Carlton has come under fire after its 26-point loss to Brisbane on Friday night, with pundits declaring the Blues aren’t a premiership contender.
Michael Voss’ team was overwhelmed under the Friday night lights and record home-and-away crowd between the two sides (45, 548) at Marvel Stadium, conceding five goals in a decisive third quarter to trail by as much as 40 points and ultimately suffer its third defeat from its last four games.
With it, Carlton failed another key test against a finals side to fall to 4-3-1 and suddenly be at risk of dropping out of the top eight by the end of the round despite high hopes on the Blues going into the season given the talent on their list.
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Speaking on Fox Footy post-match, former Demons skipper Garry Lyon questioned what Carlton stands for, while four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis said it’s “not a top four side” and a rung below the likes of Melbourne, Collingwood, Geelong and Brisbane.
Perhaps the most worrying element of the loss was Carlton’s 37 minute drought without a goal between the second and third quarters including kicking just one major in both periods combined.
“At this level, you’ll never control a game for a whole game. But to not kick a goal in 37 minutes with those forwards and midfield group, it’s almost unacceptable … it’s almost mind boggling,” three-time All-Australian Nick Dal Santo told Fox Footy Live.
“They also conceded four goals to the Brisbane Lions within 15m in goal — absolute lay-ups.
“I think there was a lack of game awareness and leadership to say: ‘Hey, the Lions have momentum at this stage … let’s lock this thing down.’ Don’t allow a 30-point differential in that third quarter alone and basically blow them out of the water.
“That was concerning for me.”
Geelong legend Cameron Mooney meanwhile believes the Blues’ inability to handle pressure is again major cause for concern.
Carlton Blues press conference | 10:09
“Can they handle the pressure in the big moments? In pressure games and pressure moments, that’s when you’ve got to hit your targets, and that’s something Carlton can’t do very well,” he said on Fox Footy Live.
“I think that’s where they get a lot of their turnovers from.
“When the pressure came late last year, Carlton couldn’t handle it, and that’s why they fell out of the top eight.
“You saw it again (against Brisbane). When the pressure really came, they’re missing targets and making bad decisions. (Adam) Saad is trying to pull of this kick he shouldn’t be trying to pull off, because it’s a silly kick and that’s the pressure getting to him.
“They need to somehow work out how to handle pressure during games and practice it at training, because you actually can practice for these type of things.”
Brisbane Lions press conference | 08:05
Voss promised to his club’s increasingly inpatient fan base the players will work hard to refine parts of their game, but the Blues face a tough upcoming schedule against the Western Bulldogs (Marvel Stadium), Collingwood (MCG), Sydney (SCG), Melbourne (MCG) and Essendon (MCG).
Based on current form, Mooney thinks the Swans are the only team the Blues can beat in their forthcoming contests, suggesting Voss’ side could go 0-5, while Dal Santo called it a “shocking run.”
The St Kilda legend had ultimately lost faith in Carlton, who hasn’t played finals since 2013, contending at the pointy end of the season.
“The bit I feel a little bit disappointed in off the back of tonight’s game is I can’t sit here and honestly say I can see this team winning a premiership this year,” Dal Santo.
“With (the fixture) coming up, the evidence in front of us isn’t substantial enough to say I can see this team winning on grand final day. I just don’t see that yet.”
