In a challenging match against Port Adelaide, Carlton experienced their worst first half of the season, leaving fans and analysts questioning the team’s direction. The Adelaide Oval was the spectacular setting for the grudge match which doubled as the tour’s final contest. The Blues started extremely poorly, down 8.10 to 1.6 at half-time. Particularly concerning was this performance as it was their lowest first-half score since May of 2023, illustrating a clear inability to compete at a high level.
Jacob Weitering, one of the most important leaders for Carlton, went through the fire as he dealt with an ankle issue before the match. His pain was readily visible on the court. He was constantly getting caught under the high ball, particularly to Mitch Georgiades who very impressively kicked four goals by halftime. Look how easily Kane Farrell pushed Weitering off the ball, deepening his day’s penalty box trauma. That resulted in an immediate substitution, with Jack Silvagni coming on to replace him in the first quarter.
The opening 45 exposed an alarming miscommunication in Carlton’s ranks. Former St. Nick Riewoldt calls out a major double standard. There was simply, as Yoon described it, “no relationship” between the kicker and all the people in front of the ball. This sentiment was echoed by Hamish McLachlan, who described the performance as “pretty embarrassing stuff for the Blues.”
As the game wore on, it was obvious that Carlton’s plan was not working. Brian Taylor remarked on the overwhelming nature of the defeat, saying, “This is a complete smacking and domination at the moment.” Kane Cornes emphasized the severity of Carlton’s situation, calling it “a capitulation of the highest order from what we thought was going to be a contender.”
Lewis Young to finally get off the mark for Carlton! When the clock read just under two minutes to go in the first half, he netted their initial goal. But even this moment did little to ease the mounting pressure on senior coach Michael Voss. As that continues to happen on the field, analysts have pointed out that Voss is quickly going to find himself under the microscope.
Halftime only increased tensions as Weitering was the center of a major players’ push and shove. What followed was a perfect storm. These kinds of eruptions demonstrate the growing pressure on this platoon, as they are forced to contend with their egregious playmaking talents and most of all, internal fighting.
