Review Round 18, 2025 - Carlton vs. Brisbane Lions

[Bucking Beads]

Are we allowed to be both disappointed with how we're playing at times but also very content that our best is absolutely good enough to go all the way. It's crazy that we're premiers and I don't quite trust us to win the games we should.

 

[Helicon1]

Are we allowed to be both disappointed with how we're playing at times but also very content that our best is absolutely good enough to go all the way. It's crazy that we're premiers and I don't quite trust us to win the games we should.

Think this a sentiment a lot of us have. Feel we have another gear we seldom go into. When we do it’s a very enjoyable watch.

 

[Footballator]

Umps were bad. Not calling Carlton to stand on qtr 2 particularly. Allowing the man on the mark to move across and attempt to block the centreing kick. It was woeful. Sometimes the non calls are worse than the howlers.

 

[M Malice]

Who would be your sub?

Reville or McKenna.

 

[notliondown]

Reville or McKenna.

I think you're right with these 2...

I still worry that our defense is leaky, especially with our only real lock down defender out.

I have wondered if Bez doesn't get swung back a bit more from here on?

 

[Denno]

Lester beat Curnow hands down. The fact that Curnow had to run to half back to get a couple of touches was a win for us. Lester basically took him out of the game. Curnow upfield means no Curnow inside 50, rendering Carlton a KPF down. Watch these highlights to see some of Lester’s great work. Curnow only looked half a chance when Gardiner was on him. I like Gardiner and am happy for him to be in the team, but he is not in Lester’s class, especially in the air and on the deck.

Mini-Match: Carlton v Brisbane

Extended highlights of the Blues and Lions clash in round 18 of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season

www.afl.com.au

Absolute rubbish.

Lester didn't beat Curnow hands down at all. Watching live, Curnow beat him in almost every contest in the first half, and it wasn't because of Lester that Curnow was getting up the ground.

We looked far better and balanced once Gardiner came on, and allowed Lester to go to the 3rd tall.

On the quiet is correct.

 

[M Malice]

Absolute rubbish.

Lester didn't beat Curnow hands down at all. Watching live, Curnow beat him in almost every contest in the first half, and it wasn't because of Lester that Curnow was getting up the ground.

We looked far better and balanced once Gardiner came on, and allowed Lester to go to the 3rd tall.

On the quiet is correct.

Yep, Froggy had a great season and a half in 2023-24 when a lot including me had written him off but he is well down on that form this year, he is being beaten 1 v 1 more often, particularly in marking contests, if Doedee was back to best form and fitness I think Froggys spot would be under pressure.

 

[Sunny Land]

Absolute rubbish.

Lester didn't beat Curnow hands down at all. Watching live, Curnow beat him in almost every contest in the first half, and it wasn't because of Lester that Curnow was getting up the ground.

We looked far better and balanced once Gardiner came on, and allowed Lester to go to the 3rd tall.

On the quiet is correct.

What did you expect to readd from his posts?

 

[dlanod]

Yep, Froggy had a great season and a half in 2023-24 when a lot including me had written him off but he is well down on that form this year, he is being beaten 1 v 1 more often, particularly in marking contests, if Doedee was back to best form and fitness I think Froggys spot would be under pressure.

To be fair to Lester, these last few weeks have been with him as our second tall defender rather than bringing in Gardiner or Joyce full time, so he's giving up a lot of height and size. I agree that Curnow out pointed Lester but the coaches picked that matchup - it in no way plays to Lester's strengths, but they decided it was worth the trade offs and we won comfortably.

 

[M Malice]

To be fair to Lester, these last few weeks have been with him as our second tall defender rather than bringing in Gardiner or Joyce full time, so he's giving up a lot of height and size. I agree that Curnow out pointed Lester but the coaches picked that matchup - it in no way plays to Lester's strengths, but they decided it was worth the trade offs and we won comfortably.

IMO his whole season has been down on his best.

 

[Big Sauce 21]

Think we are wanting to play Andrews on the weakest forward so he can intercept. If that's the case we probably should be playing Dizzy with Frog and Harris

 

[Denno]

Yep, Froggy had a great season and a half in 2023-24 when a lot including me had written him off but he is well down on that form this year, he is being beaten 1 v 1 more often, particularly in marking contests, if Doedee was back to best form and fitness I think Froggys spot would be under pressure.

Yep - we'll need to play Doedee at some point.

I wasn't Lester bashing before - I think he's just getting exposed a bit more when against bigger forwards, this being even more amplified without Payne.

Why we didn't start Gardiner on the ground (as FB) on Thurs night still baffles me.

Lester is still fine as the 3rd tall.

 

[MSB ROYS]

Umps were bad. Not calling Carlton to stand on qtr 2 particularly. Allowing the man on the mark to move across and attempt to block the centreing kick. It was woeful. Sometimes the non calls are worse than the howlers.

Most teams are pushing the rules against us as they have nothing to lose. Agree, the stand rule was not adjudged well, especially in the first half.

 

[PaddleFoot]

Absolute rubbish.

Lester didn't beat Curnow hands down at all. Watching live, Curnow beat him in almost every contest in the first half, and it wasn't because of Lester that Curnow was getting up the ground.

We looked far better and balanced once Gardiner came on, and allowed Lester to go to the 3rd tall.

On the quiet is correct.

Is Curnow gettable ? Or maybe McKay .. that team is really a rabble and we have a $1m+ hole to fill.

 

[Denno]

Is Curnow gettable ? Or maybe McKay .. that team is really a rabble and we have a $1m+ hole to fill.

Wrong thread, but I'm comfortable with Oscar Allen via FA.

Think we'd need to trade for either of the key forwards at Carlton - not something I'd like to do when we can get someone for "free".

 

[Coastal Lion]

Morris is making quite a habit of the reaching over style of marking. It is a rare skill and difficult to defend.

Not 100% sure but coming from a basketball background i think he would have played at the 4 or 5 making him responsible for defensive and offensive rebounds which takes timing and getting to the right spot on the floor this may explain why he always gets his hands in there when in marking contests but I could be completely wrong with my assumption.

 

[BrainOfMorbius]

I've found this Carlton vlogger to be one of the more thoughtful and considered of any club's over the last couple of years. Worth watching from about 6:19 where his admiration for this Lions team comes through. Sometimes it's worth listening to other perspectives on our side; we've been at the top or thereabouts for so long it's easy to forget how good we are -- and how Carlton-like we were 10 years ago. Enjoy the good times while they last!

 

[twhowler]

I've found this Carlton vlogger to be one of the more thoughtful and considered of any club's over the last couple of years. Worth watching from about 6:19 where his admiration for this Lions team comes through. Sometimes it's worth listening to other perspectives on our side; we've been at the top or thereabouts for so long it's easy to forget how good we are -- and how Carlton-like we were 10 years ago. Enjoy the good times while they last!

it's a very good point. i definitely need to enioy the journey more!

i think the biggest difference between this side and our golden era is the oppositon. we player a very ordinary collingwood side in 2 grannies, an ageing gun side in essendon, and then finally a very good port side.

this side has had the end of a phenomenal richmond side

melbourne reaching a very high level in 2021

geelong and gws being consistently very good

and one of the best drilled sides i've seen in collingwood in 23 and 25

our key forwards were amazing in 01-04 but our smalls are amazing now. our mids not quite as good but not that far off.

 

[BrainOfMorbius]

Start of this season, I honestly thought we'd see a consolidation year, with a bit of a drop-off and most likely finish 5th-8th, mainly due to adjusting to life without a dominant key forward. I still think that's been a factor, but not to the extent I feared. If we finish top 4 that's a credit to everyone involved at the club and bodes very well for 2026.

 

[rye]

I've found this Carlton vlogger to be one of the more thoughtful and considered of any club's over the last couple of years. Worth watching from about 6:19 where his admiration for this Lions team comes through. Sometimes it's worth listening to other perspectives on our side; we've been at the top or thereabouts for so long it's easy to forget how good we are -- and how Carlton-like we were 10 years ago. Enjoy the good times while they last!

i like listening to blueabroad occasionally for the complete opposite reason. absolute nuffies who make me appreciate how fortunate we are that carlton are perennial cellar dwellers.

 

[Viceregal]

Went to the Blues Board to see how they were going and noted they have a 185 page thread started in July 2023 about sacking Voss, who instead and why would they want to ...

 

[Dalions]

Went to the Blues Board to see how they were going and noted they have a 185 page thread started in July 2023 about sacking Voss, who instead and why would they want to ...

I do personally think he is a very one dimensional coach.
Not particularly sure he has what it takes tbh.

 

[Elixuh]

i like listening to blueabroad occasionally for the complete opposite reason. absolute nuffies who make me appreciate how fortunate we are that carlton are perennial cellar dwellers.

Is that the two guys? One sits in a dark blue room with the Carlton sign? The other one was having a breakdown the other week?

 

[Viceregal]

I do personally think he is a very one dimensional coach.
Not particularly sure he has what it takes tbh.

We (as a board) certainly had some discussions around his strategic/tactical nous but once he was fired we pretty much united around hating how it happened, wanting to sack the Chairman ... and once the Leppa years started to sink in he was remembered quite fondly in comparison.

Of course I doubt there is a single poster who would seriously opt for Voss over Fagan!

 

[rye]

Is that the two guys? One sits in a dark blue room with the Carlton sign? The other one was having a breakdown the other week?

yeah its two guys but only one is a constant - he has the fans video call into his show postgame on youtube. the rotating cast of true carlton believers.