Wreck it Ralph: 14 reasons to believe in Carlton’s rise this season
Carlton’s midfield bullied Richmond as the physicality of Cripps, Hewett and Kennedy came to the fore. Kennedy’s rise is one of the reasons Blues fans can dare to dream, says Jon Ralph.
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The time for teasing is surely over.
Carlton is the AFL’s worst-performed team of the past two decades, laying waste to a million fancy marketing slogans and numerous false dawns.
As one rival football boss said this week, look at all the players who have departed GWS despite being a well-run club which has played finals five of the past six seasons.
Yet for all of its off-field dramas, misery and coaching changes, Carlton remains a destination of choice with star additions that flow in yearly.
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So, while Carlton’s dismantling of Richmond was awesome, as the Blues systematically dismantled a club looking to extend its premiership dynasty, it must be a starting point rather than a flash in the pan.
A side hell-bent on finals participation won’t drink the bathwater, won’t be distracted by Michael Voss’s absence this Thursday night, won’t read its own publicity.
Because when you look through the signs from Thursday night’s win over Richmond, it isn’t just that Carlton has very few weaknesses.
The signs are everywhere that this should be sustainable for Voss’s Blues.
1. Matt Kennedy’s remarkable turnaround came when he realised his strengths were physicality and tackling, and so much has flown from there. He isn’t a flash in the pan.
From Round 14 onwards last year he has averaged 23 possessions, five tackles and five clearances a game.
In the AAMI Community Series clash against Melbourne’s elite mids he had 37 disposals and nine clearances, off the back off 27 possessions and 11 contested possessions in the practice match against St Kilda.
This is a sustained period of form which must be his standard.
2. Patrick Cripps might explain his resurgence with one simple explanation: he isn’t playing with a broken back any more.
But Cripps isn’t one for excuses. Especially given his 2020 season wasn’t anything to write home about, either.
He will never be Dustin Martin, but Carlton’s improved midfield means he doesn’t have to do all the heavy lifting.
The former clearance beast is playing a slightly more outside role, still winning eight clearances but with 20 of his 30 disposals uncontested.
The goals were there (3.0), but also the inside-50s and high metres gained (679). In an era when clubs want maximum forward impact from their stars, Cripps is joining the party.
He seized the big moments – three straight goals after 44.43 in the last four years – and is again running on top of the ground.
3. George Hewett will quickly become a fan favourite.
For a player who was second in Sydney’s best-and-fairest in 2019 and seventh in 2018, who played 20 or more games in five of the past six seasons, he has often flown under the radar.
But on a weekend when clubs were crying out for taggers, or at least players who can fulfil the “cooler” role, there was Hewett going to work.
He played on Martin and Trent Cotchin and both Tigers had few game-changing moments.
And Hewett had 28 possessions, six inside 50s and hit the scoreboard with a goal.
He isn’t a superstar, but a player acquired on a four-year deal with a fifth year trigger on about $450,000 a year will rarely let Carlton down.
One word of warning on the midfield, Kennedy, Hewett and Cripps all went at below 45 per cent efficiency by foot.
4. Forward half diversity. At times last year it was Harry McKay or bust for the Blues.
On Thursday McKay, Charlie Curnow and Tom De Koning kicked a single goal between them but Carlton had 31 scoring shots because the mids got on a roll.
Of the inside-50 targets McKay had eight, Jack Silvagni four, Matt Owies and Curnow three, Cripps, De Koning and Jack Martin two and Kennedy one.
McKay played in eight wins last year and kicked bags of 7.5, 6.2, 4.0, 5.2 and 4.2 in those games, so it’s a great sign to win with no impact from the Coleman medallist.
5. More please, Jack Martin. Martin will never be a four-quarter star, but when the whips were cracking Martin had the most ranking points in the last term (57) with three score involvements and a goal.
He will always be the icing on the cake – the Blues had 22 inside-50s in that term – but he delivered.
Just a pity he will miss Thursday night’s clash against the Western Bulldogs because of Covid.
6. Corey Durdin and Matt Owies are the small forwards for the modern game.
Remarkably, the Blues had 14 inside-50 tackles to Richmond’s one, which came from Tom Lynch. But they also smacked the Tigers for inside-50 ground-ball gets — 22-7.
What the hell does that mean? If they weren’t tackling to keep the ball in, they were winning it to get repeat shots at goals.
Mostly defence wins the groundball gets inside 50 with extra numbers, so it’s a spectacularly good number.
Durdin also hit the scoreboard (2.1) and Zac Fisher was able to play to his strengths as a crafty mid-forward.
7. There is depth on this list. Richmond’s VFL side had 15 AFL-listed players and lost to the Blues by 13 goals on Thursday afternoon, with Matt Cottrell, Lochie Fogarty, Paddy Dow and Brodie Kemp all solid.
8. When you move past the “feel-good factor”, Sam Docherty can still play.
Last year before injury, Docherty was strongly criticised for his lack of physical impact and tackling. But every team can afford one outside distributor when it is winning.
Last year he was elite for disposals, uncontested possessions, metres gained and intercept possessions, and in Round 1 he won 26 disposals and went at 93 per cent by foot.
He is what he is, a highly effective metres-gained defender who will be wildly effective in wins and be exposed at times for what he doesn’t do in losses.
9. Carlton isn’t spinning the magnets in the middle.
Only four midfielders attended centre bounces alongside the Blues’ ruckmen.
Hewett, Cripps and Kennedy all attended 22 centre-bounces and Cerra 21.
No confusion, no pinch-hitters, just a sense of stability with Sam Walsh to return soon (possibly this Thursday night).
Every club needs midfield depth, so it will be interesting to see how this stat evolves across the season.
10. Off-field stability. The process of installing coach Michael Voss and CEO Brian Cook in their respective positions was an absolute dog’s breakfast.
But, as Cook said on Saturday, everyone is now in lock-step.
President Luke Sayers made his moves but hasn’t been heard from all summer, half the board has been moved on and for now all the headlines are coming from the players instead of the moneyed Carlton interests.
11. One swallow doesn’t make a summer, but former forward Mitch McGovern was able to make an impact while also playing accountable defence.
He played on Jack Riewoldt, who courageously finished the game with a broken hand, so keeping him goalless should be kept in context.
But his equal game-high three intercept marks came with 525 metres gained from his 14 disposals.
The hope is the best is yet to come.
12. Adam Saad again displayed his ideal blend of attack and defence.
Amid the riot of positive Carlton performances, he finished with a team-second 139 SuperCoach points with his 17 kicks going at 100 per cent efficiency.
Playing on Jason Castagna (34 minutes), Shane Edwards (29) and Shai Bolton (22), he gave up only one goal. The Docherty-Zac Williams-Saad trio have serious rebound capabilities in a defence that hasn’t found room for Lachie Plowman.
13. Fitness guru Andrew Russell is in his fourth season with Carlton and finally his methods are reaping rewards.
In the final quarter Richmond was brutalised by Carlton’s hard run and inside grunt as the Blues won inside-50s 22-2, clearances 17-2 and won all seven centre bounce clearances.
A team that cornered the market on giving up 30 points swings last year turned that stat on its head.
Call it momentum or fitness or just Richmond falling away, but it beats the hell out of sitting in the stands watching your mob cough up a matchwinning lead once more.
14. They are up and about. Bumped into Mark Maclure in the MCG press box on Saturday afternoon.
“Could we even fit Sam Walsh into the side?” the Carlton legend quipped.
Walsh might not be back this week, but he is many weeks ahead of schedule from his syndesmosis injury. Not a bad statement victory with your best player on the sidelines.
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