Carlton Football Club: The Round Thirteen Review

Aargh! Another chance gone begging and no luck. However, credit where credit is due for my blue boys. There were a few moments during the match where they were looking to be torn to shreds by the side they successfully accounted for earlier this year under Brendan Bolton. But under David Teague, Carlton are continuing to almost defy the odds. They are embracing the moment and playing with a sense of freedom. Some of the players look to really be loving their footy and some are starting to once again realise what is required of them. The blues at last understand how vital it is to keep competitive. I mean no disrespect to Bolts in any way here, but the change might just be what Carlton needed (even though the way it played out wasn't at all pleasing). I'm sensing more supporters enjoying their team play now. I'm even sensing some supporters buoyant about the club's position in the coming years. And that's what matters most.

MARGIN

(Predicted : Real)

-27 points : -3 points

Difference: + 24

This could arguably be the most respected loss from the blues so far in season 2019. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed with the result as well as how most of the game played out. It is after all, another loss on the board. And considering how many losses have been recorded over the last five years, there is no blaming any loyal Carlton supporter for feeling somewhat starved of victory. It's the small things to be proud of as usual, except this time it's warranted. I don't think they guys would have fought back the way they did if Bolton was still in charge. The coaches now don't seem to hesitate in making the necessary changes when things aren't going to plan. The players (especially the younger ones after their development has been often questioned) are getting more chances to showcase their best work, having some weight taken off their backs. Everything is coming together and the way Carlton are currently presenting themselves is more tolerable than before.

First Quarter

A quarter worth forgetting. Carlton just couldn't get their hands on the ball. The bulldogs were absolutely killing them around the outside, registering almost 60 more uncontested possessions in the term. They also got more value for their efforts, with more forward 50 entries and more scoring opportunities. The unmanned Marcus Bontempelli was running amok and Sam Lloyd continued proving why the dogs did right in chasing for his signature, kicking two of his three goals to help widen the gap. Josh Dunkley was also teasing his opponents and recording career-high numbers here. But thanks to a few efforts from two or three of the blue boys, things were kept from looking much worse. Charlie Curnow made the most of his granted shot for goal to open the scoreboard for Carlton, while Marc Murphy came around with one of his own a little later on straight after a sensational one-hand intercept from a Bulldogs kick-in.

Second Quarter
Four minutes in and the dogs got another two majors from mid-season rookie Ryan Gardner and rising young star Patrick Lipinski. Things were once again not looking so well for the blues. Teague however, put forward some changes which included Ed Curnow running close with the dangerous Bontempelli. Lloyd remained a threat for the Carlton backline with another goal next to his name and Tory Dickson backed up his rich set-shot percentage to make it four for the bulldogs. Carlton managed to not let the game slip any further away from them by evening the goal tally. Matthew Kreuzer schooled the young Gardner, roving his own ball in the ruck contest and hooking a nice major off one step 20 metres out. Paddy Dow too overcame the pressure to dribble one late in the quarter. McGovern got in early while Charlie slowly added to his performance. The dogs however, still walked away 2-point victors after a handful more forward 50 entries and a couple of extra scoring chances. Jacob Weitering scared blues fans for a few minutes after coming off second best in a contest, but recovered well enough to see out the rest of the game. 

Third Quarter
The doggies opened and closed the quarter with 2 and 3 scoring shots respectively for a total of 15 points, but it was all Carlton in-between. Charlie was seizing the moment with three majors and a behind. Daisy too fired the team up in game 250 with a spiritually elevating hook from the 50-metre line in play. Fellow teammates though, struggled to replicate the damage with Dow and Zac Fisher all missing chances. David Cuningham also joined the group with two of them. Nevertheless, the blues successfully shortened the margin from 21 at half time to 6 going into the final change. Patrick Cripps started to impact a little and had a few strong plays, one of them involving a tackle and holding the ball on the equally talented Bont in the centre circle. Matthew Suckling though, tried lowering blues fans hopes with his lethal left boot by scoring an admirable and tight 50-metre goal from a one-step hook around his body very late in the term. The game was well and truly on.

Fourth Quarter

For the second time, Carlton let the dogs kick away. The margin had blown out to as much as 34 points around the 18-minute mark, pretty much convincing everybody that the nail was in the coffin. But all of a sudden came the 2015 draft class to the rescue... almost. David Cuningham sparked the close comeback with a little dash and a banana kick. Then came Harry McKay to show at least a little involvement. Charlie returned to best last year's 5-goal haul against Richmond with a sixth here. Then Cunners again got the crowd up an about with a clean crumb and goal to get the blues within 9. And Charlie further iced and sprinkled his fine night with number seven. Carlton were half a goal down with three minutes of play left, but they couldn't find their next goal. The very last chance was blown with 14 seconds left after a head-high tackle against Dow (which was reasonable). Another case of bad luck further soured by an injury to Ed who rolled his ankle and missed the last ten minutes. The story is getting old.

PLUSES / MINUSES

1. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you CHARLIE CURNOW!
2. Second time this year Carlton kick 100 points, and once again it was against the bulldogs.
3. Despite losing, those back-end fightbacks in the second half were just enjoyable viewing. Nothing more to say there.
4. Moving Ed Curnow to Marcus Bontempelli early paid off. A little at least.
5. A tolerable loss under Teague. One that still gave blues fans a ray of hope and a hint of better times ahead.

1. That entire first quarter. Where is the sick emoji here?
2. Blues letting the game get away from them... twice! Too inconsistent.
3. Torn apart in the uncontested ball around the ground.
4. Losing Ed in the last few minutes. May or may not have helped with a potential win.
5. Mitch McGovern's efforts.

SCORES

1. CHARLIE CURNOW 20

2. Matthew Kreuzer 10
3. Marc Murphy 9

4. Sam Walsh 8

5. Levi Casboult 7
6. David Cuningham 6

7. Sam Petrevski-Seton 5

8. Dale Thomas 4

9. Will Setterfield 3

10 = Lochie O'Brien 1.5

10 = Kade Simpson 1.5

12. Patrick Cripps 0

13. Nic Newman -1

14. Zac Fisher -2
15. Paddy Dow -3
16. Michael Gibbons -4
17. Harry McKay -5
18. Caleb Marchbank -6
19. Lachie Plowman -7
20. Ed Curnow -8
21 = Mitch McGovern -9.5

21 = Jacob Weitering -9.5

TOTAL

1. Patrick Cripps 148.5
2. Sam Walsh 91
3. Nic Newman 75
4. Sam Petrevski-Seton 69
5. Ed Curnow 64.5
6 = Marc Murphy 55
6 = Dale Thomas 55
8. Matthew Kreuzer 43
9. Charlie Curnow 30
10. Andrew Phillips 20.5

11. Kade Simpson 18
12. Zac Fisher 14
13. David Cuningham 13.5
14. Will Setterfield -1.5
15. Matthew Lobbe -2
16. Darcy Lang -7
17. Harry McKay -8.5
18. Harrison Macreadie -10
19. Matthew Kennedy -12.5
20 = Levi Casboult -13.5
20 = Tom Williamson -13.5
22. Jarrod Garlett -14
23. Jack Silvagni -18.5
24. Michael Gibbons -20
25. Paddy Dow -22
26. Lachie Plowman -23
27. Alex Fasolo -25
28. Cameron Polson -26
29. Caleb Marchbank -28.5
30. Liam Stocker -30
31. Lochie O'Brien -32
32. Jacob Weitering -38

33. Liam Jones -42
34. Mitch McGovern -49.5

THOSE WHO IMPRESSED ME

Levi Casboult

I will admit that I have been a little tough on Levi compared to most in the side. But there is no way I can avoid praising his efforts ever since he was made responsible in filling the shoes of Liam Jones. Casboult's strength in marking has been given further meaning and his weakness in kicking has become slightly less of a worry for all including himself. If ever there was a time to feel proud of his work, it would be right now, where he is making a real difference. It seems to me he could also be following the same path as Jones, from a below average forward to a potential game-changing defender in his twilight years. I've got to hand it to him for the fight. Entering 2019, plans were to move on from the big man and uncover Carlton's next generation of tall forwards. As that was going on, Levi's footy future was in doubt and his list spot was pretty much in jeopardy. It could still be the case now, but Levi has so far found himself a home down back and is delivering enough to escape the tension from his older position. He has at the moment successfully won the respect of most blues fans all around.

David Cuningham

From the red last week to the green this week, Cuningham responded nicely. He finished with 15 disposals (10 of them effective), 7 marks as well as 2 goals to make him Carlton's only multiple goal-scorer besides Charlie for the night. My view of Cunners and his value to the team hasn't changed in any way. But after watching him on the weekend, I learnt about a new ability of his. With his impressive roving skills and his 2 majors in what was almost the perfect final quarter comeback, Cuningham had briefly shown he can be a player of critical moments. There are players like Charlie and Daisy who inspire teammates and raise spirits with their respective characters. Then there is Cunners who is calm, means business and inspires entirely through his work. This is the sort of player that belongs on the big stage, as he can keep his cool and deliver at the most pressuring times. It's also nice to see him keeping on the park, given his unlucky history on the sidelines.

Charlie Curnow

It's official! Charlie is well and truly back. He stood out from the rest and nearly got the team over the line off his own boot. A career-high 7 goals from 17 disposals and 5 marks inside 50. He was able to lead up, time his leaps and leave his opponents not knowing how to curb his damaging impact on the game. The junior Curnow once again showed the nation his incredible athleticism and passionate display. Enough of both to have him produce what would be his finest performance to date. After weeks of ordinary games and knee problems, Charlie under Teague has been granted more opportunity and is moving freely. He has now certainly taken advantage of the little restriction in Carlton's overall approach, kicking more goals in his last two games than his eight under Bolton this season. It has fans and media people everywhere, anticipating what comes next. And they are all genuinely excited when the ball is in this young man's hands. To those who say he's overrated, the joke is on you.

Honourable Mentions

Ed Curnow, Matthew Kreuzer, Marc Murphy, Lochie O'Brien, Dale Thomas, Sam Walsh

THOSE WHO DISAPPOINTED ME

Paddy Dow

Again, I do have to reiterate that there is nothing personal going on here. My views of Dow and every other player are purely based on form and their work on the field. This kid has footy traits worthy for AFL. The explosiveness, the evasiveness and the occasional crumbing ability are too hard to ignore. But recently, Dow's flaky performances have been just that... flaky. Either he doesn't contribute enough, or he does but it has little effect. Although dribbling through a nice goal under pressure, Paddy failed to impress everywhere else. He recorded season low numbers in kicks and handballs, and only had 6 effective disposals, 4 marks, 2 tackles and 2 inside 50's. This is someone who spends a lot of time around the middle of the ground where the ball is easier to reach. I can't keep excusing players for this level of involvement, no matter how young or inexperienced they are. If Dow wants to be a part of something great, his work load and skill level have to improve.

Mitch McGovern

I'm not one for today's commentary in footy, but Saturday night's team did point out a very visible issue regarding McGovern and his efforts. It was one I could definitely agree with. When it came to Mitch's game, the best word to describe it would be heedless. This guy has those short burst of star-quality work that see him fitting for the main game. Here however, he was making mistakes he isn't usually known for. McGovern had multiple chances in taking a strong contested mark up forward, yet managed to throw them all away and finish with a big fat zero in the stat. One moment, he'd be thinking he was Jarrad Waite with the early leaps. The next moment he'd be dropping the simple marks he'd get just about every other time. He did register one goal, though it was from a free kick. Cameron Ling went on to label him a 'liability' for the night. Honestly, that is hard to disagree with. I like to think there was no thought or care in this performance. McGovern just rocked up believing stuff would happen. Not a good look for him or the club in any way.

Jacob Weitering

Weitering certainly did not have the best of nights. Along with an injury scare came a lack of damage, as he equaled season low numbers in disposals, marks and tackles. This was just one of very few poor games for the solid defender, so by no means is it question of his overall value to the team. Also with Charlie sticking out and the team performing valiantly, this won't (and doesn't need to) receive much attention. Weitering has so far this year been both a strong contributor and positive influence for the blues. When the team is well balanced and meeting expectations, this young man is never one to disappoint. He can take great marks and his ability to intercept the opposition's play is second to none. It can be said that some of his recent performances however, have not been so great due to the struggling midfield and the loss of Liam Jones. It may have ended being a quiet match from him, but there is no denying Weitering's good development and bright future at the Carlton Football Club.

Dishonourable mentions

Michael Gibbons, Harry McKay, Lachie Plowman

OTHER NOTES

- For many years, I felt starved of the stadium atmosphere. Because very few in my family support Carlton and are wealthy enough, I rarely get to experience viewing my footy team live. But with the way things are going now with this overabundance of security staff and these so-called 'behavioral awareness officers', I can honestly say I don't care about missing out. Never did I think this would be something to happen. Both the AFL and stadium officials have managed to turn me off the live experience. At least security won't reach me in front of my living room television just to complain about the noise.
- Congratulations to Dale Thomas on 250 games. Been the face of tough luck and harsh criticism for years, but he has come out of it all by fighting tooth and nail to win the respect of Carlton fans everywhere.
- Apologies Zac Fisher. A win would have made your 21st birthday so much sweeter.

IN TWO WEEKS

Carlton have the bye this coming weekend. It will give time for players to recover and freshen up for the following week when they travel west to take on the Fremantle Dockers in the final match of round 15. As much as I anticipate Carlton's next match, I don't see this one going so well for the blues. I have a feeling they will once again get a little ahead of themselves, only to be blown away at the very first quarter. This time there is no returning fire. I expect the dockers to make good on the home ground advantage. Michael Walters will likely continue his extraordinary form and kick a bag on us while Fremantle's young crop of talent led by Andrew Brayshaw, will surely shine brighter than Patrick Cripps and his fellow midfielders. Expecting a huge loss to remind all that there is plenty of work to be done other than a change of coach. I certainly hope this isn't the case, but I can't shake the feeling that another disgraceful performance nears. Suppose it's having seen a lot of these already.

PREDICTED LINE-UP

IN - Liam Jones, Jack Silvagni
OUT - Mitch McGovern (Omitted), Paddy Dow (Omitted)

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

E - Cameron Polson - Matthew Kennedy - Paddy Dow - Mitch McGovern

Fremantle Dockers by 89 points

Travis "TJ" James