AFL Mid-Season Scope Part 4
IMAGE: Carlton FC X formerly Twitter
Captain Cripps: Carlton’s superstar skipper arches himself to pull away from Patrick Dangerfield’s grasp.
In the latest AFL mid-season edition, the scope focuses on Carlton, Essendon, and Geelong.
After ironing out areas in its game, Carlton is hitting their straps, winners of four straight to maintain second spot on the table - its ladder positioning since 2000.
A combative edge with all-round contributions across the board has the Blues firmly in premiership contention after 22 years of misery.
One of Carlton's biggest rivals, Essendon, is showing why they aren't making up the numbers, sitting third on the ladder.
Its midfield consistently performs. And its backline continues to repel opposition foray entries.
Coach Brad Scott has instilled a meaner edge to a group who are fiercer to play against than a year ago.
Geelong were one of the season's early bolters, winning their first seven games.
Since then, the wheels have steadily come apart, dropping five of their last six, to remain delicately in the top eight.
Carlton
Is something cooking at Ikon Park?
Carlton supporters have been riding a momentum wave since the second half of last season.
No more talk-back radio barrages and frustration venting on social media platforms.
From 15th spot after round 13 to a preliminary final, the Blues train continues to gather steam.
In the first half of the season, Carlton has built upon its identity of manic pressuring, controlling stoppages, selfless team play, and getting the ball its two dangerous forwards in Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay.
They have ticked off all four components.
Underlying its growth is its aptitude to control tempo of the contest.
When Michael Voss took over as coach in 2022, its game style predominantly was all V8 supercars and shotgun cannon, with a minimal mix of slowing the play.
Since the Gold Coast encounter last season in round 14, it's been noticeable how composed and measured Carlton is when the opposition has momentum or is holding a four-goal lead.
The Blues' potent firepower is hard to curtail in full flight, with two-time Coleman Medallist Curnow and 2021 Coleman Medallist McKay tearing backlines apart with their marking prowess and one-on-one contests.
The two have figured out how to separate themselves in the forward half by not getting in each other's way when going for a mark.
In taking the next leap into becoming a better-attacking team, Carlton is averaging 97.6 points - ranking second to Sydney.
Defence has been the Blues' strong suit under Voss, although in 2024, they are conceding 85.2 points - ranked 14th. But in the last month, Carlton is only allowing 72.2 points a contest since leaking 117 to the Swans in round 10.
Its dynamic midfield is brushing opponents aside with disdain, with skipper Patrick Cripps and Sam Walsh leading the way. Particularly, Walsh, since returning from a back injury in round five against Adelaide, has looked unstoppable in his contest work and work rate away from contests.
Barring his quiet outings against Essendon and Sydney (nullified by James Jordon), the former 2018 number-one pick has run amok, gathering 30-plus touches in his other eight matches.
Reliable tagger George Hewett always provides shutdown roles. Matt Kennedy consistently puts himself in the coalface, and the ultra running of Blake Acres along the wings is a vital component to Carlton's outside run.
Even with a 10-4 record, Carlton has navigated a reasonable injury list with midfielder Adam Cerra on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. He hasn't played since round nine against Melbourne.
The unheralded Matt Cottrell is a critical link, with his versatility to play as a winger or at half-forward. He too hasn't featured since the Demons' victory because of a foot injury.
Creative half-backs Adam Saad and Mitch McGovern have missed matches this season - notably Saad, for six weeks with a soft tissue.
Since their returns, Carlton's half-back creativity has returned, with both willing to take risks by foot to open the game up.
The Blues' ongoing success has featured two players, each producing significant contributions: Tom De Koning and Alex Cincotta.
DeKoning has seized the number one ruck mantle from Marc Pittonet. Subsequently, is in career-best form, bullocking clearances and commanding hit outs, reminiscent of Matthew Kreuzer.
Since his inclusion in round eight, Cincotta has cemented his spot despite being given tricky assignments.
To which he's thrived.
Scalps include Collingwood's Bobby Hill, Melbourne's Kysaiah Pickett, Sydney's Tom Papley, Gold Coast's Touk Miller, Port Adelaide's Zak Butters, Essendon's Zac Merrett, and recently Geelong's Tom Stewart.
Expect him to remain in the Best 22 even with the cavalry on the injury front returning in the coming weeks.
With the midfield and forward line humming, Carlton's back six have been impenetrable.
Jacob Weitering is a sure lock for a maiden All-Australian. How frequently has he repelled opposition attacking forays and one-on-one marking contests?
It seems time and time again when he reads the play as an interceptor or gets his fists into the ball to destroy it two rows over the boundary line.
The other backline spines in Jordan Boyd, Brodie Kemp, Nic Newman, Lachie Cowan, Saad, and McGovern are difficult to dominate, with team defence the element to its success.
After 18 months of figuring out where they stand, these Blues are at the peak of their powers, demonstrating their legitimacy as a premiership threat.
Essendon
From last year's slide to sitting in the top four, Essendon is showing the league they aren't pushovers anymore.
Coach Brad Scott has instilled a tougher streak in the group by embracing the "Essendon Edge".
Its reality wakeup call began in Gather Round after a 69-point hiding to Port Adelaide.
Comprehensively beaten by the Power's electrifying run and clearance work led by Zak Butters, Connor Rozee, and Jason Horne-Francis, the Bombers have rectified these two areas.
And defensive transition where opponents were having a field day exploiting Essendon's turnovers.
Against Collingwood on ANZAC Day, the Bombers showed their potency to take the game head-on, booting the opening four goals. And even when challenged numerous times by last year's premiers, they responded.
It is an underlying theme of Essendon's identity of being a resilient unit and not wiltering when the game isn't on their terms.
Emphasising the team's turnaround is its workhorse leader, Zach Merrett.
At the peak of his powers, Merrett is an inconquerable force who is tricky to tag despite his size discrepancy compared to other elite midfielders.
What makes him unstoppable is he consistently identifies where he needs to place himself around the contest.
If Essendon gets first use, he's consistently on attacking chains, using his left boot to damaging precision. And if the opposition extracts first use, he's setting the example by pushing hard defensively to apply pressure.
Not since round 11, 2020, has he not applied a tackle - that's 86 games ago.
Accompanying Merrett's on-field leadership is the grunt of Jye Caldwell, Archie Perkins, and Sam Durham. There is less reliance on Merrett with Durham's rise into one of the league's underrated stars.
With his fearlessness in contests and solid burst from congestion, the former Richmond VFL star is integral to the Bombers' midfield spine, as demonstrated by his combative attack on the ball against West Coast, eventuating in a Matt Guelfi goal.
Adding veteran ruckman Todd Goldstein to guide Sam Draper has helped mentor the latter's rucking craft.
Don't think the club expected Goldstein to feature in 12 of the 14 matches, but he's held his own, especially in Draper's two-month absence because of knee surgery.
Essendon's back six continues to improve, with a mixture of intercept marking and rebound.
Ben McKay, Andrew McGrath, Jayden Laverde, Jordan Ridley, Mason Redman, and Nic Martin have been super, defending brilliantly and counterattacking away in the open field.
Martin's move to half-back has been a home run for Scott, utilising his kicking strengths.
In attacking 50, Kyle Langford has carried on his career-best form of 2023 into this season. Along with the enigmatic Jake Stringer, the pair have combined for 59 goals.
Stringer is producing his best campaign since 2021, having an impact for longer in contests.
And when the team needs a boost, he delivers.
Essendon have put themselves in a solid position.
If they are to register four wins in its next five matches, they'll be close to sealing a finals spot come September.
Geelong
Through seven rounds, Geelong demonstrated that they would be a premiership contender.
Since defeating Carlton in round seven, the early season blitz has slowly disintegrated, culminating in heavy defeats to Gold Coast (64 points) and the Blues on Friday night (63 points).
Geelong's defence was impeccable in the opening seven matches, allowing only 73.1 points. The predominant reason is Tom Stewart, whose intercept marking is pivotal in thwarting opposition attacks. Since then, their defensive structure has come under immense siege, giving up 105.1 points.
This past fortnight, Sydney and Carlton have zoned in on eliminating his aerial marking, with James Jordon and Alex Cincotta applying shutdown roles on the five-time All-Australian.
Recently, teams have relished dominating the Cats in the clearance department.
Port Adelaide, GWS, Sydney, and Carlton have all got hold of Geelong, with the stark difference being the bigger midfield bodies getting the ascendency over a young Geelong outfit.
This size differential has translated onto its undersized backline, barring Sam DeKoning, with Jake Kolodjashnij and Jack Henry fighting against opposing forwards carrying a substantial size advantage.
Meanwhile, attention turns to the severity of spearhead Tom Hawkins' foot injury after innocuously falling to the turf in a one-on-one contest with Brodie Kemp.
Depending on his MRI result, Shannon Neale will most likely come into the side, having shown promise in his five appearances in 2024.
Whilst Geelong delicately sit inside the top eight, there's been an array of positives from the next tier of Cats.
Ollie Dempsey is part of the team's future, already adjusting to the breakneck speed with his leaping marks and awareness around goals.
Max Holmes has been one of the side's best this season. Coach Chris Scott has used him across half-back and in the midfield to generate run and carry, which the team has lacked in recent weeks.
Holmes arguably is the frontrunner to claim the club's Best and Fairest.
Gryan Miers, like Holmes, plays a connector role across half-forward.
When Geelong was rolling, he was central to its forward connection, being the distributor in lacing out silver service delivery to Jeremy Cameron, Tyson Stengle, and Ollie Henry.
Overwriting these Cats from finals sounds foolish, who have only missed September twice (2015, 2023) since 2007.
Chris Scott hasn't faced this challenge, coaching one of the younger lists in his 14 seasons.
These next four weeks may determine Geelong's grip on maintaining a top-eight spot or slipping out with Melbourne, Western Bulldogs, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Hawthorn nipping at their heels.