There has been more than enough complaining about Carlton’s regular appearances on Friday night that I won’t add too much to it.
Yes, this looks like another stinker of a way to start the round. Yes, it was a strange decision for the AFL to give the Blues so many prime-time games if having quality matches – if – is their priority. Yes, this is probably a good night to do something other than watch the footy if you’re not a Sydney or Carlton supporter.
But rather than speculate on how this seemingly predictable game might unfold, let’s talk about the Blues like grown-ups.
Carlton are a bad football team, and that’s OK. There has always been bad teams and there will always be bad teams.
The Blues have been bad for a bit longer than they would like. Unfortunately that’s been their own doing. Carlton overestimated themselves under Mick Malthouse and are still paying the price for it. They aren’t the first team to do that, either – nor will they be the last.
There’s no point dwelling on past mistakes. All Carlton can do at this point is learn from them. You need look no further than their line-up that took on the Cats in Round 10 to see where the Blues’ problems lie.
Carlton had seven players aged between 25 and 30 in that miserable game. That’s a reasonable number. The problem for Carlton is that most of them are no good. Jed Lamb, Sam Kerridge, Cameron O’Shea, Liam Jones and Matthew Wright have all been brought in from other clubs to help fill that age-gap for the Blues. Of them, only Wright is much good, and even he would struggle to get a game in a good side.
(Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Matthew Kreuzer and Ed Curnow are the other two in that age bracket. Both of them are career Blues. Both of them good players – better than good in the case of Kreuzer when he’s healthy.
Despite the shortcomings of that group, it makes sense to put them out there. The Blues can’t just throw 20 youngsters into the fire and destroy their confidence and batter their bodies. Patrick Cripps takes enough of a beating each week, any mature body that can give him a chop out would be welcome relief.
Carlton simply don’t have enough good footballers in that prime age to be any good. Again, there’s nothing they can do about that in the short term. What they need is time and experience. You can’t cheat in those areas.
Cripps is just 23. He’s coming into his prime but can still improve. He’s already a damn good player.
Charlie Curnow is one of the most exciting young players in the league. He’s just 21. His 200cm key-forward partner Harry McKay has kicked a goal in every one of his ten AFL matches. McKay is only 20, which is the same age as promising key defender Jacob Weitering.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Weitering is a perfect example of what can happen to a talented youngster lacking on-field support. He’s struggled this season – in no small part due to the presence of Liam Jones, in this author’s humble opinion – to carry the burden of being the fulcrum of a struggling defensive unit. He’ll be fine, but it’ll take time.
That’s a pretty exciting trio of key-position players to plan the next decade around. Throw in defender Lachie Plowman (23) and Caleb Marchbank (21) and the future looks even brighter. Forgotten man Sam Docherty is only 24.
Sam Petrevski-Seton (20), Zac Fisher (19) and Paddy Dow (18) have all shown enough in their fledgeling careers to suggest they’ll be good footballers at a minimum.
But it all comes back to time and experience. The Blues (and those youngsters) would look a hell of a lot different if the 25-to-30-year-olds on their list were Josh Kennedy, Nick Smith, Dane Rampe, Dan Hannebery and Luke Parker, but alas.
There’s even been talk of Carlton shipping off soon-to-be 31-year-old skipper Marc Murphy at the end of the season.
If the captain wants out, that’s one thing, but they need only look at Kade Simpson to see that Murphy could still play a significant part in a good Carlton side.
Will he play in a premiership? Probably not. But Charlie Curnow is more unlikely than likely to play in a premiership as well; they’re really hard to win.
All the Blues can do is stay the course and play the long game. Wins will come, and Murphy could still be part of plenty of them – the Bulldogs couldn’t have broken their premiership drought without the influence of 34-year-old Matthew Boyd and 33-year-old Dale Morris.
Unfortunately for the Blues, Murphy won’t be out there tonight and they’ll lose by 40 points.
That’s my Friday night forecast. What’s yours?
Macca
Guest
Dingo - "But if Charlie can have a 15+ disposal game and kick a few goals it will be good for his development." 14 possessions, 4 marks and 2 goals 1 up against Rampe for the night - solid enough and as you say a great learning experience.
Macca
Guest
Dingo - "I would of much rathered watched Suns v Cats, Doggies n Dees, Hawks n Port, Pies n Freo, Roos n Lions or even Crows n GWS." Suns V Cats - 85 point flogging Doggies V Dees 51 points Brisbane V North 54 points Pies V Freo 61 points (only after a late flurry from the Dockers) Even Dreamtime at the G was 71 points
duecer
Guest
I have no doubt the message that ratings are down across the codes is correct. What I'm questioning is an article by Roy Masters, who hates AFL. The sentence I've highlighted is, I think, incorrect. One just has to look at the FTA ratings on Friday. A mismatch AFL game gets ratings of 517k, the NRL match gets ratings of 376k - how does that come anywhere near Roy Masters figures of an average over 600k for NRL and below 400k for AFL. The figures I've given are fairly indicative of the overall ratings.
Mitcher
Guest
I don’t like the message. The message is wrong. Problem solved.
Angela
Guest
I was at the ho-hum match, McVeigh was brilliant. Fingers crossed his body stays together for the whole season.
Joe B
Guest
The ANZAC day marquee event is played by the same 2 teams... regardless of where they finish on the ladder the previous season, or what the clubs have pumped into the veins of the young men on their list. It is owned by Coll and Ess, and they use it as a selling point to entice recruits. In the true ANZAC spirit, it should be awarded to the 2 highest ranking Melbourne teams from the previous year. That is laughable, suggesting non-vic clubs could lobby to secure anything at the expense of a vic club. We can't even get the Western Derby off the Sunday arvo slot. The Derby, Showdown, Battle of the Bridges, and Q Clash should all get at least one prime time fta slot a year. Equality would be nice at some point.
Paul D
Roar Guru
I’ve never had that issue. I find the roar Eds are very friendly and liaise with me about suggestions if I ask them to. Good quality writing takes time. Like anything. You’re just lazy and not committed to your craft
Paul D
Roar Guru
How would you know when you’re all the way over in Perth?
Kick to kick
Guest
I’m always surprised by how often pundits get the ground dimensions of the SCG wrong. It’s 136 metres across. Not far off the MCG at 141m. Almost all other AFL grounds are narrower than the SCG. Kardinia (Simonds) dramatically so. It’s 115 metres wide but a whopping 170 metres long. That’s 10 metres longer than the MCG. As most know the SCG is short at 149metres long. But the width means you can’t defend by hemming in teams. You have to defend in the midfield to avert quick forward entries.
duecer
Guest
ah - Roy Masters - I would take all of that article with a pinch of salt - especially when it includes this statement - The average free-to-air Audience for the NRL is 612,689 in 2018, compared to 317,003 for the AFL. When has the NRL got anywhere close to 600k this season on FTA? Has the AFL got below 400k on FTA - where is this average coming from? There's not doubt figures are down all round, but this just doesn't stack up.
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
Yeah. I've heard that's among the hardest parts of doing medicine. I'm hoping this game surprises! I'm blogging it, and I've gone with a big Sydney win. I wouldn't mind seeing a low scoring scrap, but I'm worried it'll be over by half time.
maggie
Guest
Thanks, I’ve never noticed - but then I rarely watch SCG games on TV as I go to the match. i’ll try to take note when a future occasion arises.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
It happens I guess. Getting used to it though. I always watch Friday night footy — looking forward to it. This game may surprise a few. I wrote an article many years ago on this very topic. The Swans are very good at keeping themselves in games, but this ultimately keeps the opposition in also. Couple this with desperation from the Blues and we could see a very tight contest. Conversely, if Horse allows more open-play footy on the wings (which he rarely does), then I expect a belting tonight. One thing we won't see is a high scoring game from both teams.
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
Well, that first sentence is probably as depressing as tonight's game will be. Good comment, Disnick. Are you watching the game tonight?
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
"massive lump sum" I'd suggst the janitor is paid more than his base wage. At no stage have I suggested his imminent sacking from Carlton either. You figure the rest out smart guy.
BigAl
Guest
Hallelujah !!! Finally some recognition of what I've been saying for years now ! The elephant in the room problem the AFL is facing is BLOWOUTS ! Forget about . . . just about everything else...
Macca
Guest
Whats he got to be scared about - they blues just backed him in for another 2 years and reset his employment agreement termination payments - if they sack him now they have to pay him out a massive lump sum.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
No, he looked terrified. And righfully so. Your boys better hold it together tonight for his sake.
Macca
Guest
"Bolton, for the first time, looks both angry and terrified leading into a match" He wasn't terrified but he was rightly angry when he got two !d!ot!c questions - one about whether he was "embarrassed to play on Friday night and the second from someone about Weiterings "bad game" last week when they clearly hadn't watched the game.
Raimond
Roar Guru
Sydney by 300 points. I said a few weeks ago that the Blues were done a great disservice by the Bombers' supplements episode. They were given false hope by winning that Final in 2013.