Carlton Football Club: The Round Twenty-Two Review

It was the last thing many proud blue-baggers including myself had asked for in 2019. At least one more win where the chances were at their greatest. Carlton did not let us down, coming out winners in a low-scoring yet spirited battle against St. Kilda. They did it for David Teague, the newly-appointed senior coach for the club. They did it for Dale Thomas, who will now walk out of Ikon Park with his name deservedly on the 39 locker. They did it for Patrick Cripps, the much-respected captain who overcame a morning hurdle in the form of an ear infection to play number 100. And they did it for Nic Newman, one of the finest recruits picked up by the club in years. Fronting fifty-odd thousand onlookers at the MCG on a glorious Saturday afternoon, the blues trailed the saints for most of the game and wormed their way in front a few times through several highlights. Despite being far from any footy spectacle, there was exciting run along with strong marks and borderline freakish goals from both sides to make the match very much worthwhile.

MARGIN

(Predicted : Real)

+2 points : +10 points

Difference: + 8

Even though St. Kilda aren't exactly a prime example of a threatening team, this game was always going to be a tough challenge for the blues. The saints have been given a new lease on life under interim coach Brett Ratten. Adding to the difficulty was the loss of Liam Jones for Carlton's final two matches after receiving damage to his larynx. Then came the news surrounding the other half of the reliable backline duo in Jacob Weitering, failing to pull up well enough from groin issues on the day. The fact that neither were replaced with any available defender from the VFL side, led to further concerns about whether the back six as a whole will succeed. Captain Patrick Cripps also created a scare for fans, having nearly become another late out after an hour or two spent at hospital before the game. Thankfully, none of this held the boys back. To edge a lively St. Kilda with a somewhat infirm skipper and five or six significant outs which included the top two defensive stalwarts, was a great achievement to say the least.

First Quarter

The same feel-good story of Carlton came with its usual defects regarding the delivery and use of the ball in the forward half. Matthew Kennedy got things started via a set shot and Jack Silvagni not long later was the beneficiary of some nice stoppage work. The blues since then, came around with the much-loved effort and pressure without making it count on the scoreboard. St. Kilda on the other hand, found momentum through some of Carlton's poor decisions and utilised their quick movement to pile on three consecutive goals and snatch the lead going into the first break. Harry McKay still had his troubles in front of the sticks while Nick Hind of the saints left many blues fans nervous with his incredible agility. Prized St. Kilda recruit Dan Hannebery continued his late run of strong form, snapping a quick goal off one step in a crowded forward pocket. Efficiency in attack proved to be the difference between the two teams, as the saints were much cleaner with the pill.

Second Quarter
St. Kilda resumed their dangerous ways, dominating the clearances and creating scores out of them. With help from Hind and Tim Membrey, the saints piled on another three majors to make it six in a row and get themselves as far as 24 points in front at the ten-minute mark. The blues though, found the answers and clawed their way back within a goal. Late inclusion Darcy Lang got on the board. The experience of Kade Simpson along with the speed and quick thinking of both Lochie O'Brien and Matthew Kennedy, helped Mitch McGovern find his first goal of the day. The third goal came through the undervalued collaboration between the two contested beasts in Patrick Cripps and Ed Curnow at the forward fifty stoppage, with the latter successfully dribbling it through. Scoring went quiet for ten minutes until Ben Long with his pace shook off pressure from Nic Newman to deliver a fabulous running goal for the saints. The margin was eleven points in St. Kilda's favour at half time.

Third Quarter
A quarter of inaccuracy and rushed behinds. Membrey took a sensational one-handed mark, only to make it mean little with the poorest of kicks for goal 15 metres out on the slightest of angles. First major didn't arrive until 14 minutes in, when Simpson once again created a chain which involved a strong grab taken by McKay and some running from Marc Murphy to see McGovern with his second. Murphy would reappear a couple of minutes later, delivering his usual yet classy banana kick to allow the blues a small taste of the lead. Jack Newnes tried quieting the Carlton crowds, taking his only opportunity and nailing it to win the lead back for his team. Matthew Kreuzer blew a couple of chances in making things harder for St. Kilda. His teammate Jack Silvagni was denied a mark inside 50 and a chance for goal as it came just after the sound of the three-quarter time siren, leaving the margin to remain at four points. Nonetheless, the blues won the term and kept the contest alive.

Fourth Quarter

Nervous times for both teams and their fans, as the lead changed a few times. Carlton started from behind but only just escaped trouble in the form of St. Kilda pressure and stick their noses in front with the first of the term through McGovern's soccer skills. Paddy Dow did no harm in his return, finding space from his opponent up forward to receive the ball and extend the lead with no hesitation. It was then the saints turn to impress and give themselves the chance of victory. Casboult found himself in the unfortunate position to hand Jake Carlisle the easiest of shots. A third goal from Membrey saw St. Kilda back in front by three points. But that would be it for them, as the blues found their way to take the win. Kade Simpson continued his blistering late season form with a brilliant intercept and run through the corridor to hit Josh Deluca on the chest. The last major was something that had to be seen to be believed. McKay produced goal of the week, running at the ball and turning around enough to deliver a absolute bender from 50 metres out. Thanks to a couple more sweet moments including a contested Casboult clunk, Carlton hung on to walk away with the grins.

PLUSES / MINUSES

1. Keeping in touch with the saints, despite trailing for more than half of the match. Getting in front when it mattered made things even better.
2. Mitch McGovern with the hanger.
3. Matthew Kreuzer may have missed twice in front of goal, but he was dominant everywhere else.
4. Harry McKay with that closing curler on the 50-metre line. I was in awe and I still keep replaying it.
5. Lochie O'Brien with the run and quick thinking in that bit of play which led to a McGovern goal in the second quarter. Loved it!
6. Dale Thomas with the candy selling. Perfect!
7. Even at his tiredest, Sam Walsh is so damn consistent.

1. I'll keep saying it. THE ENTRIES INSIDE 50!!! Big problem that needs addressing over the summer.
2. Accuracy in front of the sticks. I always say that more behinds than goals is an eyesore, regardless of how many that are rushed.
3. McGovern stopping a potential goal for Kade Simpson. Likely could have gone through had he left it.
4. Ed Curnow and Will Setterfield crashing into each other for the ball. Let's not deal with the communication problems again. Experienced enough years of them.
5. Harry McKay's set shots taking a turn for the worse. Glad the man himself acknowledged that after the game

SCORES

1. NIC NEWMAN 20

2 = Ed Curnow 9.5
2 = Marc Murphy 9.5

4. Matthew Kreuzer 8

5. Levi Casboult 7
6. Kade Simpson 6

7. Harry McKay 5

8. Lochie O'Brien 4

9. Paddy Dow 3

10. Mitch McGovern 2

11. Dale Thomas 1

12. Patrick Cripps 0

13. Sam Walsh -1

14 = Josh Deluca -2.5
14 = Jack Silvagni -2.5
16 = Michael Gibbons -4.5
16 = Sam Petrevski-Seton -4.5
18. Darcy Lang -6
19. Lachie Plowman -7
20. Zac Fisher -8
21. Matthew Kennedy -9

22. Will Setterfield -10

TOTAL

1. Nic Newman 172.5
2. Patrick Cripps 168.5
3. Ed Curnow 144.5
4. Sam Walsh 142
5. Marc Murphy 112.5
6. Dale Thomas 86
7. Sam Petrevski-Seton 83.5
8. Matthew Kreuzer 63.5
9. Kade Simpson 62.5
10. Charlie Curnow 20
11. Andrew Phillips 19.5
12. Levi Casboult 16

13. David Cuningham 13.5
14. Harry McKay -1.5
15. Matthew Lobbe -2
16. Jack Silvagni -4
17. Angus Schumacher -5
18. Will Setterfield -7
19. Harrison Macreadie -10
20. Tom Williamson -13.5
21. Jarrod Garlett -14
22. Zac Fisher -17
23. Hugh Goddard -18
24. Josh Deluca -22.5
25. Alex Fasolo -25
26. Cameron Polson -26
27. Caleb Marchbank -28.5
28. Michael Gibbons -29
29. Liam Stocker -30
30. Lachie Plowman -31.5
31. Darcy Lang -44
32. Jacob Weitering -46
33 = Paddy Dow -52
33 = Matthew Kennedy -52
35. Lochie O'Brien -61.5

36. Mitch McGovern -68.5
37. Liam Jones -76

THOSE WHO IMPRESSED ME

Levi Casboult

Earlier in the season, I was hard on the guy. Now I'll happily eat whatever harsh words I delivered. Give him another year Carlton. GIVE HIM ANOTHER YEAR NOW!!! Levi Casboult has become a whole new player in the Teague era. He's been placed nearly everywhere on the ground from forward and ruck to even down back filling the holes left by his injured teammates. His unbelievably consistent form has led to some career best numbers. Nothing had changed on Saturday, as Levi proved a regular contributor with 20 disposals at 70% efficiency and an equal season high of ten marks. Of those marks, nine of them were intercepts which further included one that helped win Carlton the game. It is definitely another Liam Jones story. The renaissance is real, and the club's family man has gone from trash to treasure in the space of a few months. I went from pure frustration to pure adoration. I now couldn't love Levi anymore if I tried.

Mitch McGovern
Last week wasn't quiet the fantastic performance in my eyes, but this one most certainly was. Mitch had proven the four-week conditioning block was necessary, now looking leaner and more capable of attacking the footy. Despite some noticeable mistakes early on, we got to witness him use his star-quality attributes and put his agility to the ultimate test. The result was 14 disposals, seven marks and three goals. This season as a whole will likely be seen as poor one when speaking of McGovern, but there is still plenty of time for the young man himself to show the nation he was worth the chase. With some luck, another preseason and some further understanding of the game under David Teague, I'm sure Mitch will improve significantly in 2020 and play his part in the exciting triple threat with McKay and Charlie Curnow. But that bridge will be crossed when it's reached. We can at the very least right now, consider this a good start for the younger Gov.

Marc Murphy

I probably haven't given the former skipper a lot of credit lately. Then again he has been doing his job quietly. This time around however, his game was good enough to be strongly noticed. He led the disposal count for the blues and went at an extraordinary 85% efficiency. Marc Murphy ran both ways and did some great defensive work, collection 6 marks, 6 inside 50's, 5 tackles and 5 rebounds. Not to forget that uplifting goal from the outside of his boot, a natural ability of his for all to enjoy. The highly-experienced blue-bleeder is just another one of several Carlton men to be playing where he is best suited and achieving consistency in the back half of the season. The passion and desire to be a one-club player along with the genuine belief from him is also leading to some much-deserved respect from the majority of blues supporters. All I can say is keep at it Murph. Your excellent form is reminiscent of your earlier years and it's making people such as I feel younger again.

Honourable Mentions

Patrick Cripps, Ed Curnow, Matthew Kreuzer, Harry McKay, Nic Newman, Lochie O'Brien, Kade Simpson, Dale Thomas

THOSE WHO DISAPPOINTED ME

Zac Fisher

A form slump continues for the little fish. The kid still hasn't quite found his spot or carried out his best work in Teague's revitalised blues. As a matter of fact, he has gone the other way since returning from the ilness that saw him miss the match against Adelaide. It might be harsh for me to say this, but Zac Fisher in recent times has been almost ineffective. While his defensive efforts were just enough for a pass on the weekend, his attack on the ball remained below par. His disposal numbers were similar to that of McGovern's, but he unlike Gov lacked the damage. The Fisher of 2018 and early 2019 is still missing to some extent. Suppose it doesn't matter now given the team won the game, but we already know what best stuff from Zac looks like and the fact is he hasn't shown any of it lately. I believe it's right for some to hold a little concern. Perhaps a break from footy, followed by another preseason with some new strategies learnt will aid the fish in returning to peak form for 2020.

Michael Gibbons
I'll keep taking my hat off to this guy for finding his way in the AFL and making the most of this chance. And he has been yet another shining light in the new look Carlton side. But just this time around against the saints, he was probably edging towards the worst on ground. It was his first goalless performance since before the bye. He was the poorest user of the ball for the blues and the only one to finish below 50% effectiveness. Plus he was one of just three blues players did not lay a single tackle during the game. While Michael Gibbons still came off electrifying around play, he was sloppier than his usual self. There is no need to fret though, as it is most likely a small hiccup. A measly bump in the road for the little, mature-aged fighter. Gibbo is guaranteed to make up for it sooner or later. Maybe not this year, but definitely next season with things looking on the up. That's of course if he signs a new contract, which I believe is 100% bound to happen.

Will Setterfield

Anybody notice Setters making frequent appearances in the back pocket? Probably not the best place for him. While I'm all for putting players to the test and working on their versatility, someone like Will Setterfield who is still rediscovering his football and athletic abilities after heavy rehabilitation is not at the stage to be chucked around just yet. He went missing for huge chunks of the game despite clean ball use, only managing eight disposals, three marks and one tackle. Pretty much the quietest player on the field, with a performance far from worthy of a rising star nomination. Unlikely to be dropped for it though. I think this leans back to the coaches and match committee making the right decisions when selecting the line-up. When two key defenders go out, it's best to replace them with another two key defenders. Throwing a classy midfield type such as Setterfield down back (especially when he is still building himself up for the big game), doesn't necessarily look to be a smart choice.

Dishonourable mentions
Matthew Kennedy, Darcy Lang, Lachie Plowman

OTHER NOTES

- I am perfectly fine with Jack Silvagni not being paid the mark... so long as Jason Castagna wasn't paid his last week. Having watched both moments recently, I discovered that they had taken their marks at exactly the same time after the sound of the siren. So they are either both marks or they are both not (the latter making more sense). There is no way that one is a mark and the other isn't when discussing these two moments. Sure an umpire's acknowledgement of the siren will always play a part, but the idea of umpires overruling each other over these decisions should NOT be a factor. Carlton supporters have a right to be furious with this as it makes it look like there is a different set of rules for certain teams. If this situation was to occur in a grand final, then the AFL is to expect nothing but heavy backlash.
- Around 51,000 attending this game. That is pretty good for two struggling teams that are not in finals contention. At least a good 30,000 of them would have been blues supporters. If that doesn't hint Carlton being somewhat of a sleeping giant, I don't know what does. Hadn't this match been played over at Marvel Stadium, I doubt the crowd would be the same. It makes me question the deal Cain Liddle signed to play more home games under the roof. If the blues do happen to get going and draw in more people, then the club could likely be costing themselves chances at a greater profit.
- Sad to say I am not one of the 64,269 members due to financial troubles (though I hope to someday join the navy blue army). But I have to praise Carlton for recognising these people this round. And there is no ignoring the extremely loyal supporter base, breaking records this year after coming off the worst season in more than a century. To think my brother says my team has the most fair-weather fans. Pfft! Although I must give a thumbs down to the cheer squad for mucking up the banner with that humiliating spelling mistake. You had one job guys, and it was a pretty small one given there wasn't much said on the banner.
- Respect to Dale Thomas for playing the way he did. And I just love how much he had grown on us over the course of these six years. I saw people bowing down to him in the crowd on the weekend. I even came across the clip of the little girl crying over his departure. There is no doubt that Thomas has done enough to win everybody's appreciation. Carlton may not reconsider the decision to move him on, but they certainly can't say he didn't play his role in helping reconstruct the team. I know there is still one match to go, but I can still safely speak now for each and every one of the blues faithful. Thank you Daisy!

NEXT WEEK

One last game for the mighty blues this year, and it's against the Geelong Cats. The only team they have not faced so far in 2019. I'm not sure what to think of that, but it is what it is. This final challenge is not going to be easy by any means, as it involves a little bit of travel to unfamiliar territory. The cats will be desperate for win number 16 to increase their chances at the minor premiership and take some confidence into the finals series. Meanwhile, some at Carlton are getting tired. The defense has taken a hit and Jacob Weitering is still touch and go for this match. All blues fans would like to believe their chances of victory exist, but most would be satisfied with just a strong and admirable four-quarter display. I've got Geelong winning by a landslide as my preseason tip, having based it on Carlton's recent history in the final rounds of most seasons. But seeing the way things have been running under the new coach, I don't think there is any chance of this happening unless the boys choose not to rock up.

PREDICTED LINE-UP

IN - Jacob Weitering, David Cuningham, Liam Stocker
OUT - Michael Gibbons (Injured), Darcy Lang (Injured), Matthew Kennedy (Omitted)

FB - Nic Newman - Lachie Plowman - Dale Thomas
HB - Lochie O'Brien - Jacob Weitering - Kade Simpson
C - Will Setterfield - Marc Murphy - Sam Petrevski-Seton
HF - Sam Walsh - Mitch McGovern - Jack Silvagni
FF - Josh Deluca - Harry McKay - David Cuningham
R - Matthew Kreuzer - Patrick Cripps - Ed Curnow
I - Liam Stocker - Levi Casboult - Paddy Dow - Zac Fisher

E - Tom De Koning - Hugh Goddard - Jarrod Garlett - Angus Schumacher

Geelong Cats by 110 points

Travis "TJ" James