TOPIC:

The Geelong V Carlton game was one of the best AFL games I have seen this season. Two sides desperate for the 4 points after defeats last week, lots of contested footy, changes in momentum, great players being blanketed but rising to the challenge and dare I say it, a well umpired game. There were only 19 free kicks given and there were no soft ones to spoil the flow of the game.

Carlton would have been devastated because they were in a winning position half way through the last quarter, but you have to give credit to the cats for refusing to lie down. A very entertaining match all round.

True A/M there were a lot of skill errors but I just found the whole psychology of the game fascinating. Both teams were obviously battling confidence issues, which is a funny thing to say about Geelong, but there were many periods where I thought one team was running away with it but then the other team would find a way to take a collective breath and battle their way back. Carlton could have even snatched the game in the last five seconds but Geelong were great in defence in those last desperate moments.

Something has to be done about those runners that position themselves in strategic areas around the pack like the Geelong guy who was pushed aside by Robinson in one of the last stoppages. That was outrageous and possibly could have been a free kick to Carlton if the umpire had wanted to be technical? Maybe costing their team a game would drive the message home that they are not meant to be in the middle of play.

I agree with you about Yarran, he is a real enigma but the bottom line is that if he was at Fremantle, Ross Lyon would have sent him back to Peel to get fitter, maybe Carlton don't have that luxury.

Carlton a bit stiff imo centre bounce down that went out of the circle by at least a meter that resulted in a direct goal to the cats, and in the last 2 mins five or six frees were let go with the most obvious being Menzel high tackle 15 meters out I wonder if it was on the other foot and Selwood was on the end of it.

anchorman wrote: I thought that Menzel ducked into it Peter. I think that there were lots let go during the night and unfortunately the one most pick out was to the losing side that may have changed the result.
I think if you look back there were frees that maybe Geelong could or should have got in their forward line but were let go.
But it added to the controversy for sure.
But Carlton didn't have the nous of how to stop Geelong.The Cats premier players like Bartell, Kelly, Selwood all chimed in at vital times of the last quarter to stop Carltons run ons.
Mike I thought the Pies V WCE was a much better game than this one with less skill errors.Only my opinion though.
Almost forgot, yes the centre bounce one was a shocker, but the important one was the free to Bartell, he took the advantage but blew it. Then the umpire recalled the ball and I think that resulted in a goal as well.

And that was my point about Selwood.

Yes it was a good game but ffs pay the frees when they are there the umpires have gone from not paying the tiggy touch ones which is good to not paying the blatant ones.

There was definetly one instance where selwood ducked and didn't get the kick might have been the end of 3rd quarter. As long as they are consistent which I think they were.

Being a West Coast supporter and being at the game against Collingwood at the G that was a bloody good game that we should have won hard to pick between that one and this one I reckon.

Have had the benefit of a day and a few replays, but Carlton stiff the non recalled bounce, there was a free kick to Menzel there no doubt.

Gibbs had a blinder, did not notice Yarran missing in the last, the player missing in the last was there Captain, did little or nothing when game up for grabs

kirbs wrote: Have had the benefit of a day and a few replays, but Carlton stiff the non recalled bounce, there was a free kick to Menzel there no doubt.

Gibbs had a blinder, did not notice Yarran missing in the last, the player missing in the last was there Captain, did little or nothing when game up for grabs

Having reflected on it a bit as well Kirb's I did praise the umpires for letting the game flow and not imposing themselves, but they still have to pay the obvious ones and Menzel's was just that and as I said before my understanding was that if the runner interferes with the play it is an automatic free ( and 50 metres?)to the opposition. The Geelong runner definitely stood in Mitch Robinsons way at that stoppage and so he should have got a free as well. Geelong were very lucky to win that game and no wonder Mick was raging.