After Carlton ended the 2022 AFL season in ninth place, Blues followers would have been dissatisfied to overlook the finals shedding to their arch-rivals by a solitary level and Melbourne the week earlier than by 5 factors.
However with 12 wins and a share of 108.3 Blues followers have been content material that Micheal Voss’s males have been progressing properly.
9 rounds into 2023, outcomes haven’t improved and arguably development has gone backwards leaving followers stressed.
The final time Carlton performed finals was again in 2014. Ever since that time, there was an infinite rebuild consisting of terrible record administration selections and the departures of Mick Malthouse, Brendan Bolton, and David Teague at Ikon Park.
Certainly, record administration has been an issue on the Blues, setting again their climb to the highest of the ladder. Excessive draft picks of Paddy Dow (choose 3) Sam Petrevski-Seton (choose 6), Lachie O’Brien (choose 10) and Liam Stocker (choose 19) have all not labored out for the membership. Getting these picks proper is essential for a premiership construct.
Have all of us forgotten the Hawthorn dynasty?
Draft picks have been nailed by the Hawks, buying Jarryd Roughhead (choose 2), Lance Franklin (choose 5) and Jordan Lewis (choose 7) all in the identical draft.
And the recycled Giants recruits over time, with Kristian Jaksch, Matthew Kennedy, Jed Lamb, Caleb Marchbank, Rhys Palmer, Lachie Plowman and Will Setterfield, the record goes on. Sure, it could be unfair to record these gamers, nevertheless, the Blues haven’t been in a position to recuperate since.
Lately the Blues have gone out to recruit skilled gamers akin to Zac Williams, Mitch McGovern, Adam Saad and Adam Cerra. It’s truthful to say the soccer world has not seen the very best of those gamers, Saad being the outlier.
The opposite three appear to have been overpaid from the return that they’ve given to date. Since becoming a member of the Blues on the finish of 2018, McGovern has solely performed 48 video games on the membership while Zac Williams’s physique has continued to let him down.
So when, if not this yr, for finals?
Carlton CEO Brian Prepare dinner believes it’s not the “finish of the world,” if the crew misses the eight this yr.
Carlton participant Adam Cerra mentioned, “It’s not a failure. Each day we’re simply attempting to get higher in progress. If we’re enhancing from final yr as a crew, not ladder place, however our connection throughout the group it’s not a failure.”
Adam Cerra of the Blues runs with the ball. (Picture by Daniel Pockett/Getty Photos)
Expectations appear to have modified for the reason that begin of the yr till now in Spherical 10.
This yr the Blues are ranked third for disposals and 14th for inside 50s, emphasising their lack of ability to maneuver the ball ahead, compounded by the Blues’ mids not impacting matches with Brownlow Medallist Patrick Cripps ranked 360th within the competitors for affect from ball use.
However not simply Cripps, with Sam Walsh ranked 355th, George Hewett 242nd, and Matthew Kennedy one hundred and tenth. Satirically, Adam Cerra, being their greatest ball consumer ranked 52nd, is spending extra time in a half-back position.
Does the membership have sufficient ball elite ball customers across the floor? Carlton are second within the competitors for contested possession and sixth for turning the ball over with gamers like Sam Docherty and Nic Newman racking a heap of the ball down again however appear to do little harm when with it.
In actual fact, the Blues are ranked twelfth for scores for, surprisingly with two key superstars forwards, Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow deep. McKay’s goal-kicking is a transparent fear, together with his indecisiveness on whether or not to kick a snap or a drop punt. McKay has kicked 12 objectives and 11 behinds for the primary 9 video games.
Many issues and too many query marks for a membership trying to contend for a flag this yr.
Will their 18-22 gamers step up and carry the load off their core stars? Solely time will inform. The plight of Josh Honey, Matthew Owies, Corey Durdin and Matthew Cotrell will likely be once more examined via the vigorous cycle of AFL soccer.
For now, the jury remains to be out. The time is now for this Blues aspect to make its mark on the competitors as a result of the AFL world has been ready a very long time to see the navy blue in full flight once more.