AFL Finals: All the news and action from Carlton’s open training session

Carlton left their fate in the hands of Port Adelaide, who luckily came through for them, as Sam Walsh gives an inside look into the rooms afterwards. Plus, an update on some key Blues.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 30: Sam Walsh of the Blues celebrates a goal during the 2024 AFL Round 16 match between the Richmond Tigers and the Carlton Blues at The Melbourne Cricket Ground on June 30, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“F*** yeah, we are in the finals”.

Carlton star Sam Walsh says that battle cry from midfielder George Hewett in the eerie minutes after Port Adelaide handed the Blues a finals spot is the turbocharge of electricity that can start a deep September run.

Walsh admitted on the weekend he believed Carlton’s finals hopes were done after their loss to St Kilda as the players gathered at Ikon Park to watch the Power-Fremantle game.

As the shell-shocked players realised Port Adelaide was home they still weren’t sure how to react given that September berth hadn’t come with their own round 24 victory.

Then in came Hewett with his mood-changing roar of joy, with coach Michael Voss quick to reinforce to his team the opportunity ahead.

It will come with the Blues adamant they will learn the lessons of the past two weeks building up their forward play with patience even with Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow returning.

But now that the Blues have fallen into the finals, Walsh says there is no reason they cannot win from eighth spot ahead of their Saturday night Gabba elimination final against Brisbane.

“It was a crazy Sunday,” Walsh said.

“The game finished and to be honest in my mind and a lot of the boys’ minds probably we thought we had given up the opportunity to play finals. I was driving back to the club and we were going to watch the game but we probably conceded our season was done.

“When the game finished we were all sitting there and noticeably happy but probably one of the quietest guys in the group, George Hewett, came in and said “F yeah, we are in the finals’’ and everyone roared along with that. It was a pretty quick change of energy.

“Vossy has a really good strength as a coach of putting the facts out on the table but letting us know the opportunity at hand. That changes our energy pretty quickly

“Even though we might be eighth on the ladder, this season has shown you can win it from anywhere and if we play the right way we are going to give ourselves an opportunity at that.”

While Carlton could make as many as eight changes Curnow and McKay are certainties to return from injury, having dominated the Lions with seven goals combined in the opening round clash where the Blues came back from 46 points down.

A heartbreaking defeat to the Saints meant the Blues’ finals fate was out of their hands, but the Power came through. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

But as Walsh told ABC Radio it would be folly to simply bomb the ball to that pair given Carlton has learnt in clashes against West Coast and St Kilda there is a better method.

“The way we have played the last two weeks has been a little bit different with a smaller forward line, there are some ways we have played that we want to carry into the next two weeks, our forward pressure and ability to build the ball up and give teams different looks going inside 50,” he said.

“So there will be a few changes and then with the task of Brisbane, we know they are a serious side but we have had good battles against them and up there at the Gabba you can score quick but you also have to win the contest where you can get it inside 50 and really put the pressure on the other team, so that is what we will be looking to do.”

Carlton will complete some match simulation on Monday which will give fans another indication of whether Sam Docherty is in line to return from his opening round ACL tear.

Carlton will again plan for Josh Dunkley to tag Patrick Cripps

Walsh was the AFL’s player of the finals last year despite only playing three of a possible four finals and is confident the week off will have Carlton at its best.

And he is already counting on the Blues fans at the Gabba to help cheer his side home.

“The crowd last year was nearly half and half with Carlton and Brisbane supporters and the energy they created in that first quarter was hard to describe for the people who weren’t there. (Brisbane) are a serious midfield team with (Lachie) Neale and Dunkley and (Will) Ashcroft, those guys are so clean and they don’t need much space. We have to be on with our aggression around the ball and we have to give our forwards first use.”

TRACK NOTES: WILL EIGHT KEY BLUES BE READY FOR LIONS?

Inspirational Carlton utility Sam Docherty is firming to make an emotional return on the same ground where he suffered a third ACL in March, with Blues skipper Patrick Cripps pushing his case to play against Brisbane Lions in Saturday night’s Gabba elimination final.

Cripps said Docherty was “flying” and physically ready after spending the past month training with the main group.

The 30-year-old was one of the standout performers in a Saturday morning training session at IKON Park, with around 4000 Carlton diehards cheering the Blues on from the sidelines.

Docherty could be one of up to eight changes for the Blues to take on the Lions at the Gabba, only 183 days after he went down with what turned out to be a serious knee injury in Opening Round.

He couldn’t could he??? pic.twitter.com/b7OnReQsUU

— Vin Perera (@V1nny_7) August 31, 2024

Charlie Curnow wore an ankle monitor and guard and didn’t kick on his left foot in Saturday’s session but is expected to take on the Lions.

Harry McKay (quad), Mitch McGovern (hamstring) and Zac Williams (hamstring) moved freely and will almost certainly return.

Tom De Koning (foot), Jack Martin (hamstring) and Adam Cerra (hamstring) are less certain, with the trio training on Friday, but still trying to push their case to play in next Saturday’s clash.

Sam Docherty is making a strong case to play in Carlton’s elimination final against Brisbane. Picture: Michael Klein

Cripps said Docherty’s potential return, following on from the challenges of beating cancer twice and overcoming three knee reconstructions would be an enormous boost for the group.

“He was flying, wasn’t he?” Cripps said after the Blues completed a 90-minute session.

“I reckon he’d be knocking down Vossy’s door every day … (in terms of selection). He’s just a great story. He’s done a lot of work. he’s been doing that for a good month to six weeks training with us.

“So he’s put his hand up, but the coach is going to pick the side they think is best. Personally, I love playing with him.

“You know, he’s been through a lot. We’ve been through a lot together, and he’s a guy you trust in the footy field. So if he gets picked, you know, he’s going to perform.”

Cripps said his good mate Docherty had worked so hard to prove his fitness.

“You only get a finite time in footy, so you’ve got to maximise every chance you get. He got something taken away at the start of the year, which takes a lot of people 12 months (to recover from), but it’s amazing,” Cripps said.

“(But) when you get the right mindset and you set a goal and you get after it like he’s done, you can achieve amazing things.

“He’s a great leader out there. So he knows the game. He knows how to stand up in big moments, and that’s invaluable.”

Docherty impressed during open training on Saturday. Picture: Michael Klein

The Blues skipper said he had no worries about the prospect of bringing back a swag of players from injury, saying the pre-finals bye had suited Carlton this year.

“We’ve probably got four guys that played a lot of footy, who have only missed the last two games. That’s like Charlie, Harry, Zacky and Gov,” he said.

“So if they’re fit, they’re going to be a big chance to play.

“The other four (De Koning, Martin, Cerra and Docherty) have done a lot of work. That’s where this (pre) finals bye has helped us. It’s not like if they get picked, they get picked off no work. They’ve done a lot of work over the last sort of four to six weeks.

“One thing we’re going to do as a team is celebrate whoever’s picked, and we’re all in the same direction, and that’s the power of the energy you can create.”

Will Sam Docherty play again this year?

"We'll see," he says...#AFLBluesSaintspic.twitter.com/pR5TwBNZfq

— 7AFL (@7AFL) August 25, 2024

He said the Blues had shown in their Opening Round win over the Lions this season – and in stages of last year’s preliminary final where they got off to a flying start but couldn’t hold on – that they can take big games up to Brisbane.

“It feels like it was yesterday that we were playing the prelim,” he said. “Round Zero (this year) was a pretty big moment for us.

“There are eight teams who would all think they are a chance to win it, which is pretty special.

Poignant moment.

Sam Docherty plays his 150th game for @CarltonFC this weekend.

Two knee reconstructions before a battle with cancer.

In the cut and thrust of 2023, it’s easy to forget.

Tough to not be moved by this goal last year.

Another milestone win? #baggerspic.twitter.com/VO7dmw9QEU

— Paul Sebastiani (@paoloseb05) August 9, 2023

“We are going to get up there (to the Gabba) … it is the start of our campaign, we know we have to play at our best to beat them, they are a bloody good side and have been for years now.

“But we take a lot of confidence with the result up there at the start of the year but also the exposure we ‘ve had up there the last couple of years.”

Originally published as AFL Finals: All the news and action from Carlton’s open training session