07-20-2024, 10:05 PM
Michael Voss said through summer that Carlton needed to become a “great” home-and-away side to lay the platform for a legitimate premiership quest.
It was a point Harry McKay endorsed in February, the Blues determined to build on last year’s breakthrough preliminary final. In second spot heading into Sunday’s twilight clash against North Melbourne, the Blues have made more major steps, but successive losses to Greater Western Sydney and the Western Bulldogs have prompted questions about their true standing.
Injuries, as they have to many teams, have hurt, but the Blues have two philosophical questions to address. Are they better with two frontline ruckmen in Marc Pittonet and Tom De Koning, or do they just use the sprightly De Koning? For Sunday, at least, they have reverted to just using De Koning, axing Pittonet.
What Voss must also solve is how best to ease their woes in conceding scoring from clearances. The latter had been an area of strength until this season.
The De Koning and Pittonet debate has several layers. De Koning, 25, was brilliant when used as the sole ruck between rounds 11 and 17, for he was the No.1 ranked ruckman across the league in this period, including for disposals, contested possessions and clearances.
But Pittonet’s return against the Bulldogs nullified this, De Koning’s numbers in all categories plummeting, including for centre bounce clearances (from an average of 26 to 11), clearances (from nine to one) and score involvements (from an average of seven to one).
The answer, for Voss, seems clear. When De Koning has been the sole ruckman this season, the Blues average 103 points per game and have an 8-1 win-loss record. When the two giants are paired, the Blues average a more modest 89 points per game, and their record tumbles to 2-5, including a loss to Adelaide at Marvel Stadium when Pittonet was a shock late replacement for Adam Cerra.
AFL great Matthew Lloyd has maintained all season the Blues should only field De Koning, but Brisbane triple-premiership great Jonathan Brown says the robust Pittonet, 28, has been important for his younger teammate’s wellbeing, easing the physical load of clashing bodies at bounce downs and ball ups.
“Pittonet has certainly served his purpose, if you purely are just looking at Tom De Koning’s health, to get him through the finals series,” Brown said on Fox Footy.
The Blues, however, are invested in Pittonet, having last year handed him a four-year contract extension. De Koning can expect a monster new deal when his two-year extension, inked last year, expires after the 2025 campaign.
Voss said last weekend the Blues were still “evolving” as a side, and was amused at a football world that he said seems “somewhat besotted” by the ruck debate.
“We’re really fortunate that we’ve got some strengths in our team, and we’ve got two guys that can play ruck very well. And Tom can impact forward as well,” Voss said.
Pittonet had only nine touches against the Bulldogs, his inability to push forward and impact potentially hurting him at selection this weekend – and come September.
Amid the winter grind, opponents scoring from clearances is another issue the Blues must address, for they concede an average of 41.8 per game in this area, ranked 17th. This has contributed greatly to the Blues ceding 87 points per game - 15th across the league. To put that in perspective, no team in the past 24 years has ranked outside the top six for points against and won the premiership.
What is even more baffling is that this comes despite Jacob Weitering, now admittedly playing sore, being arguably the best key defensive tall in the league.
“We haven’t been at our best – from stoppages as well. We have been giving up a fair few points,” Blues forward Lachie Fogarty said.
“I think it’s important to look at the vision, it can be pretty confronting at times and tough to look at yourself, and knowing that you probably haven’t done the right thing in that instance. We’ll just keep looking at it and trying to grow.”
AFL great Nathan Buckley says tightening up at clearances can be a “quick fix”, with more defensive positioning around the ball, the Blues allowing the Bulldogs last week to burst easily from the front of stoppages.
“As an 18-man system, we are not connected,” Fogarty noted.
To become the great team Voss envisions, that connection switch needs to be flicked.
It was a point Harry McKay endorsed in February, the Blues determined to build on last year’s breakthrough preliminary final. In second spot heading into Sunday’s twilight clash against North Melbourne, the Blues have made more major steps, but successive losses to Greater Western Sydney and the Western Bulldogs have prompted questions about their true standing.
Injuries, as they have to many teams, have hurt, but the Blues have two philosophical questions to address. Are they better with two frontline ruckmen in Marc Pittonet and Tom De Koning, or do they just use the sprightly De Koning? For Sunday, at least, they have reverted to just using De Koning, axing Pittonet.
What Voss must also solve is how best to ease their woes in conceding scoring from clearances. The latter had been an area of strength until this season.
The De Koning and Pittonet debate has several layers. De Koning, 25, was brilliant when used as the sole ruck between rounds 11 and 17, for he was the No.1 ranked ruckman across the league in this period, including for disposals, contested possessions and clearances.
But Pittonet’s return against the Bulldogs nullified this, De Koning’s numbers in all categories plummeting, including for centre bounce clearances (from an average of 26 to 11), clearances (from nine to one) and score involvements (from an average of seven to one).
The answer, for Voss, seems clear. When De Koning has been the sole ruckman this season, the Blues average 103 points per game and have an 8-1 win-loss record. When the two giants are paired, the Blues average a more modest 89 points per game, and their record tumbles to 2-5, including a loss to Adelaide at Marvel Stadium when Pittonet was a shock late replacement for Adam Cerra.
AFL great Matthew Lloyd has maintained all season the Blues should only field De Koning, but Brisbane triple-premiership great Jonathan Brown says the robust Pittonet, 28, has been important for his younger teammate’s wellbeing, easing the physical load of clashing bodies at bounce downs and ball ups.
“Pittonet has certainly served his purpose, if you purely are just looking at Tom De Koning’s health, to get him through the finals series,” Brown said on Fox Footy.
The Blues, however, are invested in Pittonet, having last year handed him a four-year contract extension. De Koning can expect a monster new deal when his two-year extension, inked last year, expires after the 2025 campaign.
Voss said last weekend the Blues were still “evolving” as a side, and was amused at a football world that he said seems “somewhat besotted” by the ruck debate.
“We’re really fortunate that we’ve got some strengths in our team, and we’ve got two guys that can play ruck very well. And Tom can impact forward as well,” Voss said.
Pittonet had only nine touches against the Bulldogs, his inability to push forward and impact potentially hurting him at selection this weekend – and come September.
Amid the winter grind, opponents scoring from clearances is another issue the Blues must address, for they concede an average of 41.8 per game in this area, ranked 17th. This has contributed greatly to the Blues ceding 87 points per game - 15th across the league. To put that in perspective, no team in the past 24 years has ranked outside the top six for points against and won the premiership.
What is even more baffling is that this comes despite Jacob Weitering, now admittedly playing sore, being arguably the best key defensive tall in the league.
“We haven’t been at our best – from stoppages as well. We have been giving up a fair few points,” Blues forward Lachie Fogarty said.
“I think it’s important to look at the vision, it can be pretty confronting at times and tough to look at yourself, and knowing that you probably haven’t done the right thing in that instance. We’ll just keep looking at it and trying to grow.”
AFL great Nathan Buckley says tightening up at clearances can be a “quick fix”, with more defensive positioning around the ball, the Blues allowing the Bulldogs last week to burst easily from the front of stoppages.
“As an 18-man system, we are not connected,” Fogarty noted.
To become the great team Voss envisions, that connection switch needs to be flicked.
2012 HAPPENED!!!!!!!