Mark Robinson on what Carlton needs to do to ensure it makes the top eight

David King labelled the Blues arrogant as they meekly surrendered to Adelaide. Are they just that or still learning to be a good, consistent team? Mark Robinson ponders.

Hold on to your hats Carlton fans because Carlton players couldn’t hold on to Adelaide jumpers on Saturday night.

There are stats that are ho-hum and there are stats which are mind boggling.

The Blues missed 23 tackles against the Crows, and those 23 missed tackles were the most missed tackles by a team since that stat was first recorded in 2011.

Think about that – the most ever in a game which Carlton had to win to ensure a finals spot in 2022.

It’s little wonder coach Michael Voss constantly spoke about the contest after the game, after painfully watching his team deliver another lacklustre effort on the road.

He would’ve been furious in the coaches box watching Crows players walk through, step through or bulldoze their way through Carlton players.

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Coaches boxes are commentary boxes on a different level and for sure a familiar refrain in the Blues box on Saturday would’ve been: “Grab him.’’

These Blues are considered “tough’’ and their DNA under Voss is evidently strong at the contest and being a strong stoppage team.

Not against the Crows. They lost contested ball by 14 and ground ball by 37, which is the contest in general play.

The Crows, playing for pride, were dog hungry when the Blues, playing for finals, were all bark and no bite.

Sam Walsh and Patrick Cripps can’t stop Reilly O’Brien. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Fox Footy commentator David King labelled the Blues arrogant. They were either that, or they are still learning to be a good, consistent performer.

And nothing tests a team in the AFL like trying to win on the road. Just ask the non-Victorian teams.

It’s unfathomable in a sense that Carlton could miss finals this year.

The feel good story at the halfway mark – they were 8-3 with St Kilda – the Blues have delivered a spasmodic second half of the season.

Spasmodic equates to a WLWLWLWLWL record since round 10.

Voss is like the child playing at the water park, the one where water spurts out of the different holes and the kid tries to step on those holes.

That’s what Voss sees at his footy club, problems popping everywhere.

At the weekend, they were poor in most areas of the game, like defensively they kept turning it over and the Crows kept kicking goals.

Michael Voss during Carlton’s shock loss to Adelaide. Picture: Sarah Reed

Numbers tell us the forward line is a mess since round 10.

Against the Crows, they went with three talls (McKay, Curnow and the resting ruckman, De Koning or Pittonet) and three smalls (Durdin, Motlop and Owies), which put Silvagni out of the team. They had to try something different.

Despite having the two towers – McKay and Curnow – the Blues are 11th for scoring, and although the smalls work their butts off to defend, they struggle to kick goals.

And Jack Martin is well paid, underperforming and mostly always injured.

He’s kicked eight goals in nine games this year, and has missed the past six matches with injury. That might be harsh, but he’s a talent and 28 goals in 35 games since joining the Blues is underwhelming.

McKay is another underperformer. He’s kicked three goals in the past three weeks and is having trouble clunking the ball and below his knees will forever be a work in progress. He’s just another pop-up problem.

The midfield is intriguing.

Patrick Cripps had 41 and 13 clearances and Sam Walsh had 40 and just three score involvements.

Walsh is a star but that’s a pedestrian 40-possession game, if we can say that.

Compared to the 40-possession game he had against Fremantle in round 15, the offering at the weekend was uneventful.

He did not receive a vote from the coaches.

Only 10 players have recorded 40 and three or fewer score involvements and if the Herald Sun didn’t have the list of players, fans wouldn’t remember one of those games.

Mind you, Brian Lake’s 22 marks and 41 disposals against North Melbourne in 2010 should jog the memory.

Walsh is better than that, or should be.

He has to change his game slightly, become more dangerous with the ball, more challenging with his run.

Sam Walsh had 40 disposals in the Crows loss but no coaches votes Photo by Sarah Reed

Essendon’s Zach Merrett changed his profile from round 13. Merrett said last week his major change was getting the ball forward of centre and having an attacking mindset, instead of mopping up down back.

Merrett’s impact in the past seven weeks is huge, so much so he is the No.1 score involvements player in the competition.

So, what sort of footy is Walsh playing? It looks like he’s accumulating and not impacting, at least that’s what it looked like at the weekend.

If Carlton plans on playing finals, that has to change.

In fact, a lot has to change at Carlton.

Because with three rounds before finals, it would appear there are too many pop-up problems for Voss to cover.

Originally published as Mark Robinson on what Carlton needs to do to ensure it makes the top eight