Preview | Carlton v Geelong | AFL Round 15, 2024
Written by Josh Gulabovski
Thirteen games down, ten games to go.
It’s time. I don’t care—I'm doing it. I’m talking about that taboo subject that every Carlton support seeks to avoid: a premiership.
It's officially time to get serious and discuss how the Blues can make the most of these remaining ten weeks to ensure they are there on the final day this September.
Looking forward, our Blues face a mixed lineup in the run home: contenders, possible pretenders, teams on the rise, and those at the wrong end of the ladder. This Friday night, the Blues charge onwards to the MCG to face another premiership contender, the Geelong Football Club. This game could be one of the most pivotal steps on our road to the final day in September. With nine wins and four losses, the Blues currently sit second on the ladder. Despite being three wins behind the seemingly dominant and insurmountable Swans, the goal now for us is to secure a home Qualifying Final.
The last time our Blues went toe-to-toe with the Cats was on a Saturday afternoon all the way back in Round 7. Despite a late fightback and some Black Acres heroics (it’s always him, isn’t it), the Blues fell short by 13 points. The Carlton frustration from that loss stemmed from the lack of efficiency despite the Blues' clear dominance. The Blues were left reeling after hitting the scoreboard with fifteen goals and fifteen behinds from sixty-six inside fifties to the Cat’s forty-five. The Blues maximised their opportunities to take all four points, took home none, but led for only two minutes and twenty-six seconds.
The problem you ask. Efficiency. It’s as simple as that. The efficiency statistics were stark and clear: 62.2% to the Cats, compared to the Blues' 45.5% when sending the footy inside 50. This is where Friday night's game will be won or lost. For Blues fans, the emergence of Zac Williams and the continued dominance of Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay provide hope that we can right the wrongs of our slim Round 7 loss.
With the midfield almost back to full health, barring the return of a certain Adam Cerra, the Blues will look to replicate the midfield dominance from Round 7 through our very own Batman and Robin—skipper Patrick Cripps and your favourite player’s favourite player, Sam Walsh.
In the context of our run-in, this week's two hours of football are vital. With several winnable games ahead (I don’t want to jinx us, but I promised to be straightforward), the Blues will aim to collect wins against the likes of Richmond, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, West Coast, and St Kilda.
Carlton now needs to do what it has learned to do over the last twelve months: bank those winnable games and overcome those close matchups to secure that top-two spot that we deserve. Yes, the Blues deserve this.
It’s time to believe.
Let's take that final step and look at the big picture. The Blues must secure a top-two finish, the Blues must win that home qualifying final, and the Blues must ensure they don’t leave the MCG until the navy-blue confetti is swept up on Grand Final Day.
Ten weeks to go, I believe, I know you do.
Let’s go Baggers.
