crucial stage – Michmutters
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Carlton Blues fixture, run home, injury list, Michael Voss press conference, Leigh Montagna says team is vulnerable

Dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna fears Carlton’s terrific 2022 could be undone by ill-timed personnel issues, which has left Michael Voss’ team vulnerable at the most crucial stage of the season.

Michael Voss’ Blues are clinging to seventh spot on the ladder after a 33-point loss to Brisbane on Sunday – their fourth loss from their past six games.

They’ve been inside the top eight at the end of every round so far 1 this season, but are now in serious danger of missing out on finals with St Kilda and, particularly, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs still well placed to squeeze into the top eight. The last team to be in finals places every round except the last was Carlton in 1977.

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The Blues need to win one more game to guarantee a finals spot. But they would have upset one of Melbourne (3rd) or Collingwood (4th) over the next fortnight, while the Bulldogs and Tigers have ‘easier’ final games.

Speaking on Fox Footy’s First CrackMontagna said the Blues now had their “work cut out to play finals.”

It comes amid player availability issues in the most important part of the ground for Carlton, with George Hewett (back) and Matt Kennedy (fractured jaw) sidelined due to injury, while skipper Patrick Cripps could also miss matches due to a bump on Lion Cal Ah Chee that will attract MRO scrutiny.

Ban likely for Cripps after heavy bump | 02:00

The Blues have been renowned for their ruthless nature at the coalface this year, but Montagna on Sunday night pointed out the Blues had lost the hardball get count in the past two games against Brisbane and Adelaide by -20 and -15 respectively.

“They’re starting to get beaten up around the footy … and without that big three in the midfield, they look vulnerable to me,” Montagna told First Crack.

“They don’t look like the same side at the start of the year that was brutal, physical, aggressive, that was just bullying and beating up on teams through the midfield.

“The ‘Voss gloss’ might’ve worn off. They’ve got their work cut out now and they’re going to have to do some soul searching to try and play finals – and it might undo what has been such a terrific season up until the last sort of four or five weeks.”

Montagna also pointed out the Blues had only been in front for 26 per cent of game time in their matches against top-eight teams this year, while dual premiership Kangaroo David King highlighted the Blues are 10-1 this year when they’ve won the clearance count by at least +5 but 3-6 when that count has been +4 or less.

Brisbane stay in the hunt for top four | 02:26

“They’re clearance-based and contest-based – and they lose their best commodity,” King said.

In a must-win game, the Lions stunned the Blues in the first term with a fierce tackling display, laying 20 tackles to 13. That prompted dominance at clearance (+11), inside 50s (+13) and on the scoreboard (+ 29).

King said the Lions’ pressure was awesome, making Carlton look “jittery” and “panicky with the ball”.

The Kangaroos great put the heat on Blues backman Adam Saad, who finished with 24 disposals and 10 interceptions, but was arguably beaten by direct Brisbane opponent Charlie Cameron, who kicked two telling goals.

King pointed to a sloppy kick-in from Saad that led to a turnover and Dayne Zorko goal during the first term.

“What is that? I mean come on. This is high-level stakes,” he said.

“That’s not AFL standard, just waltzing out like that and just trying to be a little bit arrogant again with the ball.

Carlton Press Conference | 06:10

“He’s had a fantastic year, but his last two weeks he’s left opportunities on the floor for the opposition to take – and they have.”

Despite his club’s predicament, Voss said it must “embrace where we are at”.

“We are all about what’s in front of us. They are games to look forward to. We are playing in games that matter. This is an important phase in the development of our group,” Voss told reporters on Sunday.

“We need that exposure. We are going to the MCG next week against Melbourne, it will be a big game. The Collingwood game is being talked about already so we are getting exposure to these games and there can only be growth off the back of it.

“Tonight, it’s a bit of a tough one (lesson) but we’ve got to bring that fresh energy and we’ve got to correct ourselves pretty quick and we’ve got to get on with it.”

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Patrick Cripps bump on Callum Ah Chee video, Brisbane Lions vs Carlton Blues, Match Review Round 21, MRO

As his side enters a crucial stage of the season, star Carlton skipper Patrick Cripps will face Match Review Officer scrutiny after a collision with Cal Ah Chee led to the Brisbane defender being subbed out of Sunday’s game.

Cripps copped jeers from Lions fans at The Gabba after making contact with Ah Chee during the second quarter of the Blues’ clash with Brisbane at The Gabba.

Ah Chee leapt into the air and got hands on the ball before Cripps also jumps off the ground and makes contact from behind. Ace Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph pointed out on Fox Footy, Cripps braced rather than reached for the ball yet it wasn’t a marking contest, nor did it appear Cripps was contesting the ball.

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Ah Chee was helped from the ground before being subbed out under concussion protocols and replaced by Mitch Robinson.

Speaking on Fox Footy, Ralph said Cripps’ incident could be assessed by the MRO as medium or even high impact, which would lead to a suspension of multiple weeks.

While Cripps’ accidental landing may have contributed to Ah Chee’s injury, Ralph said precedent indicated that it wouldn’t necessarily help Cripps’ case. Ralph pointed to the ban Magpie Brayden Maynard copped in March, despite a secondary action playing a role in Giant Daniel Lloyd’s injury.

“He’s much more likely to be suspended than not. The AFL’s bottom line is if you choose to bump, you’re responsible for the fallout,” Ralph told Fox Footy.

“This is a textbook case. He jumps off the ground, it’s not a marking contest, he doesn’t really contest the ball, he braces rather than reaches for the ball.

“I don’t think there’s a lot of middle ground. It’s either a football incident and an accident and he gets off, or it’s got the potential to be high impact given the concussion and he could miss two weeks

“It’s probably going to go to court, it’s certainly going to be scrutinized very heavily by Michael Christian. I think he’s in trouble.”

Carlton needs to win at least one more match to secure a 2022 finals berth. But should the Blues lose to the Lions on Sunday then be without their skipper for clashes against Melbourne and Collingwood, their task will be more difficult.

Callum Ah Chee of the Lions was subbed out. Picture: Bradley KanarisSource: Getty Images

Cripps is also fifth favorite to take out this year’s Brownlow Medal.

“We’re watching in slow motion unfortunately and there’s not a lot of time to think,” triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown told Fox Footy. “When ‘Crippa’ decided to take off and contest that ball, he wasn’t quite sure of the timing of it all.

“I think he should get off, I think it’s a football incident. But Jonny Ralph knows the precedent better than anyone.”

Triple All-Australian Eddie Betts added: “It’s a tough one to judge, because he turns his body right at the end. But Callum Ah Chee is convicted and gone off.”

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