IT FEELS like George Hewett has been a Blue for much longer than 50 games. 

The workhorse will chalk up a half century of Carlton games in some style, when he walks onto the MCG on Sunday night in front of a sold-out crowd in a highly anticipated clash between the arch rivals. 

While he’s slotted into Carlton life seamlessly, he admits there was one small part of the adjustment which took some time to get used to.

And it’s not what you’d expect for the South Australian who went from a Swan to a Blue.

“Every club I played for in juniors all wore red — even when I went to the Swans,” Hewett told ABC on Saturday.

“I finally became a Blue, and you look down at your shorts and legs and you go ‘it looks different’. It feels right though!”

Hewett is one of many looking forward to the prospect of yet another big game with the Bombers, in what will be the fourth game the Blues have played in front of over 80,000 people already in 2024.

As it always has been under Michael Voss, the midfield battle will be pivotal, with both sides performing strongly from clearances in 2024. Hewett was the Blues’ first recruit of the Michael Voss era, arriving as a free agent, helping round out the Blues’ on-ball profile in the process. 

While the Blues’ full contingent of midfielders haven’t all been available at the same time, it’s no secret that Hewett and his teammates love playing under one of the greatest competitors the AFL has ever seen.

“‘Vossy’ gave us a big pump up [on Saturday] in our team meeting. He’s a great motivator. I remember in our first year, each week we’d come out of his meetings and we’d talk about wanting to run through a brick wall.

“He’s very smart with how he speaks to individuals, he lets his assistant coaches do their role and then he usually brings it home for the final messaging. He does it very well.”

No matter how Sunday night pans out, there’ll be one constant for the Uber-consistent Hewett — that dad duties to young son Henry will have to take priority as soon as the siren goes.

Or, in the case of this week’s game, even before it goes.

“I try not to watch any footy before our game, I just try and relax. I’ve got a fair bit of family here with my brother and his kids, plus my son: our day is taking the kids to the playground to try and wear them out so hopefully I’ve got four or five hours to myself in the afternoon.

“[Henry] had his tonsils out a couple of weeks ago, and we didn’t know if we wanted to take him to the game or not. He didn’t want to watch the footy, he just wanted to make sure he was there after the game so he could have a kick with myself and the other kids.

“He loves it.”