The Scout Report | Round 4 v Gold Coast
Gold Coast Suns
After being at the centre of media attention in the pre-season as “Destination Clarko”, the Suns have had a mixed start to 2022. Displaying a typical “Dew” style of being hard at the contest and playing a game of numbers, they have run sides close at stages.
For all that is good at the Suns, inaccuracy has hurt them in game.
But a side that hosts players like Anderson, Rowell and Miller is always a shout, and its almost there. Certainly a side that plays the game in the right way, looking to be offensive ranking 4th for i50, they can put the forward pressure on, they are no easy beats but a side that if it goes deep into the 4th can fold.
First Use Dominance
Having a great competitor in Witts gives you a chance, and last week he displayed why he is so strong. He uses his body exceptionally well vs wispy agile ruckmen and looks to take them into the classroom in game. Not the most dominant around the ground, but he uses old school techniques to put pressure on in the stoppages and centre to tire them out. His primary skill is his ability to use his body.
One thing that is apparent with Witts, is he drops it straight down, relying on the good skills in the middle of Anderson, Touk and Rowell. All 3 of these footballers are good users by hand and foot. Dew likes a tight unit at these stoppages and in the Centre, and looks to either create another stoppage, or move the ball through the middle. Another one of Witts’ strengths is his ability to back up as once a mid is caught, he looks to be an option to retain possession.
As you can see a bail out option, and Anderson working overtime to be able to peel off at the back and take the easy ball and set up attack.
Another sign of his intelligence, is invariably when taking possession in these hot zones, is Gold Coast look to remove the opposition from the play.
First Use Dominance - The Cure
What Carlton can do and have demonstrated this year, is using the combo of Pittonet and TDK to ruin the rhythm, Carlton’s scores from these situations are exceptionally high, accounting a large part of scores.
A key component of this has been their ability to gut run, they look to flood the area, and work hard in attack and defence, where prior in 2021, we looked to set up behind the ball and be in defensive positions first. Carlton have been bold and looked to back their midfield core in. The second way is the addition of Hewett, often looking to be the shield with Pittonet to create space for Cripps, Walsh and Cerra to exploit by hand and run.
This here is KING to beating GCS, as all sides that have success this year have maximized the hand ball and made the Suns run. Sides that look to create stoppages often struggle when they are made to move around. Carlton have displayed massive use of this and as seen here with the additional runners, it creates space in behind and is labour intensive on defence.
This was a large part where it fell off versus Hawthorn last week, and Carlton looked to gain territory when the corridor was closed, Vs Bulldogs it was similar but ultimately key components of our midfield stuck to the task, making these deeper entries more possible as we simply were close to i50 on the entry ball in.
CARLTON BE AFRONT OF THE BALL
Last week it was mentioned our entries were too shallow. This is a direct reaction to what is happening in game. One of the key cornerstones to Vossy’s plan is the ability to hit it deep, and be afront of the ball.
As you can see about 5m outside of the goal square is where Carlton do their best work, with the midfield merging out side of 50 and just inside, and everyone facing the marker, allowing in the event of intercept, to be there to lay tackles and enact pressure
As the ball hits the deck, Carlton are there at the fall of the ball looking to create a stoppage, knowing that is their strength and having crafty players around the ball on the outlet (Durdin behind here, and Fisher on the left outside of screen, to take the easy give and get and score).
CARLTON AFRONT OF THE BALL – WHAT NOT TO DO
Easily beaten in the Air one of one, as Harry did not have the option he had in prior quarters to let the ball fall to ground, but even worse as the forward line is not set, now its simple for Hawks to retain possession and look for the major pockets of space spread due to a lack of structured movement in the attacking phase. This is key versus the Suns, as they look to starve the corridor too in defence and push you to the fat side of the ground if you don’t utilise your handball.
Touk Miller Danger in a Game of Stoppages
Wherever a stoppage occurs on the ground, one of Gold Coasts strengths is Touk’s intent - he has a total buy in for pressure, and looks to rush players into decisions. He is very direct and as you can see he is just afront of Witts being blocked. He will make a bee line defensively and in attack to the fall of the ball. This injection of pace causes chaos.
Although the Suns have been just as inaccurate as the Blues, look at how Touk beats 3 men to the fall of the ball and is drawing players quickly by doing these type of direct movements to the ball.
As soon as possession wasn’t able to be taken, he is first on sight to tackle a man that was at the start of this stoppage.
Jack Martin - The Answer To Carltons Movement
Everyone has had a pop at Carlton for their game plan in the 3rd and 4th over last two weeks, but here is a key example of how PIVOTAL Jack Martin is to Carlton’s movement and retention of it. After forcing a turnover when Richmond were flying, Carlton look to transition.
Like we saw against the Hawks, Carlton do the simple things well - three handballs and we are now out and looking to move down the fat side of the ground. But something happens here that is different.
Although Carlton are caught in transition football, and we are behind the ball, Jack Martin runs into pockets of space outside of 50. He and JSOS are masters of this move, and time and time again in the 4th our Jacks left their box and looked to be that conduit to take the mark. In this example Martin iced the game with the goal, but later on JSOS and Jack did this and created DEEP entries to the goal square allowing us to set up afront of the ball and ultimately create opportunities and kill the game
Conclusion
It is one of the games I suppose we dub as the “Danger” game, but in all honestly, Gold Coast are a one trick pony down back and up forward. Carlton have face much more harder tasks down back in terms of transition threat, and the Suns forward line is “No Casboult No Party.”
Levi has never been a provider of smalls, and although Rankine and Rosas enter the fray, Carlton have way too much fire power in Saad and Doc to be concerned. Williams and Saad have shown exceptional defence vs the smaller blokes, and Doc has towelled up players like Touk who look to be super aggressive at forward 50 stoppages.
The King to this game is if Carlton maintain the pressure around the ball, and look to move the ball short, and utilise it wings in tight situations. Then its Game Over for the Suns, Carlton have Martin Back which makes them look to go deeper, as they have two Jacks acting as conduits, and the fire power in the midfield is more than enough to cope with the Witts issue, what is forgotten in the media, is Pitto has dominated himself in Hit outs and our mids have sharked large amounts of ball.
All in all, Carlton should win this one by 4 goals, and I would expect a feast in numbers on transition as they look to isolate Levi with Weiters and feast on the crumbs that provides.
