Thursday night’s home fixture against Carlton has not only both sets of supporters talking, but most pundits around the country.
It will be the first regular season match Fevola has played against the team that traded him at the end of last season.
Not only are both the Lions and Carlton coming off first round wins, the teams have a remarkable recent history at the Gabba.
In last season’s elimination final, the home team turned around a five goal deficit at the last change to storm home in one of the most remarkable finals comebacks in recent years.
It was this match that saw Blues skipper Chris Judd suspended for three matches, including Thursday night’s encounter for his ‘pressure point’ incident on Lion Michael Rischitelli.
Just 12 months earlier it was the Blues playing party-pooper as they punted the Lions from the finals race in round 21 with a similarly big 32-point last change turnaround.
So with Fevola sure to draw plenty of attention, two teams coming off first-up wins, and a national television audience, the match promises plenty.
2010 to date
The season is just one week old but already Carlton has answered some questions. With Fevola coming to the Lions, the main concern was just how Carlton was going to replace his goals.
It might have just been against a struggling Richmond, but livewires Eddie Betts and Chris Yarran, along with big man Setanta O’hAilpin put their hands up in an even contribution. And even without suspended skipper Chris Judd, the Blues showed they could share the midfield workload enough to be more than a handful.
The coach
Brett Ratten has guided his team to a steady progression since taking the reins from Denis Pagan midway through 2007. After some difficult times he took the Blues to the finals last season with a brand of exciting, if often unpredictable, footy.
Ratten has shown he is not afraid to put the club first when making the huge trade to offload Fevola to the Lions for Lachlan Henderson and a draft pick. An astute coach who has a chance to show his wares this season with a big change in his forward set-up.
The gun
With Chris Judd out suspended, the main man at Carlton is undoubtedly Marc Murphy. The midfielder is clever by both hand and foot, goes forward to kick goals and can take a grab overhead.
He was a No.1 NAB AFL draft pick in 2005, has not missed a game in three seasons and was second in the Blues’ best and fairest last season.
Murphy is a difficult match-up and with the Lions’ two usual taggers, Troy Selwood and Cheynee Stiller, playing reserves, coach Michael Voss may turn to the likes of Justin Sherman or even Joel Patfull to run with the 22-year-old.
The sleeper
It’s hard to call another No.1 draft pick a sleeper, but ruckman Matthew Kreuzer often misses the headlines. He is the stereotypical modern-day ruckman with his ability to contest strongly at stoppages and just as quickly get to ground level and win clearances.
With Robbie Warnock in the Blues' mix too, watch for Kreuzer to go forward more often, where he is more than capable of kicking goals. Matthew Leuenberger and particularly Mitch Clark have the run to go with the Blues big man.
The bolter
Chris Yarran was a deserving first up winner of the NAB Rising Star nomination after his three-goal effort against Richmond in round one.
Yarran is a lightning quick small forward who is very evasive and a tough man to match strides with. Ashley McGrath and Andrew Raines might battle it out to keep tabs on the 19-year-old.
Interestingly, Yarran was chosen at No.6 in the 2008 draft - one spot ahead of Lion Daniel Rich.
Strengths
Carlton has a midfield the envy of most in the league. Starting with Kreuzer in the ruck, they also boast the likes of Murphy, the damaging Bryce Gibbs and tough-nut Brock McLean who has joined the mix this season from Melbourne.
To beat Carlton you have to at least break even with them in the centre, and the Lions’ ruck division, plus Simon Black, Jared Brennan and Daniel Rich, will have to be at their best.
Weaknesses
While the loss of Fevola obviously takes some goals from the team’s forward line, the Blues’ major deficiency is their back half. They are solid and honest but have always struggled with Lions big men Jonathan Brown and Daniel Bradshaw, and you can expect no different with Fevola.
Paul Bower, Michael Jamison, Bret Thornton, Jarrad Waite and possibly even O’hAilpin with a switch to defence are all candidates to stop the big duo.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
