By Jon Pierik
For the Blues to really make the September running this season, the next step has to be taken: going from good to great.
One of the benchmarks for this? Dominance in the home-and-away season, rather than falling into finals.
There is plenty of expectation surrounding Carlton ahead of season 2024, led by captain Patrick Cripps, coach Michael Voss, and star forward Harry McKay.Credit: Artwork: Stephen Kiprillis
Positive steps were taken last season when the Blues rallied in the second half of the season, winning eight of their final 10 games to make the finals, before advancing to the club’s first preliminary final since 2000. But the first half of the season was diabolical, with coach Michael Voss under severe pressure as the fans revolted on the back of Carlton’s tally of a season-opening draw, eight losses and just four wins to round 13.
“You never want to put a ceiling on wins and losses. But I think what Vossy alludes to a lot within the group is always improving and being the best version of ourselves,” star forward Harry McKay told this masthead.
“We want to be a really strong home-and-away season side, and, more importantly, we want to be the best version of ourselves and always get better. What that looks like in the landscape of wins and losses, we don’t know, but we are really big on what we can control and trying to be better every day. We know that translates to some good footy, and that’s what we are after.”
McKay echoed his coach’s belief his team needs to make a statement through the home-and-away campaign, which starts for the Blues with an opening round contest against the preliminary final conquerors, the Brisbane Lions, on March 8.
Home-and-away hopes: Harry McKay has backed Michael Voss’ vision for the Blues to be a great regular season team.Credit: Getty Images
As the injury-hit Carlton begin to deal with heightened finals expectations ahead of the new season, Voss told the AFL website “we haven’t even become a great home-and-away side yet. That’s our reality.”
The Blues finished fifth on the ladder last year with 13 wins and a draw, well behind eventual premiers Collingwood, who had a September berth locked up by August, and finished on top of the ladder with 18 wins. If that wasn’t enough, the Magpies had 16 wins a season earlier, a body of work which means they can be called a “great home-and-away side”.
The Blues are chasing this recognition, with McKay declaring this an important plank.
Coleman medallists McKay and Charlie Curnow will be an imposing double act, although Ed Curnow, the now retired Blue, said during Thursday’s match simulation against Geelong that they remain a work in progress in terms of understanding when one should push up the ground, and the other remain a deep option.
Blues great Anthony Koutoufides believes the Blues have the arsenal to meet Voss’ aim.
“I do, but I don’t want to put any pressure on them,” Koutoufides said, the 1995 premiership star opting to not tip how many wins the Blues should have.
For a home-and-away campaign to be considered great, history shows 17 or 18 wins are needed, as Geelong of 2022 and Richmond of 2018 achieved.
“Obviously, history says statistically the top four is the best way to finish, but teams have done it [won premiership] outside the top four as well. I believe it’s all about momentum towards the end of the year. As long as you are in the finals, top four gives you every opportunity,” Koutoufides said.
Backing the Blues: Club great Anthony Koutoufides says the Blues can become a great home-and-away side.Credit: Jason South
Skipper Patrick Cripps said the Blues understood what was needed for success.
“One thing as a playing group that we’re really clear on are our roles and what our style is. We go into the year not guessing what it is, we know. It gives you a lot of confidence and belief that your best can stack up,” he said.
However, there will be obstacles, on and off the field. There always is. And dealing with these will be a major test. Should the Blues pass these, then September will be a smoother path.
“There are always ups and down through a campaign, that’s why if you nail it back to a couple of things you can focus on, being the best teammate and trying to be the best version of yourselves, that body of work holds you in good stead,” McKay said.
Off the field
Blues president Luke Sayers has espoused stability, and by signing doyen chief executive Brian Cook to a two-year extension, that’s a major plank in place. If anyone knows how to navigate the off-field pitfalls, it’s Cook – as he did when publicly backing Voss early last year when Blues struggled to get moving.
Koutoufides said a unified executive in the early to mid-1990s under then president John Elliott was pivotal in the Blues success, and he sees that repeated now. Cripps says the Blues are unified in “chasing excellence” of their own.
The benefits
One of the bonuses of a “great” home-and-away campaign is that it can allow key players with niggles to be rested through August. That can be missing a game, or reduced game time.
A fresh Cripps, Charlie Curnow and Sam Walsh, the latter already dealing with a back issue, could be the difference between silverware, or lamenting what might have been.
“If you can keep all of your [best] players on the field come finals time, you never know what can happen,” Koutoufides said.
No guarantees
However, a great home-and-away campaign does not always equate to a premiership.
“I know us in ’93 and ‘94, we fell over in the grand final in ’93. I didn’t play – I was an emergency that day. In ’94, we were on top of the ladder one week to go, then we lost to Essendon. We lost our first two finals then we were out. It’s all about momentum,” Koutoufides said.
Through the past decade, Geelong were a great regular-season side, capped in 2022 with 18 wins and top spot on the way to a second flag under Chris Scott. However, they finished top in 2019, fourth in 2020 and third in 2021, yet went home through September wondering what had gone wrong.
The Tigers finished two games clear on top of the ladder in 2018, but fell in a preliminary final. St Kilda of 2008-10, Adelaide of 2005-06, Port Adelaide of 2001-03 before the premiership of 2004, the Western Bulldogs of 1997-99, Geelong under Malcolm Blight and Gary Ayres, and even Tom Hafey’s Swans of 1986-87 failed after dominant home-and-away campaigns. The Western Bulldogs’ glorious run from seventh in 2016, now there’s a pre-finals bye, showed it can simply be about getting hot at the business end of the season.
What now for the Blues?
They had a 17-point loss in Thursday night’s match simulation, the focus turning to Wednesday’s community cup clash at Ikon Park. A tough season opener awaits with a preliminary final rematch in Brisbane against the Lions, before facing four opponents – Richmond (MCG), North Melbourne (Marvel Stadium), Fremantle (Adelaide Oval) and Adelaide (Marvel Stadium) – who missed the finals last season.
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