It’s time for Carlton to head back to “Camp Curnow” – but even that might not be enough to save the Blues.
For the second time in Michael Voss’ roller-coaster four-season reign at Princes Park, the Blues’ campaign is on the edge of the precipice heading into the bye.
Patrick Cripps and his Blues teammates have slipped to 4-7 after their first 11 games of the season.Credit: Getty Images
Beaten by the magic of Isaac Heeney last week, the Blues were this time put to the sword by milestone man Toby Greene, who delivered a masterclass with three goals and 28 disposals to inspire Greater Western Sydney to a 28-point win, 17.8 (110) to 12.10 (82) at Marvel Stadium.
The Blues turned their season around two years ago after a heart-to-heart players powwow by the campfire at Ed Curnow’s property in Torquay, and a similar miracle is needed to pull this season out of the mire.
Teetering at 4-7, the Blues must win nine of their remaining 12 games to see September action. They were in a similar spot at 4-1-7 in 2023 before storming home in the second half of the year. Finals remain a goal for the Blues, Voss said, but the season is slipping away.
“For us, it’s about impacting the season,” Voss said.
“I think we’ve got enough there to suggest we can get after our second half of the season, but we’ve also got challenges we need to be able to take care of.
“Drifting into September right now is the furthest thing from my mind.”
Instead of using the run to the unlikeliest of preliminary final berths in 2023 to springboard them to success, the Baggers have since flagged, winning just 17 of 35 matches. Worse still, since turning for home at 11-4 last year, they own a home-and-away record of 6-13 – the numbers of a bottom-four team.
A kind draw with matches against Essendon, West Coast and North Melbourne provides an avenue back to parity, though nothing can be taken for granted this season for the Blues.
A team featuring Patrick Cripps, Sam Walsh, Jacob Weitering, Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay should be better, but the Blues lack the smarts and skills to be a contender.
Michael Voss’ side has some serious concerns to deal with.Credit: AFL Photos
Despite having this game on their terms, dominating the contested ball by 38 – a stat that stunned Greene at the post-match press conference – winning clearance by four and inside-50s by 11, the Blues were powerless to stop the Giants once the ball got into space.
With the Giants missing gun midfielders Josh Kelly, Stephen Coniglio and Finn Callaghan, this should have been the area where the Blues won the game. They outscored the Giants by 27 from stoppage, though as GWS coach Adam Kingsley said, the visitors were able to minimise the damage. Exits out the front of stoppage were rare.
The Blues butchered the ball in pristine conditions. From 58 entries inside 50, they managed just 22 scoring shots.
When the Blues went long to Curnow and McKay, they did not give them a run and jump at the ball. When they went shallow inside 50, it was to a contest instead of players on the lead. Skills, or a lack thereof, can be to blame but too often forwards were out of position.
Curnow was red-hot early against Sam Taylor but wasteful in front of goal with 3.3. One came on cue early in the first term when the crowd applauded in respect to the late Robert Walls.
“Efficiency is for all to see,” Blues coach Michael Voss said. “That’s been across the year. The rehearsal and our consistency at being able to implement what we’re after… right now those parts are not fully connected.”
Every time the Blues challenged in the second half, they coughed up goals, be it through a lack of attention in conceding from the centre bounce with about 20 seconds to manage, a freak goal to Kieren Briggs volleying from a ruck contest, or Jacob Weitering not rushing a loose ball metres from the goal line.
Carlton’s defence, a strength in a troubled season, also made costly errors, particularly in the first term when the Blues had the better of the play.
“A handful of those you’d like to have back,” Voss said. “[The] reality is, the game’s made up of mistakes, imperfections. You’ll be disappointed from time to time.
“My challenge to the boys will be how do we still ensure our system can overcome some error, whether that’s breakdown on our frontline because we don’t come forward, or a play we don’t get right, we should have enough over the course of 120 minutes that can recover that.
“We’ve got to play through that disappointment. It might mean it takes a little while to get that exactly where we need it to be, but it’s something we’ve got to keep searching for.”
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