centre clearances

[TonyMelb 7]

Why doesnt MFC dominate the centre clearances?? Still work to be done in that area.

Whitey and PJ dominated the hit outs against the Blues - whitey alone won 44 odd contests yet Carlton dominated the centre clearances.

Given our ruck domination - against O'Halpin and Kouta - the Dess should have dominated the clearances also and wone more convincingly. MFC have been good at getting first hand to the ball for a while but have poor sucess rate in getting to our players advantage.

The players do a lot of work on this (e.g at warm ups before the games they do drills) but dont seem able to get a healthy return.

I dont understand why dont get at least say 60% of hitouts our ruckmen win going to our advantage out of the centre. Certainly should have been clearly MFC way yesterday.

[Jerry Lundergard 420]

I was wondering the same thing during the game. Three things came to mind

1. We are not very clean around the stoppages, and our anticapation of where the ball is going is still poor.

2. We still have young bodies that aren't quite ready yet to to take the physical pressure and still clear the ball with precision.

3. And, i have been banging on about this for a while, but Jeff White is a poor tap ruckman. IMO, he rarely taps to advantage, and I rate PJ better than him in this area.

[davey_magik 1]

I was wondering the same thing during the game. Three things came to mind

1. We are not very clean around the stoppages, and our anticapation of where the ball is going is still poor.

2. We still have young bodies that aren't quite ready yet to to take the physical pressure and still clear the ball with precision.

3. And, i have been banging on about this for a while, but Jeff White is a poor tap ruckman. IMO, he rarely taps to advantage, and I rate PJ better than him in this area.

Agree on White's taps, he is average at best in that area.

[bjgc 0]

White should not be blamed put a Mitchell is there and everybody would be saying how good is White. Our midfield has been very ordinary for a long time. Only McLean has any idea on how to consistantly get a clearance now he is getting tagged out of the game for it. Our next crop of midfielders don't cut it. Our number 1 prioroity must be to recruit midfielders if we don't we will pay for it. McDonald should be at least our 3rd main clearance winner not our 1st or 2nd.

[Gorgoroth 12,950]

Jones seemed to be the one who was getting his hands on it the most but not always getting the clean get away. we will improve when we get more players back.

[Jaded No More 68,913]

White should not be blamed put a Mitchell is there and everybody would be saying how good is White. Our midfield has been very ordinary for a long time. Only McLean has any idea on how to consistantly get a clearance now he is getting tagged out of the game for it. Our next crop of midfielders don't cut it. Our number 1 prioroity must be to recruit midfielders if we don't we will pay for it. McDonald should be at least our 3rd main clearance winner not our 1st or 2nd.

So you don't rate Jones, Bartram or Moloney's ability to win the contested ball in close?

I don't think our midfield is in any sort of trouble, the only thing we do need is an injection of speed through there.

Bartram's return will help, and Buckley can hopefully make it at this level too.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Why doesnt MFC dominate the centre clearances?? Still work to be done in that area.

Whitey and PJ dominated the hit outs against the Blues - whitey alone won 44 odd contests yet Carlton dominated the centre clearances.

...

Great post TonyM.

I agree bjgc on who we need to target in the draft.

The same sort of stats results appeared from Tigers game. And we got smashed in the clearances.

Not only does it highlight our inability to get the hard ball but itsdoes indicate the relative value of a midfielder than can win clearances over a ruckman who gets the hitout.

For all the talk of the need for a dominant ruckman give me a midfielder that can win centre clearances any time.

[Pepe Dee Pew 0]

I noticed the clearances also. Way in Blues favour. Either we desperately need another gun quick mid and or:

Brock is not quite right after missing a lot of the early season - he will be better next season,

Jonesy is in his second year and should step up a notch again next year,

A full pre season from Col might see a bit more time as a mid for him next season,

Moloney just might get to play a few games next year,

I am of the view we need both a quick gun mid and a young ruckman.