“Not going to take you to the top four”: Concerns about Blues defense are raised in light of alarming statistics.
The 52-point defeat to Sydney on Friday night has put the Blues’ defense under scrutiny for failing Michael Voss’ team in a crucial area.
After giving up 117 points to the Swans in the SCG loss, Carlton’s 6-4 Blues may not be in the top eight by the conclusion of Round 10.
After giving up an average score of 95.4 points from Rounds 5 to 9, it was another significant score that worried Voss and company. North Melbourne is the only team that has let up more points during that five-week span than the Blues, who are placed 17th in the AFL.
AFL legends on Fox Footy criticized the Blues’ defensive inadequacies and said they needed to get better in order to pose a real threat to win the premiership.
Triple-premiership Lion Jonathan Brown emphasized, “This is not a profile that’s going to take you into the top four and beyond.”
“This football club we all expect and hoped they could go really deep,” Melbourne veteran Garry Lyon continued.
“Last year, we seen that with Port Adelaide, who had a strong mentality and impressive form, but their defense was a constant source of concern.
“It’s concerning that they (Carlton) are under observation right now.”
Jacob Weitering, Carlton’s standout defender, sustained a corky to his leg, adding to the team’s already extensive injury list at Ikon Park and compounding their problems.
Reporter Jon Ralph of the Herald Sun stated that Weitering had “a lot of work ahead of him” in order to prepare for Carlton’s match against Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium on Saturday, August 19, eight days from now.
Nevertheless, legendary Blues and Crows player Eddie Betts feels his former team “cannot blame injuries” and needs to figure out a way to prevent opponents from scoring so easy.
Hawk Jordan Lewis, a four-time premiership winner, believes Weiteirng is still too dependent on Carlton for defense and wants others to stand up.
Lewis remarked, “I think they look like a completely different side behind the ball without Weitering—there’s no structure or communication.”
“I would be putting out the challenge, ‘What are you doing?’ to the players with more experience behind the ball. You have to lead by example and communicate down there.
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