CARLTON has lost its spot in the top eight ahead of the final fortnight of the home and away season and potentially lost five more players to injury, following the biggest loss since Michael Voss arrived at Princes Park ahead of the 2022 season.
The Blues will end round 22 in ninth spot on the ladder, outside the eight for only the second time in 2024 – the first since round 10 – and requiring wins over West Coast and St Kilda to play finals after losing to Hawthorn by 74 points in front of 84,773 people at the MCG on Sunday.
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Two-time Coleman Medallist Charlie Curnow entered Sunday's game under an injury cloud and didn't finish the game after re-injuring his ankle early in the second quarter before being helped off the ground. His pursuit of a third consecutive Coleman Medal could be almost over if he doesn't make the trip west to face the Eagles at Optus Stadium next Sunday.
Out-of-contract forward Jack Martin was subbed out of the game at quarter-time with a hamstring strain and might have played his final game of 2024, following another soft tissue setback for the West Australian.
Lachie Fogarty also exited the game at the same time due to a shoulder injury, Jordan Boyd played out the game after injuring his adductor in the first quarter and couldn't impact, while Adam Saad injured his hamstring late.
In the week where Carlton high performance boss Andrew Russell announced he is departing the club at the completion of the season, Blues coach Michael Voss conceded the relentless injury issues have had an impact.
"It has been an ongoing challenge for us. The reality is in this competition availability is important. There will be a time to reflect on that; it is not now," Voss said in his post-game press conference on Sunday.
"We need to address it and give it a fairly strong focus when we need to. Right now, it will be about the troops we've got.
"Boydy played with an adductor for most of the game, so he was on one leg doing the best he possibly could to try and help us. Martin with the hamstring. Fogarty with the shoulder. 'Saady' with a hamstring. Charlie with an ankle.
"Not ideal, but at the same time, we will find out a bit about us in the next couple of weeks. It is a bit of a blow, the way the day has panned out, but there is an opportunity sitting right in front of us and you don't wish those away. We're in a spot and we're going to see it out as best we can."
Voss said Curnow proved his fitness late this week after injuring his ankle again late in the game against Collingwood, but will need to manage the issue for rest of the campaign.
"Given what we're managing there, we accept it is going to be a bit like that for the rest of the season until he can get a rest really. Ideally, he doesn't roll that ankle and he is OK. He was moving around OK. It is something he is going to have to manage," Voss said.
"He was fine to go. He got through parts of training a couple of days ago, got running again yesterday, so unfortunately it is just a niggle players get at this part of the year. It is one of those we are going to manage."
After starting the season in the top-four and sitting second only three weeks ago after the win over North Melbourne, Carlton no longer has its destiny in its own hands after Hawthorn leapfrogged them on the ladder.
The Blues have now lost five of six games to drift from a premiership favourite to a side that may miss out on September.
"We've lost momentum, there is no doubt. From where we were five or six weeks ago, we had genuine momentum," Voss said.
"We've faced a couple of good sides and haven't been able to generate the same level of intensity and same method that we've had for much of the year. We have spent a considerable amount of time in that last little while to try and find out where that spark comes from.
"Form has fluctuated with individuals. For us, I've spoken about it all year learning how to become that consistent home and away team. It's not about the level you play at for one week, it's about that level you play for 23 games and finals. As a football club we haven't been able to do that yet. It wasn't here before I got here, and it hasn't been at a good enough standard since I've been here.
"It's the way you play, it's player availability, it's the program, we've got to get some consistency through the club. We won't get ourselves distracted and sensationalise the injuries. We've got them, it's unfortunate, but we'll move forward. We're not going to lie down; we're going to finish off this season strong."
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell wasn't aware percentage was a factor in the second half until the crowd erupted in the last quarter when the Hawks leaped over – 108.5 per cent to 107.4 – and someone in the coaches' box mentioned the ladder.
The Hawks have recovered from 0-5 to still be alive heading into round 23 after winning nine of their past 11 games.
Sunday's win was their 12th for the season, the first time they have won 12 games since they last played finals in 2018 – they went out in straight sets that year and haven't won a final since the 2015 Grand Final over West Coast.
"We're not there yet, so for us, every game is a final and every game has been a final for probably six weeks," Mitchell said post-game.
"We knew we might be able to miss one game out of that. We did that already; we lost last week (against Greater Western Sydney); we lose again and we're finished; that's our attitude right now.
"Today was step one, but this week is just as big for us because if we lose it's season over. The same the week after, and hopefully the week after that and the week after that.
"Our next loss will finish our season. Our message to our players is 'Today was a good day, but tomorrow is another day'."
Changkuoth Jiath was a late out after experiencing calf tightness at training on Friday, with the club opting for a cautious approach with the Victorian given his soft tissue history. But the dashing wingman-half-back is expected to be available against Richmond next Sunday.
Will Day was substituted out of the game when the margin was 55 points at three quarter-time due to some soreness he has been managing across the latter stages of the season.
