AFL Round 11 Carlton v GWS: All the news, analysis and fallout as the Blues fall to 4-7
On the back of a player-driven camp, Carlton famously went on a second-half streak in 2023. But, after Saturday’s loss, is there any coming back for this team? Glenn McFarlane takes a closer look.
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Michael Voss desperately needs to find a circuit-breaker as he attempts to revive a frustrating Carlton season teetering on the brink as his team limps off to a bye with sapped confidence, plenty of head-scratching and an alarming 4-7 win-loss ledger.
But with their 2025 campaign hanging by a thread after a wasteful 28-point loss to an undermanned (in midfield terms) yet undeterred Greater Western Sydney, defender Sam Docherty insisted that the Blues were up for the fight ahead.
“It was a frustrating day, it feels like a bit of a tale of our season,” said Docherty, who had a game-high 30 disposals after a strong return to form following a stint in the VFL.
“The bye comes at a good time to be honest.
“It is important that we get an individual break … (to) spend a little bit of time away from footy, and collectively reset and come back for the second half of the year energised.
“We’ve got a group that loves working hard.”
The cold, hard reality facing Carlton is that it will likely need to win nine of its last 12 matches – with an ever-evaporating margin for error – if they are to make it through to September.
The Blues famously went on a second-half streak at the back end of the 2023 season after sitting at four wins, a draw and seven losses at the midway stage.
That fightback was partly forged out of a player-driven camp to former Blue Ed Curnow’s Torquay property – complete with nudie run and campfire bonding sessions – which took them from a seemingly hopeless position into a Gabba preliminary final.
Docherty maintained the team’s form now is better than it was at this same stage of 2023, but he concedes some tinkering needs to be done over the bye to kick-start a fightback.
“I feel like we have less holes in our game at the moment (compared to two years ago), but obviously the win-loss (record) is not what we want,” he said.
“We will get to work. We will take the lesson out of this and reset after the bye and attack the second half of the season.”
To have any hope of playing finals –- and the chances get slimmer by the week – Voss and his team must fix a myriad of issues that have plagued the Blues for most of this season.
Where do you start?
The Blues haven’t been awful, but the fact they have won only four games (including one against a side in the top eight) proves they haven’t been good enough in many key facets.
Their skill execution is cutting them up; their erratic forward entry work is part system, part decision-making and part delivery; their star-studded midfield at times lacks run and energy; and their labour-intensive style tires the Blues players almost as much as its frustrated fans.
Add to that, their inability to shut out opposition superstars which hurt them badly for a second week in a row.
Last week it was Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner; this week it was milestone man Toby Greene, who turned in a best afield performance splitting plenty of midfield time with three goals.
And the Blues’ strength all season – a solid defensive profile – stumbled as the Giants helped themselves to 110 points – only the second time they have conceded 100 or more this year.
“We are doing a lot right, but ultimately we are missing some crucial parts of the game, which has cost us too many times of late,” Docherty said.
“We’ve been defending really well, but we obviously let them score a bit too much, and it kind of felt every time we got back in the game, they would kick an easy one.
“To be honest, our efficiency inside 50 has been a theme for the season.”
Asked about the reason for the Blues’ inefficiency going forward, Docherty said: “It’s a little bit of everything – there’s decisions, there’s skills, there’s system.’
“We obviously have two really strong targets (Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay) down there and sometimes that kind of draws your eyes and draws the defence.
“Finding ways around that, and when to lower our eyes and when to attack those contests is a challenge.”
The next four games look winnable on paper – Essendon, West Coast, North Melbourne and Port Adelaide – but unless the Blues find a circuit-breaker to fix their efficiency issues (and this time we’re not talking about a return to Ed Curnow’s campfire) you wouldn’t pencil them in as certainties.
Match report: ‘Bruise-free’ Blues let Greene run their season into the ground
– Tyler Lewis
It is going to take some of Michael Voss’ finest coaching from here.
Carlton’s 2025 season is on the canvas after a weakened GWS sunk it further behind the ledger on Saturday afternoon.
The Blues regularly had the game in their grasp but failed to apply any realistic scoreboard pressure and were beaten heavily on the outside.
Giants’ skipper and milestone man Toby Greene was the biggest thorn for Carlton, running bruise free through stoppages and inside 50.
Greene finished his 250th game with a match-defining three goals and 28 disposals.
The Blues looked livelier when Voss swung defender Mitch McGovern forward but he’ll need more moves like that to steer the now 4-7 Blues to September.
Voss says featuring in September is “absolutely” still the objective but after another disappointing loss – it’s not the first item on his agenda.
“Absolutely, for us, it’s about impact in the season and I think we’ve got enough there to suggest that we can get after our second half of our season,” he said.
“But we’ve also got some challenges we need to take care of, drifting into September right now is – as you can imagine – probably the furthest thing from my mind.
“It’s taking a break, getting a rest, coming back together, putting the problem on the table and solving it together collectively as a group.
“Resetting ourselves, bringing new energy and getting after it – and that’s what we’ll do.”
THAT’S A COACH KILLER
It took just 20 seconds of slack defending to put a dent in Carlton’s strong third quarter.
The Blues had trimmed the Giants’ then game-high lead of 17 back to single figures with less than a minute left on the clock.
But Carlton failed to lock the Giants down at the centre bounce and then inside 50, leading to forward Jake Riccardi storming into an open goal.
SAFE OR SCARED?
The role of an AFL umpire has become increasingly difficult in the wake of the Lachie Schultz concussion incident.
GWS Giant Toby Bedford was wincing in pain and holding his right collarbone when the central umpire stopped play in the middle of the ground.
But, much to the disdain of the Carlton supporters at Marvel Stadium, Bedford eventually shrugged it off and attended to the next stoppage.
Former Geelong player and agent Liam Pickering was scathing of the hold up on match-day radio.
“You don’t stop the game because someone’s got a bruised shoulder,” he told SEN.
AIR ALEER
He’s the competition’s best ring-in.
GWS defender Leek Aleer reinforced why he belongs at AFL level with a strong showing against Carlton’s potent tall forwards on Saturday.
The third-year Giant has rarely played a bad game on the senior stage but has been stuck behind star defensive duo Sam Taylor and Jack Buckley.
Aleer showed composure when he had the ball and was a constant threat in the air.
He’s played just 13 games for GWS but it’s easy to see why there’s interest in Aleer from both the Giants and their rivals.
FOR WALLSY
It was a touching tribute from the big Blue.
Superstar goalkicker Charlie Curnow picked the perfect time to add to his highlight reel as the Blues celebrated legend Robert Walls.
The Blues fans started to applaud the late Walls at 12.42PM and quickly rose a decibel when Curnow kicked his side’s first goal of the afternoon.
Curnow received a handball inside the centre square and off one step launched it over the goal line.
It was a great reward for Curnow after his strong start – and an even better tribute to ‘Wallsy’.
The crowd was in applause to honour Robert Walls.
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) May 24, 2025
Charlie Curnow honoured in his own style with one from outside 50.
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Scoreboard
CARLTON 5.1 6.6 9.9 12.10 (82)
GWS 5.2 8.4 12.5 17.8 (110)
GOALS
Blues: Curnow 3, Fogarty 2, Cripps, Hollands, White, Docherty, Motlop, Lord, Cerra
Giants: Hogan 4, Greene 3, Riccardi 3, Brown 3, Cadman 2, Ward, Briggs
BEST
Blues: Docherty, Cripps, Walsh
Giants: Greene, Ash, O’Halloran, Briggs
INJURIES
Blues: nil.
Giants: nil.
TYLER LEWIS VOTES
3 Toby Greene (GWS)
2 Sam Docherty (Carl)
1 Lachie Ash (GWS)
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Originally published as AFL Round 11 Carlton v GWS: All the news, analysis and fallout as the Blues fall to 4-7
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