One other season of footy is upon us and all of it kicks off with Richmond and Carlton.
Who will reign supreme within the season-opener and get their facet off to the very best begin?
9:48PM TIGERS SQUANDER CHANCES
‘Ugly.’
That was the phrase Channel 7 commentator Brian Taylor used to explain the optimistic boundary set shot from Jack Ross, which sailed straight out of bounds on the complete.
It was one other squandered alternative after Shai Bolton snapped a set shot from 30m straight in entrance and shanked it for a behind to place them precisely a objective down.
Will these two probabilities value the Tigers dearly?
9:40PM CURNOW EXTENDS LEAD
A tense rating evaluate however the result’s a objective!
Charlie Curnow seemed to be out of the competition however when the ball spilled out the again, he caught out a leg and soccered it simply earlier than Tiger Noah Balta to increase his facet’s result in seven factors midway via the ultimate time period.
9:31PM DOCH GOES BANG
A monster roost from Sam Docherty!
Docherty happy the Blues trustworthy and his SuperCoach house owners, plucking an intercept mark after which going BANG from properly outdoors 50, giving the Blues the lead with the primary objective of the final quarter.
It introduced again reminiscences of his well-known objective within the corrsponding fixture final 12 months, which got here in his first sport after recovering from most cancers.
9:16PM – 3QT RICH 7.8 (50) leads CARL 6.9 (45)
There was loads taking place earlier than the siren sounded — Maurice Rioli Jr with claret coming from his head, Lachie Cowan off getting his hamstring labored on and Marlion Pickett and Lachie Cowan being tactically subbed out..
The Tigers broke the sport open with 5 targets to 2 within the third time period and it appears to be like set to be a cracking remaining time period.
Can the Blues flip the tide?
For the KFC SuperCoaches on the market, Dan Rioli leads the best way with 93 factors, whereas in style picks Sam Docherty (85) and Tim Taranto (81) have fired.
However Jacob Hopper has struggled, scoring simply the 41 factors with 1 / 4 left to go.
9:14PM LYNCH IGNITES TIGERS
Tom Lynch has put the Tigers on his again this quarter.
The spearhead has booted two majors and brought two large contested marks and is beginning to get on prime of his opponent Lewis Younger.
Though an ideal diving effort on the objective line from Younger saved a objective as Lynch seemed to have slotted his third for the quarter.
8:56PM CURNOW GOES BACK-TO-BACK
Curnow had been unusually quiet as Dylan Grimes held him to only 5 first-half disposals, however the Coleman medallist has kicked two targets in a row to present the Blues the lead again.
A contested mark introduced up his first objective of the sport and a artful snap noticed him add a second in a row.
8:50PM TIGERS BACK IN FRONT
Richmond is again within the lead after three targets within the first seven minutes of the second half.
The Tigers’ ahead stars Jack Riewoldt, Tom Lynch and Shai Bolton have all slotted majors because the most important break and their midfield has began to get on prime.
8:23PM HT – RICH 2.4 (16) path CARL 4.6 (30)
The Blues soak up a 14-point lead on the most important break, with a scrappy Matt Owies objective in congestion giving them the largest margin of the sport.
Carlton has restricted the Tigers — among the finest offensive sides final season — to a mere two targets to halftime and Damien Hardwick’s males should elevate after the primary break.
Tim Taranto had been a ball-magnet with 19 disposals however has racked up six clangers, protecting him to 39 SuperCoach factors.
8:03PM AIR BOLTON
It’s taken Shai Bolton lower than an hour to take one other mark of the 12 months contender!
The Richmond excessive flyer has soared into the skies as soon as once more, this time leaping on prime of ruckmen Tom De Koning and Toby Nankervis.
The mark had shades of his 2021 screamer towards the Cats within the goalsquare, solely he didn’t fairly attain the stratosphere on this event.
Bolton has been all class up ahead for the Tigers, pulling out the get together methods moments after his seize with a shimmy and a protracted, looping handball to arrange one other scoring alternative.
7:49PM QUARTER TIME – RICH 10-18 CARL
The quarter began with some Dusty brilliance and ended with a Dusty mongrel.
A breakaway and intelligent go from Shai Bolton with seconds left on the clock simply outdoors 50.
Dustin Martin in his prime would have simply made the gap, however now at age 31, he pulled out the torp for the kick after the siren which seemed ugly off the boot and fell simply in need of the road.
The Tigers will rue missed alternatives in that quarter nevertheless it has been a good contest total.
Blues ball magnet George Hewett is as much as 11 disposals, whereas commerce duo Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper have mixed for 14 disposals of their first quarter in yellow and black.
Jack Riewoldt leads the best way in KFC SuperCoach with 40 factors at quarter time.
7:36PM GAME HEATING UP
This sport is shifting at breakneck pace and it’s a sizzling Sherrin with loads of stress being utilized from either side.
Richmond has had the run of play within the final 5 minutes however haven’t made it depend on the scoreboard, with Lynch spraying an in depth set shot to slim the margin to 2 factors.
A shoutout to debutant Ollie Hollands, who received a 1-on-2 contest deep the Tigers’ attacking 50 in considered one of his first touches in AFL footy.
7:25PM DUSTY KICKS FIRST IN STYLE
Dusty slots the primary of 2023!
The Tigers famous person made the very best begin to life in his new ahead function, getting a lucky bounce after a dropped mark from Mitch McGovern and snapping actually as he so typically does.
The Blues responded moments later with a cultured Zac Fisher snap, making it a objective apiece inside the primary minute.
7:05PM BLUES DEBUTANTS
Draftees Ollie Hollands and Lachie Cowan will debut tonight for the facet they grew up barracking for.
Voss mentioned at his press convention on Wednesday that Hollands shall be used on a wing, whereas the line-breaking Cowan will play as a defender.
Each confirmed nice indicators throughout the pre-season and loved robust draft years in 2022.
6:55PM BIG CROWD IN AT THE G
There are many keen footy followers piling via the turnstiles.
Herald Solar newsbreaker Jon Ralph expects 85,000 followers to attend, and there’s positive to be some lengthy traces on the MCG.
6:25pm SUBS NAMED
No late adjustments for either side. Jack Ross and Lochie O’Brien will begin within the inexperienced vest tonight.
5:43PM HOW MCG TURF IS LOOKING
The MCG appears to be like an absolute deal with forward of the hotly anticipated season-opener – due to a significant restore job.
The state of the house of footy was fully completely different per week in the past as employees got down to exchange the turf after Ed Sheeran’s blockbuster live performance on the venue on March 3.
Has sufficient modified at Carlton to make them contenders?
As Carlton supporters put together to mud off their navy blues for an additional season, there’s one urgent query on their lips – can this 12 months lastly be the one the Blues make finals?
The Blues missed out on a finals berth by the pores and skin of a Sherrin final 12 months, however there are heightened expectations in coach Michael Voss’ second season in cost.
Now armed with the reigning Brownlow and Coleman medallist, the highlight is on the Blues to finish their 10-year finals drought.
These are a few of the key speaking factors for the Blues forward of their 2023 marketing campaign.
NEXT STEP
The place does the development come from this season for the Blues?
Voss mentioned this week that the Blues had been “nonetheless rising” and consistency and performing below stress could be keys to taking the following step within the membership’s ambition of “sustainably taking part in finals”.
“We’re nonetheless attempting to extend our capability in all areas, whether or not that’s operating, whether or not that’s contested ball, whether or not that’s taking part in offence, defence, we’re nonetheless attempting so as to add capability into our group,” Voss advised AFL 360.
“The primary factor for us final 12 months was our consistency. Any time we felt that we misplaced our method was as a result of we simply didn’t persist with the roles we got and we simply didn’t persist with the system that we are attempting to implement.
“There are a number of causes for that, a few of it’s in our infancy in our first 12 months (collectively).
“What we’re about is just not essentially altering something, what we have to do is make it stronger and we’ve got to do it underpressure.”
Carlton midfielder Matt Kennedy mentioned the Blues had the idea their greatest was adequate, however their progress would come from higher consistency.
“We’ve spoken lots about elevating our ground and simply being extra in line with our habits,” Kennedy mentioned this week.
“That’s everyday with the best way that we practice {and professional} habits.
“So I believe that’s the place we’ll get a number of progress. We all know and we imagine our greatest is nice sufficient, nevertheless it’s simply consistency at instances that received us final 12 months.“
Carlton nice Mark Maclure was assured the Blues may crack the top-eight this season, saying they might have been stung – and realized – from their late-season fall final 12 months.
“I watched them final 12 months and noticed some nice enchancment,” Maclure mentioned.
“The most important drawback they’d was they only failed within the final two video games. They’d be upset with (that).
“You’ve got to have some character and you’ve got to face up and you’ve got to do all these little issues that make a distinction and so they simply rushed all the pieces as an alternative of … doing it correctly and all being on the identical web page.
“I’m positive that Vossy would have been capable of give them a exercise in that.”
FORWARD FORCE
Final season, Carlton followers lastly received a have a look at simply how good Charlie Curnow and his ahead partnership with Harry McKay may very well be.
After three injury-hit seasons, Curnow propelled himself to the highest of the objective kicking desk to say the Coleman Medal along with his 64-goal season alongside McKay’s 45.
Given he had performed a mixed whole of 15 video games within the earlier three seasons, Curnow’s rise pushed him proper to the highest of Herald Solar chief soccer reporter Mark Robinson’s pre-season predictive prime 50.
Maclure mentioned 26-year-old Curnow’s true expertise remained “untapped” and his partnership with McKay was each bit as robust because the Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron double-act.
However he mentioned the following step for Curnow was backing it up.
“He has received a lot expertise, you’ve got no thought … he’s untapped at this stage, nonetheless,” Maclure mentioned.
“He could be a nightmare to play. He’s fast, he’s tall, he jumps, I’ve seen him do some issues that I’ve by no means seen anybody do, kicking targets from the boundary on the flip and also you go ‘What? Can’t be executed’.
“So he has received a extremely good spotlight reel nevertheless it’s about consistency and getting it executed on a regular basis.”
Voss mentioned humility could be the important thing to Curnow taking the following step in his sport.
“For him to have the ability to do what he did final 12 months after the footy that he had missed, in some methods it was fairly extraordinary,” Voss mentioned.
“He’s an pleasure machine and he ignites the gang. He’s clearly a vital participant to us.
“For Charlie, the factor that may get him via this 12 months in some methods is simply humility, the truth is that it may be taken off you in a heartbeat. He ought to know that greater than anyone.
“If he stays with that humble method … and he is aware of that tomorrow ‘I can get overwhelmed’ he shall be a improbable footballer so long as he maintains that mindset.”
BROWNLOW BEAST
If there was ever any doubt over Carlton captain Patrick Cripps’ standing as among the finest midfielders within the AFL, it was shattered when he claimed the league’s highest particular person honour final 12 months.
After one of the dominant begins to a season seen in latest reminiscence, Cripps additionally cemented his standing as the highest Blue along with his fourth membership best-and-fairest award.
Returning to his greatest as a clearance animal, Cripps averaged an elite 7.7 clearances and 28 disposals a sport.
However Maclure is assured 27-year-old Cripps can nonetheless elevate his sport.
“I believe he’s getting higher,” Maclure mentioned.
“I simply suppose he has really labored out the way to play and the way to do it correctly and that there’s an artwork in taking part in within the midfield and profitable the ball.
“Don’t neglect he’s 6’5, he’s not a small midfielder, he’s a monster.”
RUCK N ROLL
There’s set to be loads of dialogue surrounding the way forward for the off-contract Tom De Koning on the Blues this season.
The thrilling 23-year-old 201cm ruck-forward looms as a sought-after signature within the AFL market.
Marc Pittonet, 26, is anticipated to be the Blues’ beginning ruckman this season, however Maclure backed De Koning to take over his put up because the No. 1 ruck this 12 months.
“De Koning …. he’ll play within the ruck I reckon,” Maclure mentioned.
“I believe Pittonet is there for use, however he’s not a dynamic power. He tries his greatest.
“Inform me who’s the best ruckman within the competitors? Max Gawn. So he will get kicks throughout the bottom and all that form of stuff.
“De Koning can try this, however he’s not fairly as much as that commonplace as but along with his age and dimension and weight.
“He may need grown once more and I’m positive he would have put some weight on this 12 months and I reckon within the subsequent couple of years you will notice a extremely good participant.
“Should you give him the highest spot, I don’t suppose he needs to go anyplace.”
NEW LAYERS
The Blues added former Dockers wingman Blake Acres throughout final 12 months’s commerce interval and the affect he could make within the midfield shall be essential early on within the season with younger gun Sam Walsh (again) sidelined.
Maclure mentioned the early-season absence of Walsh was a “large” loss for the Blues, however mentioned the acquisition of the 193cm Acres was a optimistic.
“It will likely be a very good check for another person to return in and take a task,” Maclure mentioned.
“They’ve Blake Acres who will assist. Acres is an efficient pick-up, one other tall midfielder so that may assist.
“You could have a robust midfield if you will win a premiership.”
Carlton has wasted little time in bringing recent blood into the workforce, naming the membership’s first two picks in final 12 months’s draft – Ollie Hollands and Lachie Cowan – to make their debuts in spherical one towards Richmond.
Kennedy mentioned the younger pair “undoubtedly deserve” their early call-up.
“Ollie will convey that operating sport to us. He’s an especially proficient runner and can also be powerful when he must be so he’ll add lots to our wing shares,” Kennedy mentioned.
“Huge ‘Cow’ is a really aggressive man and he’s been one of the constant performers out on the monitor.
“They know they only must play their function. They don’t have to do something particular however they’re cog within the chain.”
Initially printed as AFL 2023 Richmond v Carlton dwell rating spherical 1 groups, suggestions, odds
