Will Carlton be the 'bolter' in 2023?

[bobs head soup]

Will Carlton be the bolter of 2016 7.0.

 

[PieLebo87]

This generally is the most joyous time of the year for Carlton fans. This thread is like Christmas. Then July comes around…

 

[HairyO]

Surely this could have gone in one of the copious amounts of threads already on Carlton?

We can just be thankful that it wasnt a Richmond supporter making the 8,000th thread about Richmond.

Also, no. No they wont bolt. They may make finals. Maybe.

 

[Robertio]

This generally is the most joyous time of the year for Carlton fans. This thread is like Christmas. Then July comes around…

Mate get some new material you're getting very boring.

 

[HirdyLannister]

They won't lose a game all year.

 

[kreuze_missile]

Will come down to injuries.

Carlton comfortably top 4 when fit.

 

[Pistol Night]

Time for Russell to earn his money …

Dwayne?

 

[Pistol Night]

They won't lose a game all year.

Rest of this year?

 

[Aphrodite]

Fadge hasn't found us yet.

 

[BringFevBack2021]

They won't lose a game all year.

I shouldn't say this in front of the cameras, but it's very, very difficult to see where we're going to lose a game

 

[carlton_99]

Fadge hasn't found us yet.

No need - we have others in this thread carrying out the same role

 

[Fadge]

Gold Coast and Port Adelaide just as likely IMO.

Rubbish.

Port Adelaide know how to contend.

Port >>>> Goldy >> Carlton.

 

[Fadge]

No need - we have others in this thread carrying out the same role

So, the general consensus is Carlton don't contend? Who would have thought..?

 

[carlton_99]

So, the general consensus is Carlton don't contend? Who would have thought..?

You know if you have an opinion it doesn't automatically make it the "general consensus"...right?

 

[Fadge]

Mate get some new material you're getting very boring.

It is, isn't it?

Maybe the commentary might change if Carlton ever find a way to contend..

 

[Art Vandelay_]

My bolter for 2023. They have built a premiership winning list. They now just have to hope Voss can execute. After what happened to them at the end of 2022, Voss is definitely the type of leader to help them bounce back.

Backline:

After his injury last season, Weitering struggled. He will be back to his best next season. He’s still one of the game’s premier full backs. The inclusion of Lewis young last year brilliant. Mitch McGovern’s return from injury was huge as well. He had an underrated season and will be even better in 2023. Adam saad is elite in his position and with their injured midfielders returning, Doherty will move back to half back. If Zac Williams can stay fit and finally repay the faith, their backline is top 4 quality.

Midfield:

Elite with incredible depth. Cripps, Walsh, hewett, cerra and Kennedy. The perfect mix of inside and outside. Incredible to think Sam Walsh is only 22. Despite having higher numbers last season than in 2020, he wasn’t as effective due to his syndesmosis injury. He will be back to his best in 2023. The Cripps/Walsh duo will be the best 1-2 midfield combo in the league next season. Their weakness last season was the wing, which they have improved with the inclusion of Blake acres, who for a future third round pick is a complete steal.

Forward line:

They have two of the five best key forwards in curnow and mcckay. Curnow’ season in 2022 was simply incredible and he will go to another level in 2023. They need to get more out of the likes of Jack Martin and Zac fisher. If those two can take their game’s to another level, the blues will be hard to beat. They still like an elite small forward. Luke Breust would have been a perfect for them. However, Jesse Motlop showed some elite signs last season and can become a quality afl small forward. He just needs to play consistently.

Rucks:

This is currently their only weakness imo. Pittonet is a battler but against the better rucks in the league, he struggles. Tom de koning was really solid early on when he replaced pittonet after his pcl injury, but he’s still too raw and ran out of legs. I think he can became a excellent afl ruck due to his agility and strong work around the ground but he needs more time. Unfortunately the blues had no salary cap space, as grundy would have been a perfect fit for them.

To summarise, the blues have the list to finish in the top 4 next season as long as they don’t cop another season of injuries to key players. They got absolutely decimated last season and rarely had their best 22 on the field at the same time. No team other than maybe Melbourne has a better core of elite talent- Weitering, saad, Cripps, Walsh, curnow and mcckay is as good as it gets for a top 6. It’s now up to the likes of Cerra, hewett (brilliant last season), kennedy, Williams, martin and fisher to go to another level and the blues are a great chance at winning the flag next season.

They have the players. Need a game style change.

Fox are pained to point it out annually for the last half a dozen seasons or more. But the teams that win the flag among those who compete deep in September nearly always are among the best teams at creating turnover, scoring from turnover and preventing scoring from turnover.

Amidst their hot start to the season (can't remember which exact episode) the guys 'On The Couch' raised this. Raised how Carlton had got off to a good start and their 1-wood was clearances and winning territory from that. But pondered that they needed to get better at the turnover game. 2nd half of the season as they encountered a harder part of the fixture and their form dropped away to ultimately miss finals.

I have them in my 5-8 bracket for 2023 as they have a lot of players with natural improvement left in them. But to be the "bolter".. To be the next big thing they need to get better at the metrics that the best sides use to go deep in the season.

Transitioning off turnover is something less easy when your weaknesses are arguably wing and the high half forward/small forward. These are the connectors in most teams linking defence and offence.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

As much as I hate to admit it, Carlton have finally got their s**t together as a football club after two decades of incompetence, with Brian Cook righting the ship as CEO, much like Gale and Peggy did for us after they came on board.

Cook's track record speaks for himself, you just have to look at West Coast and Geelong, the two previous clubs he was at, and see they're two of the modern powerhouses of football.

As far as Carlton's on field prospects are concerned, I believe they're primed to push for a spot in the top 4, and I have no doubt they'll win their 17th flag before Essendon do.

What's your opinion on Carlton's prospects for 2023?

I think so the way they were playing in the earlier half of the season they were a lock for top 4.

You dont even need to analyze deep to realise the main pillars midfield forward and defence all 3 categories are right up there.

2-5 range for me.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Jesse Motlop looks to be a talented small forward.

Pittonet and De Koning aren't great, but Stanley and Blicavs aren't great either, and that ruck combo just won the flag.

Not entirely an accurate assertion. At the 'ruck craft' Stanley and Blicavs are sub-par. But they're both very good and in Blicavs case elite around the ground.

Given the unimportance of the hitout stat maybe they're not as average as perceived.

 

[Fadge]

Keep talking them up, please.

Hopefully they get out to about $4 to miss the finals in 2023

 

[ferrisb]

It'd take some real Bluebagger nonsense for them to miss finals next year.

Carlton: hold my beer...

 

[BigPond101]

McCay and Curnow being two of their most important players is a big concern, both capable of going missing. They only need one crappy performance at the pointy end of the season and it's season over

 

[PrinceCharles]

Not entirely an accurate assertion. At the 'ruck craft' Stanley and Blicavs are sub-par. But they're both very good and in Blicavs case elite around the ground.

Given the unimportance of the hitout stat maybe they're not as average as perceived.

Surprised goals don't make the list.

 

[Defabs]

Carlton may do ok if Curnow kicks through the ball rather than snapping it, perhaps kick to the top of the square instead of the pocket when just outside of range, maybe handball the footy rather than trying to take on 5 players and lastly pay a visit to Jamie Elliott’s place a day before the game..and convince him not to play.

 

[JasRulz63]

Not entirely an accurate assertion. At the 'ruck craft' Stanley and Blicavs are sub-par. But they're both very good and in Blicavs case elite around the ground.

Given the unimportance of the hitout stat maybe they're not as average as perceived.

Interesting (but not particularly surprising) comment on that thread mentioned that 73% of the time the winner leads the marks inside 50 count, and 7% of the time they tie it.

As poor as the Melbourne forward line is, they were second in marks inside 50 differential this year and led it last year (vice versa for the cats).

 

[Sqotty from office works]

My bolter for 2023. They have built a premiership winning list. They now just have to hope Voss can execute. After what happened to them at the end of 2022, Voss is definitely the type of leader to help them bounce back.

Backline:

After his injury last season, Weitering struggled. He will be back to his best next season. He’s still one of the game’s premier full backs. The inclusion of Lewis young last year brilliant. Mitch McGovern’s return from injury was huge as well. He had an underrated season and will be even better in 2023. Adam saad is elite in his position and with their injured midfielders returning, Doherty will move back to half back. If Zac Williams can stay fit and finally repay the faith, their backline is top 4 quality.

Midfield:

Elite with incredible depth. Cripps, Walsh, hewett, cerra and Kennedy. The perfect mix of inside and outside. Incredible to think Sam Walsh is only 22. Despite having higher numbers last season than in 2020, he wasn’t as effective due to his syndesmosis injury. He will be back to his best in 2023. The Cripps/Walsh duo will be the best 1-2 midfield combo in the league next season. Their weakness last season was the wing, which they have improved with the inclusion of Blake acres, who for a future third round pick is a complete steal.

Forward line:

They have two of the five best key forwards in curnow and mcckay. Curnow’ season in 2022 was simply incredible and he will go to another level in 2023. They need to get more out of the likes of Jack Martin and Zac fisher. If those two can take their game’s to another level, the blues will be hard to beat. They still like an elite small forward. Luke Breust would have been a perfect for them. However, Jesse Motlop showed some elite signs last season and can become a quality afl small forward. He just needs to play consistently.

Rucks:

This is currently their only weakness imo. Pittonet is a battler but against the better rucks in the league, he struggles. Tom de koning was really solid early on when he replaced pittonet after his pcl injury, but he’s still too raw and ran out of legs. I think he can became a excellent afl ruck due to his agility and strong work around the ground but he needs more time. Unfortunately the blues had no salary cap space, as grundy would have been a perfect fit for them.

To summarise, the blues have the list to finish in the top 4 next season as long as they don’t cop another season of injuries to key players. They got absolutely decimated last season and rarely had their best 22 on the field at the same time. No team other than maybe Melbourne has a better core of elite talent- Weitering, saad, Cripps, Walsh, curnow and mcckay is as good as it gets for a top 6. It’s now up to the likes of Cerra, hewett (brilliant last season), kennedy, Williams, martin and fisher to go to another level and the blues are a great chance at winning the flag next season.

Good synopsis.
McGovern and Silvagni fill in the holes when needed.
TDK needs another 40 games to become no1.
Voss doesn't accept excuses and always travels forwards with no regrets.

This year will be a watershed as it's either back to average or premiership contention.