There were signs in the last fortnight that Carlton’s game was back in order. Geelong at the MCG was, however, a different proposition than the atrocious North Melbourne and West Coast. For any team that fancies its chances, Geelong will show you exactly where you stand. They’ll give you the print-out. They’ll expose every flaw. They’ll test your coaching. And they’ll probe your soft spots.
At various stages in the final term, it looked as though the Cats would run over the top of the Blues. It would have been a devastating loss, given how well the Blues had played for three terms. With a couple of goals in it, and the Cats pressing hard, the ball was in the hands of Patrick Cripps, who signalled his rather dubious intention to take a shot. The Blues skipper bought some precious seconds and spotted up George Hewett, who converted and effectively sealed the win. Hewett is one of those teammates who players like Cripps should thank on Brownlow night – a selfless, unobtrusive type, a footballing sherpa. He seized and deserved his moment in the spotlight after hitting a rich vein of form.
At face value, it was a typical Carlton win – dominate the rucks, smash in at the stoppages, slam it forward and fight like buggery to keep it in there. But there was a lot more to their game yesterday. The Blues were diligent and well-positioned in the way they defended the entire ground, which helped deny the Cats the uncontested mark chains they always seek and usually get. And they put conspicuously more speed on the ball than usual, and certainly more than during that disastrous opening month. They constantly had the Cats’ defenders on their wrong leg. As a result, so many of the Blues’ goals came out the back.
There were several moments to savour for Carlton fans. Small forward Corey Durdin had a 205cm stepladder in the form of Sam De Koning and he used every rung of it to pull down one of the marks of the year. With the game in the balance, key defender Jacob Weitering won a crucial one-on-one contest against the Cats captain, Patrick Dangerfield – not a man you want to find yourself isolated against in an open 50m zone – saving a certain goal. The Blues spearhead Harry McKay pulled in three crucial contested marks in the final term, bringing his total to a dozen grabs for the game, as he rediscovers touch after taking a mental health break earlier this season.
One of the Blues’ sparks was Tom De Koning, who’s all arms, elbows and untamed energy, and who seems to relish playing against Geelong. He’s a very different personality and footballer than his more lackadaisical brother Sam who plays for the Cats. In ruck contests, Tom has perfected the art of the pre-emptive shove, and it helped give the Blues first use all afternoon. At his feet, the midfielder Sam Walsh had been in good form heading into the game, but he took it to another level. The former Carlton fitness boss Andrew Russell says Walsh ranks alongside the former Hawks midfielder Shane Crawford as the best runners and hardest trainers he’s seen in football. There is a mad gusto to Walsh’s game and he outworked some power Geelong runners on Sunday afternoon.
A word on Carlton’s defenders, who held up well against some champions of the game. Even when they were at their lowest ebb, their coach, Michael Voss, spoke about the importance of backing in his defenders. They were a shambles at times in March, especially in their season opener against Richmond, but, as each week goes by, they have found their stability and cohesion. Nick Haynes, in particular, has been something of a whipping boy since crossing over from GWS Giants but was outstanding against the Cats. The veteran defender matched up on Geelong’s forwards of varying heights, sagged off at exactly the right times and finished with 13 marks, most of them crucial intercepts.
The Voss era has been one of wild swings; the honeymoon start and the two heartbreaking losses to finish 2022; the slow start and the rollercoaster ride which began at quarter-time of the Gold Coast game in 2023 and ended at quarter-time of the GWS game in 2024. Their fans barrack accordingly. Carlton games, whether at a packed MCG, a twilight indoors game or on the road, provide some of best atmosphere these days. Their fans have that mix of total engagement, the belief that this should be their time, and that ingrained pessimism that the light at the end of the tunnel is an incoming locomotive. When Geelong kicked the opening three goals of the final term, the predominantly Carlton crowd was sullenly silent. But their team proved their mettle, fully deserved their win and passed their stiffest test to date.
