AFL 2023: The camp fire and nudie run that sparked Carlton’s finals revival
The Blues were reeling for two months, then one quick trip down to Ed Curnow’s place proved the catalyst for two months of form that has players and fans believing that anything is possible.
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Maybe it was the cleansing moment.
Around the Carlton camp fire which helped spark the club’s remarkable run, someone raised the idea of going for a dip in the dam at Ed Curnow’s place.
So, with their season on the brink, the squad of Carlton players stripped down and took a leap of faith together in the muddy waters to a reignite a season, which somewhat extraordinarily could yet deliver a fairytale finish like Western Bulldogs in 2016.
“It was great coaching to be honest to break up the program,” Curnow said.
“It was a good night, everyone camped out and did a bit of a nudie dash in the dam. And it wasn’t just me.
“Vossy is a pyro, he loves a fire and I don’t mind a beer, so I was taking a few photos of myself around the fire in that period where we couldn’t win a game.
“It sparked something for ‘Vossy’ and he said ‘Lets get the boys down and have a fire’. It was circuit-breaker, a chance to get out of the city.”
Since then, Carlton look like the form team of the competition alongside Melbourne, who the Blues will tackle on Saturday night at the MCG in a genuine title fight.
Win that against the Demons, and the Blues could be considered premiership favourite.
What an extraordinary turnaround for a club in car crash mode only two months ago amid chat of alleged player infighting and searing pressure on the coach.
In contrast, a quick glimpse into the locker room on Sunday evening suggested the Blues are buzzing after posting the best win under Voss to come from behind to pip St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.
That is seven wins on the trot for the first time in 23 years. One more from their next three games and the Blues play finals for the first time in a decade.
What happens in September, if they get there?
Curnow, who played a special part in the win setting up his brother’s brilliant snap and chest-pounding celebration in the thrilling final term, said a fairytale flag was not beyond them.
They have just got to keep the momentum rolling.
“All we have done is create so much belief in the group,” Curnow said.
“In that six week period we didn’t win a game – that was really tough.
“But as a group to come out of that together, it just shows we are capable of anything.
“The ‘Doggies’ did it in 2016 (premiership). Collingwood got on a run last year.
“Hopefully, it is our time.”
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon called the second-half mauling from the Blues an annihilation. An obliteration.
The Blues won the clearance count by 24 and dominated the game in their front half against an exhausted St Kilda defence.
And they did it with the Saints effectively double-teaming Charlie Curnow to help keep the superstar forward quiet.
Not forgetting the wretched run of injuries to star players Adam Cerra and Mitch McGovern.
But was anyone surprised when Ed Curnow had eyes only for his brother, Charlie, the moment he went on to the field as the fourth-term sub and bombed it long to the top of the goalsquare?
The ball sailed to the Coleman Medal leader, who threaded a clutch snap from a tight angle, sending Blues’ fans wild.
Charlie Curnow tugged at the jumper, and the Blues’ fans’ heart strings. They have done it tough this year, the fans.
They have done it hard for a decade. But who predicted this?
And Curnow’s special snap wasn’t the only magic moment in this one.
There was Paddy Dow’s perfectly-weighted running goal after spending an eternity in the VFL this season, the blazing run down the middle from Jesse Motlop, the towering strength from intercept king Jacob Weitering and the tide-turning third quarter from re-signed big man Tom De Koning.
Patrick Cripps was all heart, again, with 11 clearances. Weitering played the game like he had a ladder out there, plucking seven intercept marks.
And Zac Fisher exploded in a new half back role. Maybe, he might stay, if he is happy with his new home in defence?
For Curnow, these are exciting times for a man who has been through all sorts of heartbreak over his 218-game career at Carlton.
And of course the 32-year-old was going to kick the ball to his brother with that crucial first touch in the last term.
Even Voss said, laughing, “It wasn’t going to anyone else”.
Ed Curnow said: “I was a little bit rattled because I had just come on but yeah, it was always going to Charlie.”
“He doesn’t let you down.
“To play a small part in the team today, and to have that opportunity to connect with my brother like that, it is pretty exciting where the group is at.
“I still love playing the game, and I want to enjoy it when I get the opportunity. I’ve got to play to my strengths and who knows what can happen.”
Against Melbourne on Saturday night, the question is whether the Blues will have the midfield might to match it against arguably the best engine room in the game, with jet Clayton Oliver in-line to rejoin Christian Petracca and Jack Viney.
The Saints, as hard as they tried on Sunday in the first-half pouring on blistering defensive pressure, don’t have the same onball quality as Carlton or Melbourne.
Lyon said he tried everything, even throwing the man dubbed the “magic potion” Jack Sinclair in the middle to fix the onball problem and spark something in the clearance hammering.
But the Blues are the ones on a roll.
And there is plenty of character and grit in this sensational turnaround.
Twelve months ago, the Blues missed finals by the narrowest margin after spending the whole season in the eight, only to be booted out by Jamie Elliott’s heart-stopping set shot from the boundary at the death against Collingwood.
That night, Voss said the Blues had to use the incredible hurt to be better, more resilient, and more prepared for the big moments in games in 2023.
And they are.
But Voss said as tough as last year’s punishing exit was, the Blues currently had their heads in the present moment, and the challenge which awaits against Melbourne.
“We are keen to tell what our ‘now’ story is,” Voss said.
“Not what was last year and what happened six weeks ago, we are done with looking back.
“We are looking forward.
“We take those lessons with us, they clearly come with us because you find yourselves in those same situations again and you find yourselves thriving in those situations which come from exposure.
“There is no other way.
“We have gone through a bit of that together and that is our story to tell.”
BLUES OVERRUN SAINTS TO WIN SEVENTH STRAIGHT
By Ronny Lerner
Carlton’s spectacular resurgence continued on Sunday after they fought back from 22 points down early in the third quarter to extend their winning streak to seven matches against St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.
The game looked to be safe in the Saints’ keeping when Max King booted his second goal to put them up by 22 points shortly after halftime, but the undermanned Blues kicked the last six majors to steamroll St Kilda in the second half and win by 19 points.
Coach Michael Voss revealed post-match that he had made his mind up to sub out Paddy Dow when scores were level seven minutes into a pulsating last quarter.
He had to scrap those plans when Dow ran to 35m out directly in front and split the big sticks at the seven-minute mark of the last term to put the Blues in front for the first time since the first quarter, sending Carlton fans into delirium. The goal earned Dow a stay of execution, and instead Lachie Fogarty was subbed out.
“I’m going to confess, he was actually going to be the sub and he kicked a goal and we sort of thought, ‘Nup put that away, get someone else’,” Voss smiled post-match.
“So I’ve got to put my hand up for that one. He finished it magnificently well, it was such a great goal.
“I thought the crowd might have tore down the stands if I actually subbed him, so I thought we better leave him on and see whether he can finish it off.
“But what a great moment to be able to take that moment and be able to finish it the way that he did.
“Guys like him and ‘Fog’ (Fogarty), I’m so impressed with their persistence through disappointment. Clearly they want to be AFL players.”
The 10.13 (73) to 8.6 (54) result catapulted Carlton up to fifth on the ladder and within touching distance of a finals spot, which is remarkable considering they were in the bottom four after round 15. To qualify, they probably only have to win one of their last three games against Melbourne, the Suns in Carrara and GWS.
Michel Voss’s men headed into the match without Adam Cerra (hamstring), Sam Walsh (hamstring), Harry McKay (knee), Matthew Kennedy (knee), Mitch McGovern (hamstring) and Jack Silvagni (knee), but they defied those key outs to run over the top of the Saints.
Carlton headed into the match without Adam Cerra (hamstring), Sam Walsh (hamstring),
“It was certainly one of, if not the best win, since I’ve been here,” Voss said.
“The manner in which, at halftime, to be asked the question and be put under so much pressure from the opposition – the Saints brought some serious heat, especially in that second quarter.
“So they asked a lot of questions of us, and I think there’s something in it when a team can absorb pressure, and it wasn’t all going for us, to be able to reset at halftime and then be able to come out and correct a few things and go to work on that, it says a lot about the group, says a lot about their mindset and where they’re at, says a lot about their confidence they’ve got, says a bit about their belief in our system, and thankfully we were able to turn it around and our second half was compelling.”
St Kilda will finish the round in seventh spot, and to make the finals, they will probably have to win two of their last three games against Richmond, Geelong and the Lions in Brisbane.
Carlton absolutely spanked St Kilda in the clearances (44-24), especially in the second half (22-8), and the first 34 points from stoppages after halftime (5.4) all went to the Blues.
Carlton also dominated the contested possessions 140-125, which allowed them to comfortably win the inside 50s (53-41).
Star St Kilda defender Callum Wilkie (21 disposals and 10 marks) did a great job of keeping Charlie Curnow to one goal, but the Saints backline were just overwhelmed by the volume of forward entries in the second half.
For Carlton, Nic Newman was brilliant again with 33 disposals (10 contested) while Zac Fisher relished his new role off half-back, racking up a career-high 31 touches
Jacob Weitering was a huge presence down back again as well, ending with 16 possessions and 10 marks (three contested).
St Kilda were best served by Wilkie and Brad Crouch who produced another outstanding performance in the middle with 31 disposals (13 contested), nine tackles, seven clearances and a goal.
SAINTS OWN FIRST HALF
Carlton doubled St Kilda for insides 50s early (8-4) but failed to capitalise, and the Saints made them pay by kicking the first two goals. The Blues shrugged off their early inaccuracy (0.3) and, powered by eight of the first 11 intercept marks, grabbed a three-point lead late in the first term.
But after kicking four goals in a row, the Saints burst out to a 21-point lead early in the second quarter. It took the Blues 18 minutes to register their only score of the term – a converted set shot from Jesse Motlop.
St Kilda’s fast ball movement and ferocious pressure troubled the Blues badly. The Saints smashed the Blues for tackles in the first half 53-33, and it led to numerous skill errors from Carlton as six of St Kilda’s first seven goals came from turnovers.
ST KILDA SQUANDER CHANCES
St Kilda’s lead at halftime really should’ve been 28 points rather than 22. Jack Higgins’ handball to Jade Gresham, who was running into an open goal 10m out, had too much power on it and missed its target.
Moments later, Dan Butler appeared to do enough to earn a holding-the-ball free kick after tackling Carlton’s Ollie Hollands – so much so that Mattaes Phillipou stopped when he grabbed the loose ball, assuming a free kick had been paid. But the umpire waved play on. And then on the halftime siren, Rowan Marshall dropped a chest mark 40m out directly in front. The Saints would come to rue their failure to find one last goal in the first half, because Carlton ran amok in the last two quarters.
MOTLOP GOES FOR A RUN
Carlton speedster Jesse Motlop kicked one of the goals of the day midway through the third quarter when he took two bounces through the middle of the ground and unloaded from 49m out to cut the Saints’ lead to 15 points.
SAINTS 3.1, 7.2, 8.3, 8.6 (54)
BLUES 2.4, 3.4, 6.7, 10.13 (73)
LERNER’S BESTSaints: Wilkie, Crouch, Wood, Sinclair, Marshall. Blues: Newman, Fisher, Acres, Weitering, Cripps, Docherty, Motlop.
GOALS Saints: Butler 2, King 2, Marshall, Higgins, Crouch, Phillipou. Blues: Motlop 2, Acres 2, Martin, De Koning, Owies, Cuningham, Dow, C.Curnow.
UMPIRES Donlon, O’Gorman, Chamberlain, Rodger
VENUE Marvel Stadium
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
LERNER’S VOTES
3 Nic Newman (Carl)
2 Callum Wilkie (StK)
1 Brad Crouch (StK)
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