CARLTON gained some valuable lessons in its opening Marsh Community Series hitout against Fremantle.
The Blues went down by 47 points to the Dockers in Mandurah, with the hosts running over the top in the final term.
The return of Sam Docherty and first-half showing from Jack Martin were key positives for Carlton, which will host Brisbane at Ikon Park next Sunday.
The breakdown
Q1:
Jack Martin provided the spark and the scoreboard impact in his first hitout for his new club, taking a strong mark and kicking truly in front of goal. Paddy Dow was impressive on a number of occasions in traffic, while forward-turned-defender Cameron Polson had some bright moments — a high-flying intercept mark was the pick of the bunch. Fremantle’s short-kicking game had the better of the Blues in the opening term, with the hosts taking a 13-point lead into the first change.
Q2:
It was the Blues’ big men getting the job done at ground level early in the second term. Martin turned the provider for an outstanding Tom De Koning goal, before some clean work on the deck from Matthew Kreuzer ended in a Darcy Lang major. Some ill-discipline and wastefulness cost the Blues going forward, but you couldn’t question the effort and intensity. Sam Walsh picked up exactly where he left off in 2019, amassing 15 disposals to be Carlton’s most prolific at the main break.
Q3:
A customary mark from Levi Casboult got Carlton off to the best possible start in the second half, but a goal-for-goal pattern emerged. The Blues had the majority of the play with the breeze at their backs, but failed to make the most of it where it mattered most. Zac Fisher kept ticking along to reach the 20-disposal mark at the final change, while Ed Curnow showed the goalkicking wares which came to the fore in 2019 with a clever finish. New leader Jacob Weitering stood up on a number of occasions, intercepting at will in defence.
Q4:
By way of a result, the game was taken away from Carlton with three early Fremantle goals — two as a result of 50-metre penalties. The Blues were wasteful at critical times, costing themselves big chances to hit back on the scoreboard (0.6 in the final term). In the absence of Kreuzer who was rested after half time (as was Martin), new Blue Marc Pittonet had some bright moments in the air.
Three things from the game
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There were some valuable lessons for the Blues - in particular, skill execution - over the course of the game which will hold them in good stead over the course of the season. In the absence of Eddie Betts, Patrick Cripps and Marc Murphy among others, the added experience will provide a boost for Carlton in next week’s Marsh Community Series game against Brisbane.
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As forecast by assistant coach Dale Amos last week, he’s going to build into his football in the coming weeks. However, the sight of Sam Docherty (19 disposals, 10 rebound 50s) getting through unscathed was a welcome relief. It was Docherty’s first game since the final round of 2017.
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At the earliest sign, it seems like Sam Walsh and Jacob Weitering have taken to leadership well. Walsh was Carlton’s best for the evening, finishing with 27 disposals and five clearances in a fine display. While Fremantle piled on the goals in the final term, it was no fault of Weitering, who finished with eight intercepts and seven rebounds.
Moment of the match
Carlton fans didn’t have to wait long to get a glimpse of Jack Martin’s quality. The new Blue was one of his side’s best in the first half before getting through his allotted game time. His finest moment came in the opening term, clunking a strong overhead grab and finishing with aplomb from the pocket. Playing the majority of the game up forward, Martin also had stints in the midfield.
FREMANTLE 3.3 6.7 8.8 13.12 (90)
CARLTON 1.2 3.4 5.7 5.13 (43)
GOALS: Casboult, Curnow, De Koning, Lang, Martin
BESTS: Walsh, Fisher, Weitering, Jones, Docherty
