Carlton Football Club: The Round One Review

As predicted, it was a convincing win for the tigers. But what did the loss mean for the blues. The messages were rather mixed. Some were unable to perceive the changes in the club's strategies while others concentrated on the individual performances. Carlton's defeat by the hands of Richmond was a bit of everything. We saw the blues applying some new tactics and changing player positions, all while still displaying their severe lack of footy skills. It was the usual patches and regular turnovers. There was the classic slow play along with the struggle to move faster without error. Personally, it wasn't a game that got my hopes up. But I was satisfied that the final losing margin wasn't any larger than predicted. There were some positives to come out of the game, however the system the blues persisted with left me fearing a little. It didn't seem like something that can hold up throughout the year. The victories could be as rare as last season. We know this can't happen. There is a lot Carlton have to fix and they are left to do it whilst the 2019 season is in play.

MARGIN

(Predicted : Real)

38 points : 33 points

Difference: + 5

Just less than a goal which is impressive. And much of what I said about how the loss will come about was close to spot on. The boys ran out of legs in the final term and much of the communication throughout the entire match was pretty poor. They just couldn't seem to stick close to their direct opponents. Every time the tigers attacked, they always had the numbers. Around every receive of theirs was at least one extra man. It took much of the pressure off them and led to more effective kicks inside their forward 50. In this match, Richmond went without Caddy, Castagna, Ellis, Grigg and Townsend (all while also losing Rance towrds the end). Carlton on the other hand, missed only Docherty, Kreuzer and Marchbank. It's obvious that the tigers bat much deeper while Carlton continue to walk in raw and still a little uncertain with their setup. Nevertheless, I wasn't completely disappointed. After all, it was the reigning wooden spooners against a premiership contender.

First Quarter

I don't know about others, but all I ended up seeing was fumble, fumble, fumble. It was Carlton absolutely paralysed, unable to counter Richmond's manic pressure. Every attempt to get the ball forward ended up with the tigers immediately swarming, sprinting with ball to the other side of the field and kicking majors with ease. As soon as Tom Lynch kicked the first goal of the match, I was thinking 'not again'. Why is it Carlton he loves tormenting? Why is it Carlton that always makes him look better than what he is? With not one of the blues players finding the space with possession, the first term became nothing but trying to stop the leakage. It was the boys having to quickly work out how to quieten Richmond's core group. The tigers basically did what we did last year against them in the first quarter. But I always knew before they caught up then that they were going to do so. In this situation, I knew that it wasn't going to be the same for us. We weren't good enough for that.

Second Quarter
Again a slow start with Richmond slotting the opening goal of the quarter. But around the 12 minute mark, the blues were starting to win more of the 50/50's. It would see a couple of ex-magpies in Dale Thomas and Alex Fasolo kick opportunistic goals under some pressure. Zac Fisher also having done the same within the final minute of the term. Patrick Cripps began to shake off the rust while David Cuningham spent some time around the centre circle, showing glimpses of his slickness. Mitch McGovern made some small appearances and even kicked a major of his own after a fairly quiet JLT series. Not to forget Nic Newman rebounding off half back like Sam Docherty never left. There was still a lot of clumsy play, but luckily this time it saw a bit more damage on the scoreboard. Here, Carlton showed off a little of their newfound ability in increasing their scoring chances by keeping the ball within their attacking 50. It was something blues supporters had long been starved of.

Third Quarter
Third quarter was a continuation of the second and a little bit more. Enough to see Carlton win the battle and further narrow the margin to as much as 10 points for a minute or two. The blue boys got around to showing what they did best during the preseason, scoring from stoppages and forward chains. Adding to this was some scoring from play instigated at the defensive 50. Harry McKay covered much of the ground in unbelievable fashion and kicked an incredible set shot goal on the 50-metre line on a fairly tight angle. Charlie Curnow tried to leave at least a small mark on the game with a fortuitous goal out the back from a rushed inside 50 by Fisher, who too impressed with a tackle on unlikeliest victims in Dustin Martin. Milestone man Murphy made most of the few seconds he had, with a hurried goal thanks to Sam Walsh's brilliant vision. And Newman with his booming left foot screamed 'bargain' to blues fans everywhere. Another exciting display of the future to all.

Fourth Quarter

The blues couldn't seem to take advantage of Richmond's need to readjust their defensive setup (having lost Alex Rance late in the third quarter to a knee injury). Instead, it was the tigers taking advantage of the Carlton's inability to hit forward targets. The boys could not spread out, follow the speed of play and deliver it effectively enough to the forward line. They weren't even able to feast on the open opportunities created from Richmond's occasional clumsiness. It felt as if each blue had the ball and chain at their ankles, rendering them slow and sometimes stagnant. The tigers much like the first quarter, were attacking in streaks. Extra numbers everywhere, even to recover immediately from any mistakes. It even seemed like luck was on their side, as every bounce and ground ball was in their favour. All I can say is that it was a good thing Lynch was sloppy during the final few minutes because if he wasn't, the final margin would have easily been much worse.

PLUSES / MINUSES

1. Forward 50 pressure matched the tigers. Don't think I ever seen such effort last year. Of course, we just need to be both calmer and smarter when the ball is in our hands.
2. Many of the younger players look to be making strong progress. 
3. Glad to see our strategies in taking on Dustin Martin having worked. Zac Fisher with those couple of tackles on him was simply delightful.
4. Harry McKay is so bloody agile. And he is over 200cm tall. Doesn't make sense.
5. An impressive debut from Sam Walsh. Nothing more to say.

1. The skill level. THE SKILL LEVEL! WAY below par!
2. The communication is not so great either.
3. Defensive pressure needs working on. Boys have to stop allowing opponents to sneak out the back.
4. Perhaps it's best that Ed Curnow is given his usual role. He was involved in many passages of great play, but occasionally hesitated and took too long in making decisions (especially in the third quarter).
5. Just about every player kicked the ball out on the full. Even Cripps. What's going on here?

SCORES = TOTAL

1. NIC NEWMAN 20

2. Ed Curnow 10
3. Patrick Cripps 9
4. Marc Murphy 8
5. Kade Simpson 7
6. Dale Thomas 6
7. Sam Walsh 5
8. Zac Fisher 4
9 = David Cuningham 2.5
9 = Andrew Phillips 2.5
11. Sam Petrevski-Seton 1
12. Harry McKay 0
13. Will Setterfield -1
14. Jacob Weitering -2
15. Lachie Plowman -3
16. Paddy Dow -4
17. Mitch McGovern -5
18. Jarrod Garlett -6
19. Liam Jones -7
20. Michael Gibbons -8
21. Charlie Curnow -9
22. Alex Fasolo -10

THOSE WHO IMPRESSED ME

Patrick Cripps

Is anybody surprised here? It doesn't feel as if the captaincy has had any negative impact on Cripps' ability to win the contests. He's still the beast that his is known to be. Like the rest of the boys, Cripps did start off very slow and sloppy. Even had a couple of forgettable moments around the ground. But our beloved co-captain is a player that is always guaranteed to make up for his mistakes and it does not take very long for this to happen. Just another ordinary game from him. 32 disposals (21 of them contested), 7 clearances and 6 tackles. More wins on the board this year and there is no denying the ever so glaring possibility that one of the most exciting midfielders in the game can take home the highest individual accolade there is; the Brownlow medal. Of course, it is only the first round and there is still a long way to go. Not to mention that the superstar needs to keep on his feet for much of the season. But this performance could be a good start for his chances.

David Cuningham

No sneaky goals from Cunners this time. His presence around the centre of the ground however, was a sight for sore eyes. It was almost as if the ball was attracted to him during the middle of the match, especially when Carlton were starting to pick up the pace. Although 7 clangers (equal most of the game) and a few other clear mistakes, I never felt disappointed by his presence. I guess it's due to his lack of opportunity, with all the time spent off the field over the past few years battling many injuries. I was growing frustrated, not getting to see him progress. My joy for his potential wasn't getting to be proven worth it. In this case, it seems like patience was virtue. Now it not only appears Cuningham is fit and firing, but he has suddenly shown himself taking his game up to another level this year. Once again, I take everything back that I said about him in the preview piece. I am back on the Cuningham bandwagon.

Nic Newman

I'm not afraid to go out on a limb and say that this 'new man' can become recruit of the year. He managed to take one step towards that last night. While Docherty is no easy replacement, Newman looks to have brought a game that would help relieve much of the pain from Doc's absence. It was like he was everywhere down back. And when he kicked that goal... I felt a sudden rush of excitement. Out loud to my parents, I'd say how brilliant of an acquisition he was. Newman ended up with 26 touches, 9 marks and 12 rebound 50s (the most of any player on the ground). Could nearly have been considered the best for us. As time went on, I became less and less unsettled every time I saw the number 24 with ball in hand. Sorry? Aaron who? Cam who? This is someone who has come to help save us from greater humiliation. Don't honestly know what Sydney were thinking in letting him go. Newman could easily take a further few steps in his own game with the mighty blues this year.

Honourable Mentions

Harry McKay, Marc Murphy, Will Setterfield, Sam Walsh, Jacob Weitering

THOSE WHO DISAPPOINTED ME

Charlie Curnow

It seemed as if the much-hyped Charlie took his underwhelming preseason form into this match. Absolutely quiet throughout most of the first half, only to come around later dropping sitters, giving away frees and creating numerous turnovers. Sure he kicked a goal when the game was turning our way, but nearly every other moment of his last night was worth forgetting. It's very unlikely to happen, but these recent performances from C. Curnow, have made him look worthy of omission. What could be the problem? Don't believe it is fitness, since no problems have been reported to us. Supposedly it's the external media pressure and the comparisons to 'Kouta'. Then again, maybe not. Whatever it is, Charlie isn't Charlie at the moment. Not too sure blues fans have even witnessed a spark of his best in 2019 so far. Fingers crossed he can get back to doing what he is known for as soon as possible. Otherwise the public criticism will really start to break through.

Alex Fasolo

I do believe that we brought him in too soon. From the outside looking in, Fasolo wasn't a convincing inclusion to the round one line-up. He may have won the respect back from the team after the disgraceful behaviour on Australia Day, but it didn't exactly mean he won a spot in the side. Fasolo for most of the night looked sluggish, and more often than not performed a disappearing act. There was nothing about him that caught my attention. Just the 5 disposals, 1 tackle and 1 rushed goal off the boot. Rarely was he seen making his presence felt up the ground and rarely was he providing the necessary pressure on the opposition. Fasolo's immediate call-up to the seniors was one coming from little merit. What's a bit more disheartening about this is that he was number 1200 in the line of debutants. Undoubtedly the poorest performer of the half-a-dozen newbies. Probably no surprise as he was the one I didn't expect as much from. That's not saying though he couldn't get better from here.

Jarrod Garlett

A lot of blues supporters had an issue with Garlett being named in the squad, and it was for one reason. That reason being the exact same one he showcased on the night. The sloppiness. Much like Cameron Polson, Jarrod Garlett struggles to balance his agility with his control of the ball. Nearly every time on the run, he was unable to hit targets. His disposal efficiency of 44.4 percent from 9 touches says it all. Nowhere near good enough for a defender. Adding to this was the lack of presence and easy exposure. He was arguably the ghost of the backline last night. Garlett though will likely keep his spot in the side due to the lack of small defenders knocking on the door for his position. It is also round one, and just about everybody started off a little rusty (this is pretty much a normal thing). So it is only right to let him off just for now. But let's just say that this was the first of many strikes. Another performance like this one won't be so welcomed next time.

Dishonourable mentions

Michael Gibbons, Liam Jones, Mitch McGovern

OTHER NOTES

- Congrats to Jack Riewoldt, who like Marc Murphy played his 250th game. Probably not a solo performance he was proud of but he did play a small part in getting his team over the line.
- The worst came true for Alex Rance, having torn his ACL last night. Best wishes to him in his recovery and hopefully he is back and performing well as soon as possible. Nobody deserves an injury, especially a season-ending one such as an ACL.
- Can somebody remind Brian Taylor that the name is Sam Walsh and not Sam "Welsh"?
- Make that number 56 in games since the blues last scored triple figures. Six goals off from the feat last night.
- That was the only prime time game for the year. Be prepared for Carlton to primarily be banished to Saturday and Sunday afternoons on Foxtel for the rest of the year, and deservedly so.
- A $2000 fine for Liam Jones for reckless conduct against Riewoldt. A bit over the top if you ask me. Seems like they were so close to giving him a one-match ban. Far out the MRP can be absurd.

NEXT WEEK

For the blues, it's off to Adelaide Oval to face the Power Saturday week. Am expecting one or two changes for this match. Perhaps Kreuzer back in for Phillips. And as much as I hate to accept it at the moment, Polson in for Fasolo. Polson would seem more prepared and much fitter for selection. Not much can be said about Port given they're yet to play their first match for premiership points this season. But it looks as if they are taking a very tiny step backwards by bringing forth a younger crop of potential future stars with the likes of Butters, Drew, Duursma and Rozee. Like every game there is a chance for us, but once again it's a small one. It's Port's home game and recent encounters against the Power haven't been so friendly. Their star players are expected to work together more effectively as we continue our very patchy ways. There will likely be more skill errors from us, which will lead to greater losing margin here. All I can do is hope for the opposite.

PREDICTED LINE-UP

IN - Matthew Kreuzer, Cameron Polson
OUT - Andrew Phillips (Omitted), Alex Fasolo (Omitted)

FB - Liam Jones - Lachie Plowman - Dale Thomas
HB - Nic Newman - Jacob Weitering - Kade Simpson
C - Sam Walsh - David Cuningham - Marc Murphy
HF - Sam Petrevski-Seton - Harry McKay - Zac Fisher
FF - Michael Gibbons - Charlie Curnow - Mitch McGovern
R - Matthew Kreuzer - Patrick Cripps - Ed Curnow
I - Cameron Polson - Jarrod Garlett - Will Setterfield - Paddy Dow

E - Andrew Phillips - Alex Fasolo - Hugh Goddard - Lochie O'Brien

Port Adelaide Power by 62 points

Travis "TJ" James