Umpires: Kennedy, Stevic, Woodcock

Goalkickers: Lappin 5; Fisher, Waite 3; Murphy 2; Bannister, Bentick, Blackwell, Fevola, Ó hAilpín, Scotland, Walker, Whitnall

Reports: Nil

Injuries: Anderson (hamstring)

Game Review

The run of high, scoring, entertaining goal-fests continued but this time the Blues came out on top - and didn't everyone celebrate!

An amazing opening term of 7 goals each was the best opening quarter to both teams as the tone was set for the remainder of the match. Both forward lines were on fire with great delivery and teamwork as both teams set out to highlight their skills and firepower. What was even more amazing was that of the 14 opening quarter goals, only 1 player - the Bulldogs Champ Brad Johnson - was able to kick multiple goals, meaning that in one quarter of football (that happen to run 35 minutes or so), 13 individual goalscorers graced the score sheet. The Blues opened well with Murphy and Whitnall scoring the opening majors, before a stunning procession of goals that ended with us 2 points down at the opening break...that went a little like this... Murphy; Whitnall; Brad Johnson, Nathan Eagleton; Matthew Lappin, Shaun Higgins, Jason Akermanis, Brendan Fevola (in his only goal for the match); Luke Blackwell; Sam Power; Setanta; Matthew Robbins; Brad Johnson and then finally Andrew Walker who was switched off Johnson by that stage.

The second was a more subdued affair, but could have been better for the Blues with Kade Simpson not making the distance at 40 metres after a long run and Jarrad Waite kicking his second shot for goal Out of Bounds on the Full. The Blues seemed to lose their cohesion as the Dogs started to find additional space, ending the first half 15 points up.

Coach Denis Pagan may be famous for a few things but whether a spray came forth at the break or not, the Blues were incredible in the third. But unlike other games in recent memory where Fevola would lead us forward, it was our marking mobile half forwards that did the job this time. Matthew Lappin would kick 3 to give us a sniff, before an incredible run of goals to Jarrad Waite and Brad Fisher, plus a 5th to Lappin, would see us take the lead. Important players were Simon Wiggins up the field in a half-forward role, Jordan Bannister at half back, Andrew Walker on the wing with 12 touches for the quarter plus the indefatigable Andrew Carrazzo, Ryan Houlihan and Bret Thornton in his 100th game.

The last quarter saw the Bulldogs continue to come back, but importantly from recent games, the Blues continue to push harder. The Blues were mature with their use of the ball and continued to create opportunities, and when Murphy finally won a free and converted after being scragged all game, the Blues looked home. In the end, it was a 10 point win but it was a wonderful game to watch.

Andrew Carrazzo was fantastic all day picking up a career-high 37 disposals and 10 tackles, topping his own disposals record for the third time this year. Other top possession winners were Ryan Houlihan with 26, and both Waite and Walker with 25. Adam Bentick, whilst not high in the disposals chart, made another 9 tackles to become the #1 tackler in the league as at Round 10 Carrazzo sat in 6th place). The icing on the cake was the Rising Star Nomination for Bryce Gibbs, who played with considerable composure at half back all game to win our first nomination for the year.

At this stage of the year, the 2 teams to have thrashed the Blues in the Eagles and the Cats looked the form teams and sat in the top 2 places on the ladder. Carlton were 14th with 3 wins after 10 games.

Team

Milestones

100 Games: Bret Thornton
Rising Star Nomination: Bryce Gibbs
Interesting fact: This was the first time since Round 13, 2001 that the big 4 traditional Victorian Clubs - Richmond, Carlton, Essendon and Collingwood - would each win Premiership Points in the same round.

Brownlow Votes

3. Andrew Carrazzo, Carlton
2. Jarrad Waite, Carlton
1. Adam Cooney, Bulldogs

Best and Fairest Votes

Andrew Carrazzo 25, Jarrad Waite 18, Jordan Bannister 12, Matthew Lappin 10, Bryce Gibbs & Brad Fisher 5

Einstein on the Wing

Caaarl’ton, Caaarl’ton, Caaarl’ton: Oi! Oi! Oi!

From: https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/750462/caaarlton-caaarlton-caaarlton-oi-oi-oi

It’s been a long time between drinks, Digs and Bluebells. And your correspondent has been hording many of the excellent products sold by sponsor Dan Murphy’s Cellars for just such an auspicious occasion. All those corks will be popped in celebration of our pauper’s hat-trick of wins for season 2007. We are now exactly where we finished last season – except we’ve still got 12 weeks to go.

I mean no disrespect for the Doggies. You’d have to be barking mad to do that. But I’ve been in such a slough of despond for the last six weeks that even my thousand monkeys chained to typewriters could produce no coherent masterpiece to feed gentle readers’ appetites for answers last week. I didn’t have any. I was stuffed in the past – where we always won – and couldn’t cope with the present – where we never seem to win. But the past, as they say, is a foreign country – and, hopefully, we have just crossed the border.

When my good friend Aristotle said: “Well begun is half done,” he didn’t know the half of it. Perhaps, he was referring to the last six weeks of the Carlton game plan. We always had a terrific start, followed by an appalling ending. The pattern seemed to be that the chicken was interested but the pig wasn’t committed. This is no way to make traditional Carlton bacon and eggs.

Aristotle was always of the view that each of the four earthly elements (earth, fire, air and water) has its natural place; the earth at the centre of the universe, then water, then air, then fire. When they are out of their natural place they have natural motion, requiring no external cause, which is towards that place; so bodies sink in water, air bubbles up, rain falls, flame rises in air. The heavenly element has perpetual circular motion.

The natural motion for Carlton is winning. We have not been there for six weeks (some would say ten years) so either there is something wrong with the man with the plan or, with the Ether – which is the divine substance that makes up the fifth element. Einstein plums for the Ether being out of kilter for the last six weeks shenanigans when losing from a winning position became a habit.

As Aristotle often said in his cups at the Athens Arms, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act but a habit.” So be it. On Saturday arvo we have the Hour-Late Magpies at Optus Dome to test this new-fangled Aristotle metaphysics. Frankly, I’d rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy.

Gold yamulka the previous week went to Carraz again. This week it goes to Billy-Bob Thornton for his ton-up. Silvers go to Lap-Lap, Banno, Kouta, Carlos, Waitey, the Fish and finally Tex – the righter of wrongs and the vanquisher of villains. I dips me lid and drink to the health of the entire Carlton family. May the Gods forever shine down on you all. Go Blues! – TERRY MAHER

The Ghost

Carlton Goes wham!

The Ghost celebrates after our Round 10 win.

(With apologies to Dr Seuss – and remember facts are as disposable as nappies)

‘All was as it should be in the dark blue tapestry

We call the Lygon Street Late’ university,’

Said a proud Dan-I-am to the son of Dan-he-is

After the siren finally wailed and finally blew

And in his navy blue heart of beating hearts

Dan-I-am knew it was terrifically, joyfully true

with hearts bigger than Pa’s lap his beloved

Blues-True-Blue had defeated the Doggie-do-do.

No one foresaw the marvellous outcome

Many never bothered not even to come.

It does not behove that they stayed away in droves,

They stayed safe in their cosy little homes -

From Richmond to Cranbourne and Glenverbie

From St. Kilda to Sunshine and Whittlesea

The doubters hid under beds after six on the trot

Too much losing sets in a terrible, quivering rot

And many who usually come in horror, in shame, did not.

It began, as was their wont

with Carlton starting in front

Santa with fighting fists delivered early

And Fev, though surly, managed to kick truly.

Carrots was busy, Marc goaled,

With Wiggo and Banno firing

the outcome was not pre-sold.

But in his heart, where all is navy blue

Dan-I-am knew the winning shoe

Would soon be on the Doggie-do-do

And so it came to pass with Cooney

and Westy, Johnno, Gilbee and others also

By half-time the Blues-True-Blue

Were deep in doggie-do-do doo-doo.

No one thought it could go on

No one believed the Blues-True-Blue

Could upset the apples in the cart

And finish the good job they did start

Certainly not sadder by the moment Dan-I-am

No one, not a child, woman or Carlton man.

Oh what a lark, what a twitter, then to see

The Blues-True-Blue continue to run free

Led by Tex and Gibbs and Murphy

With Fisher taking marks easy as pie

And Carrots with so much leather poisoning

Dan-I-Am thought he would certainly die.

Oh what joy, what glee, what fiddley-dee

To see the Blues-True-Blue sting like Ali!

We were in flight, we were the bee

Applying a lesson to the nose of the Doggie,

The ‘Baggers danced, the ‘Baggers pranced

Dan-I-am sang loudly, his voice enhanced

By the glorious glory of Vic Vic Victory!

Dan-I-am turned to his boy

Said in a voice joyer than joy

‘Now do you see son of Dan-I-am

Now do you see that wham, that bam?’

And Dan-I-am and his smiling son

Did a jiggedy-jig from the ground

With a thousand and one scarf waving,

Happier than happy, Carlton fans.

So this week we play the Power

And many expect things to turn sour

They wait for the Blues-True-Blue to falter

To fail in the ‘commeth the man commeth the hour’

But hark not says Dan-I-am, hark not

To the men with the stinky microphone

Or those newspapers that wail and moan

The Bluebaggers will again this week win

As surely as out is far out and in is way in.

‘Go Blues’ says prouder than punch Dan-I-am

Who in truth is that ghostly, ghost man

‘Stay true,’ he implores to the masses,

‘To this young side, all you lads, all you lasses

We’ve seen the horror of horrors

We’ve slid down the razor sharp slide

And now from the darkness of the bottom we see

The only way for Blues-True-Blue is up, up and free

This week we’ll short-circuit Ports wizardry

with a nine goal to nil in quarter number three!

Go Blues

see all you cats in your navy blue scarves and hats

at the game of games, the only show in town!

ps – How good is the Ghost who picked Gibbsy’s RSN!

(and we’ll not mention that 8 by Fev thank you very much!)

Mike & Dan

Round 10 Play of the Week: Not Crossing Jordan

Round 10 brought a few pleasant surprises; our first win since our come-from-behind-victory over the Bombers; our first Rising Star Nomination to demi-god Bryce Gibbs and an amazing return game from Jordan Bannister. Banno’s attack on a loose ball to stifle a forward thrust from Bulldog Nathan Eagleton, which led in a goal, win’s this week’s Play of the Week.

Not only did you get a recall to the seniors and make the best players, but you’ve won this week’s Play of the Week. Could the week get any better?

That’s awesome!

Sorry Jordan…there isn’t a prize, just an article on carltonfc.com.au…

Haha…That’s good enough…

The Play of the Week is for your hard attack on the ball, gather and clearance. Tell us about the incident and what was going through your mind at the time.

I was with Brad Johnson at the 50 metre line, and a kick into space was directed out to the wing. Nathan Eagleton was running on to it – so I left Johnson, who stayed Inside 50, and I managed to get it. Eagleton couldn’t make the tackle, so I got it, kicked to Bryce Gibbs – who is so composed with it – and we got a goal in the end of it. I knew if Eagleton had have got it….it was going to be a hard one.

Is playing in a shootout like that as exciting as watching it?

Yeah, definitely. It was so exciting, but mainly because of the guys I was playing with down back – I live with Andrew Walker, Houlihan lives a few metres up the road, and Thornton’s one of my best mates – these sort of things makes it all worthwhile.

There were some articles in the press talking about games like that lacking science or strategy – but then you talk to the fans and even though we are lower on the ladder than we want to be, Carlton fans are seeing our attacking nature as a saving grace. Where do you sit on the issue?

It’s an interesting one – at junior levels, say Under 12’s and Under 14’s, all they talk about is that ‘DEFENCE WINS GAMES’. As you play through the ranks it’s all about beating your man – I guess defence has been seen to be a priority. But there has to be a balance.

The rumour is that you were told that you wouldn’t get a game until some of the kids have had a go – is that true?

No, I was never told that. Denis was very honest with me and told me that ‘You’re going to have to work hard to get a game’. Denis has always been honest with me, and he was clear that everyone would be competing for spots, and that we would have a lot of the kids coming through, but also that he was mindful of those in their mid 20’s getting a game if they deserved it – and then taking the chance if it came.

I guess the last time we saw you was in Round 21, 2006. After a few good games in a row, you just couldn’t take a trick in this game – getting caught with the ball, getting suspended…how do you feel after a game like that? Does it affect your confidence?

I suppose I had a couple of weeks to think about it after, and I was down on myself for hesitating with my decision making. Yes, I got caught a few times that game. But then I told myself to forget about it, and try to relax – try not to think about the consequences, or worry about contracts or anything like that – you can only control what is controllable.

How did it feel in your first game back when the Coach tells you "Take Brad Johnson"?

All along before the game I was coming in to take Adam Cooney, and I was on Aker for a bit in the second quarter, but then, at half time, Denis says to me ‘We need you on Brad Johnson’. I’d played on him last year and he’d got away from me abit, but Denis said ‘just play him tight, you don’t need to do anything flashy, just beat your man’. Actually Liberatore ran through it with me, and Stephen Kernahan had a few tips too, and after all of that I was feeling confident about it.

Through the game, I saw that our midfield pressure was pretty good, so I just planned to play in front the whole time, and it worked on him.

What did Fev say to you after your goal – was he upset with you for kicking a goal from outside 50 instead of kicking to him?

Nah, I said thanks to him about 5 times! Fev is one of the hardest workers in the forward line – I was just grateful that he let it through!

Have you and Fev ever had a shootout? Because you'd be just about the biggest kicks in the team...

He’d have me hands down. You see him at training kicking them from 60 metres out on the boundary line and you just shake your head – he’s one of the best kicks out there. We see it at training – you wouldn’t see it so much in a game – but his field kicking is pretty impressive too.

You got to play alongside Gibbs for the first time in a competitive match on the weekend. And we thought he was, you know, pretty good. Does anything put him off his game?

Some people just have it naturally – he’s a born leader. I see him and think back to when I was a 17 year old starting up at Essendon, and just think of the differences.

When Setanta kicked that goal, was there a genuine concern he would explode?

Haha - we’ve seen some of his hurling tapes and let me tell you – some of his celebrations are ridiculous! He loves a celebration, but the boys enjoy it and encourage him.

You’ve been in the press this week a bit and Denis has had some nice words to say about you. What do you think you have to do to "nail your opportunity" as Denis has asked you to do?

Well, last year I played about 10 of the last 12 games and I was playing OK, starting on the field in those games, and then there was that Round 21 game you talked about. All along Denis has been very honest with me – maybe I can hold myself high like he said because I always know where I stand.

Back to your time at the Bullants, Is the game plan very different between what you experience in the reserves and what you experience in the seniors, and if so is it difficult to make the transition?

Good question – I don’t think it’s the game plan but it’s the skill level of the players involved. Down at the Bullants, the skills probably aren’t as good, so Barry’s been on at us to keep possession a bit longer and hold the play up a little, to make sure we don’t cough it up. But at Carlton – with the power forwards we’ve got – you’ve got to get it in quick to give them the best chance.

You are one of only three players named Jordan to play senior footy for the Blues. Can you name the other two?

Easy… Doering and Russell. I have played across from Doering before but we weren’t at Carlton at the same time.

50 games this weekend. Did you think you'd ever make it? Because it must be said, many would have had their doubts…

I reckon I’ve thought about 100 times that I’d never make it, that I wasn’t going to get this far. Some guys celebrate their 100th game, but I am as proud as anything to make it to the 50 games. I know I’ve got a long way to go, but me, my Dad, my brothers, we’re all really proud of this.

It’s impossible not to like Jordan – he speaks with a great enthusiasm about the Club, the Coach, and footy in general. A deserving winner of the Play of the Week and his inclusion in the Best Players for a phenomenal game on the weekend, all Blues fans should venture to the Dome this weekend to celebrate his 50th game in style.