After 6 Months In A Leaky Boat Blues Head For Port


Blues v Power

By Shane Thiele
April 19 2002

A week is a long time in Football......except when you are dreading facing your upcoming opponent. This weeks preview will be considerably shorter than last, primarily because I find the pen flows much freer when the emotions are pumping... ...

but also partly due to the fact that it's now Friday afternoon and I've written just three lines! It also has a lot to do with the fact that I never wanted this week to end. A lesson for all - enjoy each win like it's your last.

Last Friday night I wanted to bottle the joy, relief and emotion that flowed from the spoils of victory. Football was fun again, I had more than just a vague interest in the rest of the round, I surfed the Internet, I read all the papers, I watched Fox Footy until my eyelids crusted over.

By Monday morning the back-slapping ceased and we returned to reality. Journo's and fans were queuing up to tell us that we'd beaten a bunch of hacks that were missing a list of stars. Skill errors, turnovers, umpiring decisions and the weather got us over the line.....many critics still remain unconvinced.

All points may have had some validity but I took exception to the fact that the weather played a part in the result. The Blues were clearly superior in all facets of the game until the heavens opened up at quarter time turning
the match into a slog. We were harder at the ball, running more, using it more efficiently and looked more dangerous up forward. It is doing us a disservice to say that was the main or only reason that we won.

So like 'Aretha Franklin' we travel to Adelaide in the search for a little R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Last week Port Adelaide notched up their first points against a side that should give up each year after Round 1. The qualities that made them a Premiership threat in a lot of peoples eyes returned to Alberton as they ruthlessly demolished a hapless St Kilda outfit. It all started in the middle with Primus and the free reign that the midfielders were allowed was
frightening. Expect them to be given a lot less latitude this week with anyone out of a long line of hard-nuts at the CFC likely to be given key
tasks. Matthew Allan showed significant improvement last week but will need to improve even more in an effort to negate Primus. Whether his form has turned the corner enough to start pushing forward and therefore making the opposition more accountable against him is still a debatable topic.

The much talked about combination of Tredrea and Cornes produced just one goal out of twenty sending an ominous warning to all back-lines. The trio of Lade, Wanganeen & Burgoyne produced half their sides majors giving Port
Adelaide a much more flexible and dangerous look. Last year the Blues found winning match-ups for the last two but the former may be the wild-card. An in form Lade may possibly mean taking Whitnall or McKernan out of the
forward line as on paper it would be a daunting task for either Prendergast or Merrington. Personally I would like to see one of the latter get first crack.  If you pick them, you may as well play them. Leave Whitnall at CHF but let him roam around across centre and half back to help out the backline. Leave McKernan one-out in the square and create space for the likes of Murphy, Lappin, Camporeale and Houlihan to reap havoc across half-forward........now ignore everything you just read and watch the Blues do the opposite.
 
The make-up of the side has an air of uncertainty with the final spot to replace the injured Glenn Manton down to three candidates. Will Gallagher or Eccles make a return to familiar surroundings or will the Blues unleash debutant Luke Livingston? We can all surmise the pro's and con's of which method to take but only the match-committee truly knows what plan they have
ready to put into place.

Speaking of familiar surroundings, the Blues last season had conflicting performances at the venue that I've twice seen referred to this week as
'Mullet Park'. Against Port, Carlton had an obvious game plan - against Adelaide we were a rabble, obliterated in the middle and forced to chip wide to contests and in pockets. Football Park is one of, if not 'the' widest ground in Australia and anything but direct football is suicidal.

So can the boys get up?? The bookies obviously don't think so offering the very generous odds of $3.80 (incidentally the same odds they gave the
Kangaroos at the same venue a fortnight ago). Carlton are always a value bet because recent history has shown they are capable of beating (and losing to) just about anybody on their day. If Port are near their best then I haven't seen enough from our boys in any game so far this year to suggest that we are capable of pulling off a miracle. Against Collingwood all it really
needed was a tougher approach at the ball - to win on Sunday we'll need much more.

A win would be a bonus however anything less than another 100% effort will not be tolerated. Lets hope everyone of us that attend Football Park on Sunday can leave with our heads held high knowing that we may have achieved what 'Aretha Franklin' was asking for just a little of.....and if you listen very carefully you may just hear that very tune being pumped out of stereos
down West Lakes Boulevard.........

It's currently a new release in Adelaide!

Carlton's history against Port Adelaide
Played 7, Won 3, Lost 4
Longest winning sequence - 1 win (2001 -)
Highest score for - 26.13 - 169
Lowest score against - 7.13 - 55
Greatest winning margin - 91 points, Greatest losing margin - 89 points
Last time they met
Round 12 - Football Park - 2001, Attendance 35,488
Carlton  15.14 - 104, d Port Adelaide 10.10 - 70
Key ball winners (All numbers possessions unless indicated)

Carlton

Koutoufides - 22 (10 marks, 4 goals)

Camporeale - 25

Plunkett - 22

Port Adelaide

James - 20

Schofield - 19

Primus - 15 (30 hit-outs)
 

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CARLTON
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Round 4

21 April 2002

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