The Preview | Carlton v Geelong | AFL Round 17, 2021
Written by Helena Petrou
Coming off two consecutive victories, the Carlton Football Club has the perfect opportunity to win three games in a row for the first time this season when they take on the Geelong Cats at the MCG this Saturday the 10th of July at 4:35pm. The scene has been set for Carlton to knock off a top eight side, something they are yet to do this season, with a crowd of over twenty-five thousand confirmed to be flocking to the ‘G. A positive result for the Baggers on the day could revive any last finals aspirations as the Blues sit just a game out of the 8 with the back end of the season approaching, a win could also instil a sense of belief into an unconvinced fanbase.
The last time the two sides met was in round 3 of 2020, where the Blues stunned the Cats in a thriller at Kardinia Park. In front of an empty stadium, the Bagger’s clinical ball movement and midfield dominance saw them get out to a 42-point lead in the third quarter. Despite a late surge from the Cats seeing them kick 4.4 to Carlton’s 0.1 in the final term, a game saving tackle from Eddie Betts in the dying minutes of the game saw Carlton record their first victory of the season, a famous one at that. Patrick Cripps was phenomenal on the day, gathering 24 disposals, 12 clearances, 5 tackles and 2 goals.
Having served his one match suspension, Zac Williams is returning to face the Cats after producing his best game of the season in round 15, where he collected 26 disposals and a goal. Tom Williamson is Carlton’s only omission. Despite some concern about a foot injury he sustained in round 16 against the Dockers, Patrick Cripps has been named in the starting line up after undergoing a fitness test. Zac Fisher, Will Setterfield, Tom Williamson and Matt Cottrell have been named as the emergencies, with the medical sub for the day yet to be confirmed. Geelong have made 4 changes heading into the game, with superstar forward Jeremy Cameron headlining the outs due to a hamstring injury. After collecting 28 disposals and 3 tackles in round 17 against Essendon, Cat’s skipper Joel Selwood has been managed, as well as forward Luke Dahlhaus. Quinton Narkle has been omitted. Returning to the Cat’s line-up is Shaun Higgins, Mark O’Connor, Esava Ratugolea and tagger Max Holmes.
With the Blues coming up against the team with the highest average of kicks and marks per game, controlled and efficient ball movement is going to be a critical factor in getting the win. Against Fremantle the Blues, who are also a predominantly kick heavy side, looked to handball more around the stoppage and in our attacking chains. This resulted in Carlton having added speed around the ground, which was particularly helpful in the contest, where players like Paddy Dow were able to explode out of the contest to kick start an attack. The Baggers should look to further utilize their speedy and explosive players by incorporating more handballs into their game as a contrast to Geelong’s kick-mark style of play which will lead their opposition to tire more rapidly.
This season Carlton supporters have become accustomed to the team’s approach of “just bomb it to Harry” when the Blues are going inside 50, often waiting for a high, rushed kick to make its way to the top of the square in the hope that ‘Big H’ will be able to take a heavily contested grab. Although scarcely throughout the season, but more repeatedly in recent games against Adelaide and the Dockers, the Blues have looked to lower their eyes and find an unassuming target inside 50 due to a considerable amount of the opposition’s attention being drawn to McKay. This week when the Blues come up against the best intercept defender in the game, Tom Stewart, who recently tied with the record for the most intercept marks in a game, composure is absolutely vital for the last kick going inside 50 to prevent the Cats from rebounding promptly. It will be critical for Carlton to get the ball in the hands of their classy and composed kicks such as Sam Petrevski-Seaton, Jack Martin and Lachie Fogarty when looking to hit up a target inside 50 as efficiency inside attacking 50 is set to be a key factor in this game.
With the clash against the Cats shaping up to be one of the biggest games in the second half of the season for the Carlton Football Club, a win against a quality side in Geelong will enthuse fans and put some respect on what has to date been a lackluster season for the Blues. Is it round 17 where the Baggers will finally knock off a top 8 side in 2021? Or will supporters yet again leave the ground disappointed, knowing their team has so much more to offer than what they displayed that day? We can only wait and see. Go Blues!
