AFL Finals 2023: The ‘pure emotion’ of Carlton’s win – and Stephen Silvagni got the Blues here
Friday night was some night, Blues fans. Sam Landsberger takes you inside the rooms – and making – of the September team that Stephen Silvagni built.
It is the September team that Stephen Silvagni built.
As bitter as the break-up was between “SOS” and Carlton in 2019, the undeniable fact is that 14 of the Blues’ starting 22 on Friday night were recruited by the one of the club’s favourite sons.
It started with that super spine draft of 2015. The Blues bagged Jacob Weitering, Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow with first-round selections and added David Cuningham with the pick received for Chris Yarran in the second round.
Silvagni signed off that national draft by selecting his son, Jack, who might replace McKay in the team for Friday night’s semi-final against Melbourne.
Like every club, there were some misses along the way, of course. But in Silvagni’s five years in charge he identified the bulk of the Blues’ breakthrough finals line-up.
His parting gift was Jack Martin, who came for free via the pre-season draft after Silvagni stared down Gold Coast in trade talks that crumbled.
Like McKay, Martin also won’t be there on Friday night owing to suspension. But it’s fair to say the Blues probably wouldn’t be there either without Martin.
“He had some great moments at the end where he just stood up,” coach Michael Voss said as he lauded Martin’s toughness.
Martin took game-saving marks in defence and kicked a clutch set-shot goal in the third quarter. He also helped set up what proved to be the sealing goal to Blake Acres.
Running laps of the MCG post-match were Zac Fisher, Paddy Dow, Ollie Hollands and substitute Jesse Motlop as they push for call-ups against the Demons.
Fisher and Dow were also Silvagni selections. Weitering noted post-match that he had played with so many players because of the constant list turnover during his eight seasons at Ikon Park.
But Silvagni’s fingerprints remain all over the 2023 team, and the additions since he left – he’s now the list manager at St Kilda – were purchased from rival clubs with salary cap space “SOS” left behind.
They were Lachie Fogarty, Adam Saad, Adam Cerra and George Hewett, with Alex Cincotta – who finished runner-up to Dow in Carlton’s VFL best-and-fairest last year – signed on the cusp of this season.
What this all shows is it takes time. There is a lot to like about the players drafted under current list boss Nick Austin, too. Like Silvagni’s picks, patience will be required.
There is livewire Motlop and courageous two-ray runner Hollands, who will both be in the mix for elevation into the 22 against the Demons, and then there are the likes of Lachie Cowan and Jaxon Binns.
Austin was also the man who got those deals done for Saad, Cerra and Fogarty.
The Blues’ rooms were buzzing after their first finals win in a decade.
Small forward Matt Owies was quick to pay tribute to coach Michael Voss, who he hugged seconds after the final siren.
“It was just pure emotion – you don’t need words when you’ve been through a lot in the last two years,” Owies said.
“He’s a great leader. He’s always the man for the job and everyone on the list, whether they played tonight or missed out, love him as a coach and just want to play for him.
“It’s pretty awesome, this is why you play footy. We grew up wanting to play in these big moments and we just want to enjoy it.”
Owies received four free tickets and forked out “somewhere between $600-$800” for another six for his family and friends.
He did not record a disposal in the second half – but the sharpshooter ranked No.3 on the ground for forward-half pressure and No.4 for pressure overall.
He also stuck five tackles from nine attempts. The Blues’ one-wood is contest and pressure … but perhaps the most pleasing aspect of this finals victory was the fact they won it in a different way.
They went from being “Contest Carlton” to the “Transition Blues”. The 71 around-the-ground stoppages was 17 fewer than the last time they played their next opponent, Melbourne, and this was the biggest turnover game Carlton played all year (158 match turnovers).
They kicked 69 per cent of their score (51 points) from turnovers, which was their fifth-highest in a game for the season.
The Blues only scored three goals from stoppages – the first two of the match and their last of the first half.
And they outscored the Swans by two points off turnovers. Put simply, they won it in a different way and that must be satisfying for Voss.
Between the arcs the Blues belted the Swans, winning contested ball by 32 (Carlton season-high), ground balls by 27 (second-best for the year) and recorded 58 intercept possessions (season-high).
They were able to win the ball back outside of the contest and score. That is not an aspect traditionally associated with the Blues.
They scored the first two goals of the game and then absorbed after the first 10 minutes.
But after quarter-time the Blues won contested footy by 23, ground ball gets by 19, clearances by 10 and inside 50s by 10.
The query, ironically, is similar to what will confront the Demons next week.
Owies and Cerra both switched off the TV at halftime of the Collingwood-Melbourne qualifying final as they prepared to take on the Swans.
But those who tuned in until the final siren were taken aback by the Demons dumping their inside 50 entries. They dominated inside 50s but mustered only seven goals against the Maggies.
Well, Carlton was not much better. The Dees scored from 26 per cent of their entries on Thursday night and the Blues scored from 34 per cent on Friday night. The AFL average is 43 per cent.
Both the Demons and the Blues took marks from just 12 per cent of their entries … the AFL average is 20 per cent.
Both clubs will have a different mix as they fight for a position in the final four. Will they both go small as McKay (Carlton, concussion) and Jacob van Rooyen (Melbourne, suspended) sit out the clash?
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