AFL Carlton v Fremantle: Blues set to welcome back several key players in next fortnight
Carlton is set to be bolstered significantly in the run home. Michael Voss gives an update on when several stars will return.
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Carlton is set to be bolstered by multiple returning stars over the next fortnight after keeping itself firmly in the top-four race with a “signature win” over Fremantle.
A dominant midfield performance propelled the Blues to a 31-point triumph in front of a buzzing home crowd at Marvel Stadium, with coach Michael Voss hailing the win his side’s best of the season.
After being belted by Richmond in the contest and territory stakes the previous week, Carlton won the inside-50 count 64-40 and finished on top in clearances 44-30.
“I was incredibly proud of them, the way they attacked the game,” Voss said of his players.
“You could probably excuse them for not getting a lot of confidence out of the first half when the scoreboard wasn’t taking over … but they were going about it the right way.
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“We expected Fremantle would … return serve on us but for us be able to get into that arm wrestle and be happy to live in that space for a while just showed huge growth.
“I think it was our best performance, clearly, for the year. To play all phases well for the entirety of the game I thought was really impressive.”
Voss said the way his side went about the game against a quality opposition would provide an enormous injection of confidence entering the final eight rounds of the season.
The win over the Dockers was a 66-point turnaround on when the sides last met in Perth in Round 6, with Fremantle surging to a 35-point victory on that occasion.
“It was a signature win,” he said.
“If you want to get belief that was one of them, for sure. We’ve had moments where we’ve been on and off and we haven’t been able to get a four-quarter performance. It wasn’t just against any side, it was against (third) on the ladder.
“They test you in every way and we got an audit on our system the last time that we played them. So to be able to go to work on that, work on our game, take feedback, there’s humility in that.”
Carlton’s 10th win of the season came as its injury crisis shows signs of easing.
Midfielder Adam Cerra (hamstring) is expected to resume full training on Monday as he eyes a return against St Kilda on Friday night.
Key defender Jacob Weitering (shoulder) has not been ruled out of a return against the Saints, but is more likely to line up against West Coast in Round 17.
“It’s a real small possibility,” Voss said of Weitering’s availability to take on St Kilda.
“He’s got a few milestones that he needs to tick off before we even entertain something like that. So I would have thought that the week after is a bit more realistic.”
Ruckman Marc Pittonet (knee) is also closing in on a return and is considered some chance to face the Eagles.
Code blue: Carlton blitzes Dockers to put top four on notice
— Marc McGowan
Any lingering doubt about Carlton’s bona fides can be forgotten.
How the Blues go in September remains to be seen, but their 31-point defeat of high-flying Fremantle had all the elements of a top-flight team.
The Dockers are a serious rival in 2022 – even in Melbourne, just ask the Demons – but Carlton largely made them look second-rate at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
After struggling to make a stingy Fremantle defence pay in the first quarter, the dam wall finally burst with five-straight Carlton goals in the second to set up a 10th victory for the season.
The Blues provisionally climb into the top four and within touching distance of playing finals for the first time in nine years.
They also still have Jacob Weitering, Adam Cerra, Zac Williams, Jack Martin and others to return from injury.
Carlton must still negotiate the likes of St Kilda, Geelong, Brisbane, Melbourne and Collingwood in the run home but continue to stack up quality performances.
Coach Michael Voss was critical of his side conceding 76 inside 50s against Richmond but afforded the Dockers barely half of that total a week later, while dominating the clearances.
The Blues’ midfield stood up in a big way, with Sam Walsh – who was comfortably best afield – Patrick Cripps, Matt Kennedy and George Hewett all prominent.
The relentless Walsh won 13 of his 40 disposals in the match-turning second term, in his latest standout display, adding seven clearances and 11 inside 50s.
Charlie Curnow helped himself to a game-high four goals against Dockers swingman Griffin Logue, after dropping some marks early, to help offset Harry McKay’s quiet afternoon.
For Fremantle, former Sun Will Brodie’s breakout season raged on with 36 touches, while Alex Pearce was outstanding against McKay.
But star veterans Nat Fyfe and David Mundy had dirty days that mirrored the Dockers’ fortunes.
Bringing the heat
The scoreboard didn’t show it at quarter-time but Carlton’s coaching staff would have loved the players’ intent.
The Blues had 15 inside 50s to Fremantle’s seven at that stage, helped by an extraordinary 11 tackles in their forward 50 that kept the Sherrin in their half for extended periods.
To put that number into context, Carlton was averaging only 10.6 per game this season.
Harry McKay, Jack Silvagni, Josh Honey, Jesse Motlop – who came in late when Matt Owies hurt his calf – Corey Durdin and Jack Newnes were among the contributors to the final tally of 17.
Milestone magic
The Blues handed Jack Newnes a lifeline in 2019 after St Kilda delisted him and he has proven a handy addition, even as Michael Voss’ men have gone from pretenders to contenders.
Newnes spent the first month of this season at VFL level but has played all bar one match since – he was managed in round 10 – as he brought up game No. 200 on Saturday.
The 29-year-old made a hot start then capped his performance when he marked a spearing Harry McKay pass and slotted Carlton’s fourth goal.
Newnes’ teammates swamped him like it was his first goal in AFL footy, ensuring the moment will take pride of place in his memory bank with his matchwinner against Fremantle in 2020.
BLUES 1.3, 6.5, 9.7, 12.9 (81)
DOCKERS 3.0, 4.2, 6.5, 7.8 (50)
McGOWAN’S BEST Blues: Walsh, Kennedy, C.Curnow, Docherty, Cripps, Hewett, Saad, Fisher. Dockers: Brodie, Pearce, Young, Darcy, Clark, Aish.
GOALS Blues: C.Curnow 4, Cottrell 2, O’Brien 2, McKay 2, Newnes, Silvagni. Dockers: Taberner 2, Colyer, Lobb, Schultz, Banfield, Henry.
INJURIES Blues: Owies (calf), Kennedy (corkie), Boyd (ankle). Dockers: None.
UMPIRES Rosebury, O’Gorman, Broadbent
VENUE Marvel Stadium
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
McGOWAN’S VOTES
3 S.Walsh (Carl)
2 M.Kennedy (Carl)
1 C.Curnow (Carl)
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