By Marc McGowan
Carlton coach Michael Voss believes the next fortnight will show what his players and the club are about as they deal with an injury crisis that worsened a 74-point hiding from Hawthorn.
Almost anything that could go wrong for the Blues did at the MCG on Sunday, with Jack Martin and Adam Saad suffering hamstring recurrences, Charlie Curnow hurting his left ankle again, and Lachie Fogarty sustaining a collarbone injury.
Carlton star Charlie Curnow injured his ankle.Credit: Getty Images
Jordan Boyd (adductor) also played the match out under duress, and was on and off the bench all day, as the surging Hawks snatched Carlton’s top-eight spot on a potentially disastrous afternoon.
The Blues have lost three matches in a row and five of their past six to tumble from a top-two perch, and must beat West Coast in Perth, then St Kilda, to give themselves any chance of qualifying for finals.
As the ladder stands, there would be no matches in Melbourne in week one of the finals, were they to start this weekend, with Sydney (first) hosting Geelong (fourth), Port Adelaide (second) hosting GWS (third), the Brisbane Lions (fifth) hosting Hawthorn (eighth), and Fremantle (sixth) hosting the Western Bulldogs (seventh) – a scenario that would see the league’s coffers take a serious hit.
Curnow leaves the field against Hawthorn on Sunday.Credit: Getty Images
Voss did not know the severity of the injuries at the end of a “very disappointing day” for the Blues, but conceded Curnow – who he said was fit to play against Hawthorn – would need to deal with his ankle issue for the rest of the season.
“We’ve lost momentum – there’s no doubt – from where we were five, six weeks ago, [when] we had genuine momentum, and we faced a couple of good sides,” he said.
“We haven’t been able to generate the same level of intensity and the same level of method that we’ve been playing for the majority of the year … [and] individual form fluctuates a little. That whole consistency thing for us; I’ve spoken about it the whole year, learning how to be that consistent home-and-away team.
“It’s not about the level you play at for one week. It’s about how you play that level for 23 weeks and finals. As a football club, we haven’t been able to do that yet. It wasn’t here before I got here, and it hasn’t been at a good enough standard since I’ve been here.”
Voss said Carlton would not “sensationalise” the soft-tissue injuries that have been a major storyline in the Blues’ season, including star midfielder Adam Cerra going down with a hamstring setback last week for the third time in 2024.
Saad, Martin, Jacob Weitering, Mitch McGovern and Orazio Fantasia have also battled soft-tissue concerns.
The club’s injury ward also includes Sam Docherty (knee), Jack Silvagni (knee), Tom De Koning (foot), Matt Cottrell (shoulder), David Cuningham (shoulder), Corey Durdin (shoulder) and Caleb Marchbank (concussion).
Voss said high-performance boss Andrew Russell’s mid-week decision to depart was his alone, after he arrived ahead of the 2019 season to much fanfare, given his role in six premierships during his time at Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and Essendon.
“[Injuries have] been an ongoing challenge for us. The reality is that in this competition, availability is important. There’ll be a time to reflect on that – it’s not now,” Voss said.
Dejected Carlton skipper Patrick Cripps (centre) after his side’s heavy defeat.Credit: AFL Photos
“But the way forward for us is that obviously, we need to address it, and it will get a fairly strong focus when we need to, but right now, it’ll be about the troops we’ve got and finishing off this season as strongly as we possibly can – and that’s what we intend to do.
“What this isn’t about, regardless of what Andrew has chosen to do, is it’s not about one person. It’s about a collective, and we’ll solve the problem together ... that’s what we’ll ask the players to do, and that’s what we’ll make sure that we do.
“[It was] absolutely his decision to do it, and he decided to step aside … [but] he probably feels like there’s a need for us to be able to go in a different direction, and we wish him well.”
The scenario could hardly be starker for the Blues’ conquerors, Hawthorn, who now seem certain to return to finals for the first time in six years.
Yes sir: Hawk Josh Weddle celebrates a goal.Credit: AFL Photos
Sam Mitchell’s team has won 11 of its past 14 matches, with their scalps including the Brisbane Lions, GWS, Fremantle, Western Bulldogs and now Carlton, after starting the season 1-6 with a sub-70 percentage.
AFL cellar-dwellers Richmond and North Melbourne stand between the Hawks and featuring in September.
“It’s really clichéd, and I apologise for it, but if we don’t win the next game, our season’s over,” Mitchell said.
“I’m sure the outside world will say, ‘Well, they’re playing Richmond, so that’s a win, tick’, but for us, that’s a side that has got an enormous amount of quality …
“[But] as far as what the big picture and the overall looks like, I’ve been really consistent with what we’re trying to achieve as a club, is build a brand of football [and] a playing contingent that can play a game style that will hold up in finals.
“Now, is that this year? Time will tell, and if it does, we’ve been building a game style that, we think, will stand up – but the proof will be in the pudding when our time comes. Hopefully, that’s this year.”
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