St Kilda v Carlton: Blues celebrate Charlie Curnow’s return with 31-point win

As the spectre of Alastair Clarkson hovers, David Teague insists he’s the right man to lead Carlton forward. Here’s why he might be right.

Marc McGowan

8 min read

July 31, 2021 - 10:20AM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Charlie Curnow of the Blues celebrates a goal against St Kilda.

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David Teague knew the Alastair Clarkson question was coming.

After Carlton flashed its upside again in a drubbing of St Kilda, Teague answered that question by telling everyone who was listening that he thinks he’s the man to steer the club forward.

We’ll probably never know what went through his head when he first heard that Clarkson’s tenure as Hawthorn coach would finish at season’s end.

Teague said he was too focused on Friday night’s game to think much about it, but he knows the giant spectre of the four-time premiership coach is hovering ominously.

Only weeks ago, he was able to fend off similar Clarkson-themed quizzing with the belief he had 12 months’ breathing space. But no longer.

Any decision on Teague’s future at Ikon Park won’t be announced until post-season, so he will endure unpleasant speculation and questioning for weeks about another potential candidate for his job.

Alastair Clarkson is leaving Hawthorn at the end of the season.

It’s the unfortunate plight of an AFL senior coach in charge of a once-mighty club that last played finals in 2013, and only because Essendon was booted out because of the supplements scandal.

Teague won’t seek any reassurances about his job in the wake of the Clarkson news. In reality, it’s highly unlikely he would get one, anyway.

The findings from a Blues football department review are due soon, so Teague shouldn’t be the only one nervous. It’s rare that every key figure survives such a review.

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Opinions differ on where Carlton should be, but the Blues weren’t recruiting and spending major money on Adam Saad and Zac Williams to miss finals again.

Alternatively, both Saad and Williams still have several years of good footy in them and that would be Carlton’s argument.

It was never boom or bust for the Blues in 2021, but eight wins through 20 rounds is disappointing, given how long they’ve been building – and that’s Teague’s biggest headache.

Charlie Curnow’s return against St Kilda was symbolic in many ways.

He represents the enormous potential at Carlton but this was just his fourth appearance in the 47-game Teague era because of a persistent knee problem.

There are other excuses, too, for Teague. The problem is they’re wearing thin.

The best sides need A-graders and strong bookends to drive their success, even if that’s only part of the formula.

The Blues have them in Coleman Medal frontrunner Harry McKay, key defender Jacob Weitering, midfield extraordinaire Sam Walsh and, at their best, Patrick Cripps and Sam Docherty.

Charlie Curnow made his long-awaited return against St Kilda. Picture: Michael Klein.

Charlie Curnow could comfortably join them off what we saw in 2018-19.

The athletic Tom De Koning is their present and future ruckman, while there is renewed hope for David Cuningham, Paddy Dow, Liam Stocker and maybe even Lochie O’Brien on Friday night’s evidence.

Jack Silvagni, Zac Fisher, Matt Owies, Lachie Fogarty and Matt Kennedy also advanced their cause this season, while Brodie Kemp remains highly rated.

In fact, many of the aforementioned players – going right up to McKay, Walsh and co. – became better footballers this year under Teague, so this must be factored in.

But the inconsistency from game to game, quarter to quarter and player to player is where it all comes unstuck and has done for too long.

Carlton needs to decide quickly whether Teague, Clarkson or someone else can solve that riddle, because the natives are restless.

Sloppy Saints go south

Any hope St Kilda had of featuring in this year’s finals series suffered a significant blow against Carlton.

Brett Ratten’s Saints remain only two points behind eighth-placed Greater Western Sydney – having played one extra game – but their percentage is an anaemic 85.9 from some major hidings.

But they wouldn’t be factors even if they did sneak in.

St Kilda apologists will point to the club’s injury toll, which includes the likes of Paddy Ryder, Jade Gresham, Jarryn Geary, Ben Paton and Jake Carlisle, while Rowan Marshall has played only 10 games.

Dougal Howard (hamstring) and Hunter Clark (concussion), who had just returned from a broken jaw, are the latest additions.

Consistent setbacks from stars to role players have been a hindrance and should buy them sympathy from an underwhelming campaign.

A promising patch from rounds 15 to 17, where the Saints conceded only 22, 61 and 63 points, had surged them back into the top eight mix, helped by the fact only six clubs are truly firing this season.

Hunter Clark was concussed in his return game from a broken jaw.

The query still remains on whether this list is capable of a premiership push, which should be the major priority.

St Kilda has ignored the draft, particularly the first two rounds, for a number of years and that is evident in its lack of top-notch young talent, even if Max King looks a star-in-the-making.

Where does the improvement come from, beyond just a fitter playing group?

Ratten revealed post-match he would tinker with the game plan for next season, with a considerable focus on ball movement, which let them down again on Friday night.

The kicking efficiency statistic is imperfect at times, but giving up roughly a 10 per cent deficit to the Blues and Eagles in the past fortnight is a horror show.

Twelve of Carlton’s 18 goals were from Saints turnovers and the nature of them contributed heavily to the Blues’ accuracy.

This has been a lost season for St Kilda and it has a lot of work ahead to prove the direction it took with recruiting was the right one.

TEAGUE SAYS HE UNDERSTANDS IF BLUES CALL CLARKO

Carlton coach David Teague won’t seek any reassurances about his job despite Alastair Clarkson suddenly being on the market.

On the day Hawthorn confirmed it was parting ways with four-time premiership coach Clarkson at season’s end, the blowtorch cranked to full volume on Teague.

One victory over a similarly disappointing St Kilda is unlikely to be what spares the third-year coach – if the Blues are heading down that path – but Friday night’s 31-point triumph beat the alternative.

The man he coached against, Brett Ratten, knows all too well how savage Carlton’s backroom decision-makers can be.

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Teague said only weeks ago, when he believed Clarkson would be coaching next year, that he was “comfortable” and would “understand” if the Blues gave Clarkson a call.

Those comfort levels are unlikely to be the same now the master coach is effectively a free agent, with a proven record of transforming a struggling side into arguably the greatest team this century.

As Wayne Carey said on Channel 7’s coverage: “Unfortunately for any coach out there, if Clarkson puts his hand up, he’ll get the job.”

Teague said post-match: “I understand them wanting to (speak to Clarkson). He’s been a great coach for a long time, but I’m going to back myself in.

“We’ve got good people here and I (believe in) the direction we’re going and what we’re doing here.

“So, in terms of do I think I’m the best person – if that’s what you’re asking – I think I’m the right person to keep going forward with this footy club.”

David Teague summoned a response after Carlton’s bad loss to North Melbourne. Picture: Michael Klein

Another underwhelming season sparked a football department review that Eddie Betts revealed pre-match had afforded almost everyone a chance to speak.

The findings and potential carnage from that are still unknown, but Carlton’s performance on Friday night was far superior to six days earlier.

Chastised for a lack of pressure and effort in last week’s defeat to the AFL’s cellar-dweller, North Melbourne, the Blues responded by out-tackling the Saints by 17.

Charlie Curnow also emerged unscathed from his first AFL match since mid-2019 after a horror run of knee injuries, while Sam Walsh turned in another brilliant performance with 26 disposals and three goals.

Maligned pair Paddy Dow and Lochie O’Brien also showed promising signs, while third-gamer Josh Honey showed he can be part of the future.

CURNOW INSPIRES BLUES IN FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

— Jack Paynter

The long-awaited return of injury-plagued forward Charlie Curnow has inspired Carlton to a dominant victory over an underwhelming St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.

Under pressure amid an external review into the club’s poor performance, and following an “embarrassing” loss to last-placed North Melbourne the week before, the Blues responded with a blistering 10-goal first half to blow the Saints away on Friday night.

Sam Walsh continued his stellar season with another strong performance, while Coleman Medal leader Harry McKay put on a clinic up forward with five goals as Blues smashed the Saints to the tune of 31 points.

For St Kilda, it puts a nail in the coffin of a disappointing season. It is now almost impossible to play finals this year as Carlton leapfrogged the Saints into 11th spot.

The Saints would have been inside the top eight with a win on Friday night, but poor kicking let them down, gifting the Blues double-figure goals on turnovers in another blowout loss this season.

Jack Steele tries to crash through Jack Newnes.

Rowan Marshall dominated the hit-outs against an undersized Jack Silvagni after Tom De Koning was subbed out of the game, but the Saints on-ballers couldn’t capitalise as Carlton almost halved the clearances.

The Blues stamped their authority on the contest in the second term with five straight goals, and procession continued in the third quarter as fastball movement and another five-goal quarter stretched the Blues’ lead to 43 points at the last change.

The fizz fell out of the contest in the last quarter as the Saints kicked three consecutive goals to reduce the gap to a flattering final margin.

CHARLIE WORTH THE WAIT

It was a dream restart for Charlie Curnow, who nailed a goal with his first kick in AFL football after more than two years on the sidelines due to injury.

The 24-year-old pounced on an errant kick from the Saints coming out of defence in the first quarter and sent it sailing through the sticks from outside 50 to give the Blues a two-goal buffer at quarter time.

It was a sight that had David Teague punching the air in delight in the Carlton coaches box as Curnow returned to action for the first time since Round 15, 2019 after suffering five separate knee injuries.

It was a promising, albeit quiet return for Curnow, who joined McKay and Jack Silvagni in a young, talented forward line that must have Blues fans excited for next season and beyond.

Ben Long flies over Jacob Weitering but couldn’t bring down the mark.

HARRY’S REIGN

It shaped as a shootout between two emerging key forwards as Harry McKay and Max King went goal for goal in the opening quarter.

King booted St Kilda’s first three majors as McKay kicked two opening quarter goals of his own at the other end, but the St Kilda spearhead struggled to find the footy after the first break as Carlton gained the ascendancy.

It was a brilliant return for McKay, who missed last week with a toe injury, as he finished the night with five goals to extend his lead in the Coleman Medal race with just three rounds to play.

TIRED SAINTS

Coming off a long road trip back from Perth after last week’s narrow loss, the energy seemed to fall out of the Saints as their pressure fell away and the Blues stretched the margin after halftime.

In what has become a theme of St Kilda’s season, the Saints couldn’t stop the opposition from scoring as they sunk to a fifth blowout loss of the year.

Carlton were extremely efficient in front of goal and barely looked like missing all night, booting five goals straight in the second term to ram home their advantage.