Highlights: Carlton grind out win over Essendon

I couldn't care if Essendon lost every game this year. There's absolutely no expectations placed on them this year and not only can they blood all there youngsters they'll receive a number one draft pick at the end of the year! Add that to the majority of there best players returning next year and things are looking very positive. Carlton on the other hand won't be breaking any new ground next year and while I'm sure they will start to improve I think any top 8 chances are still quite a few years off.

Yeah you would think they would have rested him but with the Pies and Port in the next 2 weeks the timing isn't great. If Jamison doesn't come up I suppose it's Foster or Glass-McCasker - would be good to see where they are at but they do seem a bit under done.

Unlucky for the young lad but it gives his body a chance to recover. I would have thought they would have rested him at some stage of the season. Bad luck for Curnow, hopefully it will only be a couple of months because glandular fever can effect you for 6 months or more. I am not sure who will come in for Weitering as Jamison copped an injury. They may keep White in to play down back and bring Everitt for Jones. Cripps should be back.

Weitering is out for three weeks to recover. That is good because he should not be risked just so we have a chance of beating Collingwood. He has to be managed properly as this rebuild is about the future not notching up a few extra wins this season. Jamieson got injured in the VFL game against the Pies. Just play the kids and see how they go.

"CARLTON young gun Charlie Curnow is set for an extended stint on the sidelines after being diagnosed with glandular fever" The plan of getting games into these young blokes seems to be getting harder by the day.

Macca, I see something in Lamb and if I'm correct he has had a pretty bad run with injury, so its worth persisting as you said and see what we end up with here. Certainly has potential as one of the smaller forwards, good movement and can take a mark. As you said a few comments down, Levi is improving especially in his efforts further up the ground, good use of the ball as you said. When he sorts out his mental demons with goal kicking, he is that 50+ goals a year forward for us. With Rowe, I hope he can be useful for us until the trade period, he would be one Id be looking to trade to someone like the Suns, who are light on defensively. Id be disappointed if he is still with us next season.

True blue -s Can we beat the Pies - I would say if we implement the same pressure, forward press and defensive effort as we did yesterday and just convert our forward 50 entries a lot better I think we can.

I'd agree with that - Rowe was good against Freo but other than that he seems hasn't been great - I think he is favoured above Jamison simply for size - Weitering is 195cm and still pretty light, Plowman is just 193cm and pretty light and Jamison is also just 193cm - Rowe at 198cm just suits the bigger forwards more. On Levi - I posted on another thread "He currently is at career high possessions, career high marks per game, career high contested marks & career high inside 50’s – at some point the goal kicking will turn around. On top of that his kicking for goal is clearly a mental issue – he actually uses the ball really well around the ground" - it will turn around for him in front of goal at some stage - it has to, doesn't it?

Macca: you are spot on when you say we grounded out a win when in previous years we would have fallen short. I cannot question our endeavor this year. I much prefer our game plan under Bolton to that of Malthouse. It was also good to get a win without the inclusion of Cripps. Can we beat the Pies? If we play better than yesterday yes we can. The Pies fight back if they are down so we will have to bring our A game and be damaging up forward.

My thoughts exactly, Macca. Rowe, Jones and Sumner would have been worst on ground for mine.

Agree with all of that Steve - Everitt did get 30 plus touches in the 2's on the weekend though so he might find his way back in.

We got Kerridge and pick 28 (on traded to GWS) for Menzel - Wright we got for nothing because they delisted him.

Buzz - of the 4 ex GWS boys I am still not sold on Sumner - Lamb has been solid without setting the world on fire but is worth persisting with, PLowman looks to be a key defender for the next decade and Phillips gets better with each run, seems accurate in front of goal, good at ground level and capable of clunking a contested grab - through in Kerridge and that looks like the bargain of the century.

Macca, I hope to see the younger Curnow come back in for Jones, he really just doesn't have enough of an impact for me. You would expect Cripps straight back in too. Would prefer Buckley to play over Armfield or Sumner for me, whatever Bolts does has to be about the future now. I would play Jaksch over Everitt too.

Kerridge and Wright for Menzel have given me a bit of ammo to have a shot at a few crows supporter mates of mine. They have been dishing it out and now are very quiet.

Jaksch aside, I think the 4 ex-GWS boys did a great job against Essendon. Phillips is shaping up to be a real asset to us in the next couple of years and I am excited at finally having a decent second ruck. He shows some real fight in the contest and has good hands in a contested mark. I have always been a critic of Daisy Thomas but was happy to be proven wrong yesterday. He played a great game and I thought he was the pivotal player throughout the four quarters. Levi, what can I say? There is a serious issue that needs to be sorted very very soon. He has great hands in a contest and a lot of potential but just cannot buy a goal for love nor money. It was a shocker of a game but we can take the win.

Yep fair points.

No worries - I have another post stuck in moderation that goes into a bit more detail about my thoughts on the game but between Phillips, Casboult and Kreuzer yesterday we had 9 contested marks - that doesn't sound a lot but only 1 player is averaging more than 3 contested marks a game so far this year (Tom Lynch for GCS). Casboult is equal 4th on 2.5

thought Kreuzer and Phillips are starting to become a very good pair – both pretty good around the ground and at ground level, both clunked some good marks yesterday and both are dangerous enough up forward – Kreuzer could of had at least a couple if he kicked straight – those 2 combined with Casboult gave the blues a real advantage in that the blues were able to kick long to a contest and still retain the ball. Ciaran Byrne does look very good and adds to the list of long term players the blues have unearthed this year. I agree the game was terrible to watch (conditions and Essendons default setting of 18 men in defensive 50 didn’t help) but we controlled the game, got plenty of marks inside 50 (again) and ground out a win when in other years we would have fallen just short. A lot to like even amongst the ugl in ess. This week I would expect we might see Jones out for Curnow, White out for Cripps and then Armfield and Sumner will come under pressure from Buckley and Everitt.

Hal - Plowman is 21, jed lamb is 23, Sumner is 22 and Phillips is 24 (young for a ruckman) Harford was 27 & Martyn was 33 when they went to the blues - on top of that the blues had just no money, terrible facilities, were at the end of an era and had no draft picks - the 2 situations can not be compared. The 4 GWS players plus Kerridge and Wright aren't going to be elite but they will joing with the 4 first round draft picks from this year and the likes of Cripps and Docherty to form a good core for the blues to build around for a long time to come - the criticism of the trade despite all players the blues got looking comfortable at AFL level and the 1 players we lost still playing SANFL really bewilders me. As for Jaksch, he is still just 21 - I think he might yet prove his worth.