Carlton Blues: 2019 fixtures, preview, list changes, every player and odds

Mick Stirling

Carlton Blues: 2019 fixtures, preview, list changes, every player and odds image

There’s been no joy around Princes Park for too long now. 

Carlton’s powerbrokers can talk ‘rebuilds’ and ‘green buds’ till the cows come home, but rank-and-file Blues fans aren’t known for their patience and if a few more wins don’t come their way in 2019 pitchforks will be grabbed and burning torches lit.

2018 was supposed to be a step forwards but finished as the worst season in the club’s history, and it wasn’t just the win-loss ratio that has supporters worried.

Patrick Cripps and Charlie Curnow showed they’re stars, but Jacob Weitering stalled, Sam Petrevski-Seton had the second-year blues, and a swag of former Giants again failed to show themselves to be canny investments.

However, it could just take a change in the wind to get everyone moving in the same direction … or … blow the house down.

List changes

In

Mitch McGovern (Adelaide), Will Setterfield (GWS Giants), Nic Newman (Sydney), Alex Fasolo (Collingwood), Sam Walsh (Geelong Falcons), Liam Stocker (Sandringham Dragons), Finbar O’Dwyer (Yarrawonga), Ben Silvagni (Oakleigh Chargers)

Mitch McGovern

Rookies

Hugh Goddard (St Kilda), Michael Gibbons (Williamstown), Matt Cottrell (Dandenong Stingrays)

Out

Jesse Glass-McCasker, Nick Graham, Sam Kerridge, Jed Lamb, Aaron Mullett, Cameron O'Shea, Sam Rowe, Matthew Shaw, Ciaran Byrne, Cillian McDaid, Alex Silvagni, Matthew Wright

Best Brownlow chance

Patrick Cripps $12

There really is only one Blue in contention for the Brownlow, but he’s a bloody good shot. Cripps finished equal fourth in 2018 playing for a team that won just two games for the season – that’s pretty impressive! Who knows what he could do if Carlton wins a few more matches. The thought of it certainly makes putting a few dollars down worth the risk.

Players to watch

Harry McKay, Will Setterfield, Sam Walsh

Everyone knows Charlie Curnow will be a star but the jury is out on McKay. Mitch McGovern will offer another tall forward option but Brendon Bolton will be keener to use the former Crow in the backline, so Harry’s fortunes could mirror his team’s.

Recruiting boss Stephen Silvagni says he rated Setterfield the number-one pick in the 2016 draft so it will be interesting to see if the Blues can get the best from the former Giant or if, like a few of SOS’s other ‘double-dips’, the jump from junior footy to the AFL is too much.

And how can you not keep an eye on the current number one selection? Walsh seems ready-to-go, and while no one expects him to be winning games off his own boot just yet, fans will be wanting to see the ‘green buds’ of a special talent.

A last chance to watch?

Kade Simpson, Levi Casboult

Simpson is starting to seem immortal, but surely the end is near. The durable defender will celebrate his 35th birthday with the Blues’ round seven clash against North Melbourne and move past John Nicholls into third place on Carlton’s most games-played list if he can run out for the full 22 matches of 2019.

#Kade Simpson Carlton Blues

He may be six years Simpson’s junior, but Casboult is also be looking down the barrel of retirement, shotgun style. Despite kicking issues holding him back from greatness, Levi’s size and willingness to compete has made him a valuable asset in a struggling side, but his position has been filled by more talented talls and, out of contract in 2019, it could be time to hang up his defective boots.

Carlton Blues' full 2019 playing list

Number Name Games Date of birth Height, weight Position
38 Byrne, Ciaran  22  6 Dec 1994  187cm 88kg Defender
41 Casboult, Levi  104  15 Mar 1990  201cm 103kg Forward
  Cottrell, Matt (R) 0 29 Feb 2000 181cm 72kg Midfield
9 Cripps, Patrick  81  18 Mar 1995  195cm 93kg Midfield
28 Cuningham, David  16  30 Mar 1997  183cm 83kg Midfield
30 Curnow, Charlie  47  3 Feb 1997  194cm 91kg Forward
35 Curnow, Edward  143  7 Nov 1989  181cm 86kg Midfield
12 De Koning, Tom  16 Jul 1999  201cm 92kg Ruck
15 Docherty, Sam  92  17 Oct 1993  187cm 87kg Defender
2 Dow, Paddy  20  16 Oct 1999  184cm 80kg Midfield
32 Fasolo, Alex  101  8 Jun 1992  181cm 84kg Forward
25 Fisher, Zac  34  15 Jun 1998  175cm 72kg Forward
21 Garlett, Jarrod  28  3 May 1996  180cm 74kg Forward
  Gibbons, Michael 0 15 May 1195 175cm 73kg Midfield
45 Goddard, Hugh (R)  10  24 Aug 1996  196cm 95kg Defender
14 Jones, Liam  112  24 Feb 1991  198cm 98kg Defender
7 Kennedy, Matthew  31  6 Apr 1997  188cm 89kg Midfield
36 Kerr, Pat  31 Jul 1998  194cm 94kg Forward
8 Kreuzer, Matthew  173  13 May 1989  200cm 101kg Ruck
16 Lang, Darcy  55  21 Nov 1995  183cm 82kg Forward
42 LeBois, Kym (R)  22 May 1998  175cm 70kg Forward
27 Lobbe, Matthew  98  12 Feb 1989  200cm 96kg Ruck
26 Macreadie, Harrison  8  11 Apr 1998  196cm 91kg Defender
22 Marchbank, Caleb  35  7 Dec 1996  193cm 90kg Defender
45 McDaid, Cillian (R)  14 Aug 1997  186cm 84kg Defender
11 McGovern, Mitch  48  11 Oct 1994  190cm 89kg Defender
10 McKay, Harry  15  24 Dec 1997  200cm 95kg Forward
3 Murphy, Marc  249  19 Jul 1987  180cm 80kg Midfield
24 Newman, Nic  31  15 Jan 1993  186cm 84kg Midfield
4 O'Brien, Lochie  18  18 Sep 1999  184cm 78kg Defender
38 Finbar, O'Dwyer        
44 Owies, Matt 0 19 Mar 1997 183cm 82kg  
5 Petrevski-Seton, Sam 42

19 Feb 1998

180cm 74kg Midfield
34 Phillips, Andrew  36  3 Jul 1991  203cm 99kg Ruck
33 Pickett, Jarrod  17  18 Aug 1996  178cm 77kg Forward
20 Plowman, Lachlan  73  11 Sep 1994  191cm 90kg Defender
29 Polson, Cameron  13  11 Mar 1998  177cm 76kg Midfield
19 Schumacher, Angus 16 Mar 1999  190cm 84kg Defender
43 Setterfield, Will  5 Feb 1998  190cm 82kg Midfield
37 Silvagni, Ben    196cm 86kg Defender
1 Silvagni, Jack  43  17 Dec 1997  191cm 89kg Forward
6 Simpson, Kade  307  5 May 1984  181cm 76kg Defender
13 Stocker, Liam    183cm 85kg Midfield
39 Thomas, Dale  238  21 Jun 1987  185cm 84kg Midfield
18 Walsh, Sam    184cm 77kg Midfield
23 Weitering, Jacob  56  23 Nov 1997  195cm 95kg Defender
31 Williamson, Tom  15  12 Dec 1998  189cm 82kg Defender


 

Carlton Blues’ 2019 fixture

Round Date Opponent Venue
1 Thursday March 21 7:20pm  Richmond MCG
2 Saturday March 30 4:40pm  Port Adelaide  Adelaide Oval
3 Saturday 6 Apr 1:45pm  Sydney  Marvel Stadium
4 Sunday 14 Apr 2:40pm  Gold Coast  Metricon Stadium
5 Sunday 21 Apr 1:10pm  Western Bulldogs  Marvel Stadium
6 Sunday 28 Apr 3:20pm  Hawthorn  UTAS Stadium
7 Sunday 5 May 1:10pm  North Melbourne  Marvel Stadium
8 Saturday 11 May 1:45pm  Collingwood MCG
9 Sunday 19 May 4:40pm  GWS Giants  Showground Stadium
10 Sunday 26 May 3:20pm  St Kilda  Marvel Stadium
11 Sunday 2 Jun 3:20pm  Essendon MCG
12 Saturday 8 Jun 1:45pm  Brisbane Marvel Stadium
13 Saturday 15 Jun 7:25pm  Western Bulldogs Marvel Stadium
14 BYE    
15 Sunday 30 Jun 3:20pm  Fremantle  Optus Stadium
16 Sunday 7 Jul 1:10pm Melbourne MCG
17 Saturday 13 Jul 1:45pm  Sydney SCG
18 Saturday 20 Jul 2:10pm  Gold Coast Marvel Stadium
19 Saturday 27 Jul 2:10pm Adelaide MCG
20 Sunday 4 Aug 3:20pm  West Coast Marvel Stadium
21 Sunday 11 Aug 3:20pm Richmond MCG
22 Saturday 17 Aug 1:45pm  St Kilda MCG
23 Sunday 25 Aug 12:00am  Geelong  GMHBA Stadium

Games played on

Thursday: 1
Friday: 0
Saturday: 9
Sunday: 12

Teams played twice

Richmond, St Kilda, Sydney, Gold Coast, Western Bulldogs

#Carlton v Richmond

2019 Preview and premiership odds

The bad news is Carlton is starting a $151 outsider for the flag - actually change ‘outsider’ to ‘no-hoper’ - but the good news is they’re not the bottom-ranked side thanks to Gold Coast’s wretched life.

Another devastating ACL injury to star halfback Sam Docherty will do nothing to help their cause, while they'll also be without Jarrod Pickett for much of the season.

To add salt to the wounds, new trade arrival Mitch McGovern won't enjoy his Christmas break as much as others after he sustained a back fracture.

And while there may have been some rags-to-riches stories in the past three AFL seasons, 2019 will not be the Blues’ fairytale year, but there’s a good chance it will be the opening chapter.

It would want to be.

The rebuild is heading into season four (or five depending on who you talk to) and it’s all been going backwards so far, but the bigger the tower, the bigger the hole you need to dig first, right?

The midfield is full of young stars plus a couple of handy veterans, Curnow, McKay and Weitering have had time to find their feet in the key positions and there’s enough small forwards and backs to fill a Kombi van, so it’s time for more wins and less excuses.

And if those green buds don’t start pushing through the manure and reaching for the stars it won’t be the playing list that gets pruned with a pitchfork this time next year.

Mick Stirling