Carlton Football Club: The Round Twenty-Three Review

Any proud blues supporter should know that it isn't a proper season unless Carlton humiliate themselves in any fashion during the final round. It happened last year in the form of a 104-point smacking by the hands of Adelaide. The 2016 side found a way to make arguably the worst Essendon team in history look like finals contenders. Plus the AFL has handed this long-suffering team to 21st century powerhouses like Hawthorn and Sydney for the sake of being torn to pieces (good thing it wasn't the case with the swans). Nothing changed, as Carlton were punished for their horrendous 2018 with a trip to Geelong's home base. The stadium of small crowds and a preparation room for away teams that is enough to leave anyone claustrophobic and short of air. I suppose I'm being silly and a bit of a misery guts. It's just that I fear a result such as this one will paint a bad picture for the club when it comes to off-season matters. I remain excited with the promise that shows as David Teague takes the wheel, but I hope the wait isn't too long. We are well overdue for some amazing times.

MARGIN

(Predicted : Real)

-110 points : -68 points

Difference: + 42

I had a feeling the gods came around with Geelong scarves around their necks. It was a home ground advantage and an audience dominated by cats fans. Everything from the umpires to the ball were there to support the home side. Even the bloody breeze of all things was barracking for them. Long story short, it was a game Carlton were never going to win. An absolutely certain defeat, with the question being how big. Not to forget that Crowded House hit, almost summing up the blues perfectly toys from Ikon Park once again brought their own storm clouds and horrid conditions to push the spectators away. It was the case when facing Port Adelaide. It was the case when facing Essendon. It was the case when facing Fremantle. And it most certainly was the case when facing Richmond. The blues should solemnly ask the question. What must they do for a little luck and good weather?

First Quarter

The first bounce was what Carlton fans did not need. A perfect slap by Rhys Stanley to Patrick Dangerfield's advantage and the quickest of goals to follow. Esava Ratugolea was then looking to intimidate the blues backline, running forward and out-muscling his opponents in the marking contest. All too familiar faces in Lachie Henderson and Zach Tuohy were making their old side look silly, with the latter embracing his new role up forward. Despite a relieving goal from Matthew Kennedy, the blue boys were convincingly defeated five goals to one in the first term. Mitch Duncan created a scare for cats fans as he copped a heavy knock to his shoulder, but Geelong had his absence well covered. Dangerfield wore Patrick Cripps like a glove,  which left Ed Curnow having to do the heavy lifting in the middle for the blues. It was nothing but pure sloppiness and paralysis from Carlton, not knowing how to provide the answers and quieten the cats.

Second Quarter
As the wind showed it's support to the cats, Geelong proved all the more deadly with their accuracy and ability to find the space between the big sticks. They piled seven goals one to Carlton's two goals five. Marc Murphy and Will Setterfield had their chances early on, but with no luck. Down at the other end, Quinton Narkle would slot one with ease from 50 metres. The big names continued to humiliate the blues, with Dangerfield doing everything right and Gary Ablett Jnr. ageing backwards. Duncan got back on with the heavily strapped shoulder and fought through further contact to it. Curnow did all he could to keep the ball forward, recording successive entries within a minute of play. Cripps and Murphy too carried their team with the two goals. The cats however, had the answers. It was expected of the blues to make the dying seconds seem like an eternity, as Geelong moved the ball without any pressure whatsoever to get it in the hands of Tuohy on the siren. And no surprises it was another major to add to Carlton's misery.

Third Quarter
They were quick to finish things off in the first half with a goal and were quick to kick things of in the second with a goal, as Ablett up forward caused more trouble for Carlton. But from then onward it was the away side with the more solid display, booting three goals to Geelong's one. What was still The midfield for the blues again did most of the work, although it was made harder once Curnow was ruled out halfway through the term. Josh Deluca showcased heart with a first effort involving pressure on Duncan and a second effort seeing him squeeze the ball through the traffic for his team's fourth for the match. Harry McKay came around shortly after, succeeding from a set shot. Stanley ensured the damage wasn't severe, outstretching Jack Silvagni to get on the board himself. Lochie O'Brien with two attempts at a major already, was a case of third time lucky through a reply. A very small win for the blues, even though the efficiency in front of goal remained an issue.

Fourth Quarter

Just when the Carlton army thought the hard work that paid off in the so-called 'premiership quarter' would spark some confidence going into the final thirty-odd minutes, it all came tumbling down. The cats totally got the better of them, achieving 14 scoring shots to two. Within the first eight in a row, sat a goal to Cameron Guthrie. Zac Fisher cut the chain and tried finishing off his poor back end of the year with a sweet enough goal. But there was no shutting up Geelong, who were minutes away from the minor premiership. Luke Dahlhaus just added to the certainty with not one, but two majors within the space of four to five minutes. Superstar Dangerfield added to his brilliant day, while exciting youngster Gryan Miers joined in on the fun. It became a 68-point belting in the end, with the cats proving ready for finals. As for the blues, they were left anticipating another off-season of list changes accompanied by wishful thinking. An all-too-familiar tale for someone such as myself.

PLUSES / MINUSES

1. The Midfield. That's all!
2. Sam Walsh is so damn consistent.

1. If I had a dollar for every poor entry inside attacking 50, I'd probably have enough money to shout each of the players dinner. Yeah I'm exaggerating, but this constant weakness of Carlton's just does my head in.
2. It just looked like everything went right for Geelong. Even at times when they lost the ball, it somehow ended up back in their hands then through the big sticks from their boots.
3. Losing one of the very few decent performers in Ed Curnow, late in the third term.
4. When Geelong kicks the ball towards the boundary line... no problem. When Carlton kicks the ball towards the boundary line... deliberate. Grrrrr!!!
5. Nine players using the ball at 50% or less for the blues, compared to Geelong's one.
6. The lack of forward pressure. The boys for some unknown reason, forgot to bring it with them on the trip to the regional city.
7. Harry McKay and Mitch McGovern went missing for the majority of the match.
8. Don't know why, but the winds down at Kardinia Park don't seem to like Carlton very much.
9. Making second tier players look like out and out superstars. I speak of course about Quinton Narkle.
10. Biggest loss under the new coach yet. I'm genuinely afraid that there is worse to come.

SCORES

1. PATRICK CRIPPS 20

2. Marc Murphy 10
3. Ed Curnow 9

4. Sam Walsh 8

5. Matthew Kreuzer 7
6. Dale Thomas 6

7 = Nic Newman 4.5

7 = Will Setterfield 4.5

9. Matthew Kennedy 3

10. Josh Deluca 2

11. Kade Simpson 1

12 = Lochie O'Brien -0.5

12 = Lachie Plowman -0.5

14. Mitch McGovern -2
15. Paddy Dow -3
16 = Zac Fisher -5
16 = Harry McKay -5
16 = Jacob Weitering -5
19. David Cuningham -7
20. Sam Petrevski-Seton -8
21. Jack Silvagni -9

22. Levi Casboult -10

FINAL TALLY

1. Patrick Cripps 188.5
2. Nic Newman 177
3. Ed Curnow 153.5
4. Sam Walsh 150
5. Marc Murphy 122.5
6. Dale Thomas 92
7. Sam Petrevski-Seton 75.5
8. Matthew Kreuzer 70.5
9. Kade Simpson 63.5
10. Charlie Curnow 20
11. Andrew Phillips 19.5

12. David Cuningham 6.5
13. Levi Casboult 6
14. Matthew Lobbe -2
15. Will Setterfield -2.5
16. Angus Schumacher -5
17. Harry McKay -6.5
18. Harrison Macreadie -10
19. Jack Silvagni -13
20. Tom Williamson -13.5
21. Jarrod Garlett -14
22. Hugh Goddard -18
23. Josh Deluca -20.5
24. Zac Fisher -22
25. Alex Fasolo -25
26. Cameron Polson -26
27. Caleb Marchbank -28.5
28. Michael Gibbons -29
29. Liam Stocker -30
30. Lachie Plowman -32
31. Darcy Lang -44
32. Matthew Kennedy -49
33. Jacob Weitering -51
34. Paddy Dow -55
35. Lochie O'Brien -62

36. Mitch McGovern -70.5
37. Liam Jones -76

THOSE WHO IMPRESSED ME

Patrick Cripps

A much tougher year for the excitement machine, copping some niggles along the way whilst dealing with harder tags from his opponents. But he managed to cap off his 2019 with a performance both strong and noteworthy enough for maybe another Brownlow vote or two. In spite of the ugly outcome from his side, Patrick Cripps was his usual self against the cats. Starting off quiet with Dangerfield gaining the upper hand, Carlton's skipper dealt with the pressures and dragged himself back into the game as time went on. He ended up recording 35 disposals, 20 contested possessions, 13 clearances,8 tackles and 6 inside 50's in unfavourable conditions. Nothing more can be said about Crippa, except that he deserves better. The blues desperately need to find the ideal support for the big man. They cannot afford to lose him, but they also cannot persist with two veterans and a first-year player by his side. He needs somebody around his age. Somebody that knows the game well, with adequate time to grow alongside him. The superstar can rest right now, but the club's work is not done. Come on Carlton! You have a precious stone, so do everything you can to treat it with care.

Ed Curnow
When the team hadn't arrived yet, this guy hung around. Before the unfortunate achilles injury that was quick to finish his year off, Ed Curnow was doing everything in his might to create opportunities and keep hopes alive. He found himself in the right places and he endlessly dug into the contests with hunger. Ed also kept Joel Selwood reasonably quiet and maintained trust with teammates throughout his time on the field. A lazy 29 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 8 clearances, 4 tackles and 5 inside 50's for the reliable gut runner, all of it before three-quarter time. While a major flaw of Curnow's in rushed kicking became noticed, it was the non-stop attempts to rectify his mistakes and try again. It makes him a worthy choice for one of the AFL's most underrated performers. I do find it funny however that Ed hurts himself now. Like earlier this year with the ankle, which if I remember correctly was straight before the week break. Good to see him having survived the season.

Sam Walsh

With every passing week, I had grown fonder of the kid. Hard for myself to believe since I loved him as a footballer that much already. But given the difficulties, Walshy's first year is one that should be deserving of nothing but respect. From a struggling team and a coach sacked to endless criticism by opposition supporters and the media, Sam ignored the outside noise like most professionals to impress and break records. It was the case on the weekend, as the bright future leader broke the shackles and did his best to play a significant role in the second half. He tested his outside run and got reward from it on a few occasions. This included his composed goal in the final minutes to close off Carlton's 2019 tale of two halves. Haters and critics can say whatever they like. They can call him 'vanilla'. They can tease him for his efficiency and sporadic dearth of scoreboard impact. But they will never take away the super year he has had. A year that should surely see him with a nice trophy and medal around his neck on Friday.

Honourable Mentions

Matthew Kreuzer, Marc Murphy

THOSE WHO DISAPPOINTED ME

Levi Casboult

I'll be sure to classify this as an outlier. Casboult had an absolute mare of a game, never being able to have the proper impact. He registered only one effective disposal from three along with a team high seven clangers and four free kicks against him. An incredibly poor effort that would've likely seen him dropped, had the season continued. But I don't think it changes anything. The resurrected key tall has officially done enough to warrant another year in the navy blue. He has proven this year to be the most versatile player in the league and has displayed consistency never seen before. When teammates were either down or out this season, Levi stepped forward and offered the necessary assistance. And whilst showing off his gifted abilities in the contest, he added new strings to his bow each and every week. We are talking about someone that looked all but certain to see the door before the season began. Everywhere you look now, you see signs of love and some demands for an extension. The man had definitely taken his chances, especially when the team needed him most. Well done Levi! You can walk out proud.

Sam Petrevski-Seton
One game too early for holiday mode, with Petrevski-Seton producing one of his worst efforts yet. Bugger all presence and bugger all pressure made the bull-rider almost non-existent. A total of six disposals, with only two of them effective and three of them spanning over three quarters. In a year of high-expectations, Samo certainly didn't finish things well. But the promise as a half-back flanker under Teague keeps, based on a small sample covering the previous weeks. SPS has shown he can become both consistent and a point of difference in any match. Probably another reason why Daisy was nudged out the door. From what I've seen of Petrevski-Seton, there is definitely a place for him when glory is within reach. Still a few more things for the young man to work on over the preseason, but everything is pointing to the right direction. I'll let this one slide given the entire team was exhausted and are still years away from taking it up to Geelong on dangerous territory. These efforts however, are what Samo must avoid from here onward.

Jacob Weitering

Another one to abuse his disposal was Jacob Weitering. Probably more embarrassing given he is a defender. Of the eight next to his name, only three were beneficial to his team. Almost a 50% difference in efficiency between him and Lachie Plowman, a player often heavily criticised by blues fans for his ball use. This performance comes after being a late withdrawal from the match against St. Kilda last week due to soreness in his adductor. Suppose the question is whether he was 100% or close to it here? Regardless, it was not a pleasant closing to his splendid year down back. If you ask me, Weiters didn't seem like Weiters here. He posed no threat to Geelong's forward line. I saw pieces of him brushed aside and some of his attempts to attack the ball were half-arsed. But like his fellow teammates in defense, I'm willing to look beyond this to 2020. I'm sure with another preseason and understanding of Teague's strategies, Weitering will take an even bigger step towards stardom.

Dishonourable mentions
Matthew Kennedy, Harry McKay, Jack Silvagni

OTHER NOTES

- Never have I heard such pointless commentary. Sometime around the third term when Cats have the ball and rebound from defensive 50. Garry Lyon praises the decision making of one of the players who kicks wide to a teammate towards the boundary line. He said something amongst the lines of the teammate keeping it in and then attacking along the wing. Thank you captain obvious! Talk about saying anything just to get a word in.
- If Carlton happen to push up the ladder and pull in bigger crowds, then surely they cannot play at GMHBA. If Geelong want games there against the bigger sides and create a strong atmosphere at their home ground, then the stadium needs to increase it's seating to at least 40 to 50 thousand. The fact is it's too small at the moment.
- I'll say it once again since it was his actual last game in the navy blue. I like most supporters, am grateful for seeing Dale Thomas give his all in the navy blue across six seasons. It's not a time of his career as great compared to his younger days with the arch rivals, but it still meant a lot to many including Daisy himself. Thanks for the memories and all the very best for whatever comes next.
- Well that is that. The season is over once again for Carlton, with no finals for a sixth consecutive year. September for me is a depressing time because of this and it's sad I'm left to look forward to the off-season more than the actual season. Then again, I don't see this off-season being as good as last year's. Not sure why though. I guess I'm used to disappointment and seeing the blues fight the hard way.
- Think I am going to skip the round review pieces for next year. They are a bit too much and chew up a lot of my time. However, I am surprised with what I have achieved this year. To deliver 22 of these over four months is something that seemed daunting to begin with. I managed to pull it off in the end whilst dealing with many other things. This calls for a celebration in the form of a much-needed break from the footy world.

Travis "TJ" James