Mark Robinson: Carlton’s frightening fail exposed by Brisbane Lions’ sudden revival
Carlton has been rebuilding for what seems like forever, with little hope of it ending soon. Mark Robinson dissects where it all went wrong.
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It’s the tale of two football clubs: Carlton and Brisbane.
They play each other at Marvel Stadium on Saturday and, for comparison, it’s about where they’ve come from and where they are.
It is a frightening fail for the Blues.
Park all the excuses for a second.
In 2015, Carlton finished bottom with four wins and Brisbane 17th with four wins.
In 2016, Brisbane was 17th with three wins and Carlton 14th with seven wins.
In 2017, Brisbane finished bottom with five wins and Carlton 16th with six wins
In 2018, Carlton finished last with two wins and Brisbane 15th with five wins.
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In 2019, Carlton finished 16th with seven and the Lions second with 16 wins at the end of the home-and-away seasons.
For four seasons, when both teams embarked on a savage rebuild of their lists, the Lions and Blues were stinking it up at the bottom of the well.
From 2019, one of those clubs, Brisbane, has thrived through the draft and trading periods with a new coach, while the other, Carlton, remains a painfully slow work in progress and has had two coaches.
The Blues like to believe they were/are two years behind Brisbane, but that’s a crock. And a crutch.
Brisbane exploded out of mediocrity. Carlton still bathes in it.
Once again, the 2021 season is a year in which the Blues haven’t lived up to internal and external expectation.
You know there are major issues when the criticism explores their system of play, personnel, development, coaching, effort, aggression and talent.
In the complex world of football analysis, there’s a simple conclusion: The Blues are simply not a good football team.
Fans deserve to be frustrated and angry and want answers. Not excuses.
So, who’s to blame?
Always, it is a combination.
Recruiters blame development and coaching for lack of progress with players. And coaches blame recruiters and list managers for delivering dud footballers.
Former list boss Stephen Silvagni was at Carlton from the end of 2014 until the end of 2019 before being pushed out the door by Blues chief executive Cain Liddle.
It was said Silvagni was conflicted because he had two sons at the club. But could it be more than that? Could Liddle have given Silvagni’s drafting and trading a thumbs down?
In 2015, Carlton brought in via the draft or trade: Jacob Weitering (No. 1), Harry McKay (No. 10), Charlie Curnow (No. 12), David Cunningham (23), Jack Silvagni (father-son), Sam Kerridge, Jed Lamb, Andrew Phillips, Lachie Plowman, Liam Sumner.
In 2016, it was Sam Petrevski-Seton (No. 6), Zac Fisher (27), Harrison Macreadie (No. 47), Cameron Polson (59), Tom Williamson (61), Patrick Kerr (65), Caleb Marchbank, Rhys Palmer, Jarrod Pickett and Billie Smedts.
In 2017, it was Paddy Dow (3), Lachie O’Brien (10), Tom DeKoning (30), Darcy Lang, Matthew Kennedy and Matthew Lobbe.
In 2018, it was Sam Walsh (No. 1), Liam Stocker (19), Alex Fasolo, Mitch McGovern, Nic Newman, Will Setterfield and then Michael Gibbons was a February 2019 rookie elevation leading into the 2019 season.
In 2019, it was Brodie Kemp (No. 17), Jack Newnes, Marc Pittonet, Eddie Betts and then Jack Martin via the 2020 pre-season draft.
Last year, it was Zac Williams, Adam Saad and Lachie Fogarty.
It must be said, plenty of their late drafting and trades were to bring in experience for a short period.
Without listing every Brisbane draft/trade though the same period, their trade successes are Charlie Cameron, Lachie Neale, Linc McCarthy, Luke Hodge, Marcus Adams, Joe Daniher and Grant Birchall.
Their draft ticks include Eric Hipwood, Cameron Raynor, Hugh McCluggage, Jarrod Berry, Zac Bailey and Brandon Starcevich.
The Lions have their misses in the same period, but they have contended during the past two years and they are tipped to be a finalist again this year.
For instance, Josh Schache, who was No. 2 in 2015, was a major flop.
On available evidence at Carlton, Petrevksi-Seton, Dow and O’Brien have not lived up to the expectations of being top 10 selections. It’s not their fault they were taken so high.
The expectation on them comes because Silvagni chose them so high.
Still, to have three top 10 players across two consecutive years yet to plant their flag is a fail for list in rebuild.
Clearly, Charlie Curnow’s knee injury is a major setback from what was a successful 2015 national draft. He might be their best player. He might also not play a game this season or even next.
There are too many questions without answers at the Blues.
Talent is an issue. Lachie Plowman is a solid “spatial’’ half-back flanker and he finished fourth in the best and fairest last year. I can’t say “no disrespect”, because it is disrespectful, but Plowman shouldn’t be fourth in the B & F.
Is Marc Murphy a forward? What is Petrevski-Seton doing with his career? He’s played half-forward, midfield and is now on a back flank and we’re still not sure whether he’s a good player.
There’s problems with midfield depth and talent, trust between players and defensive structure and, seriously, when was the last time Carlton has been called spirited?
The same can’t be said of Brisbane.
From both clubs being bottom dwellers for four years from 2015, only one has since made their fans proud.
It doesn’t have to be said, it’s not Carlton.
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