Carlton's Wildcard Berth Confirmed After Draw; Fixture Locked for Inaugural Wildcard Weekend
Carlton are confident they can "do some damage" in the AFL finals from 10th spot as they prepare for a wildcard round clash with Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday night. The Blues' appearance in the inaugural wildcard weekend follows a heart-stopping draw with the Western Bulldogs that secured their berth and extended their remarkable in-season revival under coach Josh Fraser.
The draw, 10 (82) apiece at Marvel Stadium on Sunday, came after a second-half arm wrestle. Francis Evans snapped a goal to level the scores with about three minutes left, with some confusion after teammate Wade Derksen claimed a mark and dribbled the ball through. The Bulldogs' Ed Richards was then penalised for running too far in the final minute, effectively ending their last chance. Carlton knew a draw would be enough and went into preservation mode in the dying stages.
From One Win in Nine to Finals Contender
When Josh Fraser took over as interim coach in May after the club parted ways with Michael Voss, Carlton had just one win from nine matches. Under Fraser, the Blues have recorded 10 wins and a draw from 13 matches. Their unbeaten streak now stands at five matches, with 11 wins and a draw in 14 outings since Fraser took the reins. Fraser, who initially took the role on an interim basis, has since secured the full-time coaching job after steering the club to a wildcard spot.
"I'm really proud of the work that the [players] put in, and it's been a collective," Fraser said. "It's the 23 who represent the club today, but it's the entire playing list and their willingness and want to grow and improve certain parts of our game and drive standards [is impressive] – it's been an incredible 13 weeks at this point."
The turnaround has been built on a greater emphasis on skills, with forward Brodie Kemp noting the change. "We always had that contest and stoppage game with Vossy, and he did a lot of work on the foundations of our game," Kemp told AAP. "(Now we have) the ability to possess the ball a bit more while nailing the fundamen" — the quote trails off, but the sentiment is clear.
Historic Context and Momentum
Carlton's surge into September action is not without precedent. The Blues previously sneaked into the finals from ninth in 2013 when arch-rivals Essendon were banished from that season as punishment over the supplements scandal. While they were knocked out in week two that year, the current side appears capable of a deeper run from the platform of the league's first wildcard round.
Carlton are described as the "hottest team" in the lower finals bracket after a comprehensive win over ladder leaders Fremantle in round 24 on Saturday. "You need to show up and if you play the right way then I feel like you can do some damage," Kemp said. "We've got some momentum going into wildcard and (beating Fremantle) was a great way to do it."
The Blues' midfield was prolific in the draw, with Patrick Cripps, Sam Walsh, Blake Acres, and George Hewett each racking up at least 30 disposals, while the team registered 146 marks and 310 uncontested possessions.
Wildcard Fixture and Team News
The AFL has locked in the fixture for the inaugural wildcard weekend. The Western Bulldogs will meet Collingwood on Friday night at the MCG, followed by Carlton against Melbourne on Saturday night at the same venue. If Melbourne win, they will travel to Adelaide, while the winner of the Bulldogs-Collingwood match will visit Geelong. If Carlton win, they will travel to Geelong, and the winner of the other wildcard match will play away to Adelaide.
Team news is building for the matches. Carlton expect to welcome back Will Hayward and Nick Haynes from ankle injuries, with Hayward having hurt his right ankle in the draw and taken no further part. Melbourne are monitoring knee problems for Matt Jefferson and Dan Turner. For the Bulldogs, Aaron Naughton (ankle) could miss, while Tim English (knee) is an outside chance to return. Collingwood have lost veteran Scott Pendlebury and Brayden Maynard to knee issues.
As the first wildcard weekend approaches, Carlton's trajectory from a difficult start to a genuine finals threat is one of the stories of the season. The Blues, as Kemp said, believe they can do some damage.