Win-loss: 5-6 - LLLWWLWLWLW
Ladder position: 10th
Leading possession winner: Andrew Carrazzo – 270 possessions
Leading goalkicker: Brendan Fevola – 42 goals
Season so far
The Blue revolution looked to have stalled after three losses to start the season, but since then they have won more than they have lost. Brett Ratten has shown himself to be a cool, calm and collected character in his first full year in the hot seat and endeared himself to fans when he engineered his first win over Collingwood in round four.
Encouraging performances followed against Melbourne, West Coast, Fremantle and Port Adelaide which all resulted in wins, but unlike recent seasons, most of their losses have also had silver linings.
Chris Judd has been everything the Carlton hierarchy would have hoped for and is only going to get better, while Nick Stevens has solidified the midfield rotation since returning from a career-threatening neck injury.
Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs and Matthew Kreuzer are all proving their worth as first overall draft picks, Michael Jamison and Paul Bower have become first-choice defenders with several other players taking steps forward in their development.
And then there’s Fev. The big spearhead has showcased all the traits that make him, at the same time, a cult figure and a source of intense frustration at Princes Park.
His pre-season, late-night indiscretion had him skating on dangerously thin ice, but his form in booting 42 goals since then has him on the verge of signing a new deal with the club.
Best win
The win over Collingwood was important because it meant Ratten’s group did not take sole ownership of the worst losing streak in club history and, let’s face it, beating the Pies is always pretty cool.
But the best win this year was against Port Adelaide.
The Blues have put together better four-quarter performances this season, but the seven goals to nil final term triumph could prove to be a pivotal point in this team’s development. Thirty points down at three-quarter time in hostile territory, the manner in which the players stuck together and worked for each other was enough to warm even the most embittered Blues’ fan’s heart.
Captain Judd led from the front and the three No.1 draft picks were all sensational.
B&F leader
It’s got to be Judd and Murphy going neck and neck at the moment with Judd probably in front by a nose. As expected Murphy’s class has shone through now that he doesn’t have to cope with the opposition’s best tagger each week, but that’s part of the beauty of Judd; he makes those around him better players.
His very presence has instilled new confidence in the playing group and he is winning the battle against his groin problem to exert his will on games more and more. The skipper is yet to miss a match and has returned an average of just over 24 possessions with at least three best on ground performances.
Surprise packet
Dennis Armfield has done well to debut in his first year at the club with his efforts even more praiseworthy when you consider he came late to AFL football. The former Canberra native had a rugby union background before moving to Perth where his pace and fierce attack on the ball caught the eye of the Blues who snapped him up with pick 46 at last year’s NAB AFL Draft.
He is just two games into his AFL career, but has returned 23 and 15-possession performances and impressed with his poise switching from defence to the midfield.
Apologies to Kreuzer, but you really expect a No.1 draft pick to play.
Missing in action
Andrew Walker and Ryan Houlihan have played just three games between them this year which has hampered both their own development and that of the midfield rotation.
Shoulder surgery has kept Walker out all season while a serious hip complaint has sidelined Houlihan since round three.
Walker is listed as two to four weeks away, but Houlihan’s season seems all but over with his hip still requiring another eight weeks to recover.
Coach's award (one-percenter player)
Adam Bentick spent the first month of the season at the Bullants which is surprising given his superior workrate and willingness to get his hands dirty under the packs. There must have been something in his game Ratten wanted him to work on, but whatever it was it has been fixed.
Since he cracked a senior berth in round five all he has done is average a league-high seven tackles per game – including two mammoth, back-to-back 11-tackle efforts against Adelaide and West Coast – while averaging just over 21 possessions a match.
The coach is adamant his side will become one of the better contested-ball teams going around and the 22-year-old is so important in that facet of the game.
Second-half story lines
Will Carlton make its first finals appearance since 2001?
Will the back six ever get the chance to play consistently together? Injuries to Paul Bower, Michael Jamison and Bret Thornton have made it difficult for this to happen so far.
Can Fev kick 100 goals and how long will he sign for? The spearhead has been in fine touch most of the season, but his contract negotiations continue to drag on.
The run home:
Round 12 – Collingwood at the MCG
Round 13 – Essendon at the MCG
Round 14 – Richmond at the MCG
Round 15 – St Kilda at the MCG
Round 16 – Sydney at Telstra Dome
Round 17 – Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome
Round 18 – Adelaide at AAMI Stadium
Round 19 – Port Adelaide at Telstra Dome
Round 20 – North Melbourne at Telstra Dome
Round 21 – Brisbane at the Gabba
Round 22 – Hawthorn at Telstra Dome
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the clubs or the AFL.
