The Preview | Round 21 v Gold Coast
Written by Helena Petrou
After a much-needed win over Saint Kilda on Friday night in round 20, the Blues will look to back up their best performance of the year with a win over the struggling Gold Coast Suns on Saturday the 7th of August, 1:45pm at Marvel Stadium. The young Suns are bound to respond after their 98-point loss to the Demons in round 20, but a win could see the Blues move up to 9th on the ladder at the conclusion of the round. The match will see some of the competitions’ best young talent face off, with the likes of Harry McKay and Jacob Weitering coming up against Jack Lukosius and Ben King.
Last time we met
The Blues have won their last 3 battles against the Suns, the most recent victory coming in round 4 of this season. Despite the Blues leading for the majority of the match, the Suns were not going down without a fight. The Suns kicked 3 straight goals to snag the lead in the second quarter, but errors caused by turnover saw them fall away as the game went on. Docherty, McKay, Curnow and Walsh were all influential on the day, but Jack Silvagni will be remembered as the hero of game for his match sealing tackle. The Blues were ahead by only 5 points with just 9 minutes remaining in the fourth term when Jack Silvagni laid an inspirational tackle inside 50 resulting in a free kick for the Blues. ‘SOS’ injured his shoulder as a result of the tackle and took no further part in the match, leaving him to undergo surgery and spend the next month on the sidelines. Harry McKay was able to slot a goal from the free kick to give the Blues an 11-point lead and ultimately seal the victory for the Baggers.
Last week Carlton was able to show what they are capable of when they truly apply themselves, laying 79 tackles against the Saints, 52 of them in the first half. Carlton average just 50 tackles a game so the difference that the lift in intensity made was easy to see. The Blue’s pressure had limited St Kilda’s kicking efficiency to just 55% in the first half and Baggers fans would be hoping to see a replica of this defensive intent on Saturday against the Suns. Gold Coast are ranked first in the league for average tackles, therefore not playing with the same hunger and defensive discipline could prove costly for the Blues. The Suns have proven that they will always play with intensity, as highlighted by their 63 tackles in their defeat to the third placed Demons last week. Carlton has recalled one of their most lively players to assist with forward half pressure this week- Eddie Betts. Eddie ranks above average for tackles inside 50, an area in which Carlton are still looking to improve. Matt Owies has been omitted in his place. Jacob Townsend will make his Gold Coast debut this week, whilst veteran Brandon Ellis returns to the line-up for the Suns.
It’ll be the battle of the two workhorses when Sam Walsh and Touk Miller face off. Walsh and Miller have both taken their games to the next level in 2021 and are starting to gain some serious recognition for the work they put in every week. Miller has played most of his football as a tagger but has recently started coming into his own as a midfielder and has proven how impactful he can be. Miller averages 7.4 tackles, 31 disposals, 5.8 clearances as well as 433m gained a match. On the other hand, Walsh is averaging 30 touches, 6.9 score involvements and 0.6 goals as an inside mid. Two of the competition’s most talented youngsters with the best work rate in the game, it’ll be a matchup you won’t want to miss.
Carlton Respects Round
‘Carlton Respects’ is the Club’s community initiative which aims to promote gender equality for the prevention of violence against women. This week marks the sixth annual ‘Carlton Respects’ round, where the club aims to shed light on domestic violence and promote gender equality. Carlton players will swap their navy-blue socks for orange ones when they run out onto the ground as a way of raising awareness about domestic violence and the devastating impacts it leaves on families. Every 2 minutes Australian Police are called out to a domestic violence incident, while almost 10 women a day are hospitalised from injuries caused by a spouse or domestic partner. The issue of domestic violence is not going away in Australia and unfortunately these disgusting statistics are just two of many.
You can show your support for Carlton Respects by wearing a touch of orange when watching the game this weekend- the international colour of harmony. You can also purchase a “F**K Yeah” Tee on the Blue Abroad Shop, with 20% of all proceeds being donated to the Carlton Respects initiative. Click here
