Carlton Football Club: The Round Two Review

After watching Port Adelaide against Melbourne last week, I feared this encounter a little. I was left thinking 'Gee, how good will they be with the home ground advantage?' (this was of course before understanding the trouble Melbourne was going through after their second poor showing against Geelong). I guess it's me underestimating my own team's capabilities. But then again, they are coming from a long way, and Ken Hinkley so far looks to have relished the new rules, reinvigorating his side with fresh faces and exciting strategies. Not to mention Carlton's record at Adelaide Oval isn't very pretty. I just wasn't as confident. But thankfully, my beloved blues proved me here that they are looking better than what most people think. They showed me they can produce some pleasant results this year, so long as they stay the course and fix where they go wrong. As a matter of fact, it has made me all the more confident about the following game against Sydney.

MARGIN

(Predicted : Real)

62 points : 16 points

Difference: + 46

Carlton overall performed WAY better than I expected them to. Not only that, but they showed some glimmers of super exciting play (the sort of play that finals teams produce). I thought the ferocity and fast pace of the power would run circles around us and see a blowout. But it was good to see the young blues surprise me with their ability to keep up, all while flashing off some brilliant control of the pill at the same time. Practically the only unsurprising thing about the match was it being another loss to add to the string of losses over the past few years. I do think it's important for the blues to produce four-quarter footy and win as soon as possible. They have to start building a winning culture. The young crop need to know how much is required for a victory and they need to demonstrate it a few times this year. More losses are only going to lead to greater frustration amongst everybody. And from a personal perspective, Brendan Bolton needs to cut down on the mixed messages. Don't say one week that you fall in love with the playing group and then say there isn't such thing as an 'honourable loss'. Here you can't have your cake and eat it too.

First Quarter

Wow! Just, wow! I mean I knew the blues had the potential to create a scare, but never did I see it happening straight away. I just adored seeing of the blues forwards creating space and taking every chance for the easy goal. The balance of speed and control was close to perfect. Although there were a few issues down back. The struggle to hold down Port's small attacking brigade as well as the little defensive pressure yet again (Jones running of the man, etc.). But what I loved was the rest of the ground making up for it by pushing forward and taking every opportunity they can to hit the scoreboard. Sam Petrevski-Seton getting in on the action early. Ed Curnow finding space. And Will Setterfield running was a sight for sore eyes. Overall, the impact was that of a finals contender. However I knew it wouldn't last, as consistency and sustainability become the major problems of 2019 so far. If this quarter is the Carlton of the future, then I am definitely all for it. Shame having to lose Charlie though.

Second Quarter
One of our predominant leaders in Marc Murphy was out for much of this quarter after coming off second best in a brutal contest for the ball. Came up okay, but when through some precautionary checks. In his absence, the blues suddenly lost a bit of their pace. The backline was starting to get upstaged by a young and promising Connor Rozee, who kicked a couple of goals for Port Adelaide in the term. Rockliff would continue dominating from the centre circle, and this time it seemed like his use of the ball was more damaging compared to his time with Brisbane. Carlton seemed somewhat uninterested in curtailing his influence. Tom Clurey took advantage of most of our mistakes as Port proved far more efficient. Nearly every inside 50 of theirs was followed by a score. The Carlton defenders just couldn't find the answers to stop the leaking. Four goals to none and it was a matter of holding on and not conceding any more up to the major break.

Third Quarter
Coming off half time, showers have soaked the ground a little making it more of a challenge for the blues to fight back. But it wasn't just a challenge accepted, but a challenge accomplished by the young Carlton team. We retrieved some of the grit from the first quarter and saw the openings to produce four consecutive goals of our own. Mitch McGovern responsible for two of them almost in the space of a minute and the first coming from a fantastic tackle on Zac Butters. This was the time when I really began to see the value McGovern brought to the team. I walked in knowing he was all about star factor, but never had a proper glimpse of him till this match (especially this quarter). He seems to love the big moments. Probably still a step away from producing some really incredible ones at his new home, but with a little more time he certainly will. Cameron Polson surprised me a little with one or two effective disposals (a goal and a goal assist) and both Sam Walsh and Paddy Dow continues to impress me with their willingness to embrace the contest.

Fourth Quarter

It was a matter of really kicking into wet-weather mode, as most of the final term was played under the pouring rain. But a serious game-ending injury to Jack Watts didn't stop Port Adelaide at all from looking more threatening with possession of the ball compared to us. The blue boys managed to hang on for roughly half of the time on the ground, as the margin remained eight points in Port's favour. And it was a battle to try and get over the line. But my expectation remained as is, with Steven Motlop coming from nowhere to sink the boot into Carlton with two crucial goals in the space of five minutes. Of course, it wasn't all bad. Alex Fasolo and Kade Simpson would help with keeping the losing margin at a reasonable 16 points, kicking one major each. And Harry McKay continued his unbelievable ways, taking one or two contested marks with a slippery ball. What makes this better is that all five of McKay's marks for this match were contested. Absolutely amazing!

PLUSES / MINUSES

1. That start really amazed me. Those few goals from quick and efficient ball movement. Something that I haven't seen in a long time. Of course it wasn't going to stay around but it was good while it lasted.
2. Even when he didn't use the ball so well, Sam Walsh knows how to find it.

3. Mitch McGovern is showing some signs of gradual improvement. 

4. Perhaps it was mostly thanks to the rain, but to not have the losing margin blow out to anything more than 16 points was great. Much to everyone's surprise, the defense is really holding up. Still some work to do when it comes to pressure though.

5. The skill level was heaps better here. We didn't look so inept.

1. The football in patches continues. Not going to be winning games with goalless quarters.
2. The communication still requires some work.

3. Marc Murphy probably didn't do as well as we would've liked. But he did cop a heavy knock to the head region. He played it out like the warrior he was, but it did come at a little cost.

4. Suppose it isn't in the plan, but the blues shouldn't have the opposition's star midfielders (like Tom Rockliff) running all over them. Ed Curnow should be doing what he is best at and that is ensuring the most influential players aren't as influential. Don't think having Ed disappear for much of the game in the forward line does anybody favours.

5. Mitch McGovern in defence was not a great idea. Especially when Charlie Curnow couldn't be there to help. Only placed more pressure on Harry McKay. Carlton shouldn't be leaving more work for others.

SCORES

1. PATRICK CRIPPS 20

2. Paddy Dow 10

3. Andrew Phillips 9

4. Sam Petrevski-Seton 8
5. Sam Walsh 7

6. Marc Murphy 6

7. Dale Thomas 5

8. Kade SImpson 4

9 = Michael Gibbons 2

9 = Harry McKay 2

9 = Nic Newman 2

12. Mitch McGovern 0

13. Zac FIsher -1

14. Will Setterfield -2

15. Lachie Plowman -3

16. Jacob Weitering -4

17. Alex Fasolo -5

18. Cameron Polson -6

19. Ed Curnow -7

20. Jarrod Garlett -8

21. Liam Jones -9

22. Charlie Curnow -10

TOTAL

1. Patrick Cripps 29

2. Nic Newman 22

3. Marc Murphy 14
4. Sam Walsh 12
5. Andrew Phillips 11.5

6 = Dale Thomas 11

6 = Kade Simpson 11
8. Sam Petrevski-Seton 9

9. Paddy Dow 6
11 = Ed Curnow 3

11 = Zac Fisher 3

12. David Cuningham 2.5

13. Harry McKay 2

14. Will Setterfield -3
15. Mitch McGovern -5

16 = Michael Gibbons -6

16 = Lachie Plowman -6

16 = Cameron Polson -6

16 = Jacob Weitering -6

20. Jarrod Garlett -14

21. Alex Fasolo -15

22. Liam Jones -16

23. Charlie Curnow -19

THOSE WHO IMPRESSED ME

Harry McKay

I can go on and on about how much I love watching this guy play. His ability to run the field is second to none. He has a good eye for where the goals are. And it seems to me he is getting better by the year when it comes to taking marks. Do I have to remind everybody that he was doing this in the rain for about half of the match? His big mitts in contests... in the WET! It tells you that the ceiling is oh so very high for this one. McKay is everything we have been looking for in a player for quite a while during our rebuild stage. And each week, he has been further proving to the coaches why he should have been running and gaining experience in the side sooner. It wasn't just this match, but round one as well. Harry is just full of confidence and he is showing so much promise. Two goals in both games so far for a total of four. With the games (and the club in particular) still adapting to the new rules, this is without a doubt a satisfactory effort for the big H. I'm craving for more of his brilliance. We all are.

Andrew Phillips

Phillips walked into the match, having to take on two strong ruckmen in Scott Lycett and Paddy Ryder, all while doing so in the rain with a loss of flexibility after Charlie Curnow went down. That to me, is nothing short of commendable. I initially crticised him for his inability to deliver on a more frequent basis. That could still be a problem at the moment, along with the trouble to keep on the park. But with the 'one week at a time' approach, Phillips' performance here was a definite pass. His presence was strong. Even though he only took two marks, it felt as if he took so much more. He might've not won the ruck battle here, but his work around the ground undoubtedly played a part in keeping the boys in it. 15 touches, 4 tackles and 5 inside 50's. A much better game from him compared to last week. Enough also for him to keep his spot in the side, as it seems the club is taking it very lightly with Matthew Kreuzer right now.

Jacob Weitering

With a target on his back, our very first puzzle piece in the turnaround has come out of the blocks and looks fitter than he has ever been. We have just got to appreciate the young defender playing to his strengths at the moment. The intercepting, the rebounding and the one percenters. He is doing everything that is expected of him and doing it well. I will admit I had my doubts at times when it came to Weiters, but little did I consider the underlying factors for his struggle to deliver over the past couple of years. Last season saw much of the backline take a hit, with roughly around six defenders with extended stints on the sidelines, dealing with serious injuries. Weitering has also been thrown back and forth many times in a swing-man role that he wasn't in any way prepared for (despite that one impressive performance against Rance in 2017). Now Weitering is looking on top of his game. For me, there are still some concerns with his peripheral vision and level of awareness, as he has been the common victim of the classic chase-down tackle in recent times. But that's a bridge to cross when we get to it. Jacob is playing his role to near-perfection and is currently in the green. Good luck to the critics in search of negatives now.

Honourable Mentions

Patrick Cripps, Paddy Dow, Sam Petrevski-Seton, Lachie Plowman, Sam Walsh

THOSE WHO DISAPPOINTED ME

Jarrod Garlett

I speak about the man again because I just find it concerning. You have Nic Newman, Kade Simpson and Dale Thomas all covering more of the ground and using the ball at an efficiency rate of 70%, then you have Jarrod Garlett failing to impact and make the most of his space, ending up with five clangers and going at around 10% less. Not to mention he gave away a couple of undisciplined free kicks at crucial times. I'm usually one to support players when they're made easy targets by public criticism. But when there is nothing for me to help support them, it makes it harder. I can't keep defending this. There needs to be some tough love here. Garlett just doesn't fit this role well enough. It requires somebody with some decent level of endurance. In these two games, Garlett has only travelled a total of 321 metres and his time on the ground in both matches was 68% and 64% respectively. That is nothing to applaud. If this continues, then he has to be dropped whether we like it or not.

Liam Jones

I will let Jones off a little here, knowing half of the game was played in soaking conditions that would not be so suitable to a player of his calibre. But then again, it wasn't so much the marking that was the issue, but rather the usage of the ball. Jones couldn't seem to handle the pressure of the Port forwards and ended up with a D.E. rate lower than 50%. The worst of any defender on the ground. This from only nine disposals, which means that only three or four of them would have been effective. He did though have the equal most one percenters on the ground (little surprises here). Overall, it wasn't a great day for him and he was nowhere near the standard he set himself back in 2017. But again I'll say that the conditions were tough for him (probably has to learn to perform better in them, given there might be more of these sort of games in the future). If they were friendlier, I know he would've brought a little more of his A-game. The best of Jones is nothing to criticise or laugh about. 

Cameron Polson

I might be a little tough on Polson like many others. But it doesn't necessarily mean that I hate him, because I don't hate any player. As a matter of fact, it is the young kids I do look forward to seeing out there on the field. However, for some reason it is only this kid for me that has a hard time falling into the bracket. Polson did a couple of impressive things during the match, including a goal under immense pressure. But as I've been saying for quite some time already, he is still a one-dimensional player with so many other areas in his game that need some working on. I can't fault him for having the hunger and wanting to contribute. But with ball in hand, it's just personally frustrating. I am never settled when he is involved in the play. A clean disposal from Polson is nearly more of a rarity than not. Along with the fumbling is the lack of connection with his surroundings. He's been seen off in his own little world at times, failing to hear and/or understand what is happening around him (like the advantage from the Walsh free kick). Although Polson wasn't overly terrible like his previous games (he wasn't the worst on ground either), when compared to the rest of the squad he still seems somewhat amateurish. But with Carlton performing relatively better so far, I do believe he can grow with the team.

Dishonourable mentions

Ed Curnow, Alex Fasolo, Marc Murphy

OTHER NOTES

- We can be grateful that Charlie Curnow escaped the worst. That moment while not looking like much, still brought about a significant scare.
-Congratulations on the 50th AFL game to McGovern. A solid performance as well.
- Congratulations are also given to Justin Westhoff for a more significant milestone that is game 250. Little to no impact in the game (mostly thanks to Weitering), but he is a much-loved veteran of the Port Adelaide Power.
- Did anybody get the feeling Port were getting most of the 50/50 calls and we weren't? No? Probably just me. I usually avoid the umpire-blaming because it is rarely the answer, but it looks as if there were a few calls that did impact on the game and shift the momentum around. Not cool.
- Best of luck to Jack Watts in his recovery. That vision looked horrible. I can't imagine how the pain exactly felt, but I know his facial expression told me it certainly wasn't good (I don't have great pain tolerance).
- Same wishes to Karl Amon, although his injury isn't as severe. It only took a minute or two for him. A case of bad luck.
- Again it was a two-quarter performance. Will somebody inform the boys that a game consists of four quarters?
- It was nice seeing Michael Gibbons push up the ground a little in this match. Didn't use the ball all that well, but then again a lot of his teammates didn't either.

NEXT WEEK

A return to the home ground; the newly-named Marvel Stadium. The blues did not win a single game at the venue last year, which if I recall was a first in the club's history. I'm sure they do not want a repeat of this, especially when the club CEO has signed a long-term deal with the stadium (making it Carlton's home ground for another five to six years). They have a good chance, going up against a fellow winless team in the Sydney Swans. Most would probably jump on this as being yet another loss, but I think otherwise. If Carlton can rectify much of their major problem (that being the sustained effort over the course of the game), then Carlton will surprise many. I genuinely believe the blues are every chance here. Much to the point where I am tipping them. I don't understand why the odds for the swans are as short as they currently are. They are not as good as people make them out to be, especially right now with John Longmire struggling to reinvent the team's strategies.

PREDICTED LINE-UP

IN - Matthew Kennedy, Jack Silvagni
OUT - Charlie Curnow (Injured), Cameron Polson (Omitted)

FB - Dale Thomas- Liam Jones - Nic Newman
HB - Lachie Plowman - Jacob Weitering - Kade Simpson
C - Marc Murphy - Paddy Dow - Zac Fisher
HF - Sam Petrevski-Seton - Harry McKay - Will Setterfield
FF - Jack Silvagni - Mitch McGovern - Alex Fasolo
R - Andrew Phillips - Patrick Cripps - Matthew Kennedy
I - Michael Gibbons - Sam Walsh - Ed Curnow - Jarrod Garlett

E - Matthew Lobbe - Lochie O'Brien - Patrick Kerr - Hugh Goddard

Carlton Blues by 23 points

Travis "TJ" James