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Sport Nation
Buckley: What's making Carlton look really hard to beat
Jaiden Sciberras • June 12th, 2025 8:58 am
Carlton’s first-half efforts in 2025 have been a clear indication of the Blues’ best football.
Their Round 13 clash with Essendon was an exhibition of top-level football in the opening term, piercing the Bomber defence in transition en route to six first-quarter goals.
With that result, the Blues have only lost two first halves this season, entering the main break with an advantage in every game bar the Crows and the Giants.
The club’s biggest concern is piecing together a full four-quarter performance.
Beyond the first term, the Blues lost all three remaining quarters for an overall score of 38 to the Bombers’ 63, marking their 10th second-half loss of the season.
Although their fade-outs have become a rather dire factor of their game, Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley was a huge advocate for the manner in which the Blues opened their Round 13 clash.
“We have seen (them fade out) all year,” Buckley told SEN Whateley.
“I don’t know if they get run down, (but) they got arm-wrestled out of it.
“If they play the way they did early, and do early, if they can play that for four quarters, they would be really hard to beat.
“The trigger hands through the backline, through the midfield, into the attacking mid, that actually open up their opportunities.
“(Charlie) Curnow looks more dangerous, (Zac) Williams was dangerous in his role as a forward, and it opens up the forward line opportunities because the ball gets down there a smidgen quicker and the ball is flowing a little bit more.
“Carlton haven’t shown the ability to sustain that over a four-quarter performance. I’d need to see more evidence, and I don’t think West Coast and North are going to be the test that we need to see.
“They might get to 7-7 and then we’ll find out beyond that.”
Despite entering the season with high expectations, the Blues currently sit in 11th place with just five wins from 12 games, however it certainly isn’t a matter of talent.
“They have got enough talented players there,” Buckley continued.
“We’ve spoken openly about how damaging they look in front of the ball. Young (Hudson) O’Keefe looked excellent.
“You think ‘okay, we can bring some young talent into this mix’. They’ve got a star-studded midfield, but for whatever reason, even when they are winning clearances, they can’t defend well enough for a side that is deciding to go and wants to bounce.
“Their ball use seems to get stunted. That is going to be the challenge for them. West Coast and North will test them; there’s no doubt they’ll have their moments because they need to be switched on to get those results.
“If they become dour, low scoring games, then Carlton may be vulnerable in that instance.
“Then they’ve got Port on the other side of that and then Collingwood in a month, so the bigger tests are to come.”
Carlton’s clash with the Eagles is set for this Sunday night as the Blues look to take advantage of an advantageous schedule.
