and what we've already got, finals are an absolute minimum next year and if everyone does their job improving us in the offseason, top 4 is in play.

 

[Michael Jezz]

The are foundational issues and key roles that need to change to win a premiership.

1. Luke Sayers is a flake who does not fix issues or hold people to account. He is a spin doctor. We need a better president

2. The list only has top end talent. It is lacking KPDs, fast onballers, good small fwds and run and carry flankersI have been clear on this for 2 years. Nick Austin is a poor list manager.

3. Modern football can not be won with contest and pressure only but we don't have the run and carry players to play modern football

4. The CEO may be too old to have the energy to manage change. I guess he will be judged by his successor.

5. Voss is a great motivator but if the club does not put the right people around him, the results will not come and the message will wear thin on the players. His assistant coaches and selectors are letting him down. Adam Simpson would help

 

[Stamos]

We absolutely bottled the season and left a very winnable flag for some other club to pinch.

A lot of that is due to our horrendous injury run and fitness issues.

But a lot of it is strategy, selection, and getting ahead of ourselves for two crucial weeks, where we pissed away 2 extremely important games against the Giants and the Dogs.
Those stuff ups were emphasised tonight with insane selection decisions, which surely had an effect on us not rocking up.

 

[Soapy V]

Personally I think we got found out. End of last year we did well with a very simple contested game style.
Sides now expected it and we fell apart
We relied way too much on talent instead of game style
I go back to GWS & Geelong games early in year that we won well. In both games, Cripps Walsh TDK McKay stood up and dominated. If they didn’t we had no answer

 

[MPH78]

For what it promised and what we were in actual position to deliver, 2024 has to be viewed as an utter failure.

If we are serious about legitimately contending, imo Cook has to be given full licence to be ruthless with ALL roles in the football department. Simply not up to standard.

Serious questions marks on our coaching group and the head coach. Has this coaching group even once outcoached an opposition? Do we truly have a sustainable modern style that will win when it counts? Have we ever made in game adjustments as early as required and that worked? How is team selection? Player development? Do we even try and play a style that maximises the strengths of our key personnel? Did we ever improve on obvious weaknesses and shortcomings?

The club should not overestimate the patience of the rusted on. Frankly they are lucky to still have us and I daresay many, like me, will not stand for the ineptitude delivered in the back half of this year.

Significant change required otherwise we won’t see finals again for a long time.

 

[BlueTongue]

Now that our 2024 campaign has come to an end, it would be good to see what all of the BigFooty Blues members thought of the season.

Which players improved?

Which players went backwards?

Which players are you excited about for next year?

Which players should we move on from?

What impressed you?

What disappointed you?

What did you think of the coaching?

Best wins?

Worst losses?

In a word 'Unconvincing'.

I want to use a more disappointed term, but even when we were winning at the start of the year, they weren't 'clean' precision wins like Cats/Hawks/Giants. The game against the Cats the exception.

We haven't been playing as a team like last year. We've been more selfish. Only when the wheels have come off have we tried anything different. Considering the players we have, very under-performing.
Which players improved? TDK, Cowan, Cinc, Hewitt
Which players went backwards? Cotterell, Boyd, Pitto, Motlop, Cerra
Which players are you excited about for next year? TDK, TDK,TDK, TDK, Moir, Lord, Wilson
Which players should we move on from? Jesse Motlop (Trade), Orazio Fantasia, Caleb Marchbank, David Cuningham, Sam Durdin
What impressed you? TDK's rise
What disappointed you? High performance and Conditioning, Selection
What did you think of the coaching? Good at times, but bullish and the very definition of insanity when things went wrong (doing the same thing over and expecting a different result).
Best wins? Geelong
Worst losses? Sydney, St.Kilda

 

[Doro]

Looking positive until July.. Crippa cemented his spot amongst the Navy GOATs. An all too brief glimpse of some promising kids that only got played as a last resort. No real progress with game plan after the first month. Williams looked good as a forward briefly. Motlop had a shocker, Durdin should have been iced. Charlie under the knife ASAP. Elijah was flying until he started reading his own press. Such a waste of a season.

 

[branedotorg]

I don't want to hear "X was playing injured" again. Why risk a shit season by compounding a small injury into a season ender by grinding our 'best' players week in, week out.

2025 better feature squad rotation, injured players missing a game or two.

No more too tall, too slow teams. 2025 better have a style that suits more than just kick it long in hope.

2024 in review? **** off, you wasted our time, bring on 2025 but on notice.

 

[branedotorg]

Which players improved?
Kemp, Ollie Hollands, Cowan.

Which players went backwards?
80% of the list, not sure what's permanent and what is fitness

Which players are you excited about for next year?
Taj Hotton?

Which players should we move on from?
Doc, the always injured gang,

What impressed you?
When we clicked we looked unstoppable

What disappointed you?
Everything from June onwards

What did you think of the coaching?
Poor, even our best felt more about individuals, not system

Best wins?
Geelong

Worst losses?
Too many to list. Don't mind losing if the effort is there but so often we fell apart

 

[Stamos]

Best Wins:
Cats
Giants, Port

Worst Losses:
Giants, Dogs
Filth x 2
Crows

 

[kreuze_missile]

Which players improved?
TDK. Superstar potential.

Which players went backwards?
Cerra. Had promised to be a gun. Now looks below-average and is always injured.

Which players are you excited about for next year?
Moir. Must play every single game.

Which players should we move on from?
Cerra, McGovern, Williams, Pittonet, Marchbank, Cunningham, Martin, Durdin, Fantasia, Cottrell, Boyd.

What impressed you?
Our ability to bank wins early in the year despite playing pretty ordinary footy.

What disappointed you?
Inconsistency. Wild form fluctuations within games. That we turn up each week and still don't know what version of Carlton we're going to get.

What did you think of the coaching?
Abysmal. Match committee was a shambles all year. Obvious in-game adjustments were often made too slowy or not at all.

Best wins?
Geelong.

Worst losses?
GWS.

 

[jj1978]

• Durdin x 2, Motlop, Fantasia, Williams, McGov, Fantasia, Martin, Mirkov, Akeui, Boyd, Pitto, Young, Marchbank, Cunningham, Owies, Fogarty, Saad, Kennedy - 3/4s of those should not be on our list next season. Few an obvious given.
• 70% coaching and fitness group need to be turned over. Sheer failure in S&C and football skills.
• Game plan is not a game plan.
• Enough PR bs for the players, celebrating membership count, attendances, cause A & B. Need a good year or two to focus on fixing the football aspect of our football club.

 

[Meddy43]

This season can piss off. But also i enjoyed it for the most part.

In 2025….

More speed
Better skills
Better game plan, perhaps
More Lord, Binns, Moir

More team footy, like before the bye.

Great insight, I know. I’ve had a couple of sailor jerrys, might delete later.

No matter what, I bloody love this club. I just can’t help it. heck!!! Go Blues

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Which players improved?
TDK, Cowan, E.Hollands, Fogarty, Cripps

Which players went backwards?
Motlop, Durdin, Saad, Charlie, Walsh for half the season

Which players are you excited about for next year?

Walsh, TDK, Moir, E.Hollands, Charlie, Wilson, Cowan

Which players should we move on from?
Orazio, Motlop, Owies, Cuningham, Marchbank, Martin

What impressed you?
The improvement in our turnover game early in the season and our ability to really destroy teams when playing well rather than letting them get back in it.

What disappointed you?
Injuries still being an issue year after year after year.

What did you think of the coaching?
Not the best. Some questionable decisions at team selection, some great mid season turnarounds in players like Williams and Ollie, Elijah fitting in seamlessly. Overall was a bit up and down on Coast but still think our issues predate his tenure re skills, fitness and injuries.

Best wins?
Geelong, GWS, Brisbane, Essendon

Worst losses?
Pies x2, Brisbane, Hawthorn

 

[JohnnyCarlton]

Which players improved? TDK, Cowan, Cincotta (that's a sadly short list)
Which players went backwards? Motlop, Cerra
Which players are you excited about for next year? TDK, Moir, Binns, Lord (If any of those 3 get a game)
Which players should we move on from? All the constantly injured players - Marchbank, Cuningham, Martin,
What impressed you? Not much. Maybe TDK's brief mid year dominance.
What disappointed you? Injury management, Selection Integrity,
What did you think of the coaching? Dreadful. Had a brief high point mid season with Williams moved up forward, Cincotta turned tagger and the Port away game where they stopped Houston and others running off half back from handballs. Rest of the time incredibly stubborn and not rewarding young players.
Best wins? Geelong, GWS
Worst losses? Hawthorn, Adelaide

 

[Beyond Blue]

Now that our 2024 campaign has come to an end, it would be good to see what all of the BigFooty Blues members thought of the season.

Which players improved?

TDK, McKay, E Hollands, Owies, O Hollands

Which players went backwards?

Motlop, Cerra, C Durdin, Pittonet and all of the perennially injured quartet (quite impressive really that they actually managed to regress when starting off such a low base)

Which players are you excited about for next year?

TDK, O Hollands, E Hollands, Cowan, Moir, Lord

Which players should we move on from?

Martin, Marchbank, Cuningham, S Durdin, Pittonet

What impressed you?

Cripps, McKay, TDK, E Hollands
Cripps’ leadership and drive.
Playing one ruck with McKay as back up.
Move of Kemp and Williams forward.

What disappointed you?

Charlie, Pittonet, Cerra, Motlop
Team selections, match day tactics and injury management from the GWS onwards were baffling.
Our injuries, injury management and high performance generally were terrible.

What did you think of the coaching?

Average at best. Overplayed players when they needed a rest. Brought players back too soon from injury. Rarely tried anything imaginative.

Best wins?

Geelong, Port, Brisbane, West Coast

Worst losses?

Hawthorn, Adelaide, Brisbane, Port

Edited some of my responses

 

[no fate]

Probably a fitting end to the year. Too much left to too few, injuries, selection howlers and poor game plan costly.

Cripps and a few (only a few) others were huge again. TDK excellent when fit, and a few kids are standing up to be counted.

What do we need to do much better in 2025? Pretty simple for me:

• Go to the draft hard, get some kids with speed, skills and mongrel.
• Get another good KPD. There simply must be someone out there wanting to be the missing piece. Spend as needed.
• Get the team fitter and faster with less injuries. New fitness boss to make calls, coaches don't get (much of) a say.
• Modernise the game plan, the current slow grinding bombing style just will not work for a premiership in future.
• Selection integrity. No more automatic returns to senior footy after injury for mid tier players based on reputation. Call up bottom rung players e.g. Fantasia, C. Durdin only if reserves form warrants it.
• Cull the perennially injured players. All of them. No exceptions.
• Rotate the team. Be prepared to play the kids (Lord, Binns, Moir etc. ) even if it loses us the odd game.
• TDK to ruck solo for majority of games, with the odd game rested for Pitto and the odd game with both.
• Change up the coaching team, at least one or two, as required.
• Put new coaching team on notice as to the results expected, which are not premiership or bust, but sustainable improvements that make us stronger for the future, a la Geelong.

 

[btdg]

The big question for me is why can't this team lose normally? In the end, to have the injury luck we did and still sneak into finals is a good thing, and probably it ends a fair result. But look at those losses:

- r5 vs Adelaide. Unbeaten, playing at home against a bottom 4 team we kick 14.4 to 16.4, and concede 3 goals in the last two minuted to lose by 2pts. That's a shocker

- r6 vs Geelong = fair loss to a good team.

-r7 vs Collingwood = lost because we let Nick Daicos run through a last second stoppage completely unchecked. That's a shocker

-r9 vs Sydney = totally blitzed, howler of a game away from home.

- r18 vs gws = we drop Hewett totally out of no where then lose at home to a good team. Bizarre coaching, odd loss

-r19 vs Bulldogs = we randomly play two rucks, make Kennedy the sub, and Charlie goes into bizarre hero mode and selfishly goes for goal with almost every touch (literally 11 touches for 3.7) and we narrowly lose. Odd loss

-r21 vs Port = meh. Failed to show up at home

-r22 vs Collingwood = we lost because McGovern shanked a routine set shot to win after kicking 11.15 for the game

-r23 vs Hawthorn = lost 6 players to injury in one game. Nightmare

R25 vs St Kilda = nightmare end, Kemp misses a sitter from 20 out directly in front, we then concede a goal with 11 seconds left. Howler

EF = nightmare showing, almost goalless to half time.

That's 8 memorably awful or weird losses and really only 3 normal games, and sits in a pattern that goes back to the Teague years. There were a few odd wins too - the Freo game, Brisbane in rd 0, etc.

A veteran (aging?) team like ours shouldn't be doing this still. Until we can get a consistent baseline of performance, fitness and structure - both in games and across the year, we are going no where. Not sure the answer, but its going to be a long off season trying to figure it out...

 

[Graffy4242]

Unfortunately we are a long way off contending as our list does not seem suited to the current winning game style of speed and disposal excellence. Not sure if we have the awareness and draft capital to make the required changes.

 

[BlueTongue]

Unfortunately we are a long way off contending as our list does not seem suited to the current winning game style of speed and disposal excellence. Not sure if we have the awareness and draft capital to make the required changes.

Drafting gets us no immediate fix, given the MCs reluctance to play the young blokes, except when we are decimated with injury. We needs to cull the list, do some painful trades (players with currency like Owies, try get something for Motlop), and try and get some players in to make make an immediate impact, while our aging list still has a window.

 

[Horizon]

Just the games I went to because I can’t think about that wasted season.

R0 Lions- Shocking start then showed some fight. Maybe this year won’t be too bad. Harry kicks the winner (most excited I’d be for the whole year).

R8 Pies- Bloody hell we got close. Daicos wins it late. Weird atmosphere at this game. Carlton close but we didn’t fire at all.

R15 Cats- Bloody hell that was good. Surely we will give it a good go and go deep finals. Great night.

Final vs Lions- Fuark. Same old Baggers.

Been to a few lions games this year. Bunch of frauds will get found out next week.

Worst game of possibly the year in the comp would be Qclash at the Gabba. Absolute stink.

Lions punched up a weak Tigers and then pretty ordinary every other game including GWS where they choked badly.

GWS will give Lions a huge touch up next week.

 

[BeijingBlue]

For what it promised and what we were in actual position to deliver, 2024 has to be viewed as an utter failure.

If we are serious about legitimately contending, imo Cook has to be given full licence to be ruthless with ALL roles in the football department. Simply not up to standard.

Serious questions marks on our coaching group and the head coach. Has this coaching group even once outcoached an opposition? Do we truly have a sustainable modern style that will win when it counts? Have we ever made in game adjustments as early as required and that worked? How is team selection? Player development? Do we even try and play a style that maximises the strengths of our key personnel? Did we ever improve on obvious weaknesses and shortcomings?

The club should not overestimate the patience of the rusted on. Frankly they are lucky to still have us and I daresay many, like me, will not stand for the ineptitude delivered in the back half of this year.

Significant change required otherwise we won’t see finals again for a long time.

An objective and heart felt response to the season. How serious is Carlton FC about getting better?