Carlton Supporters Club

I don't think that there's any question about Billy Wilson's ability to have an impact at AFL level now, and I think that he has probably consigned Adam Saad to depth player status.  Billy's chase and run down tackle with 30 seconds to go warmed the cockles of my heart.  That's the effort and desperation that wins finals.

You shouldn’t take Cripps and Walsh’s performances in isolation.

Their best performances are when the support cast is firing.

You may debate which is the cause and which is the effect and, to a certain extent, it’s a feedback loop.  However, my observations are that Cripps and Walsh are riding on the wave of support from their teammates.

People talking about 2nd year blues are just guessing. We'll know soon enough.

But every year i say the same thing when evaluating our chances.
Some kids won't come on as expected, or even go backwards.
Some older players will decline in output, some may even fall of a performance cliff and/or retire early.
Some gun players will get injured.

Happens to everyone, every year.
Whether thats Jagga and Dean, or Byrne and Ison.....or whoever.
This year O'Keeffe definitely fits that bill.

Quote from: DJC – on June 24, 2026, 12:46:54 pm

While I wouldn't say that we had players standing back, I think that the improved form and effort of the support cast in Hewett, Acres, Cerra, Aisworth, Hayward, and now Cottrell, has taken pressure off Cripps and Walsh.  If Cripps or Walsh is quiet, others are filling the void but that support is also enabling Cripps and Walsh, as well as Jagga Smith, to accumulate possessions and distribute the pill effectively.

Cripps' form is scary when compared to the teams performance

Have a look at the following breakdown of team with Cripps possessions in that game in brackets.

Our worst 2 games for the year IMO would be...
Sydney (19 touches)
St. Kilda. (14).

Our best games of the year would be IMO
GWS (33)
Port Adelaide (32)
Geelong (30)
Brisbane (32)
Fremantle (32)
Richmond (32)
Bulldogs (29)

Average/poor performances against....
Melbourne (21)
North Melbourne (21)
Adelaide (29)
Collingwood (25)
Essendon (23)


Coincidence??

No Cripps. No Carlton

While I wouldn't say that we had players standing back, I think that the improved form and effort of the support cast in Hewett, Acres, Cerra, Aisworth, Hayward, and now Cottrell, has taken pressure off Cripps and Walsh.  If Cripps or Walsh is quiet, others are filling the void but that support is also enabling Cripps and Walsh, as well as Jagga Smith, to accumulate possessions and distribute the pill effectively.