Preview Rd 3. SUNS vs. Blues @ Metricon

[Big Red Machine]

As I've mentioned elsewhere, First half was pretty scrappy to say the least and it looked like it had the makings of your typical let down after a big win and long travel trap game

But while Carlton kept it close with some great intensity (Tonight played out very similar to thier game last week vs Sydney) they were never really in it and once we decided to step on the throat and get on with it we were away.

It just happened to be... And brace yourself for this one guys. Us running over teams in the back half of the game :O

Aaron Hall superb again (Still doesn't sound right)
Gaz still ramping up I feel but Hall stepping up had meant that he doesn't need to do as much which is working out well.
Bow down before Based Lynch, Leading the Coleman.
Hopefully Trent, Rory and Dion's injuries aren't too bad and we get them back soon.

Nicholls and Matera most likely the healthy scratches for next week. Speaking of: QClash in Brissie with a shot at going 4-0 and being the last undefeated team at stake... Get hyped guys.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

 

[thurls64]

Yeah i've said before i'm not a massive fan of Cameron but night he was great, his pressure on the opposition has improved a lot.

I thought he always looked like he was never going to click and last night he was poised, calm and made great decisions, couldn't believe it was the same guy

 

[TheSunGod]

I did see it ducklips. He was out of two players not off-gut week to week plus I always knew God would lead him to the path to righteous stat accumulation.

I don't want to take all the credit as he's worked his little A. Hall off but yeah I foresaw this...

If he can get Aaron to reach his full potential then we could have another star on our hands. Big IF though.

 

[Sunny_]

Love Nicholls, but it looks like he's moving through cement right now. Everything he does is just a gear slower than everyone around him. Like I said in the 2s thread, I'd play Day as our main ruck and drop Nicholls for a bit. Then bring Pete in as a forward. Day was very good though. He's got confidence. Set up so many of our scoring chains.

I cringe every time Cameron has the ball and kicks across our goal face (still), but he was good. Easily best game.

I'm a fan, but Davis may have played his last game for a while. You can see in key moments when he's 1v1, he just doesn't have the smarts and talent to win as a small forward should. He's a battler, and is odds-on to get replaced by Touk next week IMO.

Frustrating performance. By my count we should have won by 3-4 goals if you take away that runner and the posters we hit, but that's footy. Last week the Blues did the same thing to Sydney before they pulled away to win by 10 goals as well.

 

[kreglze]

Good game. First half was real dire.

2nd half we looked a lot better and begun to kick away nicely towards the end of the game.

Nicholls just doesn't look right at the moment. Clay played his best game for the club and the Lynch/Martin combo rolls on.

Hall will have a few Brownlow votes already banked up and Gary starting to find a little touch now.

Ah Chee and Miller to come back. Question will be who goes out other than Mckenzie?

 

[TARGETMAN]

i would like to send out a big WELL DONE to the guys cheering from the western side of the stadium. you were loud, and added some great atmosphere. well done to all involved

 

[SandyToes]

Love Nicholls, but it looks like he's moving through cement right now. Everything he does is just a gear slower than everyone around him. Like I said in the 2s thread, I'd play Day as our main ruck and drop Nicholls for a bit. Then bring Pete in as a forward. Day was very good though. He's got confidence. Set up so many of our scoring chains.

I cringe every time Cameron has the ball and kicks across our goal face (still), but he was good. Easily best game.

I'm a fan, but Davis may have played his last game for a while. You can see in key moments when he's 1v1, he just doesn't have the smarts and talent to win as a small forward should. He's a battler, and is odds-on to get replaced by Touk next week IMO.

Frustrating performance. By my count we should have won by 3-4 goals if you take away that runner and the posters we hit, but that's footy. Last week the Blues did the same thing to Sydney before they pulled away to win by 10 goals as well.

Unless he's injured I just think we have to persist with Tommy Nic unfortunately
He's not going to improve in the NEAFL and he is our main ruckman.
Currie's really just there if someone goes down (or is he- the million dollar ruck question???)
My crystal ball sees Tom getting towelled up by Martin and Goldstein in the next 2 weeks
I don't think any of the big bodied rucks most other teams have are trembling in their boots at the the thought of facing us.
Man I was amazed at how big Grundy has got

Agree on Davis.Bit of a journeyman, but a good pickup for us.
Hard to imagine him doing anything exciting, but may have a Reimers one day, who knows?

If you thought the game was frustrating (presumably on TV ?)
You should have been there
But,I think our defence is just superb now and that's where it's all starting.
Thommo didn't have the greatest game, but Harbs, Maysie, Saad and Malceski were fantastic
Take out our little pink message boy goal and we have to remember Carlton really only kicked 4 goals for the night

Also as I was driving home last night I was wondering what opposition coaches' whiteboards are saying about GAJ this year??
Used to be he'd be one grab, afterburners on, shrug a tackle deliver pinpoint pass
I've seen him fumble, miskick and get caught more in 3 games this year than in all the time he's been at Metricon LOL
18 months out of the game even for GAJ is a long long long long long time
But, I think he just needs to have paddock time and he'll be back to champion data breaking form !

 

[kreglze]

Give Gaz till midyear and I imagine he will be back to his electric best.

 

[shaqsuns]

Positives in my opinion
The last quarter.
Aaron Hall you can put 3 more votes next to his name
Gaz was brilliant in the 2 quarter
Tommy lynch and day were always in front
Jack Martin is the answer
I thought Kolo was solid and so was Malceski
Although I cringed every time he went near the ball it was Clay Cameron's best game
2 meter Peter getting best on and kicking 3

Negatives
The result in the NEAFL although Aspley are close to the best team in the comp
Matera wasn't very flash (maybe replaced by Garlett or Miller)
Davis looked like he will be starting at 11:45 next week
McKenzie was starting to play good footy until hurting his nose so he maybe he'll be having a week off
Thompson and may looked tired last night



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[ColdWarWarrior]

A good solid win last night. Whats been pleasing has been the development of of the younger players like Lonergan, Clay Cameron, Sexton since last year, even Sam Day who has taken his game to a new level this year by taking those big grabs, he was looking like being a foil for Lynch for a long time there but now he is putting his hand up as a legitimate KPF.

 

[Jazny]

If you blokes had it your way he would have been punted 2 years ago.

Not me I always think some people on here are too harsh towards some players and focus on the negatives. Hall has always been pretty exciting, it is just his decision making and kicking that let him down sometimes. I never thought he would be playing this well though Hope he can keep it going.

 

[TheSunGod]

Not me I always think some people on here are too harsh towards some players and focus on the negatives. Hall has always been pretty exciting, it is just his decision making and kicking that let him down sometimes. I never thought he would be playing this well though Hope he can keep it going.

Well said Jaz. Because Hally's negatives always stood out like a sore thumb e.g. Turnover resulting in an opposition goal or having the blinkers on when in range of goal, the positives he'd only show inconsistently were overlooked but as he's started showing a lot more of his positives, it's now his negatives that are being overlooked. His ability to burst repeatedly from stoppages and in general play, and his improved spotting of targets both long and short, plus still hit the goals is nothing short of breathtaking to watch.

 

[Sunizzle]

Haven't watched the replay but from the stands it looked very sloppy. To win by that margin playing that far off their best is an indicator of just how bad carlton are going.

Quite a few of our guys looked off their game but the one that really stood out was Nicholls, didn't see him do anything useful all night. How did Currie go in the neafl?

 

[SandyToes]

Haven't watched the replay but from the stands it looked very sloppy. To win by that margin playing that far off their best is an indicator of just how bad carlton are going.

Quite a few of our guys looked off their game but the one that really stood out was Nicholls, didn't see him do anything useful all night. How did Currie go in the neafl?

Currie had 5 tackles 5 marks 12 disposals and 37 hitouts
Tom's averaging 19 hitouts (admittedly against some better quality rucks than are plodding around in the NEAFL )
One of my concerns with Tom is he's had 5 frees against and none for this year
The umps are obviously seeing something they don't like in his gameplay
Again - Matthew Primus

 

[Sunizzle]

Currie had 5 tackles 5 marks 12 disposals and 37 hitouts
Tom's averaging 19 hitouts (admittedly against some better quality rucks than are plodding around in the NEAFL )
One of my concerns with Tom is he's had 5 frees against and none for this year
The umps are obviously seeing something they don't like in his gameplay
Again - Matthew Primus

Currie couldn't go much worse than Nicholls did. I think Rocket needs to make switch even if it's just to give Nicholls a rev up. Brisbane next week would be a low risk opportunity to do it

 

[TheSunGod]

It was "pleasing" that we are getting better at handling the favourites tag. Years past we would have dropped this game.
Also thought Jesse Lonergan's job on Cripps was admirable.

 

[SandyToes]

Well said Jaz. Because Hally's negatives always stood out like a sore thumb e.g. Turnover resulting in an opposition goal or having the blinkers on when in range of goal, the positives he'd only show inconsistently were overlooked but as he's started showing a lot more of his positives, it's now his negatives that are being overlooked. His ability to burst repeatedly from stoppages and in general play, and his improved spotting of targets both long and short, plus still hit the goals is nothing short of breathtaking to watch.

Have always had a ticket to the Hall-train, just didn't get much chance to ride it until last year!
Don't overlook his massively upped endurance as a key factor in his improvement either
Just hope he can keep doing it

 

[Sunny_]

Well said Jaz. Because Hally's negatives always stood out like a sore thumb e.g. Turnover resulting in an opposition goal or having the blinkers on when in range of goal, the positives he'd only show inconsistently were overlooked but as he's started showing a lot more of his positives, it's now his negatives that are being overlooked. His ability to burst repeatedly from stoppages and in general play, and his improved spotting of targets both long and short, plus still hit the goals is nothing short of breathtaking to watch.

Exactly. It's the decision making that has improved remarkably, and it was good to hear Rocket say in the presser that it's something that has been worked on a lot. He's a brilliant field kick and one of our best going into 50. He should only be having a ping from the 50 if there are no clear options at all.

I still noticed he tried to pull off a ridiculous kick in the D50 into the corridor and turned it over. But happily those instances are getting more and more isolated.

 

[SandyToes]

Currie couldn't go much worse than Nicholls did. I think Rocket needs to make switch even if it's just to give Nicholls a rev up. Brisbane next week would be a low risk opportunity to do it

Like I've said it's tough
Is he our key ruck for the future?
If so , is he going to improve much in the NEAFL?
Are there better ways to rev him up?
Is Currie our future?
Was he brought in on the understanding he could be?
You'd imagine so, otherwise he probably would have just played out his career at Werribee rather than making the move up here
it's interesting alright
And Tom's doing nothing to say this is mine, bugger off at the moment

 

[TheSunGod]

I still noticed he tried to pull off a ridiculous kick in the D50 into the corridor and turned it over. But happily those instances are getting more and more isolated.

Funny thing is these days I'm OK with him trying these types of kicks as he's more than likely going to pull them off, like that bullet of a pass across his body into the forward 50 to hit whoever it was on the chest. He has a lot of power in his kicks and his radar is improving rapidly.

 

[Experimental]

It's difficult regarding Tommy Nicholls. He was dominated by Luey in round one, destroyed by Sandy in round 2, and was double teamed by Phillips and Kreuzer last night. I can't see him do any better against Martin next round, or Goldy the round after.

That'll be 5 rounds in a row where he will have been beaten comprehensively. So I ask myself, is he going to beat ruckmen like Mumford, Tippett/Sinclair, Jacobs, Naitinui, etc.

The only ruckmen he'll be even remotely even with will be Smith and Lobbe - and that's ****ing putrid for a number 1 ruck.

I'm sure Nicholls can improve, but we need him to improve now. We can't have the rest of the team burst ahead in their development while our ruckman is clearly well behind.

I say bring in Currie and give Tom a break to work on his issues.

 

[LynchysMob]

Exactly. It's the decision making that has improved remarkably, and it was good to hear Rocket say in the presser that it's something that has been worked on a lot. He's a brilliant field kick and one of our best going into 50. He should only be having a ping from the 50 if there are no clear options at all.

I still noticed he tried to pull off a ridiculous kick in the D50 into the corridor and turned it over. But happily those instances are getting more and more isolated.

And you were trying to tell me he'd never become elite before round one. He's now the most in form midfielder in the competition

 

[Jazny]

I think finals are possible now. We are so fast and take the game on, but have good marking targets all over the ground. The best part is we are finishing games just as strong or stronger than anyone else. So fitness isn't an issue. Injuries will be the only thing that stops the Suns from playing finals this year.

 

[Matchu]

At the start of the year I has $50 each way on Azza for the brownlow each way @ $251.

That's a lot of kebabs!

 

[TheSunGod]

It's difficult regarding Tommy Nicholls. He was dominated by Luey in round one, destroyed by Sandy in round 2, and was double teamed by Phillips and Kreuzer last night. I can't see him do any better against Martin next round, or Goldy the round after.

That'll be 5 rounds in a row where he will have been beaten comprehensively. So I ask myself, is he going to beat ruckmen like Mumford, Tippett/Sinclair, Jacobs, Naitinui, etc.

The only ruckmen he'll be even remotely even with will be Smith and Lobbe - and that's ******* putrid for a number 1 ruck.

I'm sure Nicholls can improve, but we need him to improve now. We can't have the rest of the team burst ahead in their development while our ruckman is clearly well behind.

I say bring in Currie and give Tom a break to work on his issues.

Read the Carlton board and a lot of them were unhappy with Kreuzer's effort. Tommy must be doing something right.

Although saying that, more than a few were blaming the umpires and all our draft concessions for the loss.
Free kick count was only 20-15 in our favor and Carlton have more first rounders on their list than we do (arguably 17-18 to our 15-16) lol.