AFL 2023 Richmond v Carlton deep dive: Blues must get better at ground level to help talls
Jack Martin had only six possessions in the season-opener and he hasn’t polled a Brownlow vote in two years. Where is his career at?
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Michael Voss knows he has one of the most imposing twin tower setups in the league.
Charlie Curnow produced some third-quarter magic to hold off Richmond’s charge and if Harry McKay had not slipped when Lochie O’Brien looked to hit him on the chest in the final two minutes the Blues would likely have won the season-opening encounter over Richmond.
But it is not what happened in the aerial battle which will keep coach Voss up at night this week.
For Carlton to take the next step this season and secure its first finals berth in nine years - capitalising on one of the most talented lists in the competition - the Blues must also find a way to win the ground-level war.
ROBBO: TIGERS SHOULD BE KICKING THEMSELVES FOR LETTING THAT SLIP
On Thursday night, the Blues’ defence may have been valiant under the weight of Richmond momentum, somehow keeping the Tigers to only 58 points from 66 entries inside 50m.
Lewis Young played the game of his life to deny Jack Riewoldt and surely deserves to be in the Brownlow Medal votes for his brilliant intercept marking, especially in the first half.
But it is in the forward half of the ground where some of the small men go to work that Carlton can take a significant stride forward this season.
And in particular, turning up the tackle pressure to a point that the Blues refuse to let the ball outside of their forward half of the ground, helping create repeat entries for the superstar talls in Curnow and McKay.
Because the reality is if the ball spends the majority of the time being kicked to the big fellas, Carlton is going to win more than it loses in 2023.
But what was clear after the pulsating season-opening draw is that the Blues have work to do in this area.
SCROLL DOWN TO RECAP EVERY MOMENT AS IT HAPPENED
Richmond won the forward-half intercept battle by a huge margin on Thursday night with Richmond dialing up the heat to register 37 forward-half intercepts to the Blues’ 15.
The forward-half pressure index showed Richmond (177) well on top of Carlton (157). The Blues lost the tackle count overall by 17 against a team which had more possessions, according to Champion Data.
Coaches will tell you on repeat this season the territory battle is key in AFL. Not only do teams have to get it in there, they have to keep it in there.
That small forward pressure game is how Richmond ignited its premiership dynasty and it has been undersold how important Brad Close and Tom Atkins were to the Cats’ premiership triumph last season.
So when Voss wakes up for his crumpets and coffee on Friday morning, he will see the Blues were not only out-marked in the forward 50m (11-5) they were also out-tackled (16-11) in the inside 50m arc.
Which is where the focus will be this week ahead of their round two clash against Adelaide.
“What it says is clearly we lost the territory battle. I think it was 40 per cent in our half and 60 per cent in theirs,” Voss said.
“So the dominance of inside 50-s, 66 to 45 - that is a massive number and that is by clear dominance and a lot of forward half ball.
“All those numbers went against our way.
“So what that means is how do we get the ball in our half and how do we keep it there? That is the first thing.
“But when we bring it out our (back) half we need to be far more efficient than what we were.”
The Blues won the centre clearance battle 10-6 as Blue George Hewett made a strong statement in his return from a back injury and new Tiger Tim Taranto won plenty of the footy in his first game for the Tigers but at times was inefficient.
And this is where the balance of the Carlton squad will come into question because we know the midfield group and two marking targets, plus in-demand ruckman Tom De Koning are all the highest quality.
But at ground level is where there can be major growth in 2023 as the Blues try and taste their first finals action since Michael Malthouse was coach.
Jack Martin had only six possessions in the season-opener after an interrupted summer dealing with a calf complaint.
And as much as we talked about the massive price tag which helped Carlton cheekily take him through the preseason draft, the reality is Martin has not polled a Brownlow Medal vote in the past two seasons and has not yet been used in the Blues’ midfield.
There is maybe a debate whether he will come under selection pressure, for all the talent.
Jack Silvagni is a handy third forward, taking a big contested mark early in his 100th game.
But when Carlton made the call to keep Ed Curnow as a heart-and-soul veteran in a small forward role, it showed how much it valued not only the workhorse utility, but also his leadership.
But perhaps also they rely on the 33-year-old to still bring the forward pressure in a small forward line featuring up-and-comers Matt Owies, Jesse Motlop and Zac Fisher. Corey Durdin and Josh Honey are in the wings.
The Blues’ recruiting team has focused heavily on this area after missing out on jet swan Tom Papley a few years ago, and Motlop, 19, has star factor.
But physically, Motlop is a long way off his prime.
The Blues’ top pressure act player in the competition last year was Sam Walsh (ranked 42) and the only other player in the top-100 was Patrick Cripps.
Walsh will make a big difference when he returns in a month or so, but the interesting question remains whether Carlton has an elite-level defensive tackle pressure player for its forward half?
And whether that is a growth area or a concern in 2023?
Richmond was buoyed by the defensive pressure in its round one clash but the execution was the major headache as the club blazed away in front of goals.
But Hardwick was happy with the Richmond DNA.
“Our system was strong and our pressure number was 1.88 which was elite, so we were happy with that part of the game, but it was the fundamentals of the polish inside 50m that probably let us down,” he said.
‘FLAT AS S***’: CLUTCH LYNCH FORCES CRAZY DRAW IN EPIC FINISH
- Ed Bourke and Dan Batten
A heaving MCG crowd has been left in disbelief after Richmond and Carlton drew in a pulsating season opener.
The margin never increased beyond 14 points during a clash that began in dour fashion but roared to life in the third quarter as Richmond laid down the gauntlet to the Blues.
Some brilliance from Charlie Curnow, who desperately soccered a goal to give Carlton a seven-point lead, was cancelled out by a missed set shot from Shai Bolton and a terrific overhead mark and goal from Tom Lynch with 17 seconds remaining.
The draw was the first between the two clubs since their semi-final epic at Waverley Park in 1972.
Tim Taranto was a consistent force in the middle for Richmond on his club debut, gathering 32 disposals and eight tackles, while Lewis Young was excellent in defence for Carlton with several crucial one-on-one wins against Jack Riewoldt and Lynch.
Dustin Martin had the huge crowd heaving when he feasted on a dropped mark by Mitch McGovern and used his trademark burst to snap a goal within 20 seconds of the opening bounce.
But it took Zac Fisher only 25 seconds to answer him, with his own clever left-foot snap across his body putting the Blues on the board for 2023.
Richmond key forward Jack Riewoldt said both sides were “flat as shark s---” in the rooms, describing the mood as a weird feeling.
“Everyone is a bit flat as shark s--- at the moment,” Riewoldt said on Fox Footy post-match.
“We felt we played the game on our terms… but we probably didn’t make the most of our opportunities tonight.”
HARDWICK: BOLTON WILL LEARN NOT TO RUSH SHOTS
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick says star forward Shai Bolton must improve his conversion forward after missing a crucial set shot snap in Thursday night’s pulsating draw.
The Tigers had 21 more inside 50s than Carlton but scores were left tied after new Blue Blake Acres grassed a high ball in the Blues’ forward line in the dying moments at the MCG.
Hardwick said he was happy with how the team defended and operated in the midfield with new recruits Jacob Hopper and Tim Taranto.
But he said Bolton’s crucial fourth-quarter miss from a set shot snap from straight out in front was symbolic of the Tigers’ night.
“He practices those a lot, he’s probably got to get better at it,” Hardwick said.
“Probably for mine, he probably rushed it a little bit.
“He could have had more time, got his breath and been a little bit more relaxed with his shot.”
Hardwick said the Tigers would go to work on their conversion this week ahead of their round two clash against Adelaide in Adelaide.
“We just lacked polish. We had seven missed shots on goal, we kicked four on the full, we had a couple of sodas in front,” he said.
“I will have a look at how the game looks overall but I think the polish is the one thing we can take out of it.
“We were really happy with our system and our defence. We kept them to a really manageable score, we just couldn’t capitalize when we needed to.
“That’s missed shots on goal, and the other thing was just being clean going inside 50m.”
Hardwick said he backed players to make their own call on what sort of shot they should kick.
“We want the player to take the responsibility with the way they shoot at goal,” he said.
“Someone of my era (it was) a drop punt for sure.
“These days the players practice those but they have got to execute, that’s the reality of it.
“You live and die by the sword.”
"For mine, probably rushed a little bit".
— 7AFL (@7AFL) March 16, 2023
Dimma talks through Shai Bolton's missed snap in the fourth quarter.#AFLTigersBluespic.twitter.com/shRa6Z872k
Carlton will rally around new Blue Acres after his dropped mark in the dying seconds cost the Blues.
After crossing from Fremantle last year, Acres had the chance to be the hero of the season-opener with scores locked when a high ball came his way in the final moments.
But Acres grassed the mark and was devastated on the final siren as the two sides played out an enthralling draw.
It was the second late golden chance the Blues had to seal the game after a Mitch McGovern mark on the last line of defence helped release Lochie O’Brien on a run down the wing.
But the attack was thwarted as Richmond then rebounded the ball and found Tom Lynch who kicked a clutch set shot goal from about 25m out to tie scores with 17 seconds left.
It was the third harrowing close result for the Blues who missed the finals on the back of heartbreaking defeats to Melbourne and Collingwood in the final fortnight of last season.
RIOLI GETS IT COOKING
Only five goals had been scored in the previous hour of football when Toby Nankervis attempted an ambitious switch kick across halfback early in the third quarter.
The TIgers ruckman missed his target, but Daniel Rioli scooped up the ball and tore through the middle of the ground, burning three chasing Blues and using excellent vision to set Shai Bolton on goal in an electric passage of play.
The speed and physicality of the game visibly increased after that goal, with the next five majors following in only 10 minutes as both teams sensed an opportunity to hurt each other with quicker ball movement.
Charles off the deck!#AFLTigersBluespic.twitter.com/Fx577EjJ15
— AFL (@AFL) March 16, 2023
TWIN TALLS TROUBLE TIGERS
Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow were the only reasons Carlton remained in the game amid Richmond’s third quarter onslaught.
Curnow halted the Tigers’ momentum after three consecutive goals when he managed to mark overhead deep in attack surrounded by yellow and black jumpers, and followed with a second goal two minutes later after McKay crashed a pack and the ball spilled into his path.
McKay’s kicking was awry but his speed and strength constantly tested Richmond’s undersized defence, with the big forward easily tossing aside Tigers strongman Noah Balta for a mark but failing to convert.
JACK OVER THE PACK
Jack Silvagni’s milestone match could not have got off to a better start, with the forward soaring over Noah Balta for a huge mark in the pocket seven minutes into the first quarter.
The 100-gamer converted his tight shot from the pocket to put the Blues ahead, and while it was a quiet night for him overall Blues fans would have been pleased by his confidence in the air.
Silvagni will have a fight on his hands this season to keep his spot from Marc PIttonet, with it made clear at selection last year the 25-year-old was vulnerable if the Blues wanted to play two specialist ruckmen.
Silvagni soars ✈ï¸#AFLTigersBluespic.twitter.com/BigkRAjlIE
— AFL (@AFL) March 16, 2023
SCOREBOARD
TIGERS 1.4, 2.4, 7.8, 8.10 (58)
BLUES 3.1, 4.6, 6.9, 8.10 (58)
BOURKE’S BEST
Tigers: D Rioli, Taranto, Martin, Graham, Nankervis, Prestia.
Blues: Young, Hewett, Docherty, McKay, C Curnow, Saad.
GOALS
Tigers: Lynch 3, M Rioli 2, Martin, Riewoldt, Bolton.
Blues: C Curnow 3, Fisher, Silvagni, McKay, Owies, Docherty.
UMPIRES Gavine, Gianfagna, Meredith, Whetton.
INJURIES Tigers: None. Blues: None.
CROWD 88,084 at the MCG
BOURKE’S VOTES
3 D. Rioli (Rich)
2 T. Taranto (Rich)
1 L. Young (Carl)
RECAP ALL THE ACTION FROM OUR BLOG
9:55PM IT’S A DRAW
WOW. WOW. WOW.
A massive contested mark from Tom Lynch and cool set shot levelled the scores with 17 seconds left on the clock.
The Blues were able to get the centre clearance, but a dropped mark from Blake Acres just inside the centre square saw the Blues run out of time as they neared a shot on goal.
How good is footy, hey!
Scores level.
— AFL (@AFL) March 16, 2023
17 seconds to play.#AFLTigersBluespic.twitter.com/QrBsAgxo8M
Richmond v Carlton draws.
— Rhett Bartlett (@rhettrospective) March 16, 2023
Rd 3, 1893
Rd 1, 1960
Second Semi Final 1972
Rd 1, 2023#AFLTigersBlues
9:48PM TIGERS SQUANDER CHANCES
‘Ugly.’
That was the word Channel 7 commentator Brian Taylor used to describe the optimistic set shot taken from the boundary by Jack Ross, which sailed straight out of bounds on the full.
It was another squandered opportunity after Shai Bolton snapped a set shot from 30m directly in front and shanked it for a behind to put them exactly a goal down.
Will these two chances cost the Tigers dearly?
9:40PM CURNOW EXTENDS LEAD
A tense score review but the result is a goal!
Charlie Curnow looked to be out of the contest but when the ball spilled out the back, he stuck out a leg and soccered it just before Tiger Noah Balta to extend his side’s lead to seven points halfway through the final term.
9:31PM DOCH GOES BANG
A monster roost from Sam Docherty!
Docherty pleased the Blues faithful and his SuperCoach owners, plucking an intercept mark and then going BANG from well outside 50, giving the Blues the lead with the first goal of the last quarter.
It brought back memories of his famous goal in the corrsponding fixture last year, which came in his first game after recovering from cancer.
Doc launches one to put the Blues back in front 🚀#AFLTigersBluespic.twitter.com/I0zST8APnK
— AFL (@AFL) March 16, 2023
9:16PM - 3QT RICH 7.8 (50) leads CARL 6.9 (45)
There was plenty happening before the siren sounded — Maurice Rioli Jr with claret coming from his head, Lachie Cowan off getting his hamstring worked on and Marlion Pickett and Lachie Cowan being tactically subbed out..
The Tigers broke the game open with five goals to two in the third term and it looks set to be a cracking final term.
Can the Blues turn the tide?
For the KFC SuperCoaches out there, Dan Rioli leads the way with 93 points, while popular picks Sam Docherty (85) and Tim Taranto (81) have fired.
But Jacob Hopper has struggled, scoring just the 41 points with a quarter left to go.
Both sides have activated their substitutes.@Richmond_FC - Jack Ross replaces Marlion Pickett.@CarltonFC - Lochie O'Brien replaces Lachie Cowan.#AFLTigersBlues
— AFL (@AFL) March 16, 2023
9:14PM LYNCH IGNITES TIGERS
Tom Lynch has put the Tigers on his back this quarter.
The spearhead has booted two majors and taken two big contested marks and is starting to get on top of his opponent Lewis Young.
Although a great diving effort on the goal line from Young saved a goal as Lynch looked to have slotted his third for the quarter.
8:56PM CURNOW GOES BACK-TO-BACK
Curnow had been unusually quiet as Dylan Grimes held him to just five first-half disposals, but the Coleman medallist has kicked two goals in a row to give the Blues the lead back.
A contested mark brought up his first goal of the game and a crafty snap saw him add a second in a row.
Curnow's got a couple now as the Blues make a run.#AFLTigersBluespic.twitter.com/a0iSP4qLQ9
— AFL (@AFL) March 16, 2023
8:50PM TIGERS BACK IN FRONT
Richmond is back in the lead after three goals in the first seven minutes of the second half.
The Tigers’ forward stars Jack Riewoldt, Tom Lynch and Shai Bolton have all slotted majors since the main break and their midfield has started to get on top.
8:23PM HT - RICH 2.4 (16) trail CARL 4.6 (30)
The Blues take in a 14-point lead at the main break, with a scrappy Matt Owies goal in congestion giving them the biggest margin of the game.
Carlton has restricted the Tigers — one of the best offensive sides last season — to a mere two goals to halftime and Damien Hardwick’s men will have to lift after the main break.
Tim Taranto had been a ball-magnet with 19 disposals but has racked up six clangers, keeping him to 39 SuperCoach points.
8:03PM AIR BOLTON
It’s taken Shai Bolton less than an hour to take another mark of the year contender!
The Richmond high flyer has soared into the skies once again, this time leaping on top of ruckmen Tom De Koning and Toby Nankervis.
The mark had shades of his 2021 screamer against the Cats in the goalsquare, only he didn’t quite reach the stratosphere on this occasion.
Bolton has been all class up forward for the Tigers, pulling out the party tricks moments after his grab with a shimmy and a long, looping handball to set up another scoring opportunity.
Another year, another Shai Bolton hanger.#ImLovinIt | #AFLTigersBluespic.twitter.com/78K4QuDsM2
— AFL (@AFL) March 16, 2023
7:49PM QUARTER TIME - RICH 10-18 CARL
The quarter started with some Dusty brilliance and ended with a Dusty mongrel.
A breakaway and clever pass from Shai Bolton with seconds left on the clock just outside 50.
Dustin Martin in his prime would have easily made the distance, but now at age 31, he pulled out the torp for the kick after the siren which looked ugly off the boot and fell just short of the line.
The Tigers will rue missed opportunities in that quarter but it has been an even contest overall.
Blues ball magnet George Hewett is up to 11 disposals, while trade duo Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper have combined for 14 disposals in their first quarter in yellow and black.
Jack Riewoldt leads the way in KFC SuperCoach with 40 points at quarter time.
7:36PM GAME HEATING UP
This game is moving at breakneck speed and it is a hot Sherrin with plenty of pressure being applied from both sides.
Richmond has had the run of play in the last five minutes but haven’t made it count on the scoreboard, with Lynch spraying a close set shot to narrow the margin to two points.
A shoutout to debutant Ollie Hollands, who won a 1-on-2 contest deep the Tigers’ attacking 50 in one of his first touches in AFL footy.
7:25PM DUSTY KICKS FIRST IN STYLE
Dusty slots the first of 2023!
The Tigers superstar made the best possible start to life in his new forward role, getting a fortunate bounce after a dropped mark from Mitch McGovern and snapping truly as he so often does.
The Blues responded moments later with a classy Zac Fisher snap, making it a goal apiece inside the first minute.
Dusty kicks us off in 2023!#FootyOhWhatAFeeling | #AFLTigersBluespic.twitter.com/p2Qgze6BLr
— AFL (@AFL) March 16, 2023
7:05PM BLUES DEBUTANTS
Draftees Ollie Hollands and Lachie Cowan will debut tonight for the side they grew up barracking for.
Voss said at his press conference on Wednesday that Hollands will be used on a wing, while the line-breaking Cowan will play as a defender.
Both showed great signs during the pre-season and enjoyed strong draft years in 2022.
Life, hey 💙 #AFLTigersBluespic.twitter.com/csXFlpcZ2c
— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) March 16, 2023
6:55PM BIG CROWD IN AT THE G
There are plenty of eager footy fans piling through the turnstiles.
Herald Sun newsbreaker Jon Ralph expects 85,000 fans to attend, and there is sure to be some long lines at the MCG.
6:25pm SUBS NAMED
No late changes for both sides. Jack Ross and Lochie O’Brien will start in the green vest tonight.
5:43PM HOW MCG TURF IS LOOKING
The MCG looks an absolute treat ahead of the hotly anticipated season-opener - thanks to a major repair job.
The state of the home of footy was completely different a week ago as staff set out to replace the turf after Ed Sheeran’s blockbuster concert at the venue on March 3.
The MCG surface looks stunning. Ticked off by the AFL’s grounds inspection team. AFL and MCC thinking a sold out game will probably bring about 85,000 fans on a glorious autumn night given there are always reserved seat holders who don’t attend. @FOXFOOTYpic.twitter.com/ndTqKvgWsV
— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) March 16, 2023
Has enough changed at Carlton to make them contenders?
As Carlton supporters prepare to dust off their navy blues for another season, there is one pressing question on their lips – can this year finally be the one the Blues make finals?
The Blues missed out on a finals berth by the skin of a Sherrin last year, but there are heightened expectations in coach Michael Voss’ second season in charge.
Now armed with the reigning Brownlow and Coleman medallist, the spotlight is on the Blues to end their 10-year finals drought.
These are some of the key talking points for the Blues ahead of their 2023 campaign.
NEXT STEP
Where does the improvement come from this season for the Blues?
Voss said this week that the Blues were “still growing” and consistency and performing under pressure would be keys to taking the next step in the club’s ambition of “sustainably playing finals”.
“We are still trying to increase our capacity in all areas, whether that is running, whether that is contested ball, whether that is playing offence, defence, we are still trying to add capacity into our group,” Voss told AFL 360.
“The main thing for us last year was our consistency. Any time we felt that we lost our way was because we just didn’t stick to the roles we were given and we just didn’t stick to the system that we are trying to implement.
“There are a lot of reasons for that, some of it is in our infancy in our first year (together).
“What we are about is not necessarily changing anything, what we need to do is make it stronger and we have to do it underpressure.”
Carlton midfielder Matt Kennedy said the Blues had the belief their best was good enough, but their growth would come from greater consistency.
“We’ve spoken a lot about raising our floor and just being more consistent with our habits,” Kennedy said this week.
“That’s day to day with the way that we train and professional habits.
“So I think that’s where we’ll get a lot of growth. We know and we believe our best is good enough, but it’s just consistency at times that got us last year.“
Carlton great Mark Maclure was confident the Blues could crack the top-eight this season, saying they would have been stung – and learned – from their late-season fall last year.
“I watched them last year and saw some great improvement,” Maclure said.
“The biggest problem they had was they just failed in the last two games. They would be upset with (that).
“You have got to have some character and you have got to stand up and you have got to do all those little things that make a difference and they just rushed everything instead of … doing it properly and all being on the same page.
“I’m sure that Vossy would have been able to give them a workout in that.”
FORWARD FORCE
Last season, Carlton fans finally got a look at just how good Charlie Curnow and his forward partnership with Harry McKay could be.
After three injury-hit seasons, Curnow propelled himself to the top of the goal kicking table to claim the Coleman Medal with his 64-goal season alongside McKay’s 45.
Given he had played a combined total of 15 games in the previous three seasons, Curnow’s rise pushed him right to the top of Herald Sun chief football reporter Mark Robinson’s pre-season predictive top 50.
Maclure said 26-year-old Curnow’s true talent remained “untapped” and his partnership with McKay was every bit as strong as the Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron double-act.
But he said the next step for Curnow was backing it up.
“He has got so much talent, you have got no idea … he is untapped at this stage, still,” Maclure said.
“He would be a nightmare to play. He is quick, he is tall, he jumps, I’ve seen him do some things that I have never seen anyone do, kicking goals from the boundary on the turn and you go ‘What? Can’t be done’.
“So he has got a really good highlight reel but it’s about consistency and getting it done all the time.”
Voss said humility would be the key to Curnow taking the next step in his game.
“For him to be able to do what he did last year after the footy that he had missed, in some ways it was quite extraordinary,” Voss said.
“He is an excitement machine and he ignites the crowd. He is obviously a very important player to us.
“For Charlie, the thing that will get him through this year in some ways is just humility, the reality is that it can be taken off you in a heartbeat. He should know that more than anybody.
“If he stays with that humble approach … and he knows that tomorrow ‘I can get beaten’ he will be a fantastic footballer as long as he maintains that mindset.”
BROWNLOW BEAST
If there was ever any doubt over Carlton captain Patrick Cripps’ standing as one of the best midfielders in the AFL, it was shattered when he claimed the league’s highest individual honour last year.
After one of the most dominant starts to a season seen in recent memory, Cripps also cemented his status as the top Blue with his fourth club best-and-fairest award.
Returning to his best as a clearance animal, Cripps averaged an elite 7.7 clearances and 28 disposals a game.
But Maclure is confident 27-year-old Cripps can still elevate his game.
“I think he is getting better,” Maclure said.
“I just think he has actually worked out how to play and how to do it properly and that there is an art in playing in the midfield and winning the ball.
“Don’t forget he is 6’5, he is not a small midfielder, he is a monster.”
RUCK N ROLL
There is set to be plenty of discussion surrounding the future of the off-contract Tom De Koning at the Blues this season.
The exciting 23-year-old 201cm ruck-forward looms as a sought-after signature in the AFL market.
Marc Pittonet, 26, is expected to be the Blues’ starting ruckman this season, but Maclure backed De Koning to take over his post as the No. 1 ruck this year.
“De Koning …. he’ll play in the ruck I reckon,” Maclure said.
“I think Pittonet is there to be used, but he is not a dynamic force. He tries his best.
“Tell me who is the greatest ruckman in the competition? Max Gawn. So he gets kicks all around the ground and all that sort of stuff.
“De Koning can do that, but he’s not quite up to that standard as yet with his age and size and weight.
“He might have grown again and I’m sure he would have put some weight on this year and I reckon in the next couple of years you will see a really good player.
“If you give him the top spot, I don’t think he wants to go anywhere.”
NEW LAYERS
The Blues added former Dockers wingman Blake Acres during last year’s trade period and the impact he can make in the midfield will be crucial early on in the season with young gun Sam Walsh (back) sidelined.
Maclure said the early-season absence of Walsh was a “huge” loss for the Blues, but said the acquisition of the 193cm Acres was a positive.
“It will be a good test for someone else to come in and take a role,” Maclure said.
“They have got Blake Acres who will help. Acres is a good pick-up, another tall midfielder so that will help.
“You must have a powerful midfield if you are going to win a premiership.”
Carlton has wasted little time in bringing fresh blood into the team, naming the club’s first two picks in last year’s draft – Ollie Hollands and Lachie Cowan – to make their debuts in round one against Richmond.
Kennedy said the young pair “definitely deserve” their early call-up.
“Ollie will bring that running game to us. He’s an extremely talented runner and is also tough when he needs to be so he’ll add a lot to our wing stocks,” Kennedy said.
“Big ‘Cow’ is a very competitive guy and he’s been one of the most consistent performers out on the track.
“They know they just have to play their role. They don’t need to do anything special but they’re cog in the chain.”
Originally published as AFL 2023 Richmond v Carlton deep dive: Blues must get better at ground level to help talls
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