AFL round 2 Carlton v Hawthorn: Live updates, scores, SuperCoach scores

Carlton will only play their second game of the season on Thursday night, but already the pressure is immense on Michael Voss’ side, but Sam Mitchell isn’t writing off the Blues just yet.

Michael Voss has issued a rally cry to Carlton supporters as the Blues look to respond from a disastrous round 1 loss and avoid a 0-2 start to the season tonight.

The Blues are rank outsiders to claim their first win of the year against undefeated Hawthorn, a team they lost to by 74 points in round 22 last season.

Coach Michael Voss called on the club’s supporters to flood the MCG with navy blue and help their efforts to rebound after last week’s shock defeat against Richmond.

“It’s our first home game of the season: we want to pack it out, and that’s one thing our supporters have always brought – an energy in the stadium,” Voss said.

The pressure will be right on the Blues. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“That’s what we’re hoping we get. We’ve got to give them a reason to as well, to bring what we need to and play our part of the deal.

“At the end of the day, I want our group to be connected, embrace the moment, embrace the little things and if you can stay together as a team, you can execute pretty well.”

On the Hawks, Voss added: “They’re in great form. You see the confidence that has built over time and been a pretty settled side, over the last couple of weeks their performances have been really strong. When you turn up here, of course I’m going to say we’re a strong chance.”

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell is wary of a fierce response by the Blues after last week’s loss to the Tigers.

“I think we need to worry about our own sort of backyard. It’s very difficult, any game all year, to know how the other team is going to come out,” Mitchell said.

“We certainly want to control our own narrative of the game as much as we can. We would expect they’re going to be pretty hot pretty early but I think they would expect the same thing from us.

“If you look at the pressure factor of every game across the weekend the first 10-15 minutes is up … right from the start we know we’re going to have to be very good to make sure we can get the game on our terms as early as possible.”

Mitchell put the onus on his midfield group to put the clamps on the Blues after the Hawks were well beaten by Essendon in that area last Friday.

“We lost clearance by nearly 20 last week. Everyone has been pretty hard on Carlton but they won the inside-50 count by 25, they won time-in-forward-half more than any other team in the round and managed to lose the game

“They got a lot right in their game. They just weren’t able to finish it. We don’t think that Carlton are a reflection of that single game … they’re a potent side with elite talent on every line.

“We need to be at our absolute best to be able to make sure we put in a good performance.”

Originally published as AFL round 2 Carlton v Hawthorn: Live updates, scores, SuperCoach scores