Re: Casboult to CHB
Reply #29 –
From Blueseum:
When the 2012 season got underway, pundits agreed that a fitter, more mature Casboult was likely to play senior football sooner rather than later. Early in the first VFL game of the year against Coburg however, Levi crashed to the turf with a torn posterior cruciate ligament in a knee – an injury that eventually cost him 14 weeks on the sidelines. Back to fitness again in mid-July, Casboult found himself playing for a club in real danger of missing the finals. After a slashing start to the year, the Blues had been devastated by injury, to the extent that by round 17, all four of the club’s front-line ruckmen; Matthew Kreuzer, Shaun Hampson, Robert Warnock and Sam Rowe were unavailable through injury, illness or suspension.
Therefore, Levi was called to the colours at last in less than ideal circumstances – with the huge task of leading Carlton’s rucks on debut, against a Western Bulldogs side with a full complement of big men. As expected, he was out-gunned by the bulk and experience of Bulldog Wil Minson - yet he stuck to his task, took some strong marks around the ground, and was one of the key factors in Carlton’s gutsy 18-point win.
Over the following five weeks, Levi maintained his place in Carlton’s team and showed constant improvement. He kicked his first career goal against Richmond at the MCG on a Saturday night in round 18, and stamped himself as a key forward prospect with a breakout game against Essendon in round 21. In front of 60,000 spectators on that Saturday afternoon at the MCG, Casboult made everybody sit up and take notice when he took six big marks and kicked three goals as Carlton shredded the Bombers. The second of those majors; a right-foot, over-the-shoulder snap from 50 metres out on the boundary, was a viable Goal of the Year contender - surpassed only by his tenacious chase and tackle on Bomber speedster Courtney Dempsey during the third quarter.
There’s a lot more about his junior footy days as a ruckman, including his first two seasons with the Stingrays
Like many of our recent key forwards, Levi was a ruckman first and foremost. He has probably enjoyed more success than the other ruckmen we’ve tried to turn into key forwards but he is still a ruckman who can play forward.