Season preview: Carlton

If there is one team that will be expected to improve further in 2014 under Mick Malthouse, it’s the Carlton Football Club.

If it had not been for Essendon’s controversial supplements program, the Blues would be preparing for a season in which expectations would be low, but its eventual run to the semi-finals, in which it lost to the Sydney Swans, will have fans expecting more from the club this year.

It came 12 months after Brett Ratten was sacked following the team’s failure to live up to its potential. But under the tutelage of Malthouse, the Blues initially struggled before adapting to his game plan, and it’s that which will hopefully spur the old proud club to bigger things this year.

Let’s now have a look at Carlton’s chances for season 2014:

Carlton
Last year: Semi-finalists
Most recent premiership: 1995

Notable arrivals: Dale Thomas (Collingwood), Andrejs Everitt (Sydney Swans), Sam Docherty (Brisbane Lions)
Notable departures: Shaun Hampson (Richmond), Eddie Betts (Adelaide), Jeremy Laidler (Sydney Swans)

Leading goalkicker: Jeff Garlett (43)
All-Australians: None
Best-and-fairest: Kade Simpson

In a Blues fan’s point of view, it’s fair to say that time is running out on a 17th premiership for one man who led the Blues out of its worst ever period.

Chris Judd, arguably the best player to pull on the Carlton guernsey since Craig Bradley, will turn 31 during the finals series and he’s made it no secret that he would love to play in a Blues premiership team before his career is out.

The dual Brownlow Medallist enjoyed a stress-free 2013 after relieving himself of the captaincy in the wake of the failed 2012 season, and was instrumental in leading the Blues’ comeback against Richmond in the finals series.

But with the ex-West Coast Eagle to come off contract at the end of 2014, speculation is rife that this could be his final year. And his looming retirement could all but close the Blues’ premiership window.

However, there is still a lot to get excited about in the future years, especially with the arrival of a big name at Visy Park.

The arrival of Dale Thomas was the biggest story of the off-season, and it’s hoped that the pre-injury form he displayed at Collingwood will continue at Carlton, where he will be reunited with his 2010 premiership coach, Mick Malthouse.

Fringe forward Andrejs Everitt also joins the club as he searches for more top-level opportunities after stints at the Western Bulldogs and the Sydney Swans, while Sam Docherty arrives after 13 games for the Brisbane Lions.

Everitt will be hoping to fill the void that has been left by Eddie Betts, who packed his bags and headed west to Adelaide through the free agency system. Having played 79 games and kicked 32 career goals, the younger brother of Spida Everitt is a worthy replacement in the Blues’ forward line.

Other than Betts, the Blues also lost Shaun Hampson to Richmond, and Jeremy Laidler was delisted by the club, only to later find himself at the Sydney Swans.

Hampson’s departure will leave Robbie Warnock as the first-choice ruckman, but a big question will linger over the club in 2014: who will act as the back-up when Warnock is out injured?

Cameron Wood, who returns to the AFL after playing for Williamstown in 2013, is the perfect short-term solution. While he only managed six games for Collingwood in 2012, he has played a career total of 64 matches since debuting in 2005, and at age 26, his best footy is not beyond him just yet.

The arrivals of those said players should bolster Carlton’s position as a finals contender, and it’s expected the Blues will improve from its semi-final exit of 2013 this coming season.

Matches to watch in 2014
1. Carlton versus Richmond, Round 2
Ahhh. The traditional season opener. But not this year, after the MCG was ruled unavailable for the opening round due to the conclusion of the cricket season, and as a result, the showdown between Carlton and Richmond will instead take place in Round 2, to act as the MCG’s debut match for season 2014.

This showdown will see the two rivals come together for the first time since last year’s dramatic elimination final, in which the Blues pounced on their opponents’ limited finals experience and ran away with a 20-point victory.

However, the loss they suffered in the corresponding match last year will also remain afresh in some Blues players’ minds – and if they are to get 2014 off to a good start, this match will be key to their chances this season.

How will the Blues fare in the first MCG match this year? All will be revealed on Thursday March 27.

2. Carlton versus Essendon, Rounds 3 and 23
Regardless of where they are on the ladder, matches between Carlton and Essendon always live up to the hype, as it’s well known that both clubs’ fans clearly show their dislike for the other.

They are the two most successful clubs in the AFL but both clubs’ premiership tallies remain stalled on 16 apiece, Carlton having not won the premiership since 1995 and Essendon having not saluted since 2000.

Last year, Carlton lost both matches by less than a kick, first by five points in Round 11 after a dominant first half and by six points in the penultimate round after David Zaharakis once again inflicted heartbreak on Mick Malthouse after doing so on ANZAC Day five years ago.

If those two matches are an indication, then we should be in for two thrilling showdowns between the two old rivals in 2014.

3. Carlton versus Collingwood, Rounds 7 and 15
As far as grudge matches go, the Blues’ two shots at Collingwood will not want to be missed by fans of either club this year.

Not only will Mick Malthouse go head-to-head against Nathan Buckley and the club he coached to the 2010 premiership, Dale Thomas will also come face-to-face against some of the teammates that he was part of four years ago.

It will be the best chance for Thomas to show Buckley why he was wrong to release him at the end of last year, as injury contributed to his transfer to Carlton, where he and Malthouse will look to plot the Pies’ downfall.

The veteran coach will also be looking for his first win over Collingwood, after his old club triumphed in their two meetings last year.

4. Carlton versus Adelaide, Round 10
Blues fans will still be feeling some anger after Eddie Betts departed the club at the end of last year, accepting a deal to join Adelaide and this move closer to home.

Thus, the final Sunday of Autumn will present the biggest chance for Blues fans to make their feelings towards him felt, as Betts was one of the key players in Carlton’s revival from its worst on-field period at the start of the millennium.

This year, he will be a part of the Adelaide side which itself will be trying to rebuild from the salary cap tampering scandal involving Kurt Tippett – whom the Crows have found the perfect (though belated) replacement in Betts.

And if his new Crows can give Carlton the Blues, the local fans will be even more angrier as they ponder what could have been had he decided to stay at Visy Park.

The verdict
After its lucky break last year, in which it got into the finals after Essendon were demoted due to its controversial supplements program, Carlton will have high expectations entering 2014, and if they can’t match them, Mick Malthouse will find himself under the pump.

That said, there will be no excuses if the Blues cannot make the finals again, given Chris Judd will be in his final years and the arrival of Dale Thomas which has raised optimism among Blues fans.

The Blues have the playing list to do very well in 2014, but the big question will be whether they can extract the talent out of it. That said, I expect the team to enjoy another solid season on the field.

Prediction
6th