AFL Media's Adam Curley previews Carlton's Round 14 clash against Greater Western Sydney at Spotless Stadium:
SUMMARY
Carlton has become Greater Western Sydney’s bunnies in the past two seasons, and the home side will be dead set on continuing that trend before the Giants have their mid-season bye next week. The Giants have smashed the Blues in their last two meetings, both last year, and won the last clash on their home deck by 81 points thanks to a seven-goal haul for Jeremy Cameron. The star forward has struggled for form over the past month so the visitors will need to be wary of his mercurial abilities inside 50, especially if the GWS midfield can crank up the supply. The Blues will be fresh after having round 13 off, so there’s no opportunity for them to arrest a three-game losing streak against the Giants.
WHEN AND WHERE: Spotless Stadium, Saturday 4.35pm AEST
TV AND RADIO: Click here for broadcast guide
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
R22, 2015, Greater Western Sydney 20.12 (132) d Carlton 7.9 (51) at Spotless Stadium
R7, 2015, Greater Western Sydney 19.21 (135) d Carlton 9.3 (57) at Etihad Stadium
R14, 2014, Greater Western Sydney 15.10 (100) d Carlton 14.8 (92) at Spotless Stadium
R10, 2013, Carlton 22.16 (148) d Greater Western Sydney 8.6 (54) at Etihad Stadium
R6, 2012, Carlton 15.20 (110) d Greater Western Sydney 6.7 (43) at Etihad Stadium
Patrick Cripps and his fellow Blues midfielders face a massive challenge against the Giants' potent midfield. (Photo: AFL Media)
THE SIX POINTS
1. The Giants kicked a combined 39 goals in their two wins over the Blues in 2015, and won by a combined 159 points.
2. In those matches star forward Jeremy Cameron booted 12 goals, five in the first, seven in the second.
3. GWS continues to dominate most opposition sides in the clearance count, with Leon Cameron’s men ranked second in the league with 40 per game. In contrast the Blues are equal 15th with 33.7 per game.
4. The Giants and Carlton clash for the sixth time this week, with the Giants winning three games to two; the Blues won the first two matches but GWS have dominated since.
5. The Blues are the worst contested possession side in 2016, ranked 18th with just 131.1 per game. It's a different story in uncontested possession, where they're ranked fifth, averaging 242.1.
6. The Giants have four players in the top 50 of Schick AFL player ratings in Dylan Shiel (17), Callan Ward (21), Ryan Griffen (41) and Heath Shaw (49), while Carlton have none. Captain Marc Murphy is their highest ranked player at number 80.
IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR … Jeremy Cameron
The 2013 All Australian returned from a four-game suspension in cracking touch with a haul of seven goals and two bags of five, and has 25 goals from nine games this season, but he's managed just four in his last four appearances. Cameron’s work rate has to improve if he's to be the Giants' number one target in attack, and he should be confident against the Blues after blitzing them last season.
