Are they coming? Are they going? Or are the Blues just simply plateauing?
They’re questions on the lips of many Carlton supporters right now.
With president Mark LoGiudice announcing that he will be stepping down at the end of the 2021 season, these questions only become more complex to answer.
The 2021 season was touted to be one of the years that this once-great club of the AFL would return to the the top eight and be competing among some of the league’s best.
And while we are only six rounds into the AFL season, early signs are showing a side that can’t seem to shift themselves into the next gear that has eluded them for the better part of two years.
This is a side that on paper has some real class in the likes of Sam Walsh, Patrick Cripps, Harry McKay, Jacob Weitering and the recently signed Adam Saad and Zac Williams.
There’s a strong spine throughout the side, and these new acquisitions should have bolstered the Blues’ slingshot play as well as fans’ hopes of fast and exciting footy.
(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Sadly, neither has been the case.
In the opening six rounds, Carlton have had their fair share of moments, with glimmers of silky and commanding footy transitioning from forward to attack.
This more often than not is occurring in the opening quarter.
Yet, when they aren’t pushing through their opponent’s ranks, they appear far too reactive defensively and also lack some real polish offensively.
In their most recent defeat to Brisbane, they started the first quarter strongly with an eight-point lead at the break, only to buckle in the second quarter, losing out seven goals to two.
The Blues couldn’t recover.
For the most part, these losses come from dark spells when the opposition get to chain together multiple goals to pile on the pressure. Brisbane multiple times were able to fly coast to coast without a contested mark in sight during this time.
As seen online, some supporters feel that it’s a lack of desire that is causing these sorts of losses.
Others like Fox Sports’ David King see it as an issue of poor list management. King said: “They’re almost to the point that in two years’ time you’ll call some of these guys list cloggers, if not now”.
And for others, it’s simply an issue with coaching.
(Photo by Jono Searle/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
David Teague is now well into his second full season at the Blues as head coach, and still deserves the time to nurture and finesse his squad. He would be more than aware that 2-4 is not where the Blues intended to be by Round 7.
But more than that, this is not where the Blues intended to be in 2021.
This proper rebuild began in 2015 after the Mick Malthouse era, and in six years the Blues have slowly been trying to build up to something greater. By the actions of these first six rounds, this slow build has perhaps tested the patience of fans, who were promised so much more.
With scrappy wins over Fremantle and an undermanned Gold Coast, it certainly appears that the side has become stagnant.
Last year there was an inability to close out close matches against sides like Collingwood, Port Adelaide and West Coast, signalling that the tides were finally changing for the young Blues.
This year, these losses have been more convincing, and the Blues have saved face with late, junk-time goals to lessen margins in the final minutes.
Only six rounds in, there is still plenty of time for recovery. As well as this, the Blues have plenty of pride to back themselves and make a charge, starting this Sunday against their old enemy in Essendon.
With team changes on the horizon, the pressure is on for poor performing players.
And maybe that is what this side needs: a challenge to perform.
(Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Due to injuries and a lack of depth, Teague has been conservative in dropping players who have struggled to make an impact. Maybe with a full-strength side, these things could change.
Once again, it becomes a waiting game for Carlton fans, and the longer the season goes on, the more telling it will become what the predicament really is.
This is a side that not too long ago had only racked up two wins in a season, so perhaps the journey is becoming slightly longer than anticipated . But there is some progression.
Whether there are still growing pains of a team that is on the cusp of finding form, list issues or coaching woes, the next few rounds are paramount for Carlton in showing the AFL and their fans what they are truly capable of.
Macca
Roar Rookie
:laughing: :laughing: I haven’t defended my player at all, I am just querying when you have “watched” Stocker to be able to determine his talent. Neither have I provided any stats. The fact we are now up to 4 responses without answering a simple question speaks volumes about the basis of your opinion., much more based in the team he plays for than the exposed talent of the player. “”Good players are good players no matter which position they’re playing in.” :laughing: So Caleb Daniel would excel in the ruck? :laughing: Out of interest how do you “watch where a player runs” from the limited view you have on TV?
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Watch the players Macca, not the stats sheet. Good players are good players no matter which position they're playing in. I'm not giving you a minute by minute run down just because you feel you should defend the players who play for the team you barrack for. Neither will be very good footballers and neither will get the Blues up the ladder so they may as well get rid of them and target some decent players who will.
Macca
Roar Rookie
Dow? We are talking about Stocker, how many games have you watched Stocker play to see all this instructive information? Against which teams was he playing and in what position. As for Dow, you would do well to look up the stat to show how much of his game time has been in his favoured position, the midfield, compared to playing as a forward. Time may well prove you wrong yet again.
Macca
Roar Rookie
We’ll have to wait and see, I still think that if we get TDK, Curnow, Fisher & Martin back into our forward line and one of our first round mids currently outside the team emerges we can make the most of an easier draw in the second half of the year. We have to remember that 3 of our 4 losses have been against 2020prelim finalists. It was interesting what Ross Lyons said about Cuningham, a lot of other sides interests in him. I still think if he is given more time in the midfield he could be great. I thought his game last week was a good first up hit out.
PeteB
Roar Rookie
Weitering McKay genuine stars. Curnow would have been, not sure what we’ll see now. JSOS possibly but he just seems to get injured to often. Fisher has shown signs at times but again injuries are a problem. Willo disappointing this year. Setters 2 bad games but should be in our best 22. Dow and OBrien shocking for a pick 3 and 10. SPS just holding his place, should be better for a pick 5. Cunningham in his 6th year still struggles to get a game. Kennedy I expect to be delisted at the end of the year. Honestly apart from the first three I don’t recall too many better than average games from the rest, but plenty of substandard ones. Yes some have had a bad run with injuries but if they are injury prone that doesn’t help us. I guess we’ve come from a long way back and still suffer now from not having enough senior quality players in that 27-29 bracket (mid 20s a few years back). It’s still looking like we’re at least another 3 years away unfortunately as the first crop of green shoots are falling short of what we hoped.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
I’m not going to start pulling stats so you won’t understand my language. Stats only tell you power of the story; watch where a player runs, their decision making with the ball, their natural ball skills, their match awareness, it’s much more instructive. I can categorically tell you Dow won’t make it as a league footballer too, because he can’t kick and he can’t find the ball.
Macca
Roar Rookie
Of the 4-6 year players, 6yr Weitering, McKay and Curnow are genuine stars, I am a big wrap on JSOS and if he comes in this week we will be better for it and I haven’t given up on Cunningham 5yr Fisher will be a good player for us and his injury is hurting us while SPS has been better than he is given credit for. Williamson seems to have regressed. 4yr - Dow and O’Brien have been disappointing but TDK looks a great prospect Hopefully Setterfield gain regain his pre-season form but Kennedy looks like he will be destined to be a great VFL player. All in all it isn’t that bad a return.
PeteB
Roar Rookie
It’s Bolton’s green shoots, the 4 to 6 year players that concern me. Too many struggling to get games and be more than a fringe player or just getting games because there is no one else. Of the players you mention, TDK looks very promising, haven’t seen enough of the others yet.
Macca
Roar Rookie
:laughing: Not arguing, just trying to get you to support your opinion - which clearly you can't because once again you are simply stirring the pot.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Yeah true. And Jones is limited - a good spoil but you cringe when he has the ball in hand.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
You're arguing for the sake of it again Macca. I don't think he's any good and I'm sticking to it.
Aaron Di Placido
Roar Rookie
Definitely agree, he flies under the radar but no doubt puts up the same performance as your Bonts and Treloars. I honestly thought that whole Essendon debacle was just to string them along the trade period, but that amount of money would entice any player. I'm still of the belief as well that we probably need a solid key defender to help Weitering down back, Plowman just isn't crash hot at the moment.
Macca
Roar Rookie
No no, how many? Which ones and how many did he play in the midfield? “Players who are going to be be good make an impact from the start” – :laughing: despite all evidence to the contrary.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Enough to know he's no good. Players who are going to be be good make an impact from the start. If Carlton want to progress they need to be ruthless; good teams turn over players who aren't up to scratch, they don't hold onto them in hope.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
I'm playing devils advocate here - I'm a Dogs fan, I'd hate to see him go and I believe the outlandish offer from Essendon was the only thing that enticed him to say he wanted to leave. Hopefully the Dogs can find an extra couple hundred k to keep him after this contract. He's very close with Bont and now Treloar, and he's Bevo's favourite so I don't think it's a cultural thing or the garbage about playing in the ruck.
Macca
Roar Rookie
Started in the square against the Pies and had about 6 touches in the first 2 minutes 2 of which were pin point passes into forward 50 - been down hill since then.
Macca
Roar Rookie
How many game have you actually watched Stocker play?
Aaron Di Placido
Roar Rookie
Really wonder whether Dunkley would want to leave a side like the dogs, but 100% get your point in that there needs to be another midfielder willing to take and give hits whilst being penetrative in attack. Sadly, I do think Dow has definitely been given plenty of chance but he's just not up to scratch - Stocker has only had a handful of games though and I think he was played out of position over the weekend too, so there's still plenty of time for him.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
The number one thing a team needs to push up the ladder is a hardened quality midfield. Carlton does not have that, hence they are languishing. Buying a back flanker to play in the middle was a bad idea too. They should throw the kitchen sink at Dunkley when he's out of contract - he's a total professional, he's a leader and he has a crack every week. He's the sort of player they need. They should also look at any other good midfielders coming out of contract and go hard at them, eg Josh Kelly, Zach Merrett. They already have the spine to be a good team but they need grunt and they need good players on the ball. Players like Dow and Stocker should be delisted - they aren't going to win them a flag so stop wasting time on them.
Macca
Roar Rookie
I would still prefer to have Cuningham or Walsh kicking inside 50 from a centre clearance than Cripps