Carlton’s Evolution Is Real - But The Turnovers Still Linger
Written by Terry Dehghani
Carlton 13.8 (86) def Geelong 11.5 (71)
Practice Match Review
Carlton finished their practice hit-out against Geelong with a 15-point win, 13.8 (86) to 11.5 (71), and while the scoreboard ultimately favoured the Blues, the story of the night was layered.
There were clear improvements. There were familiar frustrations. And there were a few individuals who genuinely shifted the feel of the team.
Here’s my breakdown.
First Quarter | Sharper Ball Use & Strong Territory
Carlton started with the Hollands brothers on the wings and immediately looked more composed with ball in hand compared to last week.
The most noticeable shift? Kicking efficiency around the ground.
Instead of rushed long bombs, there was more intent to lower the eyes and hit targets.
Key moments:
Evans intercept mark inside 50 → goal
Hewett to Jagga Smith → goal
Hewett to Kemp → goal
The Blues led 4.1 (25) to 1.2 (8) at quarter time.
It wasn’t perfect, but the ball movement was cleaner and territory was controlled far better than last week Vs Brisbane.
Second Quarter | Pressure Without Reward
The defensive intensity ramped up significantly.
With 4:20 left in the quarter, Carlton had already laid 42 tackles, an indicator of intent.
Reidy pinned Sam De Koning in a strong tackle (missed the set shot), and the Blues repeatedly sent the ball long and deep to generate stoppages.
The issue was they didn’t capitalise.
While Carlton dominated territory and pressure, Geelong punished moments:
Ollie Henry goal off defensive transition
Saad holding free to Jack Martin → goal
At halftime it was 4.5 (29) to 3.4 (22) and a reminder that pressure alone doesn’t guarantee scoreboard control.
Still, the defensive unit looked compact and organised. Structurally, this was an improvement.
Third Quarter | Control, Creativity & Costly Turnovers
Midway through the third, Carlton were +39 in uncontested possessions, a clear sign they were owning tempo and controlling phases of the game.
Tom Hawkins even highlighted this as the key to stopping Geelong in his special comments during the broadcast.
The centre clearance synergy stood out:
Pitto tap → Hewett → Walsh in sync
Though Walsh’s inside 50 kick missed its target, the connection through the corridor was promising.
Jagga Smith’s composure continued to shine:
Lowered the eyes
Hit dangerous areas
Set up Elijah Hollands for a classy crumb and goal
Elijah Hollands was also thrown behind the ball at times, an interesting move.
There were moments of genuine class:
Saad run-and-carry initiated a slick chain ending with Hewett to Kemp → goal
Walsh inside 50 to Moir → goal
Elijah earned a free inside 50 through work rate → goal
But here’s the concern:
Two Geelong goals came directly from Carlton turnovers.
Lewis Young turnover → Dangerfield goal.
McGovern left-foot miss → Mitch Knevitt goal.
The Blues led 8.6 (54) to 6.5 (41) at the final break, but the margin should arguably have been greater.
Fourth Quarter | Flair & Free Flow
The final term opened with a Geelong pack mark in the square, but from there, Carlton showed some of their most exciting football of the night.
Highlights:
Walsh running bounces from centre bounce → goal
Elijah beautiful kick to Chesser → goal
Ollie Hollands clean finish → goal
Cripps capitalising on turnover → goal
The most pleasing element was the link-up play:
Walsh running in space
Cripps combining through the middle
Decision-making with composure
It felt more free-flowing. Less forced. More confident.
Geelong stayed within reach through Jack Martin (three goals), but Carlton closed it out convincingly.
Final score: 13.8 (86) to 11.5 (71).
The Standouts
🔹 Jagga Smith
Composure. Vision. Clean ball use.
He lowered his eyes, hit targets and brought a skill layer this midfield has lacked.
🔹 Sam Walsh
Explosive and relentless.
His centre bounce goal and work in space reminded everyone how central he is to the system.
🔹 George Hewett
The connector.
Multiple score involvements. Defensive work. Smart distribution.
🔹 Elijah Hollands
Work rate, crumbing, versatility.
Used behind the ball and inside 50. Rewarded for effort.
🔹 Adam Saad
When he chose to run and carry, it changed the rhythm of the game.
The Positives
Noticeably better kicking efficiency early
Improved use of width and switching
High tackle pressure
Strong uncontested possession dominance
More layers in ball movement
Multiple avenues to goal
The Concerns
Turnovers directly costing goals
Territory dominance not always translating to scoreboard dominance
Still moments of poor inside 50 execution
Against a clinical side like Geelong, mistakes get punished.
The Bigger Picture
This wasn’t a flawless performance, but it was a step in the right direction.
There were structural improvements.
There was composure under pressure.
There were younger players elevating the skill ceiling.
The sting came out late, as practice matches often do. But the foundations looked different tonight.
More composed.
More layered.
More intentional.
Now the question becomes:
Was this a pre-season glimpse, or the beginning of Carlton’s evolution?
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