The move that could end Carlton’s 29-year premiership drought

2 weeks ago 6

The AFL has go the league of copycats.

Every team, whether successful turmoil oregon riding high, meticulously examines the game’s leaders during the off-season, chasing inspiration and palmy trends.

Smart teams bash the aforesaid during the season.

Charlie Curnow has been sticking to the guardant line.

For this reason, adjunct coaches from premiership-winning teams are successful precocious demand.

While Carlton are nary longer connected conflict street, they person an accidental to get a leafage from Geelong’s playbook. It is clip to transcript the undefeated leaders of the league and larn from the smartest and champion coach: Chris Scott.

Specifically, 1 strategical displacement is glaringly evident for the Blues: the positioning of cardinal guardant Charlie Curnow. He should beryllium utilised likewise to however Geelong deploy superstar Jeremy Cameron.

Widely regarded arsenic 1 of the league’s champion players astatine 31 and successful his 13th AFL season, Cameron’s versatility has been unlocked. This has made him a much formidable limb for Geelong this year.

He is being utilized higher up the ground, taking vantage of his velocity and athleticism to outmanoeuvre and outsmart opponents portion racking up possessions. He’s presently averaging 18 disposals, a notable summation from his vocation mean of 13.

Scott keeps the absorption guessing by employing a assortment of tactics with Cameron.

At times, helium begins connected the helping during centre bounces, capitalising connected mismatches against smaller wingmen and rapidly sprinting wrong 50 to exploit the absorption successful the air

Alternatively, Cameron mightiness commencement the adjacent centre bounce from the extremity square, forcing the absorption to set to a much suitable match-up.

Late successful games oregon quarters, Cameron enjoys the state to roam crossed the ground, be stoppages oregon adjacent driblet down the shot arsenic a escaped antheral successful defence.

Cameron’s interaction connected the crippled this play has been genuinely remarkable. He presently ranks 4th successful the AFL coaches’ grant and stands arsenic the lone cardinal guardant among the apical 15.

There has been a halo effect connected Cameron’s teammates successful onslaught erstwhile helium leaves their zone. Fourth-year gangly Ollie Henry has benefited from the other abstraction wrong 50, having been targeted 44 times successful this country and kicking 15 goals from the archetypal 7 games. Henry ranks sixth for scoreboard interaction arsenic measured by goals, behinds and each scoring assists.

Carlton manager Michael Voss has made a important mistake successful not having his apical asset, Curnow, transcript Cameron.

Curnow has a strikingly akin skillset to Cameron. With his speed, penetrating kick, powerfulness and endurance, Curnow has the imaginable to beryllium a season-defining limb for Carlton. But helium has often recovered himself confined to the guardant 50, limiting his power passim games.

Curnow is having different beardown play and his statistic for the twelvemonth comparison good with Cameron.

Both players mean conscionable supra 7 people involvements and astir 7 marks each game. Cameron edges up with an mean of 7 much uncontested possessions (13), whereas Curnow has kicked 4 much goals and has secured 3 further marks wrong 50.

Carlton’s guardant entries person go long, high, predictable and overly fixated connected Curnow. In Saturday’s nonaccomplishment to Geelong, contempt having 19 much inside-50s, Carlton kicked 3 less goals.

Cameron received the maximum 10 votes successful the AFL coaches’ grant successful that game, outperforming Curnow successful each cardinal idiosyncratic statistic.

One glaring statistic stands retired this season. Curnow has been targeted wrong 50 59 times, placing him 4th highest among each players. In contrast, Cameron has been targeted lone 25 times, ranking him 30th, yet helium has managed to footwear conscionable 4 less goals than Curnow.

A important vantage for Carlton is having Curnow and 2 different formidable cardinal forward-ruck options successful Tom De Koning and Harry McKay. By allowing Curnow to roam from goal, Carlton could bolster their shot question by connecting with Curnow starring to the wings and utilizing his footwear to portion unfastened zones. It would amended the Blues’ antiaircraft ploys erstwhile utilizing him escaped down the ball. It besides would adhd unpredictability and abstraction to the guardant line.

As with Henry astatine Geelong, De Koning and McKay would thrive with added responsibility.

Giving Curnow the licence to travel Cameron’s ways could beryllium decisive successful breaking unfastened games, peculiarly with Carlton facing a important clash against Collingwood this Friday. With Curnow successful a much flexible role, Carlton could drawback Collingwood disconnected defender and summation a strategical advantage.

It conscionable makes consciousness for Carlton to transcript Geelong. Curnow would play with state and debar being starved of opportunities and being stifled by the opposition’s other numbers successful defence.

As the Blues attack a important signifier of the play successful their pursuit of a captious top-four finish, it’s clip to larn from the best. It could beryllium the infinitesimal that yet puts Carlton connected a stronger way to ending a premiership drought that is present successful its 29th year.

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