Blues Chance To Grab A Tiger By The Tail
Blues v Tigers
By Shane Thiele
July 4 2002
You could say it's been a week of anticipation around the office. "You'll be right this week mate", I smile politely and head back to my desk....."Who you got?? Richmond?!, they are woeful, if you can run Brisbane close, you'll towel that rabble"....
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I roll the eyes, take a deep breath and reply with some token
cliche about "Footy being a funny game".....Footy tips time...for
some reason 32 people decide to tell me they are going to pick
Carlton this week, it tips me over the edge...."FOR %^&% SAKE, CAN'T
YOU SEE SUCH A RESULT IS TOO BLOODY OBVIOUS?! DO YOU PEOPLE ACTUALLY
WATCH THIS GREAT GAME OF OURS. IT'S NOT A CORNY AMERICAN SIT-COM
- IT'S A GAME OF FOOTBALL AND NEVER DOES IT FOLLOW SUCH A
PREDICTABLE SCRIPT....my workmates back away slowly leaving me in a
fit of rage. The pressure is mounting.
Seriously, how can anyone expect me to exude the same confidence
when I've watched my side (including Wizard Cup and trial games) get
over the line in just 2 of the last 19 contests. It's been a horror
run, a run which began last September against Friday night's
opponent. I watched what I could of Richmond's feeble effort against
Port Adelaide and thanked the football Gods that we weren't facing
them the week after. For one of the few times in his coaching career
Frawley failed to label the loss as 'the best ever', 'Premiership
form' or claim that his men were Football Park specialists. He was
hurt, embarassed and I assumed such a proud club would come out
snarling against Geelong. How sadly I was mistaken.
For those that didn't see their performance, shut your eyes and
think of our games against Sydney & Adelaide and you'll be somewhere
around the mark. Reality set in for the Tigers and the Port game was
by far an aparition. The club had to face the fact they were really
struggling.
Amazingly in the lead up to this contest the pressure and focus
has not been on a team coming off a ten game losing streak and only
a poor month away from setting an all-time club record.
Frawley has stated the finals are out of reach, youth is the
future and the shackles have been released. It's that kind of talk
that has me worried. Sure, anyone can talk up a good game but the
Richmond side of 2001 bluffed everyone including themselves into a
Preliminary final. The less the media rated them the more it played
into their hands. I suspect a similar approach has been used this
week. 'Spud' seems to me the kind of coach whose 'Plan A' would be
to pin negative newspaper articles to player's lockers.
Call me pessimistic but I just get the feeling this is not a good
week to draw them.
The Blues are coming off as good a month as they've had all year
despite a 0-4 record. Just as Richmond will be keen, you know that
the boys will see this week as a genuine oportunity to finally belt
out a few bars of "that song that now only seems to get played
before the game". We are all still hurting from last years losses to
the Tigers and the painful memories still linger. Tears were shed
for 'Number's 1 & 43' as they left the MCG in differing but still
painful circumstances and nothing would give us greater pleasure
than breaking the drought against one of our most traditional and
hated rivals.
Despite all the publicity during the off-season regarding how
we'll struggle to cover the likes of Richardson & Ottens in 2002
it was in the middle and up forward where both games were lost last
season. A combined total of 15 goals 27 was a poor return for 8
quarters of football. Silvagni is of course gone but neither 'Richo'
or 'Otto' are in anything near career best form. Stafford's missing
and the midfield is struggling. In the final last year Brendan Gale
was a nemesis but he too will be watching from the stands. Ottens
will need to spend more time in the middle leaving 'Richo' the
entire forward fifty to bitch, moan and complain in.
You can't see Brittain pulling too many surprises but Frawley may
take the 'nothing to lose' philosophy into the box and try and pull
a few tricks. Then again it's more than likely that Richmonds
aggression and pressure in the first five minutes will probably give
us a good indicator as to what sort of mood they are in. Match-up's
will play second fiddle to attitude.
Franchina did the job for three quarters on Bowden in the Wizard
Cup so expect him to line up near him again.Last season Camporeale's effectiveness against
the 'Yellow and Black' was curbed with two opposing styles. In Round
10 they used Tivendale to try and hurt him offensively and it worked
a treat with the Richmond left-footer finishing with 3 goals. The
Qualifying final saw Sziller push the limits of the law in what was
a much talked about battle. My only advice is Adrian Hickmott,
Michael Mansfield......come on down.
When Corey McKernan was recruited to the Carlton Football Club
the question was posed as to what role he would play in 2002.
Forward? Of course.
Ruck? We hoped for not as long as we'd seen in 2002 but most had
no problems with the odd run
Defence?........and I quote "Well, who knows if we come up
against say a Richmond with their tall forward line perhaps there
might be a role down back for me"......yada yada yada...story goes
on to say how he'd success against Ottens in the past.....we shall
wait and see.
Enough crystal ball gazing...Despite the loss last week the
Brisbane game was easily our best for the year. IF the performance
is repeated, Carlton WILL win regardless of how much huffing and
puffing is done in the hallways of Punt Road. No need to rely on
luck, Darren Goldspink, or touched kicks after the siren. We hold
the cards to our own destiny and need only look within if we are
looking for someone to blame on Saturday morning.
And what if the nightmare is to continue? Well don't expect the
next day to wake up to our usual player threads on the messageboards.
I'll be too busy analysing the height, weight, poise, skills,
favourite foods, pet hates and parentage of such names as Goddard,
Johnson and Schulz to care!!
Carlton's history against Richmond
Played 191, Won 109, Lost 80, Drawn 2
Longest wining sequence - 24 wins (1908-1917)
Highest Score for - 28.9 - 177 (1972)
Lowest Score for - 3.10 - 28 (1924)
Greatest winning margin - 115 points
Greatest losing margin - 77 points
Last time they met
Qualifying Final - MCG - 2001, Attendence 83,323
Richmond 10.7 - 67 d Carlton 7.14 - 56
Key ball winners (All numbers possessions unless
indicated)
McKay - 21
Hickmott - 21
Bradley - 20
Campbell - 30
Cameron - 26
Bowden - 25
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« Round 14 5 July 2002 M.C.G
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