Carlton’s impressive win over Fremantle on Saturday has boosted their hopes of a top four finish.
The Blues’ 31-point victory at Marvel Stadium saw them draw level with the Dockers on 10 wins, with coach Michael Voss declaring it the club’s best win this season so far.
Sam Walsh starred with 40 disposals and 11 clearances, while Lewis Young and Brodie Kemp marshalled a makeshift Carlton defence.
With some important players set to return, David King and Gerard Whateley both believe the Blues can win the premiership in 2022.
Whateley said on SEN’s Whateley: “Carlton can win the flag!”
King: “Of course they can. Of course they can.
“You’ve got to have tangible reasons why.”
Whateley: “They’re so much fun. They’re the best ticket in town.
“My favourite part of Saturday was the last seven minutes of the second quarter when the adrenalin was really pumping, and it was like they couldn’t stand still.
“They left three goals out there because they kept rushing on. It was awesome.”
King further elaborated on Carlton’s win and how Voss’ tactics unlocked Fremantle’s usually stubborn defence.
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“We talk a lot about Carton’s brutality – and so we should – and their clearance work was awesome again on the weekend, +14 clearances,” he said.
“I think this win was more than that.
“We don’t talk about Michael Voss tactically. We talk about the way he’s got this forward handball game going. He’s got standards. He’s challenging players to become better versions of themselves around contest and around method.
“But out and out ball movement tactics, we haven’t really talked about that.
“On the weekend they scored 6.1 out of their defensive half. Fremantle do not allow you to move the ball. For the first 10 or so weeks … they would not allow that sort of score. They’ve never allowed 64 inside 50s this year. That’s their highest for the year.
“Carlton have broken them down somehow. All 14 centre bounce clearances became inside 50s for Carlton.
“They had their lowest pressure game of the year, Fremantle. There’s some method in that in the way Carlton were able to step through and basically play keepings off once they got the ball in traffic at centre bounce.
“Fremantle defend corridor … Carlton said, ‘You stay there’ we’ll risk losing this ball, but we’re going to outnumber you where the ball drops and that was regularly 6v4, 7v5, 6v3. All they needed their bigs to do was bring it to ground, and then they would hunt and you’re playing Carlton’s game and then you’re stepping through.
“There’s tactics behind that, to swarm to that drop of the ball.
“I say well done tactically to Carlton and Michael Voss.”
Garry Lyon thinks the Blues loom as a “wildcard” in the premiership race.
“They’re the scary, scary wildcard in this whole thing,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.
Carlton is set to welcome back the likes of Jacob Weitering, Marc Pittonet, Adam Cerra and Zac Williams in the final stretch of the home and away season.
The Blues last played finals in 2013.