This match has plenty of storylines but the main one involves the Lions’ desperation to keep their finals hopes alive with a win.
Currently sitting two wins outside the top eight, a loss here could spell the end for the boys from Brisbane.
One man intent on making an impact will be full forward Brendan Fevola, who came from the Blues in the off-season and whose form has been publicly questioned in the past fortnight.
When the Lions won the Round 2 encounter at the Gabba, Fev kicked three but the difference between the teams was Lions captain Jonathan Brown, who bagged seven goals.
The Lions will not have Brown this time as he still battles a groin injury.
Conversely, Carlton was missing its captain Chris Judd when it came north earlier this season, as he served his suspension for his ‘pressure point’ incident involving Michael Rischitelli in last year’s finals series.
Coaches Brett Ratten and Michael Voss were fierce competitors in their playing days and both are desperate to win on Thursday night.
Forward scout: Carlton
2010 to date
After releasing Fevola in the off-season and missing Judd for the first three rounds, many experts expected the Blues to battle. But with Ratten reinventing the forward line and mid-tier players stepping up, Carlton has well and truly got its teeth into the season.
The Blues hammered Geelong and St Kilda in the space of three weeks but looked tired before the break with flat losses against North Melbourne and Fremantle. Currently with a 7-6 record, Carlton is right in the mix to return to the finals.
The coach
He replaced Denis Pagan midway through 2007 and Brett Ratten has done a superb job in nearly three years as senior coach. Since some initial struggles, he built the young list, with the addition of Judd, into a finals force last season.
Ratten faced a big challenge this season when he decided to cut Fevola free and the young coach has stepped up, restructuring his forward line to continue kicking winning scores. Just like his days as a tough-nut midfielder, Ratten is always composed at the helm.
The gun
Chris Judd has been nothing short of sensational since coming to Carlton at the beginning of the ’08 season. His resume speaks for itself - Brownlow Medal, Norm Smith Medal, two B&Fs at the Blues and captaincy of the All-Australian team.
He is tough, explosive and can change a game in a quarter with his acceleration from packs. Adam McPhee wore him like a glove and got under Judd’s skin before the mid-season break, and Michael Voss will expect the same from whoever lines up on the champion on Thursday night.
The sleeper
It’s hard to believe Marc Murphy is still only 22, such is the impact he’s had on the AFL. With Judd taking the best tagger, Murphy is often left to roam around and carve up opposition midfields. He can win his own ball and once in hand, is a superb user of it by foot. Murphy has also proven an excellent goalkicking midfielder, landing 31 majors last season.
The bolter
Since being promoted off the rookie list at the start of 2009, Aaron Joseph has not missed a game. The rugged midfielder is not big on possessions, but his niggly run-with role has got the better of many of the competition’s best players. Will likely go to Simon Black or Daniel Rich and whoever has him as their shadow can expect a tough night’s work.
Strengths
The departure of Fevola meant a brand new forward line, and what has evolved is a fleet footed front six that is tough to match up on. Eddie Betts, Chris Yarran and Jeff Garlett have been god for five goals a game when they’ve played together, and despite looking tired in the past few matches, Setanta O’hAilpin has been a surprise packet with 25 goals of his own so far. Not only do their forwards score well, but the Blues are great at forward 50 pressure, so the Lions will have to be quick and concise when rebounding the ball.
Weaknesses
It’s a problem most teams can identify with, but Carlton is still struggling for consistency, both within games and between games. The Blues have beaten the competition’s two heavyweights, while being hammered by Hawthorn and emerging surprisingly flat against North Melbourne and Fremantle. While Michael Jamison has developed nicely at the back, the Blues’ defensive unit is still yet to fully prove itself.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
