Blues must find answers, and fast | Thebigtip

By Rhys Harwood

Round 11, Saturday June 5, 4.40pm. Carlton fans are proudly bellowing out the Famous club song for the 7th time in just 11 rounds, having just disposed of the Melbourne Football Club with relative ease.  An air of confidence, and perhaps even arrogance, emanates amongst the faithful, and more importantly the players and coaching staff. The Blues were ‘back’, after a nightmare period lasting 8 years and culminating in three wooden spoons, and just one finals appearance - a loss - the previous year. Having been cast aside as a mere ‘participant’ in this year’s campaign during the off-season, the football world was quietly stunned at the seemingly unpredictable progress the Post-Fev Blues had made. Not only where the Blues exciting and passionate, as you would expect from team as young as this one, but they were skillful and quick and always threatening. With wins against Geelong and St Kilda, albeit with a few minor hiccups along the way, the fans were happy with the coach, the coach was happy with the players, and the players were lapping up their cult like status. 

Fast forward 5 games and 4 losses later, and the tale couldn’t be any more different. The once fast, exciting and talented Blues now sit 8th on the ladder – just – and face a tough task to remain in the top half of the competition in the coming weeks. The run has stopped, the commitment has flailed, and perhaps most concerning of all for coach Brett Ratten, the Blues lack an appetite for not only the ball, but also the contest. The fast paced, gut running game style the Blues were demonstrating in the opening half of the season now seems a distant memory.  Heralded early on for a star-class midfield, the Blues have been chasing tail in recent weeks, smashed in the clearance department by both Sydney and the Bulldogs. The embarrassing loss to North Melbourne in round 12, was initially written off as a hiccup but can no longer be classified as such, given the efforts in recent weeks. Although suffering losses against quality sides including the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle, the most concerning thing remains the Blues 4 quarter consistency and desire to get the 4 points, with a less than impressive 55 point win against the Fev-less and Brown-less Lions, the only consolation, however tiny it may be. 

Unfortunately for the Blues, players who had been building outstanding seasons early on in the year have fallen away dramatically. Bryce Gibbs’s once vaunted disposal by foot has gone to water in recent weeks, recording just 57 and 54 percent efficiency by foot in the past fortnight. For a player who struggles to win his own ball, and often has his disposals under little to no pressure, that is an alarming stat and a real concern. He along with Murphy currently lack a much needed defensive side to their game, and are being exposed going the other way. Judd battles willfully, but lacks the penetration he used to, and cannot shoulder the load by himself, whilst Andrew Carrazzo and Andrew Walkers poor disposal still too often hurts the team going forward. The three small forwards, or ‘Setanta’s Little Helpers’ as they have been named  can’t seem to find consistency in their game, and the man they are supposed to be supporting is languishing in the VFL after a lean month.

Perhaps that man, Setanta O’hAilpin, typifies Carltons season so far. A bright start to the year - the Irishman had 20 goals after Round 11, including 5 bags of over 3 goals - the highlight a 5 goal performance against arch rival Collingwood. Slowly and unassumingly, his and the team’s form slipped, culminating in a run of losses and for Setanta, a spell in the VFL. O’hAilpin could soon find his way back in to the senior side if he impresses in the VFL,  but looks hard pressed to displace recruit Lachlan Henderson in the next few weeks.

With matches against Collingwood, Geelong, Fremantle and even bogey side Essendon to come, the Blues need to regain their spunk fast. With Adelaide and North Melbourne eyeing off the final spot in the eight, if the Blues don’t improve soon they risk slipping out of the top half of the competition, and a fearsome backlash from supporters.

Luckily, they have options.  Ryan Houlihan will return this weekend and midfielder David Ellard will play his 2nd game for the club, in what may be one of the most hard earned games in the competitions recent history, after winning the VFL side’s Best and Fairest in 2009 and another string of dominant performances for the Northern Bullants this year. Brad Fisher has kicked 11 goals in his last 3 VFL games after LARS surgery earlier in the year, and is pressing hard for selection. Brock Mclean is due back from knee surgery this week via the VFL and Bret Thornton remains a chance to steady the defense after a best on ground 33 disposal performance for the Bullants on the weekend, whilst Hadley, Wiggins, Warnock and first year player Marcus Davies have also thrown their name up for selection in recent weeks. 

It remains to be seen whether Ratten will swing the axe this week, but if he doesn’t, it will be the current senior groups last chance. To put it quite simply, the team needs to rediscover its early season form this weekend or it’s season could be a write off.

The Blues face a date against a fired up Mark LeCras… sorry, West Coast in Subiaco this week, a team hell bent on avoiding 16th position and the wooden spoon. The coach, board and players have copped a lot on criticism on talkback radio this week and from high profile journalists, so the chance to get away from the media spotlight that is AFL in Victoria may prove vital for Ratten and his men. But one thing is for sure; if the Blues don’t rediscover their flare and attack, and more importantly get the points, the media scrum will be there waiting on their return even louder and stronger than what it was before.