Carlton entered the Smithy's VFL season hoping to bounce back from their final round meltdown in 2023 but were never able to get going.
BY THE NUMBERS
Position: 19th
W-L-D (%): 4-14 (90.0%)
Players used: 52
Played every match: 2 – Rob Monahan, Will White
AFL players used: 23 (200 matches)
Ex-AFL players: 5 (61 matches)
Debutants: 12 – Ollie Badr, Kristian Ferronato, Jess Gedi, Dane Harvey, Ashton Moir, Rob Monahan, Oliver Poole, Michael Rudd, Tobie Travaglia, Will White, Billy Wilson, Callum Verrell
STAR PERFORMERS
Best and Fairest: 1st: Liam McMahon (105 votes), 2nd: Jaxon Binns (95), 3rd: Will White (87), 4th: Logan Prout (80), 5th: Lachlan Young (79)
J.J. Liston Trophy: Jaxon Binns (8 votes), Liam McMahon (5), Marc Pittonet (5), Zavier Maher (4), Jack Carroll (3), Will Hayes (3)
Coaches MVP Award: Marc Pittonet (25 votes), Jaxon Binns (24), Zavier Maher (22), Will Hayes (21), Liam McMahon (18)
Smithy’s VFL Team of the Year: Liam McMahon (centre half forward)
Leading Goalkickers: Liam McMahon (45), Will White (21), Ned Cahill (20), Harry Lemmey (17), Ashton Moir (12)
STAT LEADERS
(Averages – minimum 6 matches)
Disposals: Jack Carroll 27.0, Jaxon Binns 26.2, Cooper Lord 24.4, Zavier Maher 21.2, Archie Stevens 19.6
Contested possessions: Cooper Lord 10.6, Jack Carroll 10.4, Zavier Maher 9.7, Archie Stevens 8.8, Jaxon Binns 8.2
Kicks: Jaxon Binns 18.5, Jack Carroll 14.5, Cooper Lord 13.1, Billy Wilson 12.6, Lewis Young 12.6
Handballs: Jack Carroll 12.5, Archie Stevens 11.7, Cooper Lord 11.3, Zavier Maher 10.4, Heath Ramshaw 8.1
Marks: Lewis Young 6.8, Jaxon Binns 5.2, Liam McMahon 5.0, Lachie Young 4.9, Sam Durdin 4.9, Caleb Marchbank 4.9
Tackles: Cooper Lord 6.6, Kristian Ferronato 4.3, Logan Prout 4.3, Zavier Maher 4.2, Jesse Motlop 4.2
Hitouts: Alex Mirkov 28.4, Hudson O’Keeffe 17.6, Harry Lemmey 1.3, Dom Akuei 0.9, Lewis Young 0.7
Clearances: Jack Carroll 4.5, Zavier Maher 4.2, Cooper Lord 4.1, Kristian Ferronato 3.5, Archie Stevens 3.5
Inside-50s: Jack Carroll 5.1, Zavier Maher 4.2, Kristian Ferronato 4.0, Cooper Lord 3.7, Jaxon Binns 3.6
Rebound-50s: Lachie Young 5.6, Billy Wilson 5.0, Sam Durdin 4.4, Lewis Young 4.3, Michael Lewis 3.0
What went right: Carlton and Collingwood supporters will often tell you it has been a successful year if they beat the other. And after losing by a point early on, one of the Blues’ biggest highlights was the 83-point belting of the Magpies in Round 17. The other one was the remarkable 23-point upset over Geelong at GMHBA Stadium that cost the Cats a spot in the top four. It was an incredible turnaround having lost to the same opposition by 101 points early in the year. The Blues were also competitive against other top teams, losing to Williamstown after the siren, running Southport to 12 points and Footscray to nine.
What went wrong: The first half of the year was a nightmare for the Blues. They managed only one win in their first 12 matches – losing four games by single figures. While they had the ability to score, their defence was the worst in the competition, averaging 92 points against and only holding their opponents below 70 points on two occasions, including one when Casey kicked 9.15 (69). Continuity among the leaders was an issue too, with none of their senior players able to play every game.
Summary: The Blues entered the season hoping to bounce back from their final round meltdown in 2023 but were never able to get going. Liam McMahon’s move to the forward line was a masterstroke and he finished second in the Frosty Miller Medal and put himself back on the radar of AFL clubs. Jaxon Binns impressed for the second year in a row, while Will White played every game in his debut season and booted 21 goals to show himself as one to watch for the future. Will Hayes’ return late in the year was a godsend for Luke Power.
Grade: 2/10
