Carlton star Sam Walsh says the prospect of finals becoming more real

A fortnight ago finals appeared out of the question for Carlton. But after two wins on the trot the Blues’ belief is growing, says one of their brightest stars. Can they break their seven-year drought?

Nick Smart

7 min read

August 22, 2020 - 5:21PM

Eddie Betts hugs Izak Rankine as they swap jumpers at the end of the game.

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Carlton midfielder Sam Walsh admits the prospect of the Blues playing their first final since 2013 this year is becoming “more and more real.”

The Blues have won two in a row and possess a 6-6 win-loss record after recording a 33-point win over Gold Coast on Friday night.

David Teague’s men will next face their arch rival in Collingwood, in what looms as a mini elimination final at the Gabba next Sunday.

“I think each year the goal is always finals. I think coming into the back end of this year, that goal is more and more real,” Walsh said on Saturday.

The growing confidence at the Blues was evident when star and co-captain Patrick Cripps bellowed that “the Blues are back” in the rooms post-game on Friday night.

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Sam Walsh is bullish about what Carlton can achieve in the run home. Picture: Getty Images

“Obviously we are feeling very confident in what we can do,” Walsh said.

“The last two weeks have definitely helped that. We know that it’s a big block of four games coming up for us.

“It’s a very tight competition as we know and we are prepared for a battle each week and I think that’s the most pleasing thing.

“Crippa’s comments are more about the consistent effort we are bringing in terms of our compete and wanting to get better as a group.

“He’s been a big part of that and that is probably the reason why he has been so pumped up, which was good to see.”

The Blues will finish the home and away season with games against Collingwood, Greater Western Sydney, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane.

Of those teams, only Brisbane and the injury-hit Magpies currently sit inside the top eight.

One big problem with Blues’ finals charge

—Matt Turner

Carlton coach David Teague was more concerned about his side finishing off its efforts in front of goal, rather than a missed opportunity to boost its percentage, after the one-sided win over Gold Coast in Darwin on Friday night.

The Blues’ 33-point win takes them up to ninth with a 6-6 record, as they continue their push to make the finals for the first time since 2013.

But there is a logjam of four teams — them, Melbourne, GWS and Western Bulldogs — on 24 points, so Carlton may be left to rue kicking 7.18 against the Suns because it remains 18.2 per cent behind the Demons, who have a game in hand.

Patrick Cripps gives the Blues’ latest success the double fist pump.

“The percentage doesn’t faze me as much, in the end we might come back to it, but it’s more our way of finishing our work and the team that we want to be,” Teague said.

“I thought we did a lot right and that was probably the one thing that let us down — some of our ball use and decision-making with the ball.

“We just didn’t finish our plays.

“We’ve got to get better in that area.”

Fans loved the live AFL action in a special night at TIO Stadium.

Teague called the display “a real team effort” and said his players adjusted well to tricky, humid conditions.

“It could have been our best performance (this year) in terms of overall evenness.”

Carlton now faces fierce rival Collingwood next Sunday in another test for its finals credentials.

Teague said his team focused on the way it played and where it finished on the ladder was simply a by-product.

“If it (finals) happens, it happens … but we feel like we’re capable of beating anyone if we play our way, so that’s our aim,” he said.

“We’ve got a lot of growth in us still but our pressure and our effort gives us a chance.”

Teague would not enter into debate about whether Jacob Weitering was an All-Australian after the Blues’ full-back blanketed another key forward, this time Gold Coast young gun Ben King.

Eddie Betts proved a big hit despite only kicking one goal for the night.

Suns coach Stuart Dew said he was more animated than usual at half-time to try to kick-start his lacklustre side.

“We just had that feeling we were struggling to respond so we tried to get a bit of energy going,” Dew said.

“But the game was won and lost in the first quarter - they got it on their terms and we were playing catch-up.”

Dew said his side was flat from the outset, lost too many one-on-one contests and conceded too many marks inside 50.

“I only saw glimpses, from where we’ve been.

Dew said the four-day break might have impacted how much distance his side covered on the night but was still no excuse for the display.

“I don’t think it’s a step back,” he said.

“We’ve made some gains and time will tell but we’re really motivated for the next month to make sure those gains are solidified.

“There were times when method dropped away and fatigue.

“Even when we got a goal, we lacked some energy and we don’t want to be part of that.

“There were periods where we got back to three kicks behind and just couldn’t get the motor started.”

Betts and Jarrod Harbrow chase down the ball.

NO PROBLEMS FOR CRUISE-CONTROL BLUES

Carlton fans must be used to heart-stoppers this season, but on Friday night, they got to see their side do something they have not done in seven rounds — win convincingly.

Do not let the scoreboard fool you — the Blues dominated Gold Coast in their Indigenous Round clash at Darwin’s TIO Stadium and could have won by 10 goals if they kicked straight.

Instead, the 33-point win — Carlton’s biggest since beating the Western Bulldogs by 52 points in Round 6 after having six games this season decided by seven points or fewer — continued David Teague’s side’s push for its first finals appearance in seven years.

Carlton looked like shooting itself in the foot with poor goalkicking when it led by just seven points — 2.7 to 2.0 — midway through the second term, despite dominating play and possession.

But a goal to crowd favourite Eddie Betts sparked the Blues, who kicked the last three majors before half-time to push out to a 25-point lead that they never looked like relinquishing.

Playing their first Friday night game, the Suns struggled to get any momentum or get the ball inside 50 and rarely played with any dare.

Carlton, which led all match, finished with huge advantages in disposals (334-239), marks (93-60) and inside 50s (53-26), in an indication of its supremacy.

Former Suns player Jack Martin handballs during his standout 21-possession game.

JACK’S BACK TO HAUNT SUNS

Jack Martin returned to the Carlton side from a calf injury to face his former team and was arguably the Blues’ best player.

As some players struggled to handle the ball, Martin showed his class and used it well.

By the game’s end, he’d had 21 disposals.

Carlton got Martin for nothing via the pre-season draft last year and would have to be happy with his contributions to date.

Betts takes centre stage as he celebrates a goal.

IZAK AND EDDIE

Eddie Betts and Izak Rankine would have been the players to generate the most attention for the game, even if it was not the Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round.

Both showed glimpses of their brilliance — Rankine kicked the Suns’ opening goal, 10 minutes into the second term, while Betts kicked a major of his own in that quarter and was typically unselfish.

But neither was able to truly take the spotlight.

Betts, who said in the lead-up to the game that he “gets tingles” whenever he thought about the round, received huge cheers from the Darwin crowd whenever he had the ball.

He brought out the party tricks during the second term when he tight against the boundary line he tapped the ball against Charlie Ballard, but missed the shot from the resulting free and was fumbly at times.

Rankine missed a golden chance on the three-quarter time siren, when he tried a checkside from just 15m out and the ball hit the post.

David Swallow finds himself airborne after copping a bump.

ALL-AUSTRALIAN CONTENDER

Should Jacob Weitering be in the All-Australian team?

The 2015 No. 1 draft pick continues to improve his game and after keeping big guns such as Tom Lynch goalless so far this season, emerging Gold Coast forward Ben King became his latest victim.

King had just one disposal until midway through the game and had only five by full-time.

The humid conditions did not help key forward marking, but Weitering was able to read the ball better in the air and blanket him all night.

At the other end, Harry McKay had few issues marking the ball (he had eight) and was impressive, if not for his 2.4.

The Gold Coast Suns struggled to come to terms with the slippery conditions.

HUMIDITY FACTOR

Both teams struggled to adjust to the greasy conditions on Friday night, as Darwin sweltered in 28C heat and 85 per cent humidity and the ball resembled a bar of soap at times.

Dropped marks and mishandling of the ball was a regular sight, but it was exacerbated by both sides at times choosing to go short too often, particularly early.

Josh

The conditions contributed to a scrappy start, as Gold Coast was scoreless in the first quarter.

CARLTON 1.4 5.7 6.11 7.18 (60)

GOLD COAST 0.0 2.0 3.2 4.3 (27)

GOALS

Carlton: McKay, Gibbons 2; Betts, Curnow, Newnes.

Gold Coast: Lemmens, Rankine, Weller, Flanders.

MATT TURNER’S BEST

Carlton: Martin, Fisher, Murphy, Newnes, Weitering, Jones, Cripps, Walsh, McKay.

Gold Coast: Lukosius, Bowes, Ainsworth, Miller.

INJURIES

Carlton: Petrevski-Seton (shoulder)