Blues Ugly Ducklings To Overcome Swans


Blues v Swans

By Shane Thiele
April 4 2002

Round One raised a lot of questions for both Carlton and Sydney. Hopes and dreams have been put on hold pending the outcome of their clash on Saturday. Who will find the answers to those questions?

Blues fans repeat after me.....
 
"Only one of the last four Premiership sides registered a victory in Round 1"
"In 1998 Carlton won their first round match only to drop the next eight whilst our opponents went on to win the flag"
"Malcolm Blight was always adamant that Round 1 form was meaningless"
"Fremantle looked a million dollars in Round 1 last season (albeit in a one point loss) only to win just one of their following twenty games"...
 
Convinced yet...No neither am I. Would I be boring you with these meaningless facts if we'd knocked off the Bombers by 10 goals??....Hell no!! but it's a good place to start for those of us who are already looking at tearing up our memberships.
 
On Saturday our challenge is to overcome an opponent who last week also lost by an almost identical margin but significantly against a team that was the almost the opposite to our round 1 conquerors St Kilda in 2001.
 
Throughout the 'nineties' the Swans were our nemesis and the trend has somewhat carried over into the 'noughties'. The lead up to last season's encounter was dominated by talk of Premierships and the fact that the boys from Optus Oval were shaping up as the only serious challenger to the Bombers. The Blues were coming off crushing wins against Port Adelaide and the Bulldogs and a trip to Sydney was seen merely as a minor obstacle in our path to possible September glory.
 
The momentum that Carlton had begun to build through the middle of the season was laid to rest in that Round 14 encounter. Lance Whitnall was to never really recover from a serious knee injury and the method which Sydney used to shut down the dangerous Blues engine room has since been successfully emulated by Richmond and as recently as last week by the Saints.
 
The Blues are at their most dangerous at stoppages around the packs and no doubt the Swans will be looking to repeat their blanketing tactics that proved so effective at 'The Cricket Ground'.
 
Thankfully, two of the keys to last years victory - Jason Ball and Wayne Schwass - will both miss Saturday's game but rest assured Swans fan's, Matthew Allan will still have his hands full against second gamer Ricky Mott. Whether you take that as over-rating Mott or mercilessly sledging Allan is up to you but comparing the centre-square work of the pair last week still has me puzzled as to which player was supposed to be playing their first game!! (Note for disgruntled Blues fans. Ricky Mott was drafted at pick 74 of the 2001 draft.....Sam Cranage was redrafted by Carlton at pick 75).
 
After a slow start last week, Sydney took control of the game in the second quarter through the work of usual suspects O'Loughlin, Maxfield, Williams & Hall. Five second half goals to Justin Leppitsch and numerous wasted opportunities in front of goal snuffed out hopes of a first up victory and Carlton fans will be hoping that the inaccuracy in front of goal that plagued the Swans last week will continue on Saturday.
 
The much hyped return of 'Number 46' (I promised Rodney Eade I wont mention his name for the risk of looking like I was just mentioning him for the sake of publicity) was a complete failure ending the day with a stats sheet that resembled Binary programming. At the time of writing, 'Number 46's' position in the team is 50/50 as he still must prove he has recovered from a corked thigh. You would expect Stephen Silv......sorry old habits die hard....Look for Glenn Manton to get first crack if the big fella plays with Simon Beaumont the most likely candidate for the more threatening Barry Hall.
 
At the other end of the ground the return of Whitnall and the extra mileage for Hickmott and McKernan will no doubt improve a forward line that was so stagnant last week it made the Yarra look like the Whitsunday's. Expect improved performances from Ratten, Lappin, Camporeale, Murphy and fingers crossed, an honest contribution from the lesser-likes in the twenty-two. 
 
As for picking a winner, call it blind faith but I'm confident we will bounce back this week. The game may come down to which side can string more than a quarter of good football together but I'm sure the Blues will not let the faithful down when they return to the familiar surroundings of their own dung-hill.
 
If not, then it's going to be another long week on the message boards.......
 
Carlton's history against the Swans
 
Played 201, Won 124, Lost 71, Drawn 6
 
Longest winning sequence - 8 wins (1970-1974); (1978-1982)
 
Highest score for - 27.23 - 185
 
Lowest score against - 0.8 - 8
 
Greatest winning margin - 102 points, Greatest losing margin - 77 points
 
Last time they met
 
Round 14 - SCG - 2001, Attendence 30,488
 
Sydney 12.19 - 91 d Carlton 12.9 - 81
 
Key ball winners (All numbers possessions unless indicated)
 
Schwass - 32 (Suspended)
Maxfield - 27
Williams - 22
 
Hulme - 22 (Suspended)
Lappin - 22
Camporeale - 21

 

«
PREVIEW

CARLTON
v
Sydney

Round 2

4 April 2002

 

SEASON 2002

Old Dark Navys.net
 Message Board

 

On Fire / Under The Pump

 
Carlton
Backs: Franchina Beaumont Manton 
Half-backs: Fletcher Whitnall McKay 
Centres: Hickmott Ratten Houlihan 
Half-forwards: Murphy Merrington Lappin 
Forwards: Prendergast McKernan Fevola 
Followers: Allan Camporeale 
Rover: Bradley 
Interchange: Mansfield Wiggins Sporn Plunkett 
Emergencies: Cranage Eccles Smith 
In: Sporn Wiggins Whitnall 
Out: Gallagher (ankle) Cranage Hotton 
New: Trent Sporn, 19, North Adelaide

Sydney

Backs: Mathews Schauble Barry 
Half-backs: Kirk Saddington Crouch 
Centres: Maxfield Cresswell Williams 
Half-forwards: Goodes Stevens Bennett 
Forwards: Kelly Hall Nicks 
Followers: Mott Bolton 
Rover: O'Loughlin 
Interchange: Daffy Fosdike Kennelly McPherson 
Emergencies: Brockman Buchanan Doyle 
In: Daffy 
Out: Lockett (cork thigh)

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