Carlton end of season review: How I’d fix the Blues
CARLTON avoided the wooden spoon and, while it didn’t win as many games as 2016, showed significant development. JON ANDERSON explains how he would fix the club.
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CARLTON avoided the wooden spoon and, while it didn’t win as many games as 2016, showed significant development in its young list.
JON ANDERSON runs the rule over the Blues’ season and gives his thoughts on what the club needs to do to shoot up the ladder next year.
REPORT CARD: THE TRADES THE BLUES WON AND LOST
LIST ANALYSIS: WHO THE BLUES SHOULD TARGET IN 2018
THE SEASON ROUND UP
If you win one game less and end up with a very similar percentage as last year then it should be nothing to write home about, but reality says the Blues made incremental gains in some key areas.
In 2016 they were on the receiving end of six floggings, a number that was reduced to just two (Port Adelaide and Geelong). Last year they beat just one finalist in Geelong, a number they doubled in beating Sydney and Greater Western Sydney. And they have a clear kick/mark game plan which normally results in them defending turnovers.
THE PROBLEM
Get the game played out of their back half, because the ball spent too long there this year. Player-wise, they are at least two gun midfielders shy of where they need to be for finals action, although one or both of those spots could come from natural development of existing players. They also require another ruckman for depth, because if Matthew Kreuzer fell over it would come down to the injury-plagued Andrew Phillips.
They would also love to see the emergence of one or both of their young forwards in Pat Kerr or Harry McKay to become a marking and leading target.
THE SOLUTION
Close out more games. Eight times they lost after leading at the 10 minute mark of the last quarter, and in terms of quarters won were competitive with teams around the eight.
Part of that comes down to a lack of physical strength.
By extension they also need to finish seasons stronger, given they have won just two of their last 20 games in the back half of the past two years. From what we have seen from Brendon Bolton and his coaching staff, they appear up for the challenge.
THE TARGET
They’re still sweating on key forward Levi Casboult and will be waiting to see if Bryce Gibbs tries to get home to Adelaide again, but the biggest need is ruck help for Kreuzer — and that just might come in the form of Collingwood’s Mason Cox.
They are quietly confident a run at the bottom half of the eight is not out of the question. For that to happen the Blues will need to tinker with a game plan that normally restricts opposition scoring but doesn’t result in free-scoring (only twice in the past 44 games have they passed 100 points).
Being hard to play against, which they generally are, is one thing, but learning a winning culture is a whole new ball game.
THE DREAM/BLUE SKY IDEA
Obviously class in the midfield the likes of Richmond’s Brownlow Medal favourite Dustin Martin or GWS jet Josh Kelly is the dream, but not a reality. That aside, blue sky is for the kids — players such as David Cuningham, Charlie Curnow, Zac Fisher, Harrison Macreadie, Caleb Marchbank, Harry McKay, Sam Petrevski-Seton, Jack Silvagni, Jarrod Pickett, Jacob Weitering and Tom Williamson — continue to develop.
That would mean they challenge for the eight next year, definitely make it the year after and have a real crack in 2020.
GARY BUCKENARA SAYS
Lion Tom Rockliff would definitely be a player of interest. He’s a free agent and suits Carlton’s needs as a bigger-bodied midfielder who wins his own ball and can also hurt on the scoreboard.
THE STATS
IN TROUBLE?
Four the Blues could cut:
Daniel Gorringe
Kristian Jaksch
Dylan Buckley
Denis Armfield (Retired)
2018 PREDICTION
9th-16th. I think 2018 is still too early for finals action, but a target of 10 wins is realistic.
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