Coaching great Leigh Matthews has outlined the areas of Carlton’s game that are impressing him most in 2022.
The Blues are sitting a game clear in third position with a record of 8-2, their brutal game style under Michael Voss the hallmark of their early-season success.
Matthews referenced last Friday night’s eventual 15-point win over Sydney with the Blues surging to a nine-goal second quarter before defending the Swans’ own sweeping run in the final quarter.
The four-time premiership coach loves the two-sided attack and defence of Voss’ outfit.
“I love the Carlton double whammy,” Matthew said on Sportsday.
“In the second quarter when they had control of the game, they kicked nine goals three. I reckon it says something about a team when they can have a really big quarter like that, clearly they’re not going to kick nine every quarter, but I think that was a really big tick.
“On the other side of the coin, in the fourth quarter when the Swans were back in the game and in control of the game, had 18 inside 50 entries in the last quarter and were coming hard, the Carlton defence kept them to one goal five, so they showed the ability to score (and defend).
“I didn’t think they were outstanding on the night, but the Swans are a pretty good team so you wouldn’t think they would dominate the Swans.
“The ability to kick nine goals when they had control of the game and then to hold the Swans to only one goal in the final term, they looked great.”
Carlton’s defence is led by one of the competition’s premier key position backs in Jacob Weitering with support from former co-captain Sam Docherty, who has had an outstanding season.
And in attack, Charlie Curnow is the form forward in the league with 33 goals to sit on top of the Coleman Medal standings with Harry McKay currently sidelined.
Matthews sees similarities between Curnow and Swans great Lance Franklin.
“Weitering and Docherty are great in leading the defence, Curnow looks like Buddy Mark II,” he added.
“Buddy is different, he’s like the big half-forward flanker, he’s tall, he can run, he’s agile at ground level and Charlie Curnow has got that look about him too I reckon.
“He can take an overhead mark, probably better than Buddy maybe. He looks like he’s a really good mover, he looks really exciting.”
Last season when captain Patrick Cripps was struggling with injury, Matthews criticised the midfielder when labelling him a “journeyman”.
But the 27-year-old is back in a big way in 2022 which Matthews acknowledged.
“About this time last year, my observation was that Patrick Cripps had lost five yards… well he’s got them back,” he added.
“He is now running away from congested play. He’s always had the power and the great ball winning (ability), but his running power, he just looks a completely different athlete than he did 12 months ago.
“We know he had some kind of injury, but something was preventing him. The re-emergence of the running power, he’s always been a strong player, but his running power is elite at the moment.
“They’re looking really good, Carlton.”
The Blues meet old enemy Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday as they look to cement their spot in the top four.