Preview Round 2, 2025: Carlton v Hawthorn, Thursday 20th March, 7:30pm @MCG

[I got the outside word]

Scrim a big loss, do we see Ryan come in maybe?

 

[KermitJagger]

Scrim a big loss, do we see Ryan come in maybe?

Makes the most sense to just start Frost and pick another sub.

 

[Roddy]

I’m thinking this might be a ‘beware the wounded blue’ situation. Cannot take this too lightly.

 

[Hawkers Hero]

I'm thinking Frost to start onfield and CJ to come in for Scrim.

I'd love to see McCabe/Rama/Skaife come in as well but don't think it will happen. Curnow back next week means Meek will be on his own against TDK, JSOS and Harry M

 

[rei154]

Don't think it's too early to call this one a danger game- Carlton will be smarting and will bounce back from last week.

imo the only change will be Scrimma for Frosty, with Cj to sub.

That being said, I'm not against McCabe or Serong coming in instead, especially as Frosty has had two poor showings so far.

 

[TylerDurden]

CJ needs this block of 3 games.

 

[I got the outside word]

I'm thinking Frost to start onfield and CJ to come in for Scrim.

this makes sense. Ease CJ in as sub.

 

[VandoHawk]

There are a few alarm bells for our midfield after the Essendon game. Dons played an extra man at the stoppage in the first half which let us play a spare back and inflated their stats. But the second half they beat us man on man too. Bryan/Draper worked over Meek and TDK is a very good player. Very real chance their midfield gets on top with the extra days rest and a week of introspection. They’re still a reasonable side with a strong top end.

But…Carlton is much, much slower than Essendon. Crippa, Hewett, Cerra, Walsh all one-paced. After their mids win stoppage, there is very little defensive spread and intent to stop transition. And we obliterated Essendon through quick rebound. They also lack a lot of pressure up forward to put our skills under pressure. Motlop, Williams, Fogarty, Cottrell etc. don’t do it consistently.

Their defence is too tall. Weitering is a gun, and we will need to avoid him. Then they run McGovern/Silvagni/Haynes. Get Watson or CMac isolated on Haynes and they’re kicking 3 mininum. Their running defenders look great offensively but easily turn it over when the heat is on. They will struggle to stop our smalls from being transition options.

They’re going to be crying out for an underdone Charlie to be their saviour, who Weddle or Battle will run off at every chance. They also tend to bomb it long – a style which allowed us to take 25 intercepts against Sydney. Essendon avoided this at all costs, so do the Blues midfield have the skills to pull it off consistently?

I just don’t believe they have the tools to stop us due to their chosen style of play. However, we really cannot afford to have as poor a midfield performance as we did against Essendon. A fired-up Carlton can exploit it and it’s their best avenue to victory.

 

[peetoo]

CJ or Gunston in. But Gunston didn’t play boxhill?

 

[parsons nose]

Confident of a win here. And try as they might, the Blues just don’t have the cattle to put up any sustained resistance. I’m expecting another rope-a-dope clinic from Mitchell. Allow them the extra man around the stoppage and us to have an extra behind the ball, where we can peel off and punish them on the transition. Our speed of ball movement will have their heads spinning.

 

[LRobbo]

CJ in and run this mob into the ground, they are slow as treacle.
Can’t see how they defend our plethora of small forwards.
Maginness to play on Weitering and keep him occupied.
Barass to McKay
Battle to Curnow if he plays
Nash to smash Cripps at every contest

 

[smeltitdeltit]

CJ needs this block of 3 games.

Yeah anyone thinking he comes straight in and performs well straight away like for like scrimmers isn’t living in reality. Happy to be proven wrong.

 

[Malik90]

IN: Jiath

OUT: Scrimshaw


B: Impey, Barrass, Hardwick

HB: Amon, Battle, Sicily

C: Weddle, Ward, Day

HF: MacDonald, Frost, Ginnivan

F: Moore, Chol, Watson

R: Meek, Newcombe, Nash

INT: Jiath, D’Ambrosio, Morrison, MacKenzie, Maginness (Sub)

EMG: Gunston, Breust, Mitchell

 

[burner1]

We appeared a bit physically battered at end of bombers game and now a short break and likely a blues team breathing fire. Still, reckon our system/ball movement on transition is going to be too much. Carlton’s side is slow and skills poor - even if their effort is high we’ll get a lot of rebound opps. .

 

[OhhhhhCyril]

I’m thinking this might be a ‘beware the wounded blue’ situation. Cannot take this too lightly.

This should apply to every team, can't afford to take any team lightly.

Scrim is a really big loss, and we really felt the loss of Warps on Friday our midfield got beaten.

I would assume this means Frost starts on the ground, and Gunston comes in.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

this makes sense. Ease CJ in as sub.

They simply won’t do it for the same reason that they wouldn’t do it last year.

They explained that they will not bring a player in who’s had soft tissue issues and have them do a warm-up, then sit on the bench and then be asking them to warm up really quickly and get on the ground.

 

[Nugett]

Frost to start to replace Scrim, Morrison to sub. MacCabe to debut to help Chol

 

[CaptainWorpedo]

this makes sense. Ease CJ in as sub.

Sam said in a media interview CJ would never start as sub, given his injury

 

[H00t]

Perfect opportunity to put ourselves on top of the ladder and give ourselves a better draft pick.

 

[peetoo]

When we smashed carlton in 2024 it was their third loss in a row and on track for finals.

We should handle them easily as we are better and they are worse

 

[rdhopkins2]

I’ll be shocked if Carlton don’t turn up full of fire.
Have to be ready to contain them and then launch a counter attack once they expend that initial energy burst. Hawks by 4 goals.

 

[Ka Norkers]

Meek needs help, and Chol can't be the only key forward AND chop out in the ruck.
Anyone know how McCabe went yesterday?
Otherwise, Sam might look towards Reeves.
CJ got thru and will replace Scrim, but we need another tall forward.

 

[Wingnut19]

Simple. Serong for Scrim. Frost sub. Keep it going as is. Serong is ready to go, would be starting 18 at most clubs and is as like for like with Scrim.

 

[H00t]

Carlton will be a lot better next week. While we need a response from our midfield.

Match them in the middle and we will win this comfortably. If they win the midfield battle it will make it a much closer game.

 

[smeltitdeltit]

I’ll be shocked if Carlton don’t turn up full of fire.
Have to be ready to contain them and then launch a counter attack once they expend that initial energy burst. Hawks by 4 goals.

Voss will bring that early 2000 lions aggression. Question is if he has the cattle