AFL Carlton v Melbourne: All the news and reaction from pre-season clash
The Teague Train might have derailed, but it’s all about the Voss Voyage in 2022. And they have the perfect chance to snap their Round 1 drought against the Tigers.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Watch out, Richmond.
The Teague Train might have derailed at Carlton last year, but it is all aboard the Voss Voyage which has taken off from port with a head of steam.
Yes, pre-season match results do not mean much.
Just ask Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin, whose side lost to the Western Bulldogs by 39 points in the AAMI Community Series last March and went on to cream the same team by 74 points in the Grand Final six-and-a-half months later.
Stream every match of every round of the 2022 Toyota AFL Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >
However, right now Carlton is everything it has promised to be under new coach Michael Voss.
And the way the Blues went about Thursday night’s five-point win over reigning premier Melbourne has to raise expectations for long-suffering fans.
Carlton could not be better placed to topple Richmond for the first time since the 2013 elimination final when it meets the Tigers at the MCG in Round 1.
That finals win came under coach Mick Malthouse and before current captain Patrick Cripps had even been drafted to Princes Park.
Consequently, Cripps has a 0-10 record in games against Richmond across his eight-year career.
The 26-year-old has also never played a final.
But if the skipper and his team keep performing like they did on Thursday night, it is not out of the question that the September drought could also be broken in 2022.
Carlton’s recruiting at the end of last year already appears to have hit the mark.
The club was on the hunt for midfield depth and secured two players in George Hewett and Adam Cerra who are not merely top-up midfielders, but are indeed first-choice on-ballers.
Hewett attended 24 centre bounces and had 33 disposals, seven clearances, six inside-50s and nine score involvements in just his second outing for his new side.
Cerra was not to be outdone with 30 disposals, four clearances, four inside-50s and seven score involvements.
Then there was a trim and fit looking Cripps who was moving as well as he has for years and had a monster game with 30 disposals, 10 clearances and four goals.
Together, the Blues on-ballers combined to dominate the Demons in centre clearances (20-9) and overall clearances (49-25), while they were also noticeably better in the contested ball count which Melbourne only narrowly won 153-150.
Carlton had ranked 18th in centre bounce clearance differential last year, 16th for overall clearance differential and 15th for contested ball differential.
It did not happen against a second-rate Demons midfield, either.
The premiership A-team of Max Gawn, Christian Petacca, Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney all played.
The contest dominance – a key focus over on the track at Princes Park all summer – helped Carlton play the forward-half game it has been striving for.
The Blues sat 10th in the competition for time in forward half last year, averaging 23 less seconds than their opponents at their attacking end.
Against the Demons, they won the statistic by a staggering 4 minutes and 47 seconds.
Don’t forget that reigning best-and-fairest Sam Walsh is still to come back into this midfield group to complete what looks like being an awesome foursome for Carlton this year.
The group shapes as the backbone of Voss’ plans to vault up the ladder.
LOVIN’ McGOVERN
Carlton has history reshaping inconsistent key forwards into standout key defenders.
Liam Jones spent half of the 2016 season in the VFL as he struggled to find consistency as a goalkicker at AFL level.
In 2017, he was reincarnated as a fullback, played some good football, earnt a new contract and quickly became a key pillar of the Blues’ defence alongside Jacob Weitering for the next five years.
If Thursday night’s showing against Melbourne is anything to go by, former forward Mitch McGovern is on track to follow a similar path.
McGovern kicked only six goals from five games in an injury-interrupted 2021 campaign, but looked at home in his new role in defence after spending the summer with new assistant coach Aaron Hamill’s backline group.
McGovern finished as the 10th ranked player on the ground as he logged 100 KFC SuperCoach points playing as an intercepting third-tall defender who had 19 disposals, 11 intercept possessions, took six marks and laid four tackles.
The 27-year-old looked as fit and hungry for the contest as he has been in his three years with the Blues and played a lot like his brother from West Coast, Jeremy.
“He just sees the game really well from behind the ball,” Carlton coach Michael Voss said of McGovern.
“We’ve got the benefit of being able to have some evidence across pre-season and he’s taken on that role, he’s really embraced that role, he wants to play there and play an important role within our team. Most teams are looking for that intercept type that can come off and mark the ball and he certainly provides some stability in the air and he uses the ball very well. So he’ll complement that back-six.”
FORWARD CONNECTION
One of the big question marks around Carlton coming into this year was if the small forwards could step up.
Eddie Betts and Michael Gibbons moved on at the end of last season, opening up some opportunities.
On Thursday night, we got an answer that there are some more than capable replacements in the wings.
Corey Durdin, Zac Fisher and Matthew Kennedy each kicked two goals, while Matthew Owies was also lively with one major.
It was not just the goals from the smalls that caught the eye, but also the pressure they brought.
Carlton laid an impressive 12 tackles inside 50 against Melbourne.
In their last game of 2021 against Greater Western Sydney, the Blues laid only one tackle in their attacking arc.
Durdin only played the first half, too, before coming off with a sore calf.
Talls Harry McKay and Jack Silvagni were rested for the second half, which meant Carlton’s forward structure also fell away a little after the main break.
However, the Blues look like being a dangerous forward group this year if the smalls can continue to impact alongside focal points McKay and Charlie Curnow and third-tall Silvagni
Four reasons why these Blues might actually be the real deal
— Chris Cavanagh, Ronny Lerner
No Sam Walsh, no problem. For now.
Carlton fans have four huge reasons to be happy on Friday after a shock pre-season win over reigning premier Melbourne – Patrick Cripps looks back to his best, recruit Adam Cerra has revealed a sparkling glimpse of his star billing, fresh face George Hewett is a ball magnet and the maligned Mitch McGovern has unleashed his inner backman.
Carlton’s new-look midfield shocked the Demons on Thursday night, emerging the victor in a head-to-head battle with the reigning premier’s rolled-gold on-ball brigade.
It has sparked renewed hope among Blues fans that they could win their first Round 1 match against Richmond since 2012.
Carlton dominated the centre clearances at Marvel Stadium, beating Melbourne 20-9 to play a forward-half game and win the pre-season clash by five points.
New Blues coach Michael Voss praised the Blues’ midfield — with fresh faces Hewett and Cerra linking up brilliantly with Cripps and Matthew Kennedy.
“It’s testament to the work they’ve put in with each other … to try and form that relationship,” Voss said.
“The premiers have got a fair on-ball brigade, they’re a pretty good bunch … we walk away today feeling quite pleased with what we saw.”
Cripps, who has battled through numerous injuries over the years, was the standout with 31 disposals (13 contested), 10 clearances, eight tackles and four goals, and Voss sent out an ominous warning to the rest of the competition ahead of the season.
“He’s moving very well, he’s dynamic and going to prove a real threat to the opposition,” Voss said.
New recruit Hewett was outstanding in the middle, finishing with 32 disposals (11 contested), seven clearances and nine score involvements, former Docker Cerra chimed in with 30 touches (11 contested), while Kennedy was huge as well with 37 possessions (15 contested), nine clearances, 10 score involvements and two goals.
In another huge lift for long-suffering Carlton fans, the maligned Mitch McGovern excelled as an intercept defender, more than ably plugging the gap left by Liam Jones.
“He’s taken on that role, he’s really embraced that role, he definitely wants to play there and play an important role within our team,” Voss said.
The win came despite forwards Harry McKay and Jack Silvagni (shoulder) being rested for the second half. Star forward Charlie Curnow and key defender Jacob Weitering sat out the game as Carlton looks to get them ready for Round 1.
Cripps says his team will take a lot of confidence out of a pre-season boilover against Melbourne.
The Blues scored a five-point win after leading by 33 points at the main break after a dominant first half in the AAMI Community Series match at Marvel Stadium.
Cripps led the way for the Blues, hitting the scoreboard with four goals among his 31 disposals and 10 clearances.
“I’ve had a good pre-season. It all starts the off-season,” Cripps said on Fox Footy.
“I went away, worked hard and it gives you a good base to attack pre-season. I’ve had a good run. I really enjoyed it. It’s only early but it’s a good little hitout before Round 1.
“I’m probably about the same (weight) to be honest. I’ve just had a clean run, which makes a difference.
“Although these games don’t mean that much, for a team like us we feel we’re on the way up so you always take confidence out of the wins and you want to play well all the time.”
DON’T PANIC, DEES
Demons coach Simon Goodwin described the game against Carlton, which saw his team trail by 45 points at one stage, as an “anomaly” but he wasn’t pushing the panic button and insisted the result wasn’t a reflection of his team’s hunger for more premiership success.
“We’re not going to jump at shadows,” he said.
In a boost for the Demons’ grand final rematch, Goodwin expected premiership defenders Steven May, Christian Salem and Michael Hibberd to all return.
But with Harrison Petty (calf) not expected to line up, Goodwin suggested the door was open for Adam Tomlinson and/or Joel Smith to cement a spot down back.
“It’s competitive for spots down there,” Goodwin said. “They both haven’t put a foot wrong.”
Rookie-listed player Daniel Turner experienced foot soreness against Carlton and was taken out of the game as a result.
NUGGETS OF GOLD
Another Carlton fresh face in former Bulldog Lewis Young linked up well in defence with Oscar McDonald.
With Eddie Betts leaving a gaping hole in the Blues’ attack after retiring last year, the lively Corey Durdin, Matthew Owies and Zac Fisher combined for five goals and showed Carlton might yet have some depth in the small/pressure forward role this year.
But Durdin didn’t reappear after half-time with what appeared to be a calf injury, putting his place in the team for Round 1 under a cloud.
Late in the third quarter, Tom De Koning flew high over Max Gawn’s shoulders to rein in a spectacular aerial chest mark. Unfortunately for the champion Melbourne ruckman, it means he will appear on yet another “poster”, having served as one of the AFL’s most prolific step ladders in recent years.
As for Melbourne, they would want to sharpen up significantly for their flag unfurling in the highly-anticipated grand final rematch against the Western Bulldogs in the season opener in 13 days’ time.
The Demons might have been missing almost their entire premiership backline in Steven May, Christian Salem, Michael Hibberd, Trent Rivers and Harrison Petty, but that didn’t excuse how messy and undisciplined they were for large periods.
Simon Goodwin’s men gave away a staggering eight 50-metre penalties – six of which, including a double, directly led to five Carlton goals.
Bayley Fritsch hasn’t missed a step from his career-best 2021 season, kicking a game-high five goals, while Melbourne usual suspects Max Gawn (23 disposals, 15 contested possessions and 28 hit-outs), Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca also stood out.
VOSS ON DOCHERTY
Carlton defender Sam Docherty has taken another big step towards making an inspirational return to the Blues’ senior line-up for their season opener against Richmond on March 17.
Docherty was diagnosed with a second bout of testicular cancer in August last year, and was forced to undergo another round of chemotherapy.
But he has since completed a strong pre-season and after racking up 38 disposals in the Blues’ VFL game on Thursday, new coach Michael Voss wouldn’t rule out selecting Docherty to take on the Tigers.
“He showed some really good signs today which was great to see,” Voss said after Carlton’s five-point pre-season win over Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.
“The first time I turned up (to the club) he was pretty determined to ensure that he was going to figure early in the season and he’s done everything possible to be able to put himself in that position.
“There’s probably been a few times where it didn’t look like that was going to eventuate, but it’s still a bit of wait and see, how does he pull up, get another week of training under his belt and then we can make some decisions from there.
“You would’ve seen in the pre-season how much they (players) love him and he’s obviously been a very important person to us over a long period of time, and that doesn’t change.”
If Docherty does get the call-up, he will join a rejuvenated Carlton line-up that managed to beat the reigning premiers in their final practice match.
BLUES 5.1, 10.3, 14.3, 15.8 (98)
DEMONS 2.3, 4.6, 9.7, 14.9 (93)
LERNER’S BEST Blues: Cripps, Kennedy, Hewett, Cerra, McGovern, Fisher, Newman. Demons: Fritsch, Gawn, Oliver, Petraca, Bowey, Lever.
GOALS Blues: Cripps 4, Durdin 2, Kennedy 2, Fisher 2, O’Brien, McKay, Owies, E.Curnow, Parks. Demons: Fritsch 5, Sparrow 2, McDonald 2, B.Brown, Gawn, Harmes, Langdon, Neal-Bullen.
INJURIES Blues: Durdin (calf), Silvagni (shoulder). Demons: Turner (foot)
VENUE Marvel Stadium
‘He can do everything’: Crows still at loss on Curtin’s role
After a standout pre-season, capped off by Friday’s performance against the Power, Dan Curtin ‘has demanded a spot in the side’. But where exactly does he fit in? HAVE YOUR SAY
SuperCoach special? New Dee reveals role, why he snubbed Eagles
From hangers for Geelong College to the VFL, Jack Henderson spent years banging on the doors on AFL clubs. And now he’s there, he plans to make the most of his opportunity at Melbourne.