AFL 2022: Inside Carlton’s plans to climb the ladder under Michael Voss

Liam Jones ranked fourth in the league for intercept marks last year. How will Carlton replace him in 2022? The Blues have revealed their defensive plans.

Carlton key forward Charlie Curnow is back in the fold for the Blues this year. Picture: Michael Klein

Carlton has a whole new team this year — at least off the field.

New coach Michael Voss has surrounded himself with a brand-new set of assistant coaches who are hoping to help lead the Blues back up the ladder with some fresh ideas.

We spoke to each of Carlton’s new defence, midfield and forward coaches to find out their plans heading into 2022.

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Carlton coach Michael Voss has a vision for the Blues. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Defence

The Blues’ biggest weakness last year was its defence — and not just the back-six.

Carlton conceded the second-most points against of any side last season and ranked 15th in the competition for opposition scores per inside-50.

This was despite key defender Jacob Weitering having an outstanding campaign which saw him finish second behind Sam Walsh in the club’s best-and-fairest.

Weitering also logged the second-most spoils of any player in the league last season and the fifth-most intercept marks.

Teammate Liam Jones ranked fourth in the league for intercept marks and ninth for spoils.

Jones departed the club at the end of last year, leaving a major hole in the key defensive posts.

However, defensive coach Aaron Hamill is confident that former forward Mitch McGovern will be able to help fill it.

“We know Gov’s going to come back down there,” Hamill said.

“Lewis Young’s come across from the Dogs. We’ve got Oscar McDonald and Jacob Weitering down there as well in terms of key backs.

“Gov’s got really good skills, we know that he’s quite clever by foot, he’s really crafty with his bodywork. He’s a real powerful athlete, really good in the air, really good on the ground. We’re starting to get some synergy back there with the two keys in Oscar and Jacob mainly. He (McGovern) will play that mid-tier.”

Mitch McGovern has moved into defence this year. Picture: Getty Images

Caleb Marchbank also looms as a virtual recruit for Carlton this season, with the 193cm defender having not played at AFL level since Round 16, 2019, due to a series of injury issues.

Zac Williams is set to slide back into a more permanent defensive role after being used through the midfield last year, while Liam Stocker is also likely to remain as part of the back-six despite suggestions he be moved onball.

Hamill said a stronger full-ground team defence would be key for the Blues this year as the club tries to get “some respect back” after missing finals each of the past eight years.

“We want to avoid the one-on-ones when we can and be a system-based team defence,” Hamill said.

“We just need a better relationship with ball in hand and the way we defend. We talk about an 18-man system a lot with the ball and without it. It’s more the synergy that we need to really work on.”

Carlton wants Jacob Weitering and the Blues backs to have less one-on-one contests with a stronger team defence. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Midfield

Twelve months ago, losing Sam Walsh to injury for the first month of the season would have been a devastating hammer blow for Carlton.

This year it clearly still hurts, but a bolstered midfield group means there is far greater cover.

Former Fremantle midfielder Adam Cerra and former Sydney onballer George Hewett found their way to Princes Park during last year’s trade and free agency period and have quickly found their feet in the Blues’ midfield.

Both impressed in the club’s practice match against St Kilda and will have a big say in Carlton’s fortunes this year.

“Adam and George have added a lot of depth to our midfield,” midfield coach Tim Clarke said.

“They’ve hit the ground running. Their ability to set up around contest and stoppages, their ability to push through whether it be conditioning or football drills, they’ve led the way since they arrived and they’ve really made those around them better.”

Recruit Adam Cerra has hit the ground running at Carlton. Picture: Getty Images

The arrivals of Cerra and Hewett take some of the pressure off captain Patrick Cripps, who has had a strong pre-season after looking beaten up at stages last year and carrying a back injury.

“Paddy’s been fantastic,” Clarke said.

“He’s trained really well all pre-season, he’s moving as well as I’ve seen him move, he’s competing in our contest drills.

“He’s setting a really high standard.”

Carlton’s focus over summer has been on contested ball, something new coach Voss thrived on during his playing days with Brisbane, but something that was lacking for the Blues last season.

Carlton ranked 15th in the competition in both contested-possession differential and groundball differential last season.

After the bye, it also ranked 17th for clearance differential.

“Our contest method’s been a big focus over the pre-season and that’s how that looks around the ball but it’s also how we set up behind it and in front of it,” Clarke said.

“That will help us win more contested ball. It will also help us defend and attack from it.”

Forward

Carlton’s forward line was its clear strength last year.

The Blues ranked No.3 in the competition for scores per inside-50, largely thanks to key forward Harry McKay’s Coleman Medal-winning campaign.

But there is still much room for improvement, particularly around pressure.

Carlton ranked 15th for forward-half pressure factor last season.

“We certainly want to turn the ball over in areas that allow us to capitalise on the opposition being displaced in their defensive set up because they’re in attacking mode,” forwards coach Ashley Hansen said.

“The closer towards goal you are to do that, you can get some easy scores.”

Carlton has missed Charlie Curnow for most of the past two years. Picture: Michael Klein

The Blues lost small forwards Eddie Betts and Michael Gibbons at the end of last season, but believe they still have a healthy mix of smalls who are ready to step up and take their opportunities.

The list includes Zac Fisher, Corey Durdin, Matthew Owies, Josh Honey, Lachie Fogarty, Jack Martin and Sam Philp.

“It’s super competitive there for a small forwards position,” Hansen said.

Having been thrown around the ground in the past, Carlton is keen to settle Jack Silvagni as a third-tall forward option and an occasional back-up ruckman this year.

Brodie Kemp, a first-round draft pick in 2019, played in defence in his first two AFL games at the end of last year and trained with the backline over summer.

However, Kemp has also shown his ability to provide a marking option in attack in recent weeks and is seen as a potential swingman.

Brodie Kemp will be a swingman option for Carlton this year. Picture: Getty Images

But the biggest excitement for Blues fans centres around the return of Charlie Curnow this year, who has played just four AFL games in the past two years due to injury.

Only two of those matches at the end of last season came alongside fellow key forward McKay.

“I think they’re going to complement each other really well with their natural way they approach the game with Charlie’s running capacity and Harry’s ability to position and time and mark it at the highest point,” Hansen said.

“They’re just going to keep defenders accountable when there’s two targets down there. They haven’t played much together so it’s going to be really exciting down there.”