The Blues’ young playing list was faced with a number of challenges in 2018, and as a result, finished the year with fewer wins than previous seasons.
However, the valuable experience gained by first and second-year players, coupled with the resilience built within the team, will no doubt hold the Club in good stead for years to come.
With the side now on a break, we’re analysing each player’s year in statistics. Here’s the review for Carlton’s No. 13, Jed Lamb.
GAMES
2018: 18
Career: 66
GOALS
2018: 7
Career: 43
BY THE NUMBERS (averages in brackets)
Disposals: 262 (14.6) Effective disposals: 200 (11.1) Contested possessions: 73 (4.1) Marks: 53 (2.9) Tackles: 39 (2.2) Metres gained: 5,075 (281.9) One percenters: 31 (1.7)
2018 IN FOCUS
Lamb eptiomised a player’s ability to grow in adversity this year, gaining greater continuity in the back half of the season. Fulfilling his signature role as ‘the pest’ for the Blues again in 2018, he played a career-high 18 games across the season.
After making a move back into Carlton’s defence against Brisbane in Round 16, Lamb added experience to an injury-plagued backline.
Using his pace and kicking skills, the 181cm-Blue saw improvement across the remainder of the season, averaging 17.71 disposals across his final seven matches – a significant increase from an average of 10.63 in his first eight matches. He also averaged 361.29 metres gained after moving down back after averaging 231.45 in his first 11 matches.
Despite Carlton’s win-loss ratio in 2018, Lamb saw plenty of personal wins – he resumed his key tagging role against some of the oppositions’ key forwards, added experience to a beleaguered backline and grew his on-field impact. If Lamb continues to develop his football at the rate he has in 2018, 2019 could be the 25-year-old’s best season yet.
BEST PERFORMANCE
While Lamb’s 17 kicks and nine rebound 50s against the Bulldogs in Round 22 didn’t go unnoticed, it was the executation of his tagging role on Brendon Goddard in Carlton’s defeat over Essendon in Round 8 that topped his season. He amassed two majors, three tackles, 15 disposals at 80 percent efficiency, nine contested possessions and a season-high three goal assists.
Jed Lamb stood tall in the Blues' win over the Bombers. (Photo: AFL Media)
SEASON HIGHLIGHT
Lamb ticked off the 50-game milestone in Round 2 against Gold Coast. After making the move from GWS to Carlton at the end of the 2015 season, he has notched up 44 matches in the navy blue. In his milestone game, Lamb totaled 11 disposals at 81.8% efficiency and contributed three tackles, three marks and a goal for the Blues.
