The Carlton Blues and Collingwood Magpies are two of only four winless teams left in the AFL after two weeks, but barring an unlikely draw one of them will get out of that group tonight.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday night, starting from 7:50pm AEDT.
Both of these teams have made two changes ahead of tonight’s match.
Carlton brought Cam O’Shea, formerly of Port Adelaide, in for his debut last week, but his performance was not quite up to scratch and he’s been dropped back to the VFL.
They’ve also lost Ciaran Byrne to injury which will mean a bit less run out of the backline, but the good news for them is that their No. 1 ruckman Matthew Kreuzer is back, as is Matthew Kennedy.
Kreuzer’s absence was a major factor in last week’s loss to the Gold Coast Suns as it allowed Jarrod Witts to run wild against some pretty sub-standard competition at times.
However another telling factor (which you may have picked up on) was Tom Lynch kicking eight goals, and that being the case it’s a bit of a surprise that Liam Jones has kept his spot.
Given that Jacob Weitering is being moved back to defence this week, Carlton will be fielding a backline of four 190cm players against a forward line that only contains two.
That is of course Ben Reid and Mason Cox, who are back in the side this week after missing Round 2 through injury and suspension respectively.
That might make you worry that the Blues could get done in by a quality small forward, but luckily for Carlton Jamie Elliott is still injured and Alex Fasolo has inexplicably been left on the sidelines as an emergency.
Collingwood’s two outs are both injury-forced – Darcy Moore and Tim Broomhead both had to leave mid-match in Round 2. Moore will be gone about a month, Broomhead’s season is over due to a broken leg.
Prediction
I reckon Carlton will bounce back from last week’s uncharacteristically poor effort and give Collingwood something of a surprise this evening.
Carlton by 12.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match between the Carlton Blues and the Collingwood Magpies in Round 3 of the 2018 AFL season at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday night, starting from 7:50pm AEDT.
Chris
Guest
Rivalries and derbies are played out on the field and not in car parks by drunken hooligans. I love a tough and tight contest where it matters most with unbiased umpiring. Pies and Dons fans loathe Carlton for this precise reason-their favourable treatment by the men in white!
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
I admire you defending your side Macca, but with North, Eagles and Dogs next, Bolton would need at least one - two wins or even you will surely have doubts as those three won't be challenging you'd think at the pointy end.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
I'm not saying it was overly impressive by the Pies, but to win when you're missing most of your best forward line was a great result. Suddenly, the VFL Pies win by 20 goals, Elliott, De Goey, Mayne among the best. Options open up, if only we weren't meeting the crows away next week we could have squared the ledger. Bucks was great Friday night, he is showing why he got the extra two year contract.
User
Roar Rookie
Sheedy was a master at creating a rivalry. Doesn't feel the same in wce v ESS matches anymore, but then again rivalries are created for the short successful periods in the modern game ie Syd v wce, geel v hawks even gws v bullies.
User
Roar Rookie
My beloved childhood toy was a Perth demon plush called buzz obviously after Perth legend the buzz. I'm a long suffering Perth fan guess It balances out a bit with west coast.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Chris, the Ess vs Coll rivalry is utterly manufactured (via ANZAC Day) and I say that as a Dons fan. The two clubs have a very cordial relationship. Yes, their fans like to rib each other but it rarely gets nasty. Essendon has actual rivalries with Hawthorn and Carlton, although they haven't mattered a whole lot for about 15 years because Essendon and Carlton haven't been contenders. I'm looking forward to the Showdown this year because Adelaide and Port are both gunning for the top four, as West Coast and Freo were a couple of years back. Rivalries have extra spice where there is something more than pride at stake.
Don Freo
Guest
Great to see the Sharks competitive again. My intro to footy was going to see Demons v Sharks (Old East in those days) at Lathlain Park with my neighbour.
User
Roar Rookie
And the demons were robbed by the sharks yesterday ;)
User
Roar Rookie
I'm a Perth man don but those freo derbies were and still are highlights. Cops have been called in how many times after the game as it used to spill into the carpark.
Don Freo
Guest
They are not even 'derbies'. You haven't seen rivalry until you experience a derby. There are only 2 Derbies. Freo v West Coast and South Fremantle v East Fremantle. Make up your own term for your try hard battles. No tradition there. Just clashes between Vic teams that stopped being traditional when better teams made it the AFL.
User
Roar Rookie
Have you set foot out of Victoria? Or go to any freo derbies where there were brawls in the carpark between rival fans? I don't think you care about the rivalries my teams ( wce & Perth Demons) have so don't pedastool your cruddy half weight ones to me cause I don't care.
Chris
Guest
There are four rivalries or derbies that cannot be matched:- 1. Collingwood vs Carlton; 2. Essendon vs Carlton; 3. Collingwood vs Essendon; 4. Collingwood vs Melbourne. The rest simply don't matter...I know how real Maggies get fired up for each of the above contests.The really fervent macho rivalry is Collingwood vs Richmond. Victorian tribalism cannot be understood by interstaters. Victoria Street is a no-man's land between these aforementioned working class combatants.
Macca
Guest
On the smaller clubs, that is why St Kilda and the Bulldogs are playing the blues on a Friday night, they want to play in front of a big crowd so the request a big club like Carlton - it isn't a marquee game though. And I reiterate that the "billing" is nothing more than fluff to make meaningless games seem more important. Don't get sucked in to the hype. Take the Carlton St Kilda game, by the time they will play it looks like both will be entrenched in the bottom 4 but channel 7 will rave on about how important it is for both clubs to perform " on th big stage" Nader the "glare of Friday night lights" but in reality it is just another game. Interesting that Freo Suns is suddenly a more important game to be televised than the match of the round. As to what I am gaining, the enjoyment of good conversation and exchange of ideas with another reasonable person.
User
Roar Rookie
Love to see smaller clubs get a look in as I doubt Carlton and collingwood are struggling with memberships.
User
Roar Rookie
Geez Louise no, went out to a family event as I have a life(anyway freo was on in wa macca) I reiterate Friday night is billed as the premier broadcast match and has the most money spent in it and therefore deserves the best matches. I also reiterate that is my opinion and it isn't going to change. You're getting no where here so ask yourself what it is you ate gaining from this.
Macca
Guest
One more thing, the GWS v Sydney game wasn't on fta last night either, St Kilda Adelaide was, are you complaining on that thread about how unfair it is? Do you think that decision may have been driven by ratings as well?
Macca
Guest
You do realise the broadcasters are the ones who want games like Carlton Collingwood on a Friday night don't you? Friday nightis a product, it has been sold as the biggest game to get people to think they have to watch but as I have said repeatedly it is rarely the best game. The main reason teams want to play Friday night is to get them fta games that help them sell memberships, interstate team said that are on fta all the time anyway have the least to complain about
User
Roar Rookie
Why are you so desperate for others to have your POV? Something to consider. Again I am not changing my view but I do find it interesting that you are hell bent on trying and have gone as far as to introduce things that had zero relevance. Friday night and sometimes Thursday is the start of the footy round and has a hell of a lot of money spent on it ( more than any other broadcast) and it should have games scheduled fitting of the billing. You can do what I do and use free internet services to acquire quality write up on games so I fail to see the point of introducing print media to the conversation.
Macca
Guest
I am not viewing it as a slight on the blues just a complete lack of logic on your behalf. People trying t sell a product can bill it anyway they want but the stark reality is Friday night games are rarely the premier game. Look at the product not the packaging. And to me it is completely irrelevant what night or day my team plays, what is important is whether they are on free to air or not so I can actually watch. Ask yourself why it is you think Friday night is more important than any other? Is it worth more points? Does it mean you see your team more often? He!! Wher I live Friday night means the result doesn't even make the major papers the next day.
User
Roar Rookie
Again I reiterate Friday night is billed as the premier game and should be treated as such not a opportunity to schedule half a#se rivalries nobody cares about. I would stick to decaf macca because I'm not changing my opinion and it isn't healthy to get all agitated over anything you view as a slight on the blues.