Mick Malthouse didn’t alter plan against Bulldogs but the Blues were simply more aggressive
CHIEF football writer Mark Robinson says Carlton didn’t radically change anything against the Bulldogs ... but the Blues were more aggressive.
Mark Robinson
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THE armchair critics were wrong about Mick Malthouse’s Blues.
The turnaround from chumps against Melbourne to champs against the Western Bulldogs didn’t come on the back of a radical game-plan change.
They increased their numbers of playing-on from a mark or free kick and increased their tackle count, and other than that it was the same old Blues.
If you categorise a more aggressive attitude as part of the game plan, then Malthouse did change it up.
But when does attitude come under strategy?
Attitude should be commonplace and strategy the cream on top.
If anything, Carlton’s strategy against the Western Bulldogs wasn’t radical at all: Run hard, pressure, defend, have numbers at the contest, move it quick, move it better, and give your forwards an opportunity to go one-one-on.
It’s just that the Blues weren’t able to execute it over the previous two weeks.
Champion Data statistics show Malthouse didn’t avert from his trusted game plan.
From Rounds 1-4, his players used the central corridor 25.1 per cent of play.
Against the Bulldogs it was 25.2 per cent.
From Rounds 1-4, they used the wing 34.1 per cent.
Against the Bulldogs it was 35.4 per cent.
From Rounds 1-4, they used the boundary, which has always been Malthouse’s love child, a majority 40.8 per cent.
Against the Bulldogs, it was 39.4 per cent, a drop of just one per cent.
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It’s hardly a major shift in philosophy from Matlhouse.
The kick to handball ratio wasn’t vastly different either. It was 1.4:1 over the first four weeks to 1.37:1 against the Dogs.
No, Malthouse stuck to his 28-year-old guns and this time he was aided by an edginess from his players.
They played on from the defensive 50 and through the middle 57 per cent of the time, and over the first four weeks it was 46.2 per cent, which by the way were both ranked No.1.
Clearly, the biggest change in Carlton was increased tackling and better use of the pill.
They recorded 88 tackles, almost 20 more than any game they’ve played in this year and hit their targets at a season-high 66.5 per cent.
The forward line worked a lot better.
They goaled 21.8 per cent of the time in the first month, ranked 15th, and against the Dogs it was 36 per cent, the second best of the round.
They are numbers, but a fundamental change was the contribution of players.
What a difference it makes having their best four running defenders _ Kade Simpson, Andrew Walker, Chris Yarran and Zach Tuohy _ in the same team and taking on the game, while Dale Thomas could be seen streaming down the ground with the ball.
Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs won the middle, Jarrad Waite and Lachie Henderson benefited up forward, and Sam Rowe and Simon White held down the tall defensive posts.
Indeed, the game style can appear different when attitude is where it should be.
THE STATS THAT MATTER:
R1-4 // v Bulldogs
Corridor 25.1% / 25.2%
Wing 34.1% / 35.4%
Boundary 40.8% / 39.4%
Kick-to-handball 1.44:1 / 1.37:1
Mark play on (D50m/Mid) 46.2% / 57.1%
TACKLES
R1 57
R2 69
R3 57
R4 65
R5 88
Source: CHAMPION DATA
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