IN HIS first game as VFL Coach of the Carlton Reserves, Luke Power was clear in his post-match comments: it very much wasn’t about the individuals. 

The wider team contributed to a resounding 69-point victory over Collingwood, which took place immediately following the AFL practice match on Friday afternoon. 

With a number of AFL-listed Blues playing the majority of the game (Matthew Kennedy and Lachie Plowman also doubled up by playing in the first quarter), Power said what stood out was the collective approach on a day where there were a number of new faces in the line-up.

The likes of Jaxon Binns, Harry Lemmey and Hudson O’Keeffe all fronted up for their first official hitout since joining the Club, while they were joined by the likes of Ben Ronke, who pulled on the jumper in a match environment for the first time since joining the Carlton Reserves after six years at Sydney.

“The players from both our VFL and AFL program made a really good impression: as coaches, we were really pleased that we got to see a strong transfer of our game model that is consistent across both programs,” Power said post-match.

“People that watched the game would have a really good understanding about how we want to play this season.”

In the case of Lemmey and O’Keeffe, the duo recorded two goals apiece in a performance where the Blues had 12 individual goalkickers on the day.

Marc Pittonet continued his return to football with a commanding performance in the ruck, while Sam Durdin and Domanic Akuei continued their respective strong summers in the backline.

They were ably supported by a number of VFL-listed Blues, with Ned Cahill picking up where he left off in 2022 with a busy performance in attack. Young forward Jed Brereton kicked two goals in a third-quarter rush, while youngsters Heath Ramshaw, Zavier Maher and Patrick Dozzi indicated why the Blues were so keen to retain their services after impressing last season.

“What was most pleasing was a number of times, our players showed a team-first attitude by giving the ball off to players in better positions and looking out for their teammates,” Power said.

“Ultimately, their connection will be what not only helps us as a team, but also gets individuals recognised.”