Five reasons Carlton can win this year’s AFL premiership

Michael Voss famously lead one of the great AFL dynasties, now as the coach of the Blues, his skipper could be the reason Carlton’s premiership drought has its best chance of ending.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MAY 25: Charlie Curnow of the Blues celebrates kicking a goal during the round 11 AFL match between Carlton Blues and Gold Coast Suns at Marvel Stadium, on May 25, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Carlton’s premiership tilt is back on track after a rousing six-goal victory over Port Adelaide on Thursday night.

The Blues went down to the Swans by 52 points at the SCG in round 10, a loss which defender Mitch McGovern says was the reality check the club needed.

But McGovern said successive wins against the Power and Gold Coast in the past fortnight had given the players renewed confidence.

“It’s pretty exciting for the footy club,” McGovern said after the Blues kicked eight final-term goals to sink the Power at Adelaide Oval.

“We have put in a lot of work after the past few weeks after our not quite embarrassing effort against Sydney, but we lowered our colours that week and to do it here against a quality opposition is something we are really proud of.

“A lot of it was to do with contest and pressure, and sort of defending the footy as an 18-man system and I think we have done it really well.”

The Blues are now 8-4 despite an injury crisis that had the club searching for replacements across the past month.

McGovern said Carlton still had plenty of work ahead of them before a monster King’s Birthday Eve clash with old rivals Essendon.

Zac Williams roars after kicking a goal against Port Adelaide. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

He wouldn’t be drawn on the Blues’ aspirations this season, but the clash with Essendon comes at a time when Carlton has put itself back in the premiership hunt.

Here are five reasons why Carlton deserves to be a premiership contender, almost 30 years after the Blues last won a flag back in 1995 — the year Patrick Cripps was born.

1. CRIPPA IS PLAYING LIKE HIS COACH … AND WALSH ISN’T FAR BEHIND

On the week when the All-Australian selectors held their first serious meeting with almost three months of data, Patrick Cripps turned in another stellar performance to keep him in the discussions for the AFL’s leader of the year.

All the talk so far has been on how Zach Merrett has reshaped Essendon, and how Max Gawn keeps on keeping on for Melbourne in terms of the 2024 All-Australian captain.

But Cripps’ huge final term performance to lift the Blues over the line against Port Adelaide gave a timely reminder he is the frame to challenge Merrett and Gawn.

There’s a bit of Michael Voss about the way Patrick Cripps is playing. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

McGovern said Cripps’ teammates couldn’t help but be inspired by his performance.

“It was pretty iconic … Crippa … that stuff putting the team on his back and kicking two amazing goals … he is a contested bull and his pressure was awesome,” McGovern said.

“It picks up our energy. He is our spiritual leader and he is a really important cog in our midfield. When he leads, others follow.”

Cripps led the way in the same blunt-edged, inspirational manner that his coach Michael Voss displayed as part of the ferocious, almost unstoppable Brisbane Lions outfit.

The Blues are far from unstoppable, as the Swans showed, but when Cripps and co are firing, they are hard to stop.

Cripps has had a career-best 6.7 scoring involvements this year – and 22 in the past two weeks – as well as his second highest inside 50 count (4.3) and metres gained (315).

And his sidekick, the Robin to his Batman, Sam Walsh’s isn’t far behind. Despite a pre-season where he battled a bad injury, Walsh has had career high figures in contested possessions (12), metres gained (462), clearances (5.6), scoring involvements (7.4) and tackles (7.3).

Coleman medallist Charlie Curnow is in ominous form. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

2. ARE THE BLUES’ BIG MEN UNSTOPPABLE?

Any team that can kick eight goals in a final term away from home against a side in contention deserves serious attention.

And Voss would have been delighted it wasn’t just the big Blues boppers who did the damage, as the goalkicking spread ran to nine players.

But any team with access to two big key power forwards in Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay, as well as ruck/forward Tom De Koning, is always going to take some beating.

Curnow wasn’t at his best in last year’s finals series, and the Blues still nearly made it through to a grand final.

And his partner in crime Harry McKay is playing with renewed confidence. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

He is averaging a career-high contested mark count in 2024 and sits as 36 goals as he shoots for a Coleman Medal threepeat. Lookout in September if he gets going!

McKay has ironed out his goalkicking woes. He has kicked 28.14 this season and is averaging career high numbers in almost major measurement this season.

Does he get his brother Ben next Sunday night, or will the Bombers defender go to Charlie?

De Koning is in rare form, too, averaging the best numbers of his career, playing a big role in recent weeks in the ruck, but with the capabilities to be damaging in attack too.

3. THE BLUES’ ROLE PLAYERS ARE DOING THEIR THING

In the past Carlton has relied on a handful of superstars to do too much of the heavy lifting. Not anymore.

Yes, the superstars are firing, but Voss now has a squad mentality.

Take a look at how Zac Williams has reshaped himself as a forward in recent weeks, making up for the absence of Jack Martin.

He’s kicked seven goals in the past two matches as well as 16 scoring involvements in that time.

Alex Cincotta barely gave Zak Butters an inch. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Alex Cincotta has played a variety of shutdown roles including numbing Zak Butters’ output on Thursday, and provides a point of difference for the Blues.

A host of other lesser known Carlton players are not only holding their spot, but playing crucial roles that the coach would be rapt about.

This must be maintained in the second half of the season.

4. THE INJURY LIST HASN’T BEEN USED AS AN EXCUSE OR IMPEDIMENT

Carlton had every right to bitch and moan about its rotten luck with injuries causing selection dilemmas earlier in the season.

And even if the fans have felt hard done by, this team’s ‘next man up’ philosophy has kept Carlton’s season alive when it might have otherwise faltered.

Leading into this round, the Blues had lost the second most number of games to injury – a total of 104.

In terms of best 22 players, Carlton had lost the most number of games – 76. So to be sitting back in the eight, with improvement to come and players returning, it augurs well heading into the back half of the year.

Jacob Weitering is the linchpin of Carlton's backline. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

5. WEITERS IS THE KEY TO DEFENCE

Some clubs have figured the Blues might be vulnerable in the back half, and that might still prove to be the case.

But the ability of vice-captain Jacob Weitering to settle Carlton’s defence remains one of the club’s best assets.

Weitering has had his own challenges this year in terms of his body, but he has managed to maintain his high standard regardless, and keep the defence on an upward keel.

The heavy knock to his leg a few weeks back against the Swans showed that when he is not there, the Blues can be shaky.

This Carlton defence is still a work in progress and will face some more challenges later in the season, but if Weitering can stay healthy and active, he can play a massive role in the pushing towards September success.

Originally published as Five reasons Carlton can win this year’s AFL premiership