GETTING it done.
Defender Jacob Weitering was impressed with Carlton’s efforts across the ground in Thursday night’s clash with Geelong.
Taking home an eight-point victory over the reigning premiers, the co-vice captain noted the lack of panic within the side and the desire to regain control when challenged by the opposition.
While there were a few individual feats in the last five minutes, Weitering acknowledged it was the collective effort that got the Blues across the line.
“Off the back of a draw, the boys wanted to try and get their first win of the year and against the reigning premiers, it was always going to be a tough contest,” Weitering said.
“The boys really cracked in – I thought everyone across the ground did their job and we came away with the four points.”
While in the past, Carlton may have gone into their shells when the game was on the line, recent experiences have transformed the on-field mentality of the team to be able to play through these scenarios, with Weitering noting that the side didn’t go to panic stations because of their extensive preparation.
“It’s a combination of a few things – experience being in those situations is one thing, having guys that know when to stand up and do what they need to do [is important],” he said.
“If you look at Harry [McKay’s] big contested marks late, Lewis Young’s intercept mark and just the way we were moving the ball in the last five minutes is something we’ve learned.
“There was probably no panic, we were comfortable, it was eight points, so a couple of scores that they needed and we just went back to basics and played our identity.”
Speaking on the ball movement of the group, which saw an improvement in efficiency inside forward 50 (efficiency in forward 50 went from 46.7% to 56.3%) and inside 50s, highlighted the Blues' ability to work on key areas between games and create better opportunities for their forwards.
The small-forward combination of Matt Owies, Zac Fisher, Jesse Motlop and Corey Durdin hit stride scoring six goals between them. Weitering was adamant that moving the ball smarter, not faster, was the Blues’ aim.
“You look at sides like Collingwood who are just going in and scoring at a rate, we’ve got two Coleman Medallists down there, so we want to get opportunities into them but we also have to be smart,” he said.
“Teams are going to drop off and start to intercept a little bit more and really concentrate on the big boys – if you look at Matt Owies performance on the weekend, we can lower the eyes, hit some other guys in there and they can do some damage as well.”
The Blues will now turn their attention to this week's game against the Giants - who will be looking to come out firing after their loss to Eagles in Round 2.
It will be Carlton's first interstate trip for the year and the first opportunity for NSW Blues to see the team in action. For more information about the game, visit the Game Centre.
