Northern Blues coach Josh Fraser assesses the performances of every Carlton-listed player who featured in the 14-point loss to Werribee on Saturday:
49. Dennis Armfield
Stats: 14 disposals, 5 inside 50s, 5 clearances, 5 tackles
From the coach: Dennis played the majority of the game as a winger, and he had a terrific chase-down tackle in the second quarter. We need to have him finding more of the footy but he set up scoring opportunities late and used it well.
7. Dylan Buckley
Stats: 14 disposals, 6 rebound 50s, 3 inside 50s
From the coach: He wasn’t as defensively sound this week as previous weeks, but he also showed some really good things in offence. He keeps working hard on his focus areas and we think he isn’t far away from a great run of form.
Dylan Buckley's offensive game pleased coach Josh Fraser. (Photo: Tim Murdoch)
59. Ciaran Byrne
Stats: 18 disposals, 8 marks, 5 tackles, 4 rebound 50s
From the coach: We saw some really pleasing signs from 'Casey', who found a bit more of the ball and on the most part defended well while refining his method. It was a big step forward in his game.
56. Andrew Gallucci
Stats: 9 disposals, 4 tackles, 1 goal
From the coach: Lively enough forward, without impacting the game to a great degree. He needs to be really meticulous in areas, but he also showed some class around goals and he’s building into some good form.
34. Jesse Glass-McCasker
Stats: 4 disposals, 3 tackles
From the coach: Jesse’s defensive positioning is something he continues to work on: when he got it right, he impacted the contest really well against Majak Daw. He needs to keep working hard on his method.
50. Daniel Gorringe
Stats: 3 disposals
From the coach: Played a combination of roles for us in both the forward line and through the ruck before going down fairly early on through injury.
32. Nick Graham
Stats: 28 disposals, 10 tackles, 8 marks, 7 clearances, 2 goals
From the coach: He lacked a bit of detail in his stoppage craft which we haven’t seen, but he was prolific over the game. What we really liked was his ability to assess and use the ball really well centre-forward.
48. Kristian Jaksch
Stats: 11 disposals, 3 inside 50s, 3 goals
From the coach: 'KJ' played as a forward. He needs to become more consistent in his one-on-ones - he’s working very hard on it at training and we need that marking presence to translate in-game. He finished with three which is a good return for a tall forward.
31. Patrick Kerr
Stats: 12 disposals, 3 inside 50s, 3 clearances
From the coach: Patty played a variety of roles for us through circumstance, where he ended up playing ruck. He competed really hard, followed up well and provided a really honest contest which he always does.
72. Sam Kerridge
Stats: 24 disposals, 12 marks, 5 inside 50s, 1 goal
From the coach: He played most of the game on the wing and ran extremely hard, he gave us a lot of gut-running both ways. He got forward, took a strong mark and finished in front of goal — it was a solid game from him again.
76. Kym Lebois
Stats: 5 disposals, 1 goal
From the coach: Worked his way into it after coming on in the second quarter: he’s got genuine speed and excitement. We need to find more ways for him to impact because he’s so creative. We expect him to keep building form from here.
Kym Lebois (right) celebrates his goal with Jarrod Pickett. (Photo: Tim Murdoch)
19. Harry McKay
Stats: 10 disposals, 7 marks (4 inside 50), 1 goal
From the coach: An indifferent game from Harry, where we saw some really pleasing signs in his contested marking and launching at the footy but he was inconsistent in front of goal. He needs to keep working on his presentation and his goal-kicking.
70. Harrison Macreadie
Stats: 10 disposals, 3 rebounds 50s
From the coach: His positioning as a defender is really good: he dropped a few marks which he’d normally swallow which affected his output. As a young defender, he’s building the right habits and we expect him to keep progressing.
5. Rhys Palmer
Stats: 29 disposals, 13 tackles, 6 clearances, 2 goals
From the coach: I liked his game, especially his first half. His intent to get after the contest hard set the tone and he kicked a smart goal late in the match. It was one of his better games.
Rhys Palmer's experience came to the fore on Saturday. (Photo: Tim Murdoch)
15. Andrew Phillips
Stats: 13 disposals, 5 marks, 20 hitouts, 1 goal
From the coach: He was terrific before going off: his impact on the game was enormous and he gave us great contest in the ruck while spreading forward on his opponent. His presence was certainly missed in the second half.
60. Jarrod Pickett
Stats: 17 disposals, 5 tackles, 3 inside 50s, 2 goals
From the coach: I think it was his best game for the club, certainly at VFL level. He was really exciting when he was near it, played game time on the wing which was great for him and he covered the ground as good as he has. He kicked two crucial goals as well.
67. Cameron Polson
Stats: 11 disposals, 7 tackles
From the coach: His first half was a little bit patchy from a pure stoppage point of view, but we sent him to Andrew Swallow in the second half and he did a great job in quelling his influence. He’ll get some confidence out of that, and we want him to keep building both his midfield and forward craft.
Cameron Polson limited Andrew Swallow's influence. (Photo: Tim Murdoch)
47. Ciaran Sheehan
Stats: 10 disposals, 4 tackles
From the coach: His contest is as good as anyone in our back half - a really honest footballer. His possession rate was down which he’s working on. We’ve got good confidence in him that when the ball goes in his general direction, we’ll get a contest out of him.
Ciaran Sheehan at full stretch. (Photo: Tim Murdoch)
43. Simon White
Stats: 24 disposals, 8 marks, 8 rebound 50s, 6 tackles
From the coach: Loved his game — intercept marks, a brutal contest in the air and used it well. He gives his all in every contest. It was another strong performance for him.
