|
Venue : Subiaco Oval | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date : Sunday, July 5, 2009 | Result : Win by 15 points | ||||||||||||||||||
| Umpires : 27 Michael Avon 23 Rob Findlay 29 Scott Jeffery | Crowd : 34,720 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Goalkickers : S. O'hAilpin 4, B.Fevola 3, B.Gibbs 2, A.Carrazzo 2, J.Garlett, S.Grigg, C.Johnson, M.Kruezer, J.Russell 1. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Reports : Mark Austin (striking H.Ballantyne) suspended 1 week. | Injuries: D.Armfield (broken nose) | Ladder Position: Seventh | |||||||||||||||||
Game Review
As this round of matches unfolded however, the Hawks and the Bombers had both suffered huge defeats by the time the teams ran out onto Subiaco Oval on Sunday afternoon, and the stakes for Carlton had suddenly became much higher. Now, a win over the Dockers on their home turf would displace Essendon from seventh spot, and see the Blues climb back to within one win of the top four.
Carlton’s match committee had recast the team on selection night, axing Nick Stevens, Heath Scotland, Jordan Bannister and Stephen Browne, while a knee injury to Paul Bower ruled him out as well. Bret Thornton, Jordan Russell, Chris Johnson, Greg Bentley and Jeffery Garlett came into a Carlton side that emerged into the sunlight at Subiaco resplendent in a bright yellow strip.
This was only the second time since 1897 that the Blues had worn an alternative uniform in a match for Premiership points – other than the famous (or infamous – depending on your view) M&M match against Adelaide in 1997. On this occasion it was an initiative in support of cancer research. All guernseys were auctioned online after the match, with the proceeds split between Livestrong and the Peter McCallum Institute.
Carlton captain Chris Judd won the toss and kicked to the outer end in the first quarter. A physical opening, with players grappling and sledging each other all over the ground, seemed to unsettle the Blues. Freo burst from the blocks, and in ten electric minutes, slammed through four goals.
Bryce Gibbs, Marc Murphy and Judd did their best to re-focus the team, but the wheels were threatening to fall off for Carlton when ill-discipline (and an errant female trainer) resulted in no fewer than four 50-metre penalties being awarded against us in the quarter. Three of these brought goals, including two in a row when Michael Jamison threw an opponent to the turf in Carlton’s goal square, followed almost immediately by the aforementioned trainer encroaching on the mark. Freo were in almost complete control at the first break, with their giant ruckman Aaron Sandilands giving them first use of the ball. No wonder then, that Carlton coach Brett Ratten tore strips off his team in the huddle.
The situation got worse soon after the restart, when Freo full-forward McPharlin goaled to put his side 34 points up. Ratten rang the changes, and Eddie Betts’ switch to the midfield paid off when his instinctive pass found Setanta O’hAilpin for Carlton’s second goal. Suddenly, the Blues clicked. Jordan Russell’s inspirational tackle on the 50-metre arc won him a free kick, and his booming drop punt brought up both flags. Three more came through Fevola, Gibbs and Johnson, before the lively Hayden Ballantyne got one back for Freo, and the margin at half time was 11 points in favour of the home side.
The vital third quarter unfolded much as the second had. The Dockers goaled first to stretch their advantage to 18 points, then the teams swapped goals all the way through to the last break, although it did seem that the Blues – through Judd, Murphy and Gibbs - were getting on top. Sandilands had spent long periods on the bench in this term, apparently favouring an ankle.
Kicking to the scoring end in the last term, Carlton was ignited by Judd, whose pack-busting clearance at the 2-minute mark brought a long kick forward for Carlton, and Brendan Fevola took a superb one-handed mark in Carlton’s goal square. His major cut the margin to 12 points and the Blues were charging home. When Gibbs bombed a ripper on the run from 50 at the six-minute mark, the Blues led for the first time in the match. Carazzo then added another, before the sealer came from Kreuzer after a superb tackle at half-forward from Judd.
The final margin was 15 points, in a match that produced mixed feelings afterward. With their captain and gun forward Matthew Pavlich absent through injury, and ruckman Sandilands virtually unsighted after half time, it had taken a huge effort by the Blues to overhaul the depleted Dockers.
Then again, any win interstate is a positive, and this one was achieved by the brilliance and hard running of Carlton’s at-times unstoppable midfield combination of Chris Judd (35 possessions) Bryce Gibbs (33) and Marc Murphy (27). Andrew Carrazzo was busy after half time and ended up with 33 possessions, while Setanta O’hAilpin again marked strongly and finished with four goals. Brendan Fevola was obviously hampered by soreness in a finger that was operated on during the week, but worked hard all match and was a constant threat to the Docker defence.
The average age of this Carlton team was 23 years, 89 days, with an average League experience of 68.5 games per player. Brendan Fevola was the oldest, at 28 years, 166 days, and the most experienced with 178 games. Jeffery Garlett was the youngest and the least experience at 19 years and 336 days and playing in only his seventh senior game.
Team
| B: | 21 Mark Austin | 40 Michael Jamison | 45 Aaron Joseph |
| HB: | 27 Dennis Armfield | 32 Bret Thornton | 9 Chris Johnson |
| C: | 2 Jordan Russell | 5 Chris Judd (c) | 4 Bryce Gibbs |
| HF: | 6 Kade Simpson | 17 Setanta Ó hAilpín | 33 Ryan Houlihan |
| F: | 19 Eddie Betts | 25 Brendan Fevola | 14 Brad Fisher |
| Ruck: | 8 Matthew Kreuzer | 44 Andrew Carrazzo | 3 Marc Murphy |
| Interchange: | 16 Shaun Grigg | 22 Shaun Hampson | 38 Jeffery Garlett |
| 47 Greg Bentley | |||
| Coach: | Brett Ratten | ||
| Emg: | 13 Chris Yarran, 26 Joe Anderson, 28 Cameron Cloke | ||
Milestones
First Goal (Carlton): Chris JohnsonFirst Brownlow Vote: Setanta Ó hAilpín earned his first Brownlow Vote in his 52nd match.
Alternative Guernseys: The Livestrong Guernsey! Carlton wore a special guernsey in support of the Livestrong and Peter Mac charities. The bright yellow jumpers were to be auctioned on eBay after the game, with all proceeds to be split 50/50 between the two charities. A full Image Gallery of the guernsey can be found here.
Brownlow Votes
3. Bryce Gibbs, Carlton2. Chris Judd, Carlton
1. Setanta Ó hAilpín, Carlton
Best and Fairest Votes
45 Chris Judd, 42 Bryce Gibbs, 40 Andrew Carrazzo, 33 Setanta Ó hAilpín, 33 Jordan Russell, 18 Eddie Betts, 15 Marc Murphy, 4 Shaun Hampson, 4 Bret ThorntonVideo
The Ghost article
Sitting on de' fence
Sitting on de' fence
(many thanks to the Blueseum for the memory jogs)
Watching the young defenders this year, seeing them grow with confidence, has made me think about defenders in the past. Young Bower could be a young Michael Sexton, and T-Bird a Rhys-Jones type always punching (though not literally, unlike David) above his weight.
Carlton has seen some great footballers and in that mix we have unearthed some rare talents that have taken our breath away. From a Jezza skyscraper to a Buzz banger of a goal, from a Big Nick perfect tap to Skinny Robert Walls bombing a long goal, from Syd Jackson and Ian Robertson's drop kicks to the runs of Braddles, the freak goals of Fev, the force that is Chris Judd and was Buckley, Sheldon and Ashman. Keogh's courage and run, Johhno's fierce desire and raking goals on the run.
It is usually these players that spring to mind, the runners, the leaping lizards, the goal kickers. But Carlton has always been blessed with outstanding defenders. This, then, is my tribute to them, to the poor sods who must, week after week, take on the best and work at odds greater than seventy-five percent - for if cricket is more and more a batsman's game (or slog in the twenty/twenty) then football is more and more designed to reward the goal kickers. A forward need only win 9 or 10 encounters, kick three or four goals and be seen to have done his job. Defenders must strive to win each and every encounter.
So it has been since I was a kid and watched a young Geoff Southby begin the ascent to the top of the fullback pile by beating opponents in the air and on the ground and then running free to unleash the huge torps that drove Carlton into attack again and again. Southby won two premierships and if not for injuries late in '81 and '82 it would have been four. Geoff was an amazing fullback and I do not know how many times I have seen red when someone has spoken of David Dench ahead of Southby.
For the record, Geoff Southby was the best fullback I have seen. SOS gets the gig because as well as being great at Fullback he could play FF or CHF and star. If I was picking a back line though, I'd have SOS in the back pocket and Geoff at Fullback kicking out. Next to them both I'd have John O'Connell (I knew his brother) though we've been blessed with some great small back pockets like Barry Gill and Ian Collins and Bruce Comben.
If the fullback line is full of stars, what about a Carlton halfback line. There is Hunter, courage personified. Kenny had to be seen to be believed. Week after week he'd run with the flight of the ball while the pack loomed large as a brick wall. He never looked, not once, just kept his eyes on the ball, marked it and got crunched. I think every kid who saw him play wished in his heart of hearts he could be so brave.
There was Bruce Doull. A forward coming up against Bruce Doull (no matter how elite that forward was) simply wished to get a kick that day. Bruce Doull beat everyone, bigger, smaller, faster, stronger. He beat them all, week after week, year after year. Bruce Doull had the balance of Ali, floated like him and stung like him too. The Flying Doormat might have looked like a bush player from the old goldfields but he was 24 carat gold.
David Swan Mckay at Centre half-back marked everything that came his way. I remember Swan saying that when he first arrived, it was as a ruck-rover – a precursor to Kouta in many ways, like Kouta he could run and he could play belong his knees but it was in the air where Swan truly held sway. I have never seen a better mark and never will. Then we could plonk beside him the other 'Mckay'. Andrew was tough, ran straight and gave plenty of drive off the half-back flank. Actually, when you think about it, half-back flankers might just be the best position for a Bluebagger, so many of them turn out to be champions. From way back to Frank Anderson, a star of the 1938 premiership team and who I was to get to know through my brothers, often standing at the football with Frank and his sons, one of whom was Graeme who also played in defence for the Carlton, watching the Bluebaggers in 80s.
My all time favourite defender was John Ragsy Goold who wore number eleven and etched himself forever in my young boy's mind because of his flair, his run and his unusual way of dropping the ball. Ragsy was a star for Carlton and my idol as a kid. If I ever played football I hoped it might be to play as brave as Gary Crane but in my heart of hearts I always wanted to have the dash and flair of Ragsy Goold. Where others played football, Ragsy danced his way through the game. Every act on field seemed to be a flash of light, to a boy who read about the heroes of the Round Table, Ragsy was my childhood Lancelot - unbeatable, and always gallant.
A player I must mention even though he only played a hand full of games is Peter Motley. From the few games I saw I knew Peter Motley was going to become the next great Half-back flanker for Carlton. He was severely injured in a car crash and never played again yet I still remember his grace and skill in those handful of games I was fortunate enough to witness.
So we have had many players and I have really only named but a few who have engraved their names into my psyche. These guys often miss out on the adulation bestowed upon the forwards who kick the goals or the rovers and wingmen who dash forward with carefree abandon while defenders must wait and know that even though they have repelled seventeen attacks the next in as far away as the next forward's blunder or rover's mis-kick. The backmen never rest until that final siren sounds and then if we have won the forwards are lauded and if we have lost the fingers are usually pointed at the backmen as they trudge off the ground, but they, being who they are, wouldn't have it any other way.
Apologies to:
Curly Austin
Racehorse Hall
Ang Christou
Val Perovic
Peter Dean
Peter McConville
and many, many others who have plied their defensive crafts week after week without so much as a 'by your leave' ensuring many great victories for this great club.
And this week the defensive unit must win!
Carlton by 16 points.
T-Bird BOG
Bower to run off Kosi and kick two amazing goals
AJ for Rising Star.
Go Blues!
(many thanks to the Blueseum for the memory jogs)
Watching the young defenders this year, seeing them grow with confidence, has made me think about defenders in the past. Young Bower could be a young Michael Sexton, and T-Bird a Rhys-Jones type always punching (though not literally, unlike David) above his weight.
Carlton has seen some great footballers and in that mix we have unearthed some rare talents that have taken our breath away. From a Jezza skyscraper to a Buzz banger of a goal, from a Big Nick perfect tap to Skinny Robert Walls bombing a long goal, from Syd Jackson and Ian Robertson's drop kicks to the runs of Braddles, the freak goals of Fev, the force that is Chris Judd and was Buckley, Sheldon and Ashman. Keogh's courage and run, Johhno's fierce desire and raking goals on the run.
It is usually these players that spring to mind, the runners, the leaping lizards, the goal kickers. But Carlton has always been blessed with outstanding defenders. This, then, is my tribute to them, to the poor sods who must, week after week, take on the best and work at odds greater than seventy-five percent - for if cricket is more and more a batsman's game (or slog in the twenty/twenty) then football is more and more designed to reward the goal kickers. A forward need only win 9 or 10 encounters, kick three or four goals and be seen to have done his job. Defenders must strive to win each and every encounter.
So it has been since I was a kid and watched a young Geoff Southby begin the ascent to the top of the fullback pile by beating opponents in the air and on the ground and then running free to unleash the huge torps that drove Carlton into attack again and again. Southby won two premierships and if not for injuries late in '81 and '82 it would have been four. Geoff was an amazing fullback and I do not know how many times I have seen red when someone has spoken of David Dench ahead of Southby.
For the record, Geoff Southby was the best fullback I have seen. SOS gets the gig because as well as being great at Fullback he could play FF or CHF and star. If I was picking a back line though, I'd have SOS in the back pocket and Geoff at Fullback kicking out. Next to them both I'd have John O'Connell (I knew his brother) though we've been blessed with some great small back pockets like Barry Gill and Ian Collins and Bruce Comben.
If the fullback line is full of stars, what about a Carlton halfback line. There is Hunter, courage personified. Kenny had to be seen to be believed. Week after week he'd run with the flight of the ball while the pack loomed large as a brick wall. He never looked, not once, just kept his eyes on the ball, marked it and got crunched. I think every kid who saw him play wished in his heart of hearts he could be so brave.
There was Bruce Doull. A forward coming up against Bruce Doull (no matter how elite that forward was) simply wished to get a kick that day. Bruce Doull beat everyone, bigger, smaller, faster, stronger. He beat them all, week after week, year after year. Bruce Doull had the balance of Ali, floated like him and stung like him too. The Flying Doormat might have looked like a bush player from the old goldfields but he was 24 carat gold.
David Swan Mckay at Centre half-back marked everything that came his way. I remember Swan saying that when he first arrived, it was as a ruck-rover – a precursor to Kouta in many ways, like Kouta he could run and he could play belong his knees but it was in the air where Swan truly held sway. I have never seen a better mark and never will. Then we could plonk beside him the other 'Mckay'. Andrew was tough, ran straight and gave plenty of drive off the half-back flank. Actually, when you think about it, half-back flankers might just be the best position for a Bluebagger, so many of them turn out to be champions. From way back to Frank Anderson, a star of the 1938 premiership team and who I was to get to know through my brothers, often standing at the football with Frank and his sons, one of whom was Graeme who also played in defence for the Carlton, watching the Bluebaggers in 80s.
My all time favourite defender was John Ragsy Goold who wore number eleven and etched himself forever in my young boy's mind because of his flair, his run and his unusual way of dropping the ball. Ragsy was a star for Carlton and my idol as a kid. If I ever played football I hoped it might be to play as brave as Gary Crane but in my heart of hearts I always wanted to have the dash and flair of Ragsy Goold. Where others played football, Ragsy danced his way through the game. Every act on field seemed to be a flash of light, to a boy who read about the heroes of the Round Table, Ragsy was my childhood Lancelot - unbeatable, and always gallant.
A player I must mention even though he only played a hand full of games is Peter Motley. From the few games I saw I knew Peter Motley was going to become the next great Half-back flanker for Carlton. He was severely injured in a car crash and never played again yet I still remember his grace and skill in those handful of games I was fortunate enough to witness.
So we have had many players and I have really only named but a few who have engraved their names into my psyche. These guys often miss out on the adulation bestowed upon the forwards who kick the goals or the rovers and wingmen who dash forward with carefree abandon while defenders must wait and know that even though they have repelled seventeen attacks the next in as far away as the next forward's blunder or rover's mis-kick. The backmen never rest until that final siren sounds and then if we have won the forwards are lauded and if we have lost the fingers are usually pointed at the backmen as they trudge off the ground, but they, being who they are, wouldn't have it any other way.
Apologies to:
Curly Austin
Racehorse Hall
Ang Christou
Val Perovic
Peter Dean
Peter McConville
and many, many others who have plied their defensive crafts week after week without so much as a 'by your leave' ensuring many great victories for this great club.
And this week the defensive unit must win!
Carlton by 16 points.
T-Bird BOG
Bower to run off Kosi and kick two amazing goals
AJ for Rising Star.
Go Blues!
Round 13 | Round 15