Message for Curnow and co: The Blues must commit to these non-negotiables to save their season

As the AFL embarks on its annual getaway to Adelaide, there is no club that will benefit more from the change of scenery than Carlton.

The Blues’ first four games have been in Melbourne – three at the MCG and one at Marvel Stadium. They’ve played in front of big crowds and bigger TV audiences in the prime-time slots, starting their season with lofty expectations.

Sam Walsh gets a handball away.Credit: Getty Images

Most footballers are creatures of habit and routine. They crave familiarity. For the first month of the season, Carlton’s players have had the chance to develop consistent, reliable pre-game rituals. They’ve been able to sleep in their own bed, have their usual coffee and take the same drive to games.

The problem is, their results have been just as predictable. Lead at half-time, fade, lose. Rinse, repeat, for four games.

So, they need to break their routine. Mix things up.

And that’s why this Gather Round road trip could not come at a better time for the Blues. It’s the perfect time for them to escape Melbourne’s football bubble and galvanise.

Sure, they’ll still be under pressure. After all, they are Carlton. They have an extremely passionate supporter base and a storied history of success, and we all know their past 30 years have been barren in terms of the ultimate glory.

Despite their poor start to the season, the Blues are expected to win on Saturday against West Coast, who are also winless in this campaign. Carlton has won the past four encounters between these teams, all by at least 10 goals.

True, this isn’t a typical interstate match. It’s a neutral venue, both teams are visitors. But for the Blues, it’s a golden opportunity to break the cycle they’ve been on.

Jacob Weitering has been a shining light.Credit: Getty Images

When I played at Geelong, we often used interstate games to reset our season and reaffirm our connection as a group.

Being on the road together brought us closer as a squad. There were fewer distractions. It was just us – 22 players and our coaches. Our focus sharpened, our change rooms were low-key. There was a sense of quiet calm about how we prepared for games.

Brian Cook – the godfather of AFL CEOs, now at Carlton – was at a loss when quizzed on 3AW last week about what was the root cause of his team’s early season struggles. “It could be 20 things. The fact is I don’t know,” he said.

This is the crux of the challenge now facing Carlton. They need to resist the temptation to try to solve all their issues in one swoop . That would be overwhelming.

As they get on the plane to Adelaide, each group within the Blues team should have a locked-in focus on what they will be accountable for on Saturday. They should have a maximum of three simple objectives that they can present to the rest of the team and that the coaches can continually reinforce to them.

I’m talking about completely stripped-back non-negotiables. They could be as simple as:

Defenders: Your opponent is your starting point, then win the contest from there – please see what Jack Silvagni and Jacob Weitering have been doing. When we do win the contest, everyone joins our attacking thrust on the way out, then returns to their starting point; their opponent.

Midfielders: Spread, spread, spread. If we were to pause the video of this game at any point, we want to see more Carlton jumpers in each. Be brave with every decision.

Forwards: Set a high target – every forward has to lay two tackles a quarter. This puts the focus on hard running and getting to multiple contests. It will create energy for the team and help get the game played in our half.

Tough love and reflecting on areas that need improvement have their place in football, but if I were at Carlton this week my focus internally would be proactive and positive. I’d let each player know what their strengths are and how the team needs those attributes: “We value you so much when you do x, y and z for the team.”

At Geelong we would celebrate our key forward Tom Hawkins creating regular contests in the air and at ground level. Small forwards Mat Stokes, Shannon Byrnes and Trav Varcoe knew it was their job to bust their tail to keep the ball inside our forward 50m. In defence, Tom Lonergan’s aim was to put the clamps on the opposition’s best forward, while Andrew Mackie and Mitch Duncan had to make sure they were on hand to receive a handball, so the rest of us could benefit from their clean ball use.

Let’s flip this to Carlton.

Charlie Curnow: “We want you to work the inside 50-metre arc as hard as possible”.

Adam Saad: “Get off the last line of defence, we want you with ball in hand from centre-wing forward”.

Mitch McGovern and Nick Haynes: They need to be on the back shoulder of their opponent, then go for their marks, be uncompromising.

Lachie Fogarty: Must be front and square at every marking contest up forward, and needs to aim for eight tackles in the match.

Sam Walsh: Should aim for six inside-50m entries, that will force him to run and get overlap, which is when he is most damaging.

Adam Cerra: Has the capability to be one of the competition’s elite players. His stats are good, but to become better than that he needs to have more impact on the scoreboard and to take hold of quarters and games.

A win over West Coast might not seem a significant achievement at the moment, but for Carlton Saturday’s game is about more than the four points on offer.

The Blues can win momentum and confidence.

If they get reward for their effort, the energy and positivity within their group will return, and that might just get their season back on track.

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