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The Carlton Blues climbed off the bottom of the ladder and recorded their fourth win of the season on Sunday with a 23-point win over Melbourne.
>>MATCH REPORT: Cripps stars in Blues’ win
Melbourne kicked five consecutive goals to get themselves back into the game after the Blues dominated the first half, but it wasn’t enough.
Carlton 12.6.78 def. Melbourne 7.13.55
The Carlton Blues will hope to round off a forgettable week with a win over the Melbourne Demons when they clash at the MCG. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 3:20pm (AEST).
Fresh off a loss – or win, depending on how you look at it – in the ‘Schache Shield’, Carlton has not had the best week.
With star swingman Lachie Henderson all but officially off to Geelong after handing in a trade request, and others rumoured to be following him out the door, the only respite Carlton have gained is knowing they only have to face Melbourne this week.
The Blues have dominated this fixture over recent years, with their loss to the Dees last year their first since 2007. That should give them a small deal of confidence, despite being outdone by the league’s second worse side by over 10 goals just last week.
Optimists among us know that battles between two cellar-dwelling sides, slugging it out for pride and to prove who is worse, can often make for good viewing. With that said, this contest could end up being a low-scoring affair.
Both sides have struggled in the forward half this year, with Carlton ranking 16th for inside 50s at 44.8 per game, while the Demons are ranked last with just 43.3 per game.
Further, the Blues are ranked second last in terms of scores, with an average of 70.5, and Melbourne come in only slightly better with their 71.6 points per game.
Doom and gloom aside, this game will give us an insight into some of the game’s future stars. The two most likely to fight it out for the Rising Star Award – Patrick Cripps and Jesse Hogan – will have their skills on display, with other talents such as Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw and Carlton’s Dylan Buckley also out to strengthen their growing reputations.
Carlton may bring back another young star in Troy Menzel, who could provide some much-needed spark up forward.
Speaking of which, Jeff Garlett is set to play against his old side for the first time, and he may well show them what they are missing out on.
Prediction
If Cripps and co. can beat Melbourne to the ball in the midfield and starve Hogan of opportunities down the line, it will go a long way to helping them get over the line.
But Carlton’s lack of work on the spread and poor tackling record, on top of their depleted confidence, does not bode well against such a manic and pressure-heavy Melbourne line-up.
Melbourne by 21 points.
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