On the weekend, Carlton suffered their seventh heaviest lost in the club’s history, going down to a rampant Melbourne by 109 points.
The knives are again out for Brendan Bolton, with the coach having to explain at the press conference where the Blues went wrong.
We don’t need to judge Bolton based on this season, the club is in its third year rebuild and he has admitted that this is the toughest year in the club’s long road back to success.
Honestly though, the Dees defeated a VFL side at the MCG. Carlton didn’t their best 22 out there.
The integral Sam Docherty is out for the season with an ACL injury, while no Caleb Marchbank, Ciaran Byrne or Tom Williamson down back has hurt as well. Veteran defender Alex Silvagni is another on the long-term injury list.
Losing both Curnows – Ed through suspension and Charlie due to a tight quad – didn’t help, while captain Marc Murphy has just returned from an injury sustained minutes before the Round 4 clash against North Melbourne.
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Big man Andrew Phillips played for the Northern Blues, and out-of-form duo Jacob Weitering and Jack Silvagni are trying hard to get considered for selection.
That is where Carlton’s main 22 have been.
It was good to see young Patrick Kerr get a run, and Harry McKay is slowly going from strength to strength as the new key forward.
Aaron Mullett, Sam Kerridge, Nick Graham, Jed Lamb and Cameron O’Shea will not be there long-term, as the club looks to who is up for discussion during free agency.
Former Port superstar Kane Cornes suggested on the Sunday Footy Show that out-of-contract Collingwood forward Jordan De Goey could be a fantastic acquisition for the Blues, while general manager of football Andrew McKay reckons the Blues will be filling the gaping holes of the mature age bracket of 22-26 to help the youngsters out.
Another player Carlton should look at is Dylan Shiel. The 25-year-old Giant is one of the best midfielders in the competition right now, and Carlton should secure another number 1 pick if they finish bottom this year – why not part with it for Shiel, who can come in and help Murphy, Patrick Cripps, the Curnows and Zac Fisher through the midfield.
It is not all doom and gloom at Carlton – their list is in better shape than Essendon, St Kilda and Collingwood’s put together, and Bolton is slowly putting the pieces of the puzzle together.
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
Buzz, I wouldn't worry abut anything Harry says - he still thinks that Essendon will win the premiership this year. As for Cripps the only debate about his contract at Carlton is the length of the extension that will be signed off on later this year. Hopefully it will be more than 2 years which will take him past free agency.
The Original Buzz
Guest
Cripps leaving is a fact? Who is your source that close to Cripps, I would love to know. It could only be another Player.
Macca
Guest
An the blues tolerance level for injuries (especially to the likes of Kreuzer, Docherty, Marchbank & Murphy) would be lower than most other teams
The Original Buzz
Guest
4 Hours, 32 minutes.
The Original Buzz
Guest
I think you will find maybe Collingwood has a similar injury list to Carlton, every other team actually has less injuries.
Gecko
Guest
Steve009 that's a good assessment of the core of Carlton's problems: poor recruiting and inflated expectations (the 3rd problem was a poor culture amongst the playing group). And your assessment is a more convincing defence of Bolton than Thompson's article, which names a bunch of mostly B-C grade players on the injury list (half the AFL clubs have a worse injury list than Carlton).
Gecko
Guest
Steve009 that's a good assessment of the core of Carlton's problems: poor recruiting and inflated expectations (the 3rd problem was a poor culture amongst the playing group). And your assessment is a more convincing defence of Bolton than Thompson's article, which blames Carlton's 2018 position on having a bunch of mostly B-C grade players on the injury list (half the clubs have worse injury lists than Carlton).
Jonboy
Guest
How is the assessment going ? Just joking.......Your right number one option hit Gaff and Wines hard or other A graders, not easy, but you have to have a real crack. Will swap Ross Lyon for Casboult.
Macca
Guest
In the 3 years prior to that point you had won, 7, 4 & 3 games. The blues have won 7 & 6 in the last 2 (although they won 4 games in 2015 compared to the lions 10 in 2013) so as bad as the blues are it will be line ball if they get a priority. Given the Lions won 5 last year and look around that mark again I would think the AFL should give the one.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Just checked, we got pick 19 awarded to us in the 2016 draft The years all blur together after a while
Macca
Guest
For the record you did apply for one last year but I don't think you got one and I can't find any report of it being awarded.
Macca
Guest
PaulD - I have said all along I am not against taking mature fringe players and have pointed out that the blues have taken a number of them in the past 3 years but have said it wouldn't be my option A. If Gaff or any other A grader don't choose the blues then so be it and we have to move on to option B but the best way to make the blues better is option A and we have to throw everything at it first. I would throw massive money at Gaff and offer the likes of Port Adelaide this years and next years first round pick for Wines (as well as offering massive money to Wines) - I would have no hesitation in paying overs for an A grade player if that's what it took but if that doesn't work then we take our early draft pick, take our father sons and try and find a mature fringe player or two on the cheap.
Macca
Guest
We put our hand up in 2015 PaulD and got knocked back, I have little doubt we will put our hand up again.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Didn’t we just get one? You’re in worse shape than us. Put your hand up and stop being proud
Paul D
Roar Guru
My point is Gaff won’t choose Carlton and neither will any other A grader You’re like rose’s mum on titanic, sneering about new money while conveniently forgetting your own deplorable circumstances The only thing separating you from St Kilda right now is a few more dusty pieces of fabric in the trophy cabinet
Paul D
Roar Guru
Ratten was sacked when they had to beat the Suns to have a chance of making finals and didn’t. 2012 wasn’t it? Given you’d welcomed the suns to the comp with a 170-40ish sorta slogging 18 months prior it perhaps wasn’t an unreasonable scapegoating Honestly if they didn’t sign Malthouse and go nowhere we wouldn’t even still be talking about Ratts
Macca
Guest
Brisbane and us should both apply but I have a feeling only the Lions would get it.
tibor nagy (big four sticks)
Guest
Yes S.P.S
Macca
Guest
PaulD - "we can trade example and counter-example for ages of guys who suit our respective cases." But that is just it, my point is that fringe players are hit and miss and just because they are fringe at a good club doesn't make them a winner at a poor club - if this wasn't true we wouldn't be able to trade examples. An A grade player (especially one like Gaff who will cost us nothing in terms of draft picks) is a known quantity and much more likely to drive success.
Macca
Guest
Hmmm; 1) Given the blues got pick 28 and Kerridge from Adelaide for Menzel and the player taken with that pick 28 (which ended up being 32) was Mitch Hibberd who has 4 games to his name all in 2017 it is a big stretch to call that trade a fail. 2) You obviously haven't seen either Marchbank or Pickett play 3) I bac Kennedy to be better than Sam Taylor