Watch highlights from the last time the Hawks met the Blues

Crowd: 52,052 at Etihad Stadium

It was a thriller at Etihad Stadium the last time the Hawks played the Blues, as Carlton came roaring back in the second half, kicking seven goals to three. Jordan Lewis was best on ground, restricting Chris Judd to just 15 disposals, while grabbing 30 himself.

Looking ahead

It has been a tumultuous past two months for the Blues, having lost five of their past seven matches. Injuries, poor form and a difficult draw have the Blues in a precarious position, desperately in need of a big scalp, having already failed against top teams Geelong, Adelaide and West Coast.

It isn’t all bad news though, with Carlton boasting one of the best ruck combinations in the league. While football commentators are caught up in the Dean Cox/Nic Naitanui duo, Carlton trio Matthew Kreuzer, Robbie Warnock and Shaun Hampson have gone under the radar.

The trio have combined for an average of 48 hit outs per game, having them placed as equal first in the competition for average hit outs per game. That of course, is equal with Cox and Naitanui whose ruck dominance put the Eagles in a dangerous position.

The ability of the Carlton ruck combination, combined with the talent in the midfield, the Blues make for a dangerous assignment for the Hawks. There is no better example of this, than Carlton’s scintillating performance against last year’s grand finalists, Collingwood in Round 3.

The Blues outran the Magpies and used the wings of the MCG to use their pace through the midfield - in the form of Chris Yarran, Kade Simpson, Andrew Carrazzo and Jeff Garlett.

The Blues smashed the Magpies in the clearances, 50-32 translating to an avalanche of inside 50s, 58-39. That night, the Blues forwards were ever dangerous, as Eddie Betts (five), Jarrad Waite (three), Jeff Garlett (two) and Shaun Hampson (two) were devastating. If the Hawks fail to get their midfield set up and structures right on Friday night, the Hawks defence will be under a mountain of pressure.

The Blues are ranked equal first in the league for clearances, so their ability to use their ruck dominance over opposition teams is taken to full effect, averaging 41 clearances per match. The Hawks aren’t far behind, however, averaging 39 per match.

The speed of the Blues is combined with the hard edge of players such as Mitch Robinson, whose importance to the Carlton line-up is underrated. Robinson often provides the impetus for the Blues, and inspires the team because of his kamikaze-like attack on the football.

Like Jordan Lewis, Robinson combines his attack on the footy with the ability to hurt the opposition going forward, averaging 21 disposals per game and has kicked nine goals so far this season.

Lewis will return to the side after serving a two-match ban and may rekindle his ongoing battle with Judd. Lewis played arguably his best game for the Club against the Blues last season, and showed that he can play both offensively and defensively. Lewis kept Judd to just 15 disposals in Round 22 last season, and gathered 30 disposals himself. He could hold the key for the Hawks on Friday night.


Josh Gibson: “They’ve got a lot of guys going through there (the midfield) that are really hard and tough.

“They’ve got Judd and Carrazzo’s back, and Robinson has been playing some good footy this year. They still have a lot of guys who are dangerous and need to be respected.”


Damian Tubb on Facebook: “Shut down (Kade) Simpson. He’s a very important link between the Carlton half back and half forward line. Is a proven goal kicker, and must be made look sideways instead of being able to run through the middle and kick long into the attacking 50.”