Swans Serve A Slice Of Blue De Ja Vu || OldDarkNavys.net - Unofficial Carlton Blues news and views

Swans Serve A Slice Of Blue De Ja Vu

Blues v Swans

By Rick Latimer March 31 2003
Just in case anybody is wondering ... yes it is 2003 and no, you were not watching a replay from 2002. If Saturday nights game against Sydney is anything to go by, the Blues are looking down the barrel of yet another year of despair ....

...... and when the draft sanctions have their full effect, a couple of seasons thereafter.

The first quarter was even, thereafter I don't really care to talk about. Go back and read the review from Round 2, 2002 and you could just about get the idea if this game. The main difference is that Sydney were down a couple of key players whereas the Blues were almost full strength.

The players that have shown good signs during the preseason campaign, Kouta, Murphy, Houlihan .... ineffectual. Players we expected to provide the spark and goal kicking power, Campo, Whitnall, McKernan, were they even on the park?

The positives for Carlton were few and far between. Lappin was good across half back though it is easy to look good as a loose man in defence. Fevola was our only imposing forward and at last is continuing on with the promise he has shown. First gamer, rookie Jon McCormick was our leading possession winner and one of a few who actually looked like they were trying.

Denis Pagan had no answer for the Swans flooding our forward line and running in numbers out of defence and if he had instructed someone to fill the hole in front of the leading Swans forwards, especially Barry Hall, then somebody should be receiving a swift kick in the pants for not carrying out instructions. I lost count of the number of times the Swans ran unopposed through the centre of the ground. The lack of a pacy hardnut is costing the Blues plenty.

In defence the normally reliable McKay at one stage was pushed out of a marking contest easily by Nick Davis while in the final quarter, Glenn Manton was made to look foolish by taking a Swan dive (sorry) and allowing Kennelly to receive the luck of the Irish (now I can't stop).

I would like to talk about reasons, I would like to look forward to next week, but let's leave the fanciful stuff for the preview in a couple of days.

I have seen two games in two seasons where I was embarrassed for myself, the club and the players. Coincidentally they have both been against the Swans. What does it all mean? Beats me, I'm beyond guessing.