Carlton Football Club: The Round Six Review

It was the strangest of days. A sunny Launceston where Carlton showcased both their best footy and their worst, only to end up in an all too familiar situation. The old faces of bad luck, inconsistency and heartbreak came back knocking on the door after a weekend away. The match was a tale of two halves for the blues. The first half being one of genuine excitement and fighting spirit, while the second was lost magic and growing complacency. And like nearly every game that goes down to the wire, it is Carlton pulling out the shorter straw. This was a loss soured by damage and depletion, and one leading to the same divide between supporters about the club's future success. Not to mention, it was a loss against the weakest Hawthorn team seen in a long time. But despite this, nothing stopped these hawks from continuing to make the blues their ultimate bitch (having now won 16 of the last 17 matches). A story that has gone for far too long.

MARGIN

(Predicted : Real)

-21 points : -5 points

Difference: + 16

Well like almost all of the matches played so far, the team performed better than I expected them to. But I don't want to keep it at that all the time. It's obvious that I like most other passionate blues fans, want to see more wins on the board. The truth is Carlton gave themselves a significant advantage, having led by 37 points midway through the second quarter. From then onward, came the choke. The gradual capitulation well before the final siren. There were moments where it felt like two completely different Carlton teams made a showing in Tasmania, with the second certainly earning very little respect. The heart was lost and the boys were dazed. And when everything was left till the final minutes, the grit returned. But this time, it was anchored down by the classic series of sloppy skills and unforced errors. Believe it or not, I wasn't surprised. I wasn't even jumping about when half time arrived. For those who did, shame on you! You know better than to get ahead of yourselves. Hahaha!

First Quarter

It was the story we wish continued for much of the game. The boys were electric stepping into the first term. Carlton were comfortably winning the clearances and contests. They further took advantage of the inside 50 entries that came from them. Matthew Kreuzer led in many of the areas, while Harry McKay pushed forth and kicked the ball like he was in for another great day. When Ed Curnow couldn't deliver from the lead up, others came to the rescue. Late inclusion David Cuningham got involved with a goal of his own, threading the eye of the needle from a tight angle whilst on the run. Mitch McGovern two snagged a couple to help extend the lead. And there is no forgetting that incredible goal from the aforementioned ruckman. It was a dream start, but one that still saw me having to keep quiet. I knew Carlton too well to be persisting with any premature celebration. I still had my doubts and wasn't afraid to share them.

Second Quarter
A much quieter term, with only a total of 19 points kicked between the two sides. Carlton however, still took the win with two goals to one and an extra 7 points added onto the quarter-time margin. Jack Silvagni was first in kicking off the scoring chain, with a nice major off the ground to widen the gap. Whilst Jaeger O'Meara was racking up the touches for Hawthorn, his teammates couldn't get into the match to support him. Every hawks fifty entry saw no score registered bar one coming from an intercept. It was all thanks to Liam Jones, who was marking and spoiling nearly everything coming his way. But while the defense stayed solid, the rest of the team couldn't replicate the scoreboard damage. Hawthorn picked up on their tackling pressure to force some turnovers and stop the leakage. Levi Casboult though managed to get a goal of his own in the midst of the struggle to help ensure blues went into half time satisfied.

Third Quarter
We don't speak about this quarter. We mustn't! But just this once, I'll look at what went wrong. It all started with our favourite veteran Kade Simpson going out with hamstring tightness. Then came the sudden loss of spirit. The energy from the first half that saw the boys move around and push forward quickly, went missing. It was all Hawthorn this quarter, piling on five goals (and six behinds) to Carlton's one (which was kicked on the run by much maligned midfielder Paddy Dow). The hawks pushed the blues around in the centre of the ground and placed immense pressure on their depleted backline. They too dominated on the outside, finding space and hitting targets. On top of that, luck fell their way with favourable bounces and numerous free kicks to advantage. Nothing went right for Carlton this term. Absolutely nothing. Margin went from 31 at the major break to 5 in the final change. The pressure was well and truly on.

Fourth Quarter

Another high-scoring term which sadly for Carlton, fell in the hawks favour. The blues however, didn't go down without a fight. It would be the loss of three players and an array of skill errors to let Carlton down though. David Cuningham suffered a monumental slip after hesitation to pass the ball running through the corridor. A couple of players including Marc Murphy had their kicks chopped off down back which opened many scoring opportunities for the hawks. And Hawthorn continued their centre-field dominance. Despite a 16 point lead around the 22-minute mark, the blues fought back to prove they were still a chance. It was Lochie O'Brien's quarter, with 2 of Carlton's four goals. Ed Curnow sprinted towards the sticks, getting one of his own to keep the team in it. And Petrevski-Seton delivered the final one around his body and out of the congestion to further back up his career-best game against the bulldogs. Zac Fisher hit the post to make a win possible. But it was too little too late after many blown chances, untimely backtracking, and a mark by Harry McKay well after the final siren. Nothing more to say. It was another heart-breaker for blues fans to endure.

PLUSES / MINUSES

1. Another 27 disposals (at 70%) and 5 clearances from the team's baby. Don't tell me that Walsh is getting exhausted because I would not believe you in any way. What a machine!
2. That intercept and dash from Kreuzer was vintage display. And that thumping kick from the centre square to finish it off... stop it tractor. JUST STOP IT!!!
3. If any game is to truly shut the critics and trolls of Liam Jones up, it would most certainly be this one. The man was almost unbelievable today. Sure he made a significant mistake, but everything else he did made me forget all about it.
4. A little shaking off the first-quarter rust, then everything went great for Ed Curnow. Was nearly everywhere today, and even got to play an old role for a few minutes. Was arguably the best on ground for Carlton.

5. Sorry, I just can't get over how amazing that first quarter was. Best I've seen the blues play for a very long time. Shame it didn't lead to reward like it should've.

1. Pretty embarrassing for Carlton to allow a 53-point turnaround. To be 37 points up at one point, then trail by 16 towards the end. That entire third quarter was just horrible viewing.
2. Two or three men down on the bench. Lost the half back run of Kade Simpson and Nic Newman. Kreuzer as well was absent towards the end. I guess disappointment was always bound to happen. The kids were left tiring themselves out on the field.
3. Too many turnovers inside defensive 50. Kicks and passes were easily cut off. Got taught a lesson by a few including Luke Breust and Chad Wingard as a result of this.

SCORES

1 = ED CURNOW 15
1 = DALE THOMAS 15

3. Patrick Cripps 9

4. Sam Petrevski-Seton 8

5. Zac Fisher 7
6. Marc Murphy 6

7. Matthew Kreuzer 5

8. Jacob Weitering 4

9. Lachie Plowman 3

10. Liam Jones 2

11. Sam Walsh 1

12. Nic Newman 0

13 = David Cuningham -1.5

13 = Jack Silvagni -1.5
15. Harry McKay -3
16. Paddy Dow -4
17. Mitch McGovern -5
18. Michael Gibbons -6
19. Levi Casboult -7
20. Lochie O'Brien -8
21. Caleb Marchbank -9

22. Kade Simpson -10

TOTAL

1. Patrick Cripps 83.5
2. Marc Murphy 47

3. Sam Walsh 42
4. Nic Newman 35

5 = Sam Petrevski-Seton 32
5 = Dale Thomas 32
7. Ed Curnow 27
8. Zac Fisher 23
9. Andrew Phillips 11.5
10. Harry McKay 11
11. Kade Simpson 9.5
12. Matthew Kreuzer 5
13. David Cuningham 1
14 = Lachie Plowman 0.5
14 = Jack Silvagni 0.5

16. Matthew Lobbe -2
17. Paddy Dow -3

18. Will Setterfield -6
19. Jacob Weitering -8

20. Charlie Curnow -13

21. Jarrod Garlett -14

22. Alex Fasolo -15
23. Levi Casboult -15.5
24. Caleb Marchbank -20
25. Michael Gibbons -22.5
26. Lochie O'Brien -28

27. Cameron Polson -26
28. Mitch McGovern -33.5

29. Liam Jones -34

THOSE WHO IMPRESSED ME

Matthew Kreuzer

It was good while it lasted. Kreuzer only went on to remind us all that he was of great importance to the team's chances. Whenever he was around, the boys were fired up. The tap-downs and follow up work were reminiscent to the Kreuzer of old. And considering how long they've known each other for, the rotating with Casboult worked to a tee. Ben McEvoy just couldn't do anything. 30 hitouts, 11 contested possessions, 9 clearances, 3 tackles and one of the most memorable goals from way outside the 50-metre arc. Kreuzer was on fire for much of the first half. Unfortunately, he faded out of the game for much of the second-half and was nowhere to be seen in the last minutes. As soon as that happened, McEvoy kicked into gear and the rest of his team followed as the hawks put on a dominant display in the centre circle during the third term. It's incredible how much influence the tractor has. Now I know how GWS felt when they once dropped off after losing Shane Mumford.

Lochie O'Brien

He did finish off with similar numbers like his past three games, but this time around Lochie O'Brien mattered. He was there when the game was on the line, kicking two easy goals to keep the blues in it. Not only that, he was actually creating space and pushing forward of the ball. Other than copping the chase-down tackle from Paul Puopolo, O'Brien did what was expected of him for much of the game. We can't really ask for too much from him right now, given that he is still finding his feet at the level. And with the other kids progressing extremely well, others like Lochie are going to do so rather slowly. What they say is true, improvement is never linear. Unlike previous weeks where I've considered him at risk of being omitted, I can safely say that O'Brien will not get mentioned here after this performance (or at least he shouldn't be). There is still a lot of work to be done, but this was indeed a good start for the number four.

Dale Thomas

Daisy has had his ups and downs so far this season, but I share great admiration for his efforts. Especially towards the end when he lost a couple of his half-back running teammates. Thomas ended up with 25 disposals at 80% efficiency, took 8 marks and rebounded from defensive 50 7 times. He is a solid performer within Carlton's greatest strength and has come a long way from the overpaid and injury-prone whipping boy he once was five years ago. No more should he be copping flak. He threw out the inflated contract and has been lively ever since. Not to mention he shows great team spirit and brings the required energy. There is no knowing how much longer he will be hanging around for, but we should enjoy his work while he's there. It may not be the Daisy of Collingwood, but it is a Daisy who regularly meets his expectations. And he cares about this club moving forward to bigger and better times. What more could we want from him?

Honourable Mentions

Patrick Cripps, Ed Curnow, Zac Fisher, Liam Jones, Harry McKay, Sam Petrevski-Seton, Lachie Plowman, Sam Walsh

THOSE WHO DISAPPOINTED ME

Levi Casboult

It wasn't a horrible game for Casboult, considering he did contribute to the two-quarter purple patch with a goal and ruck rotations. But compared to the previous week, Levi was far from it. Despite the fact that his inconsistency is an all too familiar problem, there was no mistake in persisting with him as reward for effort. Even if it did mean we had four tall forwards in the line-up (wasn't the case though with Charlie Curnow being a late out). Casboult may not be a face of the future, but he is the ideal service. We know his best is up there. It's just that his presence can be fairly small on a frequent basis, which was the case in this match. I'll admit that I have been a bit harsh on the guy. I keep failing to understand his passion and hunger for wanting to do better every time. When I think he wouldn't see another AFL game with Carlton, he has. And he is fighting to survive with some great work and accurate kicking. I can see him being a possible omission this week for Charlie, but it's not out of spite.

Caleb Marchbank

Am I the only one here? Ever since Marchbank returned to the side, he has been rather ordinary. He hasn't shown much of his best yet. It leaves me questioning whether or not it was better off easing him back through the VFL. The man is a serious talent in defense, don't get me wrong. But unlike the other defenders who have all stuck out with some brilliant play, Marchbank has been looking like more of an extra number. He's there when they need him, but he is not doing much damage. Everybody is making Lachie Plowman the scapegoat for his relatively lower level of skills, but I believe this time around it's Caleb getting away with the questionable work rate. I don't think he'll be dropped or managed anytime soon. However, all of his games have been slightly below his usual standard. Don't consider me a critic, but instead someone wanting the guy to overcome his injury problems and really shine down back. I rate him very high, but nothing now he is showing supports this.

Marc Murphy

Sorry Murph! I really do hate having to put him in this category. But it just wasn't his day. 22 disposals with nearly half of them being ineffective. Didn't get into the contests and didn't create play from any half chances. Six clangers and only 3 tackles. Most of the time he was just the odd chain link in a passage of play. This is an experienced head, who we know can perform so much better. Of course he wasn't incredibly bad and he's certainly far from what many critics think of him. And he's a player you just never drop. But here, he had no impact. There was no kill factor in him. He was instead much of a passenger as the kids outperformed him. I mean it's good and all that the younger ones are taking over. It doesn't mean however, that Murphy can put his foot on the brake. I know he most likely saw the disappointment himself. And one thing we can be sure of is that he's always guaranteed to make up for his bad performances sooner or later.

Dishonourable mentions

Michael Gibbons, Kade Simpson

OTHER NOTES

- Does anybody noticed how much better Carlton perform when Kreuzer is running around on the ground? He's a great player and fantastic to watch when fit and firing, but I am starting to get a little concerned. He is injury prone and turning 30 in a couple of weeks. I really do think it's time the club starts looking for the next ruckman. Whether it be De Koning or somebody else taken during the off-season, doesn't matter. It's fast becoming a priority.
- If you ask me, I reckon Zac Fisher's shorts after the third quarter hold some value now. Hope he didn't chuck them out. Hahaha!
- There were quite a few umpiring blunders. The more questionable ones did go to Hawthorn's advantage and they did get goals out of them. However, I will not stop at that being the reason for the loss. Carlton had a good lead and they blew it. The boys only have themselves to blame.

NEXT WEEK

The first home game since round three and fourth consecutive Sunday afternoon match. This time it's against the troubled North Melbourne. The way I see it, this is just as much of a danger game for us as it is for them. Carlton are supposed to look in better shape, with stronger structures and more talent in hand. But with the same problems lingering around our club that prevent us from getting over the line, I'm not walking into next weekend with great confidence. All I can do is hope. That being said, I have still backed the blues to win by less than a kick. I believe that the young, speedy brigade of Petrevski-Seton, Fisher, Dow, Walsh and Cuningham will thrive in the open space and outrun the kangaroos. And I do trust the backline to take care of Ben Brown and Nick Larkey. But what will be interesting to see is the battle of the contested bulls in Patrick Cripps and Ben Cunnington. Who will come out on top here waits to be seen? Carlton to win and do it for the workhorse Ed Curnow, who plays his 150th game.

PREDICTED LINE-UP

IN - Charlie Curnow, Will Setterfield, Tom Williamson
OUT - Levi Casboult (Omitted), Jack Silvagni (Omitted), Nic Newman / Kade Simpson (Injured)

FB - Dale Thomas - Liam Jones - Jacob Weitering
HB - Caleb Marchbank - Tom WIlliamson - Lachie Plowman
C - Sam Walsh - Patrick Cripps - Zac Fisher
HF - David Cuningham - Charlie Curnow - Ed Curnow
FF - Harry McKay - Mitch McGovern - Lochie O'Brien
R - Matthew Kreuzer - Sam Petrevski-Seton - Will Setterfield
I - Paddy Dow - Michael Gibbons - Marc Murphy - Nic Newman / Kade Simpson

E - Levi Casboult - Cameron Polson - Jack Silvagni - Matthew Kennedy

Carlton Blues by 5 points

Travis "TJ" James