Carlton v Melbourne
3:15PM, Sunday March 29th
MCG
I used to be a Carlton fan for quite a few years from the early ’80s. Before the Crows came along most SANFL fans had a VFL team on the side as well. Essendon and the Hawks were going well. The Swans had their televised Sunday afternoon games. North started playing Friday night games. Believe it or not, a lot of Port Adelaide fans also followed Collingwood in that pre-Eddie era.
The Double Blues of Sturt lined up with the Blues of Carlton (there is even a photo of Malcolm Fraser in a Sturt jumper towering over Jack Oatey in ‘77 – nothing came of it as we were already well stocked in the ruck division). There was also the steady stream of SA recruits heading to Princes Park: Klomp, Maylin, Kernahan, Bradley, Motley, Naley…
I revelled in the Blues dominant ’95 season, sharing an office with a one-eyed Collingwood supporter. Beating the Bombers in the ’99 prelim was better than winning the GF (was it North that won?). But my interest started to wane as the Parkin-Walls-Parkin era drew to a close as players started to move on, and the game started to change (with those pesky salary caps and national drafts).
They started to lose me in the Pagan years, and I was lost for good during the pantomime that was Malthouse (shout out to Saints fan Willo and his thoughts on Ross …). They could lose with my support, so they sure as hell could lose without it.
Of the two sides I am probably leaning more towards Melbourne these days. Their current royal blue away jumper (with royal blue shorts) was what we wore at Moonta in SA’s Yorke Valley League in the mid-late ’80s (It was changed from the garish Port Melbourne-style red and blue vertical stripes with hooped socks in ’85).
It’s hard to not be a fan of Big Maxy Gawn, a big character and a champion player, not just some lumbering, grunting, behemoth.
Kosi is a star, and young Latrelle is on his way.
I’ve always liked Bayley Fritsch up forward with his harsh haircut and long sleeves straight out of one of their ’50s premiership team photos.
Langdon is a reminder of when wingers were skinny blokes running up and back along the outer side.
Harrison Petty should have put one on the Big Pony’s chin last week (would have done everyone a favour, even the lad himself).
Tom McDonald is one of those big ‘soldiers’ that good teams need. Not a superstar, but can do a job, and racks up 250 games along the way. He’s a bit like Trevor Sims, the big farmer that lined up for Sturt in the ’70s and ’80s. A bit of a swingman before it was a term. Never first picked, but (generally) always picked, did his job for 250 games, with two flags and a couple more grand finals along the way, without getting the accolades and adulation of his star teammates.
Speaking of Sturt (again), I have nothing against the current Carlton coach. Vossy’s lad Casey has won a couple of B&Fs for us and was a key member of the ’25 premiership side. He is not a clone of the old man but goes alright in his own way.
Carlton does have a couple of top shelf young blokes in Smith and Dean, and debutant Byrne did a couple of little things that showed the little fellow has promise. But they also have a lot of blokes who have been there a while and not won anything or even got close (other than making the prelim in ’23).
Maybe Voss needs to take a leaf out of Sheedy’s book when he hinted at making a playing comeback in the early ’80s to lift a struggling Bombers outfit. He still looks as fit and strong as any of his players.
But enough of the preamble, what happened at the MCG on Sunday?
In a nutshell:
Carlton started then stopped.
Melbourne took a quarter to start and another quarter to get their eye in.
Then big Maxy got it figured out and Kosi got right involved.
Just give Kosi the ball and give him the 3, 2 and 1.
No, maybe give Maxy the one vote just for being big Maxy over 250 games.
They took a 43 point deficit and turned it into a 23 point win.
Melbourne was just too good in the end.
Carlton’s problem is that they just aren’t any good.
CARLTON 6.2 7.4 9.8 11.11 (77)
MELBOURNE 0.1 1.6 7.8 15.10 (100)
GOALS
Carlton: McGovern 3, E.Hollands 2, Smith, McKay, Cripps, Carroll, Byrne, Ainsworth
Melbourne: Fritsch 4, Langford, Langdon, Chandler 2, Sparrow, Sharp, K.Pickett, Mihocek, Cross
BEST
Carlton: Weitering, Smith, Dean, Pittonet, E.Hollands, Walsh
Melbourne: K.Pickett, Mihocek, Fritsch, Gawn, Steele, Windsor
Crowd: 67,763
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“the game started to change (with those pesky salary caps and national drafts).”
“Your cheatin’ heart
will tell on you.”