TIME to take a breath.
At the halfway mark of the season as Carlton enters its mid-season bye, it’s a good reason to look back at some of the Blues who have been the pace-setters.
With Charlie Curnow leading the Coleman Medal race after Round 11, how are some of his teammates tracking in other key stats?
Charlie Curnow
No.1 for goals, No.3 for score involvements, No.4 for contested marks
We might as well start with Curnow.
With 37 goals from his first 11 games, Curnow has gone from strength to strength, electrifying Carlton fans as the most prolific goalkicker in the competition to date.
It’s not just in front of the big sticks where he’s doing the damage, however.
Curnow has also accrued 86 score involvements, ranked No.3 in the competition so far. As things stand, over 65 per cent of his disposals end in Carlton scores.
Patrick Cripps
No.4 for average contested possessions, No.4 for average centre clearances, No.5 for average clearances
They’re good numbers as they are. But it’s important to remember that if Cripps hadn’t been subbed out early against Gold Coast, his average numbers would be even stronger.
It’s clear that Cripps has led the way for the Blues at the coalface this year.
Back to his bullocking best, Cripps was the best player on the ground in the season-opening clash with Richmond and hasn’t looked back from there.
To go with it, his 15 goals are already a career-best total. But he hasn’t been alone.
George Hewett
No.1 for centre clearances, No.6 for average clearances, No.9 for average disposals
The additions of George Hewett as well as Adam Cerra was always going to help Cripps and the Blues’ midfield brigade, but some may have underestimated how much.
Since arriving at IKON Park, Hewett has added to the work he produced at Sydney with a career-best run of form in Navy Blue.
The most prolific player at the centre bounce so far this season, Hewett - despite missing two games due to a calf injury - has had the most centre clearances of anyone in the competition (40).
He also ranks in the top 10 in the AFL for average clearance and disposals, continuing to prove what an astute acquisition he has been on Royal Parade.
Sam Docherty
No.3 for effective disposals, No.10 for total disposals
There weren’t many who believed Sam Docherty could make the impact he has so far this season. Except, crucially, Docherty himself.
From the moment his name was met with an almighty roar at the MCG back in Round 1, the 2017 John Nicholls Medal has continued to produce performances which have Carlton supporters loving every minute.
Ranked third in the competition for effective disposals, Docherty has been as damaging as ever with ball in hand and has slotted in seamlessly as the team’s spiritual leader: his goals against the Tigers and later the Giants are testament to that.
Matthew Owies
No.1 for tackles inside 50
“There’s been a lot of pressure stuff, which has absolutely been music to my ears!”
That was Matthew Owies’ take on the opening month of pre-season under Michael Voss back in December last year. The evidence suggests he’s still loving it.
Owies has laid more tackles inside 50 than anybody else in the competition to date, complementing the nine goals he has produced as a small forward.
Coaches often speak of just how important bringing the heat in that small forward role is, and it has been a foundation of Ash Hansen’s forward setup so far in 2022. Owies’ good mate in the forward line - Corey Durdin - also ranks inside the top 20 for this statistic.
Sam Walsh
No.2 for average uncontested possessions, No.4 for average disposals
Don’t sleep on the form of Carlton’s reigning John Nicholls Medallist.
Nobody would have been more frustrated than Sam Walsh himself when he missed Round 1 due to his recovery from ankle surgery: the only game he has missed in his career so far.
However, when he surprisingly returned the next week, he was back doing what he has always done: racking up the football in Navy Blue.
He now sits No.2 in the competition for uncontested possessions per game, and No.4 for average disposals. Spending more time starting as a forward at centre bounces has seen Walsh’s running game shine through even more prominently in recent weeks, in a season where he is still yet to drop below 26 disposals.
Adam Saad
No.1 for running bounces
It may seem like a relatively weird stat this one, but it’s noteworthy when you look at the sheer numbers of it.
From 11 games this season, Adam Saad has produced 58 running bounces. The next best total in the competition sits at 24.
It’s indicative of the form and confidence which Saad has been playing with in 2022. Locking down his man and generating plenty of offence going the other way, the Carlton crowd nudges a bit closer to the edge of their seat whenever the Sherrin is in the hands of the No.42.
