Battling Blues To Tackle Revved Up Roos
Blues v Roos
By Shane Thiele
April 26 2002
Sometimes it pays to be slack. An over efficient writer would have begun a review last Tuesday analysing the much awaited contest between Allan and Porter.
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The more realistic scribe would have started putting pen to paper
on Friday trying to find news on the Trent Hotton tribunal case and
sniffing out the possibility of the inclusion of Lindsay Smith. A
slack bastard like myself gets up at 11.00, fires up a dogs
breakfast, lies on the couch for six hours and waits until he can
get the teams at 6.00pm. In: Fletcher, Smith, Christou and
Prendergast. Out: Allan. My work is half done!!
There was so much uncertainty about this week's line-up and the
final make-up of the twenty-two was (and still is) anyone's guess.
Injury clouds over Sporn, Hickmott, Bradley, Hulme, Prendergast &
Manton have affected the lead-up to this week's encounter
and although all but the latter has been named, there must be still
be a doubt over at least one on this list.
Of course like every week there is an opponent to worry about and
this week it's a wounded Roo. A team of marsupials that looked
like they had been mashed by a Kenworth after Darryn Cresswell
slotted through that match-winner last Saturday. I had mixed
feelings after that game as my immediate attention focused as to how
they would recover against our mob. If it was any other side you
would back them to fall apart the following week but Pagan is a
master of turning such a loss into a positive. I cringe when I think
of how the likes of Archer, Stevens & King will react when they
catch their first glimpse of a man in white!
Last week the 'Roos' lined up with McCartney, Rocca and Archer
forward and a similar tactic may be used to try and stretch our
inexperienced backline. Drew Petrie has been included in the initial
squad and may get a run as another forward/ruck option. Spider
Burton controlled the ruck duels last week and was too tall for the
inexperienced Ricky Mott. Don't discount this lumbering hat-rack
when assessing the capabilities of the Kanga's ruck division.
Of the inclusions, Lindsay Smith has been named in the squad and
although not yet ready, may still be included as another
tall option. Prendergast & Livingston have been named in the
starting eighteen so they are certainties and one would suspect that
Michael Mansfield will finally make way. As for the other two
named, the heart would love Christou to play and the Kangaroos would
love Fletcher to do the same. Can't see either getting a game unless
Brittain decides to send Wiggins back to the VFL to get four
quarters of football or if the patience has run out with Houlihan.
The Coach made comment in his press conference that the final
margin wasn't a true indication of last week's game.
Although dismissing it at first, when you consider the lack of fresh
legs on the bench it wasn't surprising that we were steam-rolled
near the end. The kids held their own but they can only keep you in
a game for so long. For the Blues to get close this week a lift must
come from our bonafides. Only Simon Beaumont & Andrew McKay could
honestly say that they are playing to anywhere near full capacity
and the difference between being 'in the mix' or 'writing off the
season and playing for priority draft picks' will be decided over
the next fortnight.
I'd love to say the Blues will bounce back but as each week
passes more and more doubts start to enter my mind. The usual
optimism in me will point to slow starts in previous years but
right from the very first Wizard Cup game nine weeks ago I've yet to
see anything that's resembled Carlton at their best over the last 3
or 4 years. Unfortunately there are too many question marks over
fitness, form and stability to see the Kangaroos letting this one
slip.
Carlton's history against The Kangaroos
Played 133, Won 91, Lost 42
Longest wining sequence - 12 wins (1928-1935)
Highest Score for - 31.13 - 199 (1984)
Lowest Score for - 5.2 - 32 (1965)
Greatest winning margin - 137 points
Greatest losing margin - 111 points
Colonial Stadium Record - (Carlton) Won 2, Lost 2 (Kangaroos) Won
10, Lost 6
Last time they met
Round 8 - MCG - 2001, Attendence 43,624
Carlton 12.10 - 82 d Kangaroos 10.9 - 69
Key ball winners (All numbers possessions unless indicated)
Bradley - 26
Camporeale - 23
Freeborn - 23
Blakey - 31
Simpson - 23
King - 23
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« Round 5 28 April 2002 Colonial Stadium
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