David King has identified an area of concern for Carlton on the back of the club’s loss to the Western Bulldogs in Round 18.
The Blues went down by 14 points at Marvel Stadium in a game many expected they would win given the personnel woes the Dogs entered the contest with.
Michael Voss’ side lost the inside 50 count 47-56 despite the fact they won clearances 43-42 and contested possessions 145-139
King has previously been impressed by what the Blues have been able to do in and around the contest, but he suggests that has dropped away again in recent times.
He offered some insight into the Blues’ woes and where it could be going wrong, suggesting they lack toughness in midfield right now.
“In AFL games, you generally win the ball back about 70 times, you generally win about 35 clearances and you have 10 kick-ins,” King said on SEN’s Whateley.
“So there’s a finite sort of number that you start the possession chains with. Say it’s 120 for every team. If you can win clearance by 10, and give the opposition 110 and give yourselves 130, that’s the game.
“If you can win the ball back 75 times or in your front half closer to goal, and score heavily from those, you win the game.
“So this is about how you get your hands on the footy to start your game. They can’t score when you’ve got the ball and you’re a chance. First possessions are a major part of this.
“Now, I don’t care who’s in the ruck, the idea is to start with the ball.
“Carlton aren’t tough enough when the ball is in their hands inside the traffic. They are not getting the ball from inside to out and this has been a sporadic problem for them across the journey.
“We’ve talked about this. Is (Patrick) Cripps violent enough to not accept that he’s going to be tackled?
“Is (Adam) Cerra actually tough enough to play midfield, prime time, centre bounce opportunities? He coughed the ball up twice on the weekend that cost some goals and look really jittery, really panicky.
“So that needs correction, that needs honesty. Are you tough enough to play this role? Because if you’re a skilful player, we can put you anywhere and you’ll be a good player for us.
“This is an issue that’s been there on and off for the year and I think it’s irking Michael Voss. He’s not going to come out and say that, he’s not going to come and say, ‘I don’t know if we’re handling the heat’, but that’s what it is.”
King says Carlton fell down in transitioning the ball after winning it at the source.
The Blues scored just 30 points from stoppage to the Dogs’ 50, while conjuring just one solitary goal to the 4.2.26 the Dogs kicked out of the middle.
Add to that the profligacy produced by key forwards Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay, who kicked 3.7 and 3.2 respectively, and it was a day to forget in captain Patrick Cripps’ 200th.
“If you just look at first possessions on the weekend and that’s where I like to start – 54 to 39 – so plus 15 to Carlton,” he continued.
“Now, I don’t care who’s rucking or what’s going on, you should be able to put enough score on the board from that position if things are in reasonable order. Two great targets, they kick 6.9 between, so it’s not a target issue.
“It’s the ability to get the ball from inside to out, to have the right pieces in the right places that can go at express speed then handball and receive,
“There’s a few things out of whack with Carlton’s clearance game in the middle of the ground and then obviously the defensive problems are a different story altogether.
“I think right now they’ve got to get tougher inside traffic.”
Despite back-to-back defeats, the Blues remain second on the ladder with a record of 11-6 ahead of Sunday’s meeting with North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium.