AFL 2023: All the news, analysis from Carlton vs Collingwood, Michael Voss under pressure
Despite Michael Voss’ claims of progress, the Blues were once again off the pace when the heat came from the Pies on Sunday, as the pressure continues to build at Carlton.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It was a Sunday roast that was cooked within 48 minutes.
That was how long it took Collingwood to put a fork in arch-rival Carlton at the MCG, opening up a 44-point lead midway through the second quarter.
On the back of an underwhelming start to the season, Blues coach Michael Voss had declared three days earlier that his side was making “some really steady progress”.
If this is what progress looks like, it is going to be a long second half of the year for long-suffering Carlton fans.
The only progress that the Blues are making at the moment is on the path to missing finals for a 10th successive season.
Since round 11 last year, Voss’ side has played 22 games for eight wins and one draw.
The Blues now need to win at least eight of their last 13 matches to improve on last year and finish in the top-eight.
You couldn’t question Carlton fans who start booking their September holidays.
Despite Voss’ claims of “progress”, it has looked to be largely a case of ‘rinse and repeat’ over the past six weeks – during which the side has won one match.
The start to the game against the Magpies was woeful, the forward line never got going and the ball movement is a bigger mess than an average teenager’s bedroom.
The most fight the Blues brought in the first half was in the form of a couple of scuffles between players when tensions boiled over.
When the game was at its hottest in the first half, Carlton was simply found wanting.
The pressure was non-existent and after 48 minutes of football, the Blues had laid a paltry 16 tackles.
Collingwood defender Darcy Moore had a picnic as he picked off seven intercept marks in the first half alone, with the Blues looking like they were trying to kick to him rather than avoid him when going inside 50.
Carlton kicked only four first-half goals and two of those came from free kicks to Charlie Curnow.
Then there was the ball movement coming out of the back half, with Carlton appearing to have no idea which way to go.
When they did pull the trigger and try to go up the corridor, it was a case of turnover city and the Magpies took full advantage.
Collingwood kicked 9.4 (54) from turnovers in what was effectively the difference in the game.
As football analyst Leigh Montagna observed on Triple M midway through the second quarter, “It’s system versus no system in this game”.
Carlton worked harder in the second half, but it was a case of too little, too late – and the Magpies looked to have taken the foot off the pedal.
Four games remain before a much-needed mid-season bye for Voss and his side, with games to come against Sydney (SCG), Melbourne (MCG), Essendon (MCG) and Gold Coast (MCG).
If genuine “progress” is not made quickly, thing might get very ugly.
Defence a worry for battling Blues
- Chris Cavanagh
Carlton coach Michael Voss says his side’s team defence is “not good enough” and remains a focus as the Blues attempt to turn around a season that is quickly slipping away from them.
Voss ducked questions about his side’s struggling forward line following a 28-point loss to ladder-leader Collingwood on Sunday, constantly referring back to a lack of defensive prowess.
While conceding that the Magpies were “a top team for a reason”, Voss said the defensive transition and effort from his side had to be better “from our good players and from our role players”.
“We find ourselves in a situation where we’re not good enough and we’ve got to find a way through that pretty quickly,” Voss said.
“I don’t want to be walking out of here and be lost on the message that defensively we’re not good enough right now.
“I understand there’s been some chatter around what we need to do offensively and how we can maximise better and be more efficient going forward. But the reality is the game’s imperfect. There’s mistakes happen. How you correct those mistakes and flick into defence so you can get the ball back quickly, we’re just not recovering quick enough. That’s what we’ve got to get to work on as a footy team and that’s our expectations that we have of our team.”
Carlton was torched on turnovers by Collingwood – 9.4 (58) to 5.9 (39) – and the Magpies scored four goals from chains starting in their defensive half during the second quarter alone.
The Blues have lost five of their past six matches, with their only win during that period coming against wooden spoon favourite West Coast.
Voss said while his team’s contest game had been better in recent weeks and deserved a “tick”, the game was about more than contested possessions and clearances.
“Once you get the contest right, it becomes a system-based game and you’ve got to be better on both sides of the ball,” Voss said.
“We’ve had some teams that we’ve played up against that are in the mix for the top-eight, clearly. So we’d like to benchmark ourselves off those guys and see where we’re at with things. At the moment it’s showing that when we need to hold, we don’t hold for long enough.”
Carlton faces Sydney at the MCG on Friday night.
McRae lauds captin’s ‘remarkable’ performance
— Ronny Lerner
Collingwood coach Craig McRae was in awe of his captain Darcy Moore’s performance on Sunday against Carlton, describing it as “remarkable”.
Moore created history by registering a record 11 intercept marks (since the stat started being recorded) as well as 25 disposals (10 contested) to win his battle with star Carlton forward Charlie Curnow.
“At times you’d think he was the forward – he just outreached the opposition,” McRae said of Moore after his side’s 28-point win.
“And he’s playing on incredible players, they’re no mugs in the game, he just out-positioned them and had a day out, didn’t he.
“The way he’s playing right now, he’s at the top of his game for sure.”
Curnow was still one of the Blues’ best with 16 disposals, seven marks, seven inside 50s and three goals, but despite those impressive numbers, the fact that Moore came out on top pleased McRae greatly.
“You always think of your (opposition) threats and those two (Curnow and Harry McKay) are considerable threats,” McRae said.
“We don’t have a second tall (defender) at the moment, we’re playing undersized with (Nathan) Murphy and (Brayden) Maynard and these guys.
“So you have concerns around have we got the height to go with Harry ... but Curnow is a great forward of the game, he’s athletic, he jumps at the ball, so we thought that was a good match-up for Darcy.”
And help is on the way for Murphy and Maynard with the likes of Jeremy Howe (forearm) and Billy Frampton (groin) both expected back in the next 2-3 weeks to reinforce the Magpies’ defence.
“They’re in our best 22, it’s just a matter of what that looks like, and the moving parts of that,” McRae said.
“We’ll get bigger bodies to then have play a certain way and in adversity and injury we have players playing multiple roles so we’ve got some flexibility amongst that.”
McRae also expected Dan McStay (finger) and Pat Lipinski (shoulder) to return in the next few weeks.
The Magpies blew Carlton off the park in the first half, opening up a 44-point lead 17 minutes into the second quarter, and McRae was rapt with how strongly his team started.
“You don’t realise at half-time, but the work done at half-time is the end result,” he said.
“You just never know how games are going to progress, but I think the way we set up the game in the first half is obviously the reason why we go the job done.”
Blues season in disarray as arch rivals prove they’re top dogs
— Ronny Lerner
Carlton’s season continues to slip further into the abyss after they were blown away in the first half by arch rivals Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday before the Magpies won by 28 points.
Collingwood kicked nine of the first 11 goals to lead by 44 points just before time on in the second quarter as their ferocious pressure and blistering ball movement totally overwhelmed Carlton.
The Blues were also undone by numerous costly turnovers which exposed their disorganised backline on the rebound.
Michael Voss’ men managed to increase their defensive pressure in the second half to put the brakes on Collingwood’s scoring, but it wasn’t nearly enough to prevent the Pies from running out 13.7 (85) to 7.15 (57) winners in front of 80,354 fans.
Carlton’s forward efficiency again had a lot to be desired as they managed just seven goals from 50 inside 50s, compared to Collingwood’s 13 from 51, and a big reason for their scoring struggles was Magpies captain Darcy Moore.
The superstar defender registered a record 11 intercept marks (since the stat started being recorded), seven of which were taken in the first half, as well as 25 disposals (10 contested) to be the standout player on the ground.
But his direct opponent Charlie Curnow was far from disgraced, racking up 16 disposals, seven marks, seven inside 50s and three goals, ensuring his duel with Moore was one of the highlights of the game.
Veteran duo Steele Sidebottom and Scott Pendlebury were also big reasons why the game was over before half-time, while Brody Mihocek (four goals) won his battle with Jacob Weitering who continues to struggle for form.
After starting the year undefeated in the opening four rounds, the Blues have now lost five of their last six matches to sit in 11th position on the ladder nearing the halfway mark of the season.
With Sydney (away), Melbourne and Essendon in their next three matches, Carlton are very much playing for their finals survival.
Meanwhile, the Pies have extended their winning streak to six matches and they will occupy top spot on the ladder for the fourth consecutive week.
Carlton started by dominating the clearances early (6-2), but it amounted to nothing as Collingwood booted five of the first six goals on the back of territory and centre clearance (5-1) superiority.
The Magpies’ pressure was ferocious and they played at a blistering pace which the Blues couldn’t handle. Collingwood’s relentlessness saw them open up a commanding 24-point lead at quarter-time, despite trailing the inside 50s (13-14), as the Blues once again struggled to find a pathway towards goal.
The Pies’ advantage grew to 31 points early in the second term on the back of five consecutive goals, including a pair to Ash Johnson, as Carlton’s disorganised backline allowed too many holes for Collingwood’s attacking options to run into.
Another three majors in a row saw the margin blow out to 44 points as defensive turnovers also conspired against the Blues who were torched by Collingwood’s run over and over again.
Down the other end of the ground, the Pies, led by Moore, frequently cut off Carlton forward forays. The Blues had no answers and, despite how much more of the ball the Pies had, Carlton were out-tacked in the first half 28-21.
JUMPIN’ JOHNSON
In the second quarter, Collingwood forward Beau McCreery’s shot on goal from 45m out failed to make the distance, but it allowed Johnson to submit a mark-of-the-year contender as he climbed on top of Carlton ruckman Marc Pittonet in the forward pocket and rein in an absolute hanger, before he came crashing down to the turf onto his hip. After taking
time to catch his breath again, he duly slotted Collingwood’s fifth goal in a row.
HILL SETS OFF
Bobby Hill set the MCG alight in the second term when he went for a run down the Members wing, took three bounces, sold Adam Saad some candy on the 50m line, sending the Carlton defender leaping into the air, before drilling the pass inch-perfect to Brody Mihocek in the pocket. Mihocek converted the set shot to put the Pies up by six goals and cap off a great bit of play.
CARLTON DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
Nearing the halfway mark of the second quarter, Carlton’s Jack Silvagni turned the ball over twice on the wing in quick succession, sparking a blistering chain of Collingwood handballs which finished with Taylor Adams running into forward 50 and chip-kicking it to Tom Mitchell who was standing next to Jordan De Goey. In reality, the two of them could have raffled it because inexplicably there was no Carlton player near them. Mitchell then passed it to Josh Daicos in the forward pocket who was also by himself. Daicos’ goal was assured when he was paid a 50m penalty after Jordan Boyd made late contact with him.
DAICOS FIGHT ERUPTS
Collingwood wingman Josh Daicos has had his jumper torn after tensions boiled over twice during the opening quarter of the Magpies’ blockbuster clash with arch-rival Carlton.
Daicos found himself involved in two scuffles that broke out during a hot opening term, eventually coming from the ground and switching into a spare No.7 jumper.
The pressure was high early in front of a bumper crowd at the MCG.
The Magpies kicked five of the first six goals of the game, with the Blues looking overawed by the occasion.
You'd best believe there's some feeling in this game. #AFLBluesPiespic.twitter.com/45XaBfYHHr
— 7AFL (@7AFL) May 21, 2023
SCOREBOARD
BLUES 1.2, 4.6, 5.10, 7.15 (57)
MAGPIES 5.2, 10.5, 11.6, 13.7 (85)
LERNER’S BEST
Blues: Docherty, C.Curnow, E.Curnow, Cerra, Newman, Acres.
Magpies: Moore, Sidebottom, Mihocek, Pendlebury, Murphy, Mitchell, J.Daicos.
GOALS
Blues: C.Curnow 3, McKay 2, Owies 2.
Magpies: Mihocek 4, Johnson 2, Hill, Hoskin-Elliott, Crisp, J.Daicos, Elliott, McCreery, Cox.
LATE CHANGE: Reef McInnes replaced in Collingwood’s selected side by Darcy Cameron.
UMPIRES: Power, Hosking, Meredith, Findlay
VENUE: MCG
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: LERNER’S VOTES
3 Darcy Moore (Coll)
2 Steele Sidebottom (Coll)
1 Brody Mihocek (Coll)
More Coverage
Originally published as AFL 2023: All the news, analysis from Carlton vs Collingwood, Michael Voss under pressure
Gather Round: Crows open again, Ken, Hawks set for blockbuster
One of the biggest moments of the AFL season came after the Power-Hawks final when Ken Hinkley told Jack Ginnivan he wouldn’t be flying to Sydney. Now we know when the rematch is coming.
Ralph: The key Dees developments that could save Goodwin’s job
Melbourne’s public review said it was capable of playing finals, but their game plan had to be refined, now the work begins for Simon Goodwin after a tumultuous 31 months, writes Jon Ralph.