The Scout Report | Round 6 v Fremantle
The Scout Report
Fremantle
A side that has equally gone above and beyond pre-season expectations. Fremantle has come out of the blocks strong and become the darlings of AFL Media.
Justin Longmuir has built a stabilised backline and over the last season has developed Fremantle into a very potent side into offence.
One staple of this has been their ability to initiate turnovers, particularly in the midfield, and enact scores from these zones. Fremantle currently sits top of the ladder in scores from turnovers at +188 pts scored.
A key cornerstone of this has been their ability to win the ball back quickly, and play akin to Liverpool in the round ball, with a real onus on winning the ball back at the source and turning that into attack.
This game shapes up to be a classic 8 pointer, with both sides gunning for 5 and 1 and the statistical likelihood from this position is finals end of the year.
The Turnover
One of the keystones of Fremantle's ability to win the ball back is their ability to take away the short option. They look to force sides into long kicks down the fat side of the ground. They themselves are a very quick side, but they focus on forcing sides to almost come to a standstill, this enables them to set traps just outside 50 and ultimately control the ball movement of the opposition.
One of the major methods employed. Is Fremantle's ability to spoil the ball to ground (As Shown Here) and get it to their users off half-back. From here they look to move the ball quickly while the opposition is committed into a attacking transition.
Often you will see quick uses of the 1-2 handball, as shown here where Clark combines with Mundy, to get into a bit of space and look to launch the ball into attacking areas. It is worth noting, that Fremantle look to attack the wings and then bring it into the corridor about half way out, effectively splitting zones. This makes Early entries a staple as they look to isolate the threatening Taberner.
Mundy here receives the corridor bound ball from smart work from Lobb (which will feature a lot as that outlet ball) and he is in acres of space. It results in an easy hit up target to Taberner who is one on one and this is a common method for Fremantle to look to hurt you in transition.
The Turnover – The Cure
One of the lesser stats that is talked about with Carlton is they are number 1 for Effective Disposal %. They have been very efficient in their ability to work zones and traps out particularly at the start of the game forcing opposition to make a change
After Clearances & particularly in-game, Carlton look to target outside the 50 (Fremantle's Hot Zone For Turnover) and instead of looking for the mark, in contested situations deploy Martin & Owies to spoil the ball to ground and into their incoming support from midfield.
A smart little handball here to Curnow has caused defenders chaos, as both McKay and Curnow have looked to be the provider and lurk in these contests as decoys. This sets up space behind them for the other to work in and alleviates the predictability of the entry.
With Harry one out and running from the Goal Square, this has caused a lot of spread, from the smart chip kick to Kennedy from Curnow it creates Angles, and in forward entries versus hot zones Angles are your best friend. Particularly when you have Charlie & Harry as your main guys up top. They feed on space behind and aside of defenders with their superior mobility.
Sean Darcy Effect
Darcy has fast become one of the best ruckman in the competition. He combines huge levels of physicality, but has added an engine this year, and really looks to pull Ruckman around the ground with him. The tandem with Rory Lobb this year has caused havoc with mismatches around the ground as they rest. In the hit-out department, he looks to drop the ball behind him towards his defensive side. Then becomes almost a big brick wall, getting in the way of the marauding opposition and creating space for his midfield.
With dropping the ball behind and to the right of you. It means the midfield of the opposition has to get past him and effectively go the long way round to the ball. Remember in previous instalments of the Scout Report we have talked about Straight Lines being your friend in the contest. Darcy creates you having to deal with a big Fork in the Road.
With Darcy taking out 2 of the Midfielders of the opposition. It leaves nice holes and pockets of space behind him. The AFL zone systems are very effective but when the ball moves back and forth like in this hit out, it creates huge pockets and gaps between lines. With the first wave taken care of in the hit out, their ability to work the ball in the 2nd line gap is prominent in stoppages and centre bounces and must be handled well by being at the fall of the ball.
Sean Darcy Effect - The Cure
One thing that Pittonet and his Rovers bring is their ability to mix it up versus strong inside sides. Fremantle are not known for this. Pittonet often prefers the ball infront of him, and towards the attacking side as Carlton are exceptionally aggressive from these points of the game particuarly in stoppage.
A common theme is a handball out the back, Carlton commits to getting to the coal face quickly, using their big-bodied players (Cripps, Pittonet and Kennedy) to act as shields to the ball and get the ball to an awaiting Hewett. Hewett perhaps on form is the best user of the footy in the AFL in tight situations, and Carlton has a large percentage of handballs off the tackles in these situations, which ultimately requires sides to be less aggressive and more focused on recycling the stoppage. This is key versus Fremantle as they cannot play slow and generate scores, they score almost primary from the quick ball.
With the handball being utilised, Pittonet acts as an extra midfielder and looks to break the line and either handball to the wings who pinch inside, or looks to enter 50 himself. One note about Pittonet is he is very good at finding the deep entry, which plays into Carlton's supreme small forward line that is the top side in competition at tackling inside 50.
Roaming Talls Lobb & Darcy
One of the unwritten skills that Fremantle bring, is how Darcy & Lobb compliment each other. Last week versus Essendon was really poignant. Often looking in crunch parts of the game to mix it up and rest forward. Darcy & Lobb have an uncanny knack of really drawing players towards them, particularly Darcy who has a Cripps like a draw for defenders.
Darcy often lurks at the edge of the 50, at CHF. As this example shows two of Essendon's defenders reacted to him not moving into the contest, creating a traditional one on one, From here Taberner spoils and Darcy will roam forward, offering himself further up the field. The mere presence here versus without shows how Essendon didn't pack the aerial contest as is common and isolated Taberner.
As Essendon Defenders are drawn to the threat of the aerial contest, with Darcy free, he moves away and continues roaming forward, allowing an easy handball over the contest to Darcy who snags the goal. This is a common method for both Lobb and Darcy as they are the extras here as opposed to the staples.
Roaming Talls Lobb & Darcy - The Cure
Fight fire with fire at times, and one thing TDK demonstrated last week was his ability to roam around the ground. He too can be a very handy addition to the forward line. When Lobb and Darcy are at an advantage is when there is not a versatile ruck on the field. The fact that TDK isn't shy at roaming will cause one to roam with him.
In this example, unlike Lobb and Darcy, he lives out in the Goal Square, particularly in-game, this forces someone to stay deep in the defensive end. This will allow McKay and Curnow to have the maximum field in front of him and should take the attention of Ryan and co who will look to intercept in these hot zones. This could be Key to Carlton's entries this week.
In the VFL TDK dropped back in the 4th to really follow Soldo a lot when he roamed forward, Samson and Soldo played a very similar role to Darcy and Lobb and looked to stretch and be the extra in their rest fazes, Carlton AFL side has a similar makeup here in a Strong bull-like Ruck and a Slight athletic one and TDK has now had some hands-on experience and will have to do this in-game vs Fremantle, expect him to live with Lobb.
The in’s
It is no surprise that Patrick Cripps returns for this fixture. Our mercurial captain has been in sensational form and has been one of the beneficiaries of the Voss game plan and the personnel acquired around him. Adding a real layer of attacking vigour, Cripps could be the difference.
TDK
TDK returns after a mauling vs Witts, His game versus Richmond in the VFL was not spectaucular. however, there was a clear focus on him returning to do what he does best and looking to stretch the ruckman around the ground and become a handy addition up forward. If games were made for TDK this is the one, as Fremantle exploit that addition roaming ruckman very well.
Conclusion
Styles make fights so they say, and in this one, Carlton and Fremantle have clear advantages in the weakness of the other.
Carlton will have to look to use stoppages to slow the game down, as Fremantle are a very heavy tempo focused game style. If the game is quick and free-flowing in the later stages Fremantle will look to impact very quickly.
Carlton's strength is in the contest and that has been shown all year, they will want to Bully Fremantle, and like all sides that have a focus on turnover scores, Carlton knows if they play their way of controlling the footy (ranked no1 for Disposals, Effective Disposals and 4th For Effective Disposal %) they can go a long way towards being 5 and 1.
Finals could almost be sewn up in this fixture that is how big it is, Carlton has the edge mentally having a Cullianna Warne relationship with Fremantle and will back themselves if it gets tight they often come out with the Chocolates.
Carlton by 17
