Nick Graham was one of few positives to take for the Northern Blues in an otherwise demoralising 107-point loss at Casey Fields on Sunday afternoon.
The young Carlton midfielder returned for his first VFL game in 12 months after an extended run in the AFL side, and was nominated as Northern’s clear best performer by his coaches.
The 21-year-old finished with 32 disposals (17 contested), 14 tackles and six clearances as a lone hand in the Northern Blues midfield.
Speaking post-match, Graham said it was hard to find any redeeming features from a dismal day at Casey Fields.
“It’s hard to individualise your own game when the team loses by more than 100 points, we were chasing tail all day and I guess I was lucky to get my hands on the footy,” Graham said.
“It wasn’t a great performance by the boys - there’s really no excuse for the performance we dished up.”
Casey led for the entirety of the afternoon after kicking a goal in the first minute of the game, restricting the Blues to only two goals and piling on 19 themselves.
Nick Graham staked a claim for senior selection with 32 touches on Sunday. (Photo: Tim Murdoch)
The second-placed Scorpions had too much run and carry for the Blues, recording 68 more disposals and 53 more handball receives than Northern over four quarters.
Graham said the playing group had failed to stick to their structures and the onus was on them to respond on Saturday against Williamstown.
“There wasn’t a lot that went right: everything we planned for during the week we didn’t execute and we went into self-preservation mode late,” Graham said.
“We’ll have to address that during the week and have to bounce back against Williamstown next Saturday.”
It was Graham’s first game for the Northern Blues since May last year, where he went onto record a second-placed finish in the club best-and-fairest from only six games.
Northern Blues senior coach Josh Fraser highlighted the performance of Graham, saying he was the clear positive to take from the game.
“Nick Graham was terrific - I thought the way he applied himself to the structure and the gameplay was fantastic,” Fraser said.
“I think it’s no secret he was our best player, and I think Matt Korcheck took a big step today after getting the opportunity to ruck by himself in the second half.”
The Northern Blues’ next assignment doesn’t get any easier, heading to Burbank Oval to face the reigning premiers Williamstown on Saturday afternoon.
