When Carlton’s season hit the crossroads after Michael Voss’s departure with just one win from nine games, the Blues didn’t make a pact with the devil. Instead, players made a pact with each other to focus on improvement rather than outcomes.
Josh Fraser removed himself from the process to select a new coach. He wanted the team to focus on fundamentals and search for consistent improvement every time they entered the club. It was an adoption of a growth mindset made famous by psychologist Carol Dweck.
Patrick Cripps, after a touch of “umming” and “ahhing”, seemed to commit to being a Blue for life – and has played as though his life depended on it under Fraser. When doesn’t he, to be fair?
At selection, gradual change occurred. Jack Ison made his debut. George Hewett had returned to the fold in Voss’s final game, then Blake Acres grabbed his chance against Geelong. His pressure against the Giants was relentless. Will Hayward has kicked 11 goals in the past six matches to give support to McKay, who Voss put in the ruck to kickstart his season.
Young players, such as Lachie Cowan, Talor Byrne, Harry Dean, Wade Derksen and Jagga Smith, were given responsibility and the opportunity to grow.
They built on the environment the players established over the off-season, which was an improvement on what it had been at Carlton before Voss arrived.
Knowing your role and playing it became the number one objective.
Most importantly, Fraser shifted their game style, building on their renowned strength in clearance and contested ball with strategies that give them a chance to halt opposition momentum, which they could not do under Voss.
Under Fraser, the Blues are controlling the ball more, allowing their defence to get set and not feeding opponents wanting to play a frenetic style in overcoming a lead.
They have gone from 13th in uncontested marks in the five matches before Voss departed to leading the competition in that area under Fraser. Their uncontested possession differential has moved from 14th to third.
The impact has been enormous on their defensive numbers. The Blues conceded an average of 102.6 points per game between rounds five to nine, compared to just 67.2 points under Fraser.
On Saturday at Engie Stadium, Carlton’s forwards harassed the Giants’ defenders, stifling their run and putting heat on their exits from deep 50, which has helped their turnover numbers. They are playing a front-half game.
However, the most significant change under Fraser has been their ability to adjust their style mid-game. Players have solutions to help them control the game’s tempo.
Even the game’s best players, such as Cripps, Sam Walsh and Hewett, need direction from the coach to make good decisions. That’s what they are getting under Fraser. Anyplan is better than a haphazard one.
It was obvious in the final quarter against the Giants the Blues had a plan to shift momentum. They had lacked poise with the ball in the final stages of the third quarter, allowing the Giants to draw level with four goals in a row.
Instead of panicking, they built up their attack with considered ball movement, which led to Sam Walsh kicking a goal on the siren. They repeated the dose when the game was up for grabs midway through the final quarter.
Despite the success, the Blues should carry out a process rather than just appoint Fraser as senior coach beyond this season. To be honest, such a move would be as dangerous and impetuous as a cricketer running on a misfield if the Blues decided to appoint the 44-year-old to coach in 2027 based purely on the results in 2026. Nine matches remain, so much can happen.
Fraser can clearly coach and is an excellent communicator but if his instinct in May was that he needed to do more work before becoming a senior coach, then five wins should not change that outlook.
Nor should it change the Blues’ attempt to canvass the list of assistants, such as the Cats’ James Kelly and James Rahilly, the Dockers’ Jaymie Graham, the Bulldogs’ Daniel Pratt and the Hawks’ Daniel Giansiracusa, in their chase for a new senior coach.
Now in the hunt for a finals spot, albeit from 14th with a relatively low percentage, the Blues must not look beyond delivering the next note – as MC46 (Matt Cottrell) demonstrated when he led the team into song with a harmonica display that would have made Little Walter turn in his grave. It is enough for now for them to be all singing from the same hymn sheet.
McRae should expect list management scrutiny
Craig McRae has been frank and open with fans and the media since he took over as Collingwood coach in 2022.
But the view he expressed after the team’s win over Port Adelaide that the Magpies’ list is “over-examined” seemed unusual given the size of the club and the constant discussion about Collingwood’s list well before he arrived, particularly during the salary cap dump at the end of 2020.
It would be difficult to argue that Carlton, St Kilda and Essendon’s list management decisions have not been equally examined in the past few seasons. Their decision-makers have been under constant scrutiny.
Scott Clayton, who recruited McRae to the Bears, says clubs need to be in premiership and development mode simultaneously. Observers of the Magpies have had concerns about decisions, which have seen the club’s earliest pick in the past four national drafts being selection 19.
The 12 players picked in the national draft in that time have played just 57 games for Collingwood (an average of 4.75 games per player). Only top-of-the-table Fremantle have come close, with Murphy Reid (38 matches) and the recycled Corey Wagner (50 matches) making up the bulk of the 89 matches from 12 selections (7.41 games per player). Port Adelaide have also gleaned just 76 matches from their nine selections in that period (8.44 games per player) and Sydney 75 matches from 14 selections (5.35 games per player).
A few weeks ago, McRae revealed he had met with the young players to outline what they needed to do to create an opportunity for themselves.
Having had the best young player in the competition at his disposal, Nick Daicos, for his senior coaching career, it is a surprise he has not been desperate to add another early selection next to the superstar.
That does not mean the approach is incorrect, but it should be a topic of discussion. Collingwood should welcome the debate, given they have played in three preliminary finals in McRae’s four completed seasons, so are doing something right.
And also appreciate supporters will be turning up in big numbers to watch the team long after the current custodians of the club have moved on. List management strategies matter.
Suns, Giants face crucial nine rounds
Greater Western Sydney and Gold Coast did an enormous amount of heavy lifting to enter this season full of expectation.
In hindsight, the ruck rule change and injuries to the Suns’ Matt Rowell and the Giants’ Sam Taylor in the questionable State of Origin match (as well as the Giants’ loss of Tom Green) should have raised alarm bells for those – including this column – getting carried away with the talent joining the Suns from their academy and the Giants’ addition of Clayton Oliver.
Now, reality is setting in for the Suns, who have lost four in a row and have an unproductive, disorganised and frustrated midfield group. The Giants cannot find any consistency after an injury-hit start to the season. Their crowds remain low.
The Suns are ninth and the Giants 12th, which is below par given the talent on their respective lists.
Having your skipper Toby Greene unsigned and contemplating an exit while the long-serving chiefDave Matthews prepares to depart have made the Giants an interesting watch as they attempt to redefine their position in the Sydney market.
The Suns’ view on Ben King staying has moved from optimism to uncertainty while Victorian clubs’ relentless pursuit of Bailey Humphrey has affected his form and upset Gold Coast given he is in contract. Jed Walter should remain if he keeps playing.
It’s easy to catastrophise the Suns’ situation but losing King would not be a disaster given their tall-forward stocks are deep, and he plays in a reserved manner. He is having little impact on games beyond his stats sheet. Though King’s exit would mean their first three picks from the 2018 national draft have gone, the bigger issue is their best players are not playing well.
Although losing the 32-year-old Greene would be tough symbolically for the Giants, the signature of the other Green (Tom) beyond 2027 is more vital for the long-term success of the club.
The two expansion clubs need to win more than they lose in the remaining nine matches to overshadow the departures which are inevitable in the non-traditional football markets and, importantly, show some fight.
Get the basics right in fixture
When the clubs congregate in Gold Coast for a two-day CEOs meeting, ideas for a new-look fixture in 2028 when Tasmania enter the competition will be high on the agenda.
The decision on whether to play 22 or 24 rounds a season needs to be made soon and an assessment whether the weighted fixture rule, which was amended before this season, is necessary. In-season competitions and a reset of the ladder after everyone has played each other once are other obvious opportunities to consider.
That should not let the AFL ignore some of the shockers which have occurred this season, like clubs playing each other twice, well before they have others once.
For example, Geelong have already played the Suns and Adelaide twice, and front up against the Lions after the bye for a second time without having yet met the Giants, Richmond or the Demons.
Melbourne were the last team to have a bye. The Crows, who have already had a week off, were able to run over them on Saturday.
Port Adelaide have played Collingwood just three times at Adelaide Oval since 2014. Saturday night’s match was the first time they had met since round one last season.
