Carlton’s four assistant coaches detail their plans for 2021 as the Blues look to break finals drought
Marc Murphy looks set to spend most of his time forward in 2021 to add extra experience to Carlton’s attack. Can it be a move that gets the Blues into finals?
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A new season brings renewed hope for Carlton as the club strives to break an eight-year finals drought in 2021.
Chris Cavanagh spoke to each of David Teague’s four assistant coaches to find out how the Blues are shaping across the field — and where the improvement is going to come from.
FORWARDS
Marc Murphy the midfielder is no more.
Expect the former captain to spend the “majority” of his time as a forward this season, in what shapes as a new-look forward line.
“He (Murphy) brings great leadership,” Carlton forwards coach Cameron Bruce said.
“We haven’t got an overly experienced forward line that have played a lot of footy together, so you need to have those leaders down there to really connect the group and that’s what he’s doing.”
The most experienced campaigner in attack is 331-game veteran Eddie Betts, who may not play every game this season but has not put a “ceiling” on how many matches he will play.
“We’ve seen with a number of senior players in the twilight of their career, if they’re enjoying their footy, they’re positive, they can keep going for a long period of time,” Bruce said of the 34-year-old.
“Just ask Shaun Burgoyne.”
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Competition for spots among the small forwards is such that Michael Gibbons has been squeezed out for the time being.
Recruit Lachie Fogarty looks to have replaced Gibbons and the former Geelong forward could not have impressed his coaches more in the side’s pre-season hit-outs.
Against St Kilda, Fogarty had only 14 disposals and didn’t kick a goal but he logged a game-high five tackles inside-50, an aspect the Blues value highly.
“(That is) an outstanding number for an individual and he created scores,” Bruce said.
“His job description as a small forward is to make the most of your opportunities offensively but you need to apply a significant amount of defensive pressure.”
Zac Fisher, who Champion Data rates as an “elite” player, will also have more of a permanent forward role this season, adding a different dynamic with his pressure, creativity and goal-sense.
With Charlie Curnow (knee) to miss at least the first half of the year, a lot sits on the shoulders of fellow key forward Harry McKay when it comes to marking targets.
But Mitch McGovern, and potentially even recruit Oscar McDonald, could also play roles in that area.
Former Melbourne defender McDonald kicked two goals against St Kilda after only having a one-day crash course training with the Carlton forwards.
“We’ve got confidence that he can come in and play a role if required,” Bruce said.
MIDFIELD
The Blues didn’t have a problem winning the ball last year, particularly in the back half of the season.
A side that aims to lock the ball in their front half, Carlton ranked fifth in the competition for time-in-forward-half differential across the 2020 season.
The problem was the connection with the forward line lacked at times – and that has been a key focus area over summer.
From Rounds 12-18 last year, the Blues had the fourth-most inside-50s of any team but ranked 17th for goals per inside-50.
“When we first came back and reviewed the season as coaches, that was one of the things we looked at,” midfield coach Brent Stanton said.
“There were different aspects why we didn’t connect and we’ve certainly worked on that over the pre-season. If we can convert two or three more of those inside-50s which we may not have last year, it’s going to go a long way to helping us score a lot more and win a few more games.”
Stanton looks to have won the battle for the services of recruit Zac Williams, who is set to play a key midfield role this season and impressed onball in the AAMI Community Series against St Kilda.
“Unfortunately we won’t have him for Round 1 (due to suspension) but he’s definitely shown over the pre-season what he can provide for our midfield,” Stanton said.
“He’s shown some really good flashes and will add some experience to our midfield group.”
Co-captain Patrick Cripps had a good year in 2020, but did not reach his heights of 2019.
However, judging by his pre-season, Carlton expects a return to career-best form from the star onballer.
“He’s a character that always wants to get better so I have no doubt he’ll get to where he wants to get to,” Stanton said.
“He’s driving this group like never before. That’s the culture that these guys have started to bring to the football club.”
The Blues see one of their biggest strengths as being fitness.
Last year, they ranked 15th for first half total-points differential at -96 points but ran out games strongly, coming in ninth for second half total-points differential at +35 points.
“The fitness staff have done a great job in getting these guys to peak performance of fitness that we’re going to run out games and play an exciting brand,” Stanton said.
DEFENCE
For the first time in a long time, there will be no Kade Simpson in the Carlton defence.
But the Blues are confident his legacy will live on in some of their young players.
“One of the things Kade did particularly well in his last couple of years – particularly with Tom Williamson, Sam Petrevski-Seton, Caleb Marchbank and Nic Newman – was investing really heavily in those guys,” defensive coach Dale Amos said.
“So hopefully their growth on field is attributed to what he’s been able to do the past couple of years.”
The Blues have replaced Simpson with a similar type of player in former Essendon defender Adam Saad.
And with the introduction of the AFL’s new man on the mark rule, Saad could have a bigger impact than ever before as a dashing rebounding defender.
“Particularly with the new rules, he becomes a real weapon for us with his ball use and his overlap out of the back half,” Amos said.
“We’re really excited that he brings that to the table and we’ve been really impressed with how good he is in the contest.”
Fresh off his first club best-and-fairest win last year, the Blues think there is still plenty of upside in 2015 No. 1 draft pick Jacob Weitering.
“There’s no doubt he can get better,” Amos said.
“He’s really embraced playing on the key forwards and getting the job done on them. He’ll continue to grow and push his game and his pre-season has been as good as it’s been any other year.”
Defensively, the Blues had some troubles last year, ranking 14th for opposition points from turnovers.
But that has been addressed, not just among the defenders but also with other players up the field.
“It’s less about the defenders and more about our ability to be able to defend well as a team,” Amos said.
“We got a lot a lot of forward 50 tackles (against St Kilda) which is an encouraging sign for our forwards and we’re seeing some improvement in guys like Paddy Dow and Sam Walsh with their ability to be able to defend through the midfield as well. So as a collective, that’s what we’re working on to try and limit the damage in transition. There’s been some growth in that over the summer and hopefully we can do that consistently.”
STOPPAGES
The Blues are entering the season with only one fit recognised ruckman in Marc Pittonet.
But emerging young ruck Tom De Koning will be given more opportunity once he returns to the field from a back injury that will delay his start to the year.
De Koning played seven of the last eight games last season, five of them in combination with Pittonet.
“I’m sure there will be (more opportunity) for Tom and what’s great is we’ve got two rucks who are both very good and different in their own ways,” stoppages assistant coach John Barker said.
“Pitto’s a super aggressive ruckman and Tom’s obviously got a great leap and great athleticism. So they do complement each other really well.”
The Blues will again build their game around contest and hope to further improve in that area.
Carlton ranked sixth for contested-possession differential last season, third for groundball differential and fifth for clearance differential.
Winning the stoppages is key to being the front-half team the Blues strive to be.
“We aim to be a front-half team, there’s no doubt about that,” Barker said.
“Some of our ability to get the ball inside our front half and keep the ball inside our front half comes from contest.
“It (contest) is key to our game but we’ve got to be able to have a really good balance with the contest. We have at times committed too many to the contest and then not had a good enough balance around the contest. So our ability to get the balance of inside and outside right is going to be critical for us.”
Cripps won’t hold Blues hostage over contract
- Jay Clark
Carlton superstar Patrick Cripps says he will put the club first when it comes to signing a bumper contract extension with the Blues.
The hulking ballwinner also threw his support behind suspended recruit Zac Williams and declared this will be the year Mitch McGovern delivers for the Blues after a career-best pre-season.
The Blues will attempt to notch their first win in 11 attempts against Richmond in the Round 1 blockbuster season-opener, with Cripps adamant there was no mental hurdle for Carlton to climb to get the win over the reigning premier.
He is one of the top free agents on this year’s player market worth more than $1 million a year but Cripps, in a massive boost for Carlton, indicated he wasn’t about to get greedy on his next deal despite league-wide interest in his services.
“You want what is best for the club, so it is about how we are we going to put ourselves in a position to be a good club, and a great club, going forward for a long period of time,” Cripps told the Herald Sun.
“Once you get up there, you want to stay up there.
“Going through it all, there is no rush. It (contract extension) will happen, it’s just a matter of making sure we have got all the details (sorted).”
The Blues will be without Williams, who was rubbed out for his high bump on Saint Hunter Clark in the opening stages of the loss to St Kilda in the AAMI Community Series.
But Cripps said the dashing midfielder would not be admonished for the act, even though it is a huge blow for his new side in the season-opener.
“It’s a tough one, because he’s grown up playing footy and has been encouraged to be physical, so I actually didn’t see that as undisciplined,” he said.
“It was just a reaction, and I think he was unlucky.
“It was his first game, he was geed-up. He’s got a chance to be physical with an opposition player and it’s not ideal.
“I think it sets a bit of a precedent now for the whole year. If you make contact to the head you are going to get a week.
“Whereas last year I think it was more outcome based with concussion, or guy getting knocked out. So I just hope now every case is similar to that.
“We would love to have him out there, but I think he will be ready to put on a show round 2.”
McGovern is expected to miss next Thursday night’s clash against the Tigers with a hamstring strain.
He has endured an up-and-down start to his new life as a Blue, but Cripps was adamant the club’s faith in the swingman would be repaid.
“It is the best I’ve seen him since he’s been at the club, he is just such a powerful player,” he said.
“You watch him at training, he is so skillful and he is so powerful, and he has worked very hard on his body the past couple of years so personally I think this is his year.
“We are confident in him, but he has got to get the job done, and we need him to do that and he needs to do that.”
Carlton hasn’t beaten Richmond since the 2013 elimination final but Cripps said the Blues didn’t face any mental demons against the all-conquering Tigers.
“We are due. You want to play the best,” he said.
“For us to build some momentum it would be nice to knock them off but we are going to have to be at our best to beat them and I’m definitely excited by the challenge
“I don’t think there is a mental hurdle though.
“We have been through a developmental stage and they have been through an era where they have been the best team for the past four years.
“If you go back and look at the Round 1 games there have all been pretty close, but I think we are in a really good position, and I think we have had a really good pre-season.”
SEASON PREVIEW: BLUES FANS DONE WITH EXCUSES
- Chris Cavanagh
Are the Blues finally cooking something, or are they on track for an eighth-straight season without a finals appearance?
The fate of the club always tends to rest in Patrick Cripps’ hands, but maybe the Carlton list manager has an even greater task ahead this year.
Chris Cavanagh’s six people who will define the club in 2021:
NICK AUSTIN
If there is one thing Carlton can’t afford to lose this year it’s the club’s co-captain Patrick Cripps. Having your skipper as a free agent and out of contract at the end of the season is a problem and one that Austin – the Blues’ head of list management – will be working feverishly behind the scenes to try and resolve. All indications are Cripps wants to stay, but there will continue to be questions and doubt until he signs on the dotted line given his links to his home state of Western Australia. If the situation drags on too long, it will become a major distraction for the club.
ZAC WILLIAMS
He came to Carlton on a deal some saw as excessive, but the Blues will be hoping the financial outlay on the former Greater Western Sydney speedster pays off. Williams averaged just 16.9 disposals from 11 games last season largely playing as a rebounding defender. But the Blues think he can add depth and spend more time in their midfield. Still in his prime at 26 years old, it will be interesting to see exactly just what role Williams plays and if he can become a consistent midfielder. His pace and line-breaking ability will give the Blues a different look if he can deliver.
ANDREW RUSSELL
Key forward Charlie Curnow is too big an asset to be sitting on the sidelines. Russell – Carlton’s director of high performance – along with his medical team have the big job of getting Curnow fit and ready to return to the field. At best, that does not look like happening until the second half of the season after ongoing knee issues which have meant Curnow has not played since Round 15, 2019. But if the Blues can get a fit Curnow roaring in the second half of the year, he might just be able to spearhead a return to finals football.
PATRICK CRIPPS
By his own admission, the Carlton co-captain had an “all right” 2020 season but knows it was not his best. He averaged 19.7 disposals a game (down from 28 in 2019), 5.9 clearances (down from 8.5) and polled only 10 Brownlow Medal votes (down from 26). If Carlton wants to climb further up the ladder this year, it’s going to need Cripps to again rise to his peak – which is up there with the best players in the competition.
HARRY MCKAY
With Charlie Curnow still sidelined for at least the early part of the season, a lot is going to be on the shoulders of big Harry as the key forward in attack again this year. The 204cm monster kicked 20 goals from his last 10 games last season, his consistency and confidence growing by the week. The Blues will hope that finish to 2020 acts as a springboard for a big 2021, because without McKay firing in the forward line there are not too many other recognised targets that are going to help Carlton kick a winning score.
ADAM SAAD
The Blues did not cough up the money they did for Williams to secure Saad, but they did pay a price by giving up pick No.8 in a trade with Essendon. Like Williams, Saad is a speedster and line-breaker who should help provide some serious drive off half-back and ranked fourth in the competition last year for long kicks. He can also be a relatively handy lockdown player on small forwards. If Saad can replicate what he has done at Essendon in recent years, the Blues will look completely different in the back half.
BEST 22 FOR ROUND 1
B: Lachie Plowman, Liam Jones, Caleb Marchbank
HB: Sam Docherty, Jacob Weitering, Adam Saad
C: Marc Murphy, Ed Curnow, Sam Walsh
HF: Jack Martin, Charlie Curnow, Jack Newnes
F: Zac Fisher, Harry McKay, Eddie Betts
R: Tom De Koning, Patrick Cripps, Zac Williams
Int: Sam Petrevski-Seton, Mitch McGovern, Will Setterfield, Levi Casboult
CHAMPION DATA SAYS
Good: The Blues ranked fourth for both time in forward half differential and turnovers created in their forward half last year as well as fifth for contested possession differential (+4.2).
Bad: From Rounds 12-18 last year, the Blues generated the fourth-most inside 50s of any side but ranked 17th for goals per inside 50 and 18th for shot at goal accuracy.
INS & OUTS:
In: Zac Williams (GWS), Adam Saad (Ess), Lachie Fogarty (Geel), Corey Durdin (national draft), Jack Carroll (national draft), Luke Parks (rookie draft)
Out: Hugh Goddard (del), Matthew Kreuzer (ret), Darcy Lang (del), Harrison Macreadie (del), Callum Moore (del), Finbar O’Dwyer (del), Fraser Phillips (del), Cameron Polson (del), Ben Silvagni (del), Kade Simpson (ret)
AFTER SIX ROUND
Two wins, four losses
Rd 1 v Richmond (MCG) - L
Rd 2 v Collingwood (MCG) - L
Rd 3 v Fremantle (Marvel) - W
Rd 4 v Gold Coast (Metricon) - W
Rd 5 v Port Adelaide (MCG) - L
Rd 6 v Brisbane(Marvel) - L
Coach David Teague is unlikely to send AFL fixturing boss Travis Auld a Christmas card this year. The Blues meet the top three teams from last year’s ladder as well as a Collingwood side they haven’t beaten since 2017. Last year they went 3-3 to start the year and still missed finals. It’s a long way back if you go 2-4.
EXPECTED FINISH
9th to 12th
The Blues are determined to return to finals for the first time since 2013, but it’s hard to see it happening. They went 7-10 last season and five of the wins came by seven points or less. There should be some improvement on the back of recruiting Zac Williams and Adam Saad, but not having Charlie Curnow for at least the first half of the season doesn’t help.
ROBBO’S LIKES AND DISLIKES
Herald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson tackles the Blues.
LIKES
Added speed and talent (Adam Saad and Zac Williams) between the arcs — and they needed it. Won seven games last year and lost 10, six by fewer than three goals. So natural improvement in the youngsters, plus recruits, plus you would hope a more consistent brand of play and finals are not beyond the Blues.
Patrick Cripps had a shoulder op over the off-season — let’s hope he gets back to his general status — and Sam Docherty will flourish if he doesn’t get the forward stopper, and with Saad there, Docherty might get relief. Harry McKay has Travis Cloke-type traits and this season should see him elevate his game. There’s a bit to like about the Blues, but not a lot to love and that has to change.
DISLIKES
Carlton fans have had enough. I say finals football is not beyond them, but fans would say finals are a necessity. The Blues have had time, they’ve had the picks, they’re bringing in free agents, so no excuses really.
Have to fix the obscene amount of run‑on goals they give up and that comes down to the coach implementing defensive strategies, more so defending the turnover. For example, who’s their defensive mid, a la Trent Cotchin and Scott Pendlebury? They won’t play finals if David Teague and the team don’t correct their defensive flaws.
A little concerned about their ability to score. McKay kicked 21 in 13 games, Levi Casboult 16, Jack Newnes 13, Jack Martin 12 and Michael Gibbons 11. Is that a qualifying final forward group?
VERDICT
Eighth.
BURNING QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Herald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson joins Fox Footy experts Nick Riewoldt, David King, Leigh Montagna and Jordan Lewis to give their Carlton predictions for 2021.
ROBBO: There is a real buzz around Carlton, but do you think they deserve it? They bring in Zac Williams, they bring in Adam Saad and everyone is thinking we’re going to watch them charge through the MCG in September. Is it that simple and do they have the game style to get them there?
ROOEY: I think they do, and I think they’re going to be the big story of 2021 whichever way it goes. If they get rolling and they turn into a bit of a juggernaut again, they’re a big club so they’ll be a massive story. And if it goes the other way, they’re going to be a big story because the heat will come. I think now they’ve turned that corner where they’ve got enough players, they’ve recruited for now and they’ve got enough talent within their list to make a big impact. I’m going down the positive path with Carlton. I think they’re going to have a big impact on 2021.
JOEY: I’m a little bit more sceptical than Rooey. Their sweet spot is now. I went through their best 22 and 14 of them are going to be 27 or older. They are not young anymore, so if they don’t play finals this year, where are they at as a club?
ROBBO: Where do they play Tom De Koning when he returns from injury, Jordan?
JORDAN: Good question, and where do they play Mitch McGovern? I watch Carlton play and I think they work too hard so they defend one on one, which is hard. They’re doing a lot of kilometres unnecessarily because their system isn’t in place. I think their biggest improvement is how do they set up forward of the ball and do they go with three big talls? Because I feel like that’s their Achilles heel.
JOEY: And you are not going to get the best version of Charlie Curnow in 2021.
KINGY: So who is Charlie Curnow? He’s played 58 games and in 37 of those he’s kicked one goal or less. Only seven times has he kicked two or more goals, and he was mooted as the No.1 player in the competition. He hasn’t played since June 2019, so it’s a lot to carry on one guy that he has to be the answer. And everyone says when he comes back, we’re going to go.
JOEY: Question for you, Robbo. Is Patty Cripps’ best football ahead of him or behind him?
ROBBO: I think behind him.
JOEY: Rooey?
ROOEY: I think it can be in front of him because I think when you talk about the recruitment of Saad to halfback, Newman back at halfback and if Williams can go into the midfield, I think that support will mean Cripps will be able to take a bit of that burden off himself.
ROBBO: Verdict, Rooey?
ROOEY: I’m glass half full now on Carlton. Big story either way, but I think they’ll play finals.
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Originally published as Carlton’s four assistant coaches detail their plans for 2021 as the Blues look to break finals drought
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