DANIEL O'Keefe analyses the performances of the AFL-listed players which contributed in a big Carlton Reserves win in Round 2.

Dom Akuei
Six disposals

Dom played more minutes this week compared to his first game as we continue to build him up. What we once again saw in his game was his really impressive vertical leap. He did the simple things well and he continues to learn and adapt to our system, which is important for a young player. We’re looking for more consistency with Dom when it comes to defending his man on aerial balls: when he does it well, he does it very well, so we’re looking for more of that. It was a nice game from him.

Matthew Cottrell
24 disposals, 14 handball receives, four inside 50s

‘Cotters’ played his role on the wing, doing exactly what we asked of him. He didn’t have the same impact in attack as he did against Brisbane in Round 1, but by the same token he didn’t spend time up forward this time around. He was smart with his positioning at stoppages to assist our defence. With ball in hand, there were a few examples which we’ll work on in terms of his skill execution.

Paddy Dow
30 disposals (19 contested possessions), 14 clearances, two goals

We spoke last week of how we’d love ‘Dowy’ to absorb pressure at the contest: he worked through a heavy tag this week to finish the game really strongly. He had a great connection with Alex Mirkov at stoppages which saw him end the game with 14 clearances, which is a huge number. He also had five tackles which demonstrated his want to get at the opposition, and adding two goals in the final quarter was an added bonus.

Lachie Fogarty
27 disposals, seven clearances, six tackles

There were elements of Lachie’s game which we loved. He was very good around stoppages with how clean he was and the pressure he provided, but he was also crucial in allowing Paddy Dow to have the game he had: some of his blocks and his ability to help out his teammates at stoppages was great. There were a few times where he could’ve communicated more strongly with his teammates in transition, but it was a good game overall from Lachie.

Brodie Kemp
18 disposals, four tackles, three inside 50s

‘Kempy’ once again played as a forward and worked into the game to have much more influence in the second half. He could’ve been cleaner at certain times, but he got his hands on the ball more this week compared to Round 1. What we’re liking about his game at the moment is that he’s winning the ball at stoppage situations and also working back to goal really hard.

WHAT THEY SAID O'Keefe's take on winning form

Alex Mirkov
Seven disposals, 44 hitouts (20 hitouts to advantage)

He gave our midfielders first use all day: 20 hitouts to advantage is a big number. We’re constantly working with Alex on his follow-up from stoppages, and there were times on the weekend where he was supporting his teammates through blocks or getting his hands on the ball with three clearances.

Jesse Motlop
19 disposals, four goals, four tackles

Jesse executed his role really well on the weekend, finishing the game with four goals — all of which came in the second half. He used his speed to break the game open on a number of occasions and was clean at ground level: we also gave him some minutes as a midfielder at the centre bounce. 

Jack Newnes
28 disposals, 14 handball receives, nine inside 50s

Jack played on the wing for us and, once again, it was another consistent performance from him. What we liked about his game was his willingness to both support defensively, but also challenge his direct opponent going forward. He saw plenty of the ball and used it well, while also getting to a number of contests and providing an outnumber for us.

Luke Parks
16 disposals, 11 one percenters, four rebound 50s

With Lewis Young featuring in the AFL side, ‘Parksy’ played a bit deeper in defence this week and performed his role well. He was strong in his defence on the last line and he showed his ability and willingness to scrap and fight, which is something we really value in Luke. He had more one percenters than anyone else on the ground.

Liam Stocker
18 disposals, nine rebound 50s

It was a really solid return for Liam, in his first game at any level for the year. He was on slightly managed minutes and kept his opponent Fergus Greene quiet when directly opposed to him. His natural physicality was on display as always and his ball use and positioning behind the play was important for us throughout the course of the afternoon.