27. MARC PITTONET

THE curtain has been drawn on an unprecedented 2020 season for the Navy Blues.

Trading Ikon Park for 10 different hotel hubs across Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, it’s been a year we won’t soon forget.

With the final siren having rung on the final game, it’s time to look at those who featured in five or more games for Carlton or made their AFL debuts in 2020.

Here’s the year that was for Carlton’s No.27, Marc Pittonet.


GAMES

2020: 13
Career: 20

GOALS

2020: 0
Career: 0

KEY AFL STATISTICS (averages in brackets):

Disposals: 109 (8.4) Marks: 23 (1.8) Contested possessions: 74 (5.7) Tackles: 25 (1.9) Clearances: 40 (3.08) Hitouts: 292 (22.4)


OVERVIEW

Proving to be one of the value pick-ups of the 2020 season, Marc Pittonet slotted in seamlessly to the Carlton line-up in 2020.

Initially picked up to challenge for the ruck role, Pittonet was tossed into the deep-end when Matthew Kreuzer suffered an injury in the first round of the season. 

Pittonet showed himself to be a very valuable asset in the ruck, using his physicality to his advantage as he assumed the ruck mantle alongside Tom De Koning.

Heading into the season with only seven games before his time at Carlton, Pittonet nearly tripled his career tally in one season, quickly adjusting to AFL life and competing well against some of the best ruckmen in the league.

BEST PERFORMANCE

Pittonet’s best performance came in his second Carlton game, when the team headed down the highway and shocked Geelong at GMHBA Stadium.

A crucial factor in the Blues’ hot start against the Cats, Pittonet got the better of Geelong ruckman Rhys Stanley, managing 36 hitouts (a career-high total) to 17, as well as three tackles and six contested possessions.

It was a dominant game from the new Blue ruckman, polling seven AFLCA votes: it was the game Pittonet needed to prove himself as an AFL ruckman, and he did exactly that.


SEASON HIGHLIGHT

There’s nothing better than a debut in Navy Blue.

Marc Pittonet got his chance in Round 2 against Melbourne at Marvel Stadium in the first game after the COVID-19 shutdown period.

Coming up against none other than Max Gawn, Pittonet had some key moments in the second half of a contest which saw the Blues fall painfully short after trailing by 42 points.

THEY SAID IT

Director of High Performance Andrew Russell was full of praise for Pittonet’s application to his training, with Russell having also worked with Pittonet in their time at Waverley.

“Pittonet has never been in good shape as he is right now: he has trained and prepared and lived as well as I have ever seen him since I’ve known him,” Russell said.

“I’ve known him for a while, with our time at Hawthorn together. I’m really impressed with the way he’s gone about it.

“He’s as lean as he’s ever been in terms of body composition but he’s as heavy as he’s ever been. He’s strong.”