Rookie 39. Alex Cincotta

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Fantastic debut solidifying my previously held view that he’ll be best 22 by the end of the year. We need to start looking closer at the lower leagues to pick up players to add to our list.

Unlike the highly touted private school boys our recruiters obsess over these journeymen have had to fight for their dream and it shows with their desire to improve.

It hasn’t been a strong suit of ours but hopefully the SSP and MSD is forcing our recruiters to open their minds and work a bit harder to find a hidden gem in the lower leagues.
 
Can absolutely see this bloke smashing into our best 22 when everyone is fit.

I said it in the game thread but a good old fashioned footballer. He's a footballer's footballer. Has the work rate and skills on both sides of the play. He wouldn't have looked out of place in some of our better teams over the years. Maybe not as good (those backlines set an exceedingly high standard) but that's his type.

People talking about him freeing Doc to the midfield l, I agree with but there's a potentially even bigger move to be trialled. We are in desperate need of a dynamic half forward with strong defensive pressure. With Doc and Boyd (and Cinc and Newman) healthy you might be able to see if Saad can be a game breaker along half forward without robbing Peter to pay Paul. It's a role I've wanted to see tried in the past and I think we can do it. He has the skills that most closely match what we're lacking.
 

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Another solid performance from Alex. It struck me when I was watching the game against WC that he looks like Maynard in the way he attacks the ball and kicks. The lace out pass to Charlie in the second quarter was top shelf. Having him in the team puts pressure on all the medium sized defenders to perform. Competition for spots. I love it.
 


This re-signing marks another chapter in Cincotta’s amazing personal story.  

After overcoming an ACL injury in the VFL with Geelong, and learning how to walk again, Cincotta found a list spot on Carlton’s VFL team in 2021.  

Finishing on the podium in the Carlton Reserves best and fairest count last year, Cincotta impressed over the summer, signing with the Blues on the final day of the Pre-Season Supplemental Selection Period (SSP).   

Cincotta made a well-earned call up in Round 6, debuting for the Blues against St Kilda, with 24 disposals, 18 handballs and 7 marks.  

Since his debut, the hard running defender has fit well into the defensive line-up, showcasing a strong work ethic, toughness and resilience.  

In Round 13, Cincotta kicked his first goal for Carlton, grabbing the guernsey of his boyhood club in the middle of the MCG. 
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“Alex has come into the AFL system the hard way, but we couldn’t be more excited to have him extend his time here at the Carlton Football Club.  

“His enthusiasm around the Club is infectious and his diligence and commitment to his craft is admirable. It is fantastic to see his dedication rewarded with another contract – he has certainly earned it. 

“Alex has overcome so much in the journey to his AFL career, and we applaud his mental toughness which got him to where he is today.
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This guy was wasted as a lock down small defender. We might have our new Ed Curnow here. Maybe not with the same numbers, but with more speed and plenty of mongrel.

What a story. His first 2 AFLCA coaches votes. First of many I hope.
 
The Old Dark Navy's said:
This guy was wasted as a lock down small defender. We might have our new Ed Curnow here. Maybe not with the same numbers, but with more speed and plenty of mongrel.

What a story. His first 2 AFLCA coaches votes. First of many I hope.
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He suits what we currently need than Ed. Ed could win clearances and was a ball magnet. He was also for a time, a top 3 shutdown player in the league.

Cincotta will need to do it for a longer period of time, but he's already collecting scalps. We don't need another accumulator. His speed is crucial given our slower mids...and his ability to hurt the opposition in bursts is exactly what we need from our designated tagger.
 

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What I love about Cincotta is that rather than losing a play maker by having him in the tagging role, we gain some speed at stoppage if he gains possession.

Neal Bullen tagged Daicos but his reduced output hurt the dees overall performance.

Cincotta is the exact type needed to remove an opposition threat without a negative flow on to our structure or strengths.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
One of the best things about him is a tagger is that he can follow you anywhere. If he is shutting you down in the middle a lot of mids go-to strategy is to play some time in the forward-line, but Cinc is a great lockdown defender too. And if you go to the backline to get a couple of cheapies, well, he might just kick a couple of goals on you.
 
9874123 said:
One of the best things about him is a tagger is that he can follow you anywhere. If he is shutting you down in the middle a lot of mids go-to strategy is to play some time in the forward-line, but Cinc is a great lockdown defender too. And if you go to the backline to get a couple of cheapies, well, he might just kick a couple of goals on you.
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Interesting observation and IMHO absolutely spot on.
 
I predict he’ll move into a permanent midfield role after he serves a short apprenticeship- a la Brett Ratten who stared off in the Back Pocket.
 
Juice030103 said:
Perfect build for the modern day tagger. Strong and fast and gives ya nothing
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Agree. Very disciplined for the whole game and can kick the ball a whole lot better than Ed Curnow.

I doubt many posters would have had Cincotta in their best 22 team before the season started…. different story now me thinks.
 
"Is he our new Ed Curnow?" Not really.

Cincotta is faster, a significantly better ball user, and kicks goals. Can play back & mid.

Curnow tagged but he also won a lot of his own footy in the middle. He was tried on HFF but that never really worked.

It would be interesting how Cinc would go in the middle if he wasn't given a stopping role.
 
kreuze_missile said:
"Is he our new Ed Curnow?" Not really.

Cincotta is faster, a significantly better ball user, and kicks goals. Can play back & mid.

Curnow tagged but he also won a lot of his own footy in the middle. He was tried on HFF but that never really worked.

It would be interesting how Cinc would go in the middle if he wasn't given a stopping role.
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Good points.

Acres is the closest to Ed we have imo, other than the tagging ability.

Both great runners, both use their superior workrate to get into goal kicking positions and to defend.

Both aren't good kicks or overly quick...but have great endurance.
 
kreuze_missile said:
"Is he our new Ed Curnow?" Not really.

Cincotta is faster, a significantly better ball user, and kicks goals. Can play back & mid.

Curnow tagged but he also won a lot of his own footy in the middle. He was tried on HFF but that never really worked.

It would be interesting how Cinc would go in the middle if he wasn't given a stopping role.
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Yep Cincotta is a better kick on his non-preferred than Ed on his preferred.

Only 1 kick from the above highlights package is on his preferred right.
 

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Rookie 39. Alex Cincotta

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