AFL 360’s Gerard Whateley says the external “hyperventilating” about Carlton’s Opening Round loss has been “ridiculous”.
The Blues’ fadeout has been well-documented since last Thursday – with Michael Voss’ side conceding 18 second-half goals en route to a rough 63-point loss – but Whateley says expectations on this Carlton outfit must be tempered.
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“The hyperventilating around Carlton has been ridiculous,” Whateley declared on Fox Footy on Monday night.
“When their fixture came out, you go ‘loss, win, win, win’. So, Sydney in Sydney was always going to be a loss.
“The manner of the third quarter is troubling – and that is for them to address and attempt to rectify – (but) these are the three games that they have to step through and win.”
The three games Whateley references are Richmond in Round 1, Melbourne in Round 3 (after a bye in Round 2), and North Melbourne in Round 4.
“And this is where you’re much more likely to see what they’ve been working on, that you’re able to embed,” Whateley continued.
“We got tastes of it along the way (against the Swans), but under the enormous pressure that Sydney was able to provide in the third quarter … they could do nothing as that unfolded.
“So, judge them on these next three games – which we fully expect them to win – rather than hyperventilating … go about and win these next three and give a better display of what you’ve been working on and the progress that you’ve made against the like-for-like, and then find your place.”
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Whateley concluded by again going into bat for the Blues, claiming anyone who predicted them to be a successful side this season was “deluded”.
“They’re going to be in the lower reaches – they have set up to be in the lower reaches – they are developing their list at the moment, they sold their high-end talent for the future.
“If you think they are going to be successful this year, you have deluded yourself into a state of frenzy, at which point you become a vandal.”
Earlier in the segment, speaking on the Blues’ defeat in the Harbour City, co-host Garry Lyon offered his viewpoint on the discrepancy in ‘A-graders’ between the clubs.
“It’s the gap. It’s the gap between the two (clubs) … Sydney has got six A-grade players, Carlton has probably got three,” Lyon said.
His Swans A-graders are Errol Gulden, Chad Warner, Isaac Heeney, Charlie Curnow, Nick Blakey, Brodie Grundy, and his Blues A-graders are Patrick Cripps, Sam Walsh and Jacob Weitering.
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“Then, you look at the way the game’s going, and what you’ve got to be very hopeful for … you’ve got to hope that your A-graders are suited to modern-day footy … not the footy that’s played five years ago,” Lyon continued.
“And this (Swans) group is. Whereas the Blues’ A-graders probably aren’t. And that’s not a knock on a two-time Brownlow medallist (Patrick Cripps). Because, for the era that he won those, as good as anyone, and Walsh the same … he won his own footy, but he doesn’t hurt you as much.
“When you look on the other side, the Swans were quiet for a half, and then their A-graders got going, and they blew the game to smithereens in a quarter, because their A-graders fit modern-day footy to a tee.
“They run, they carry, they kill you by foot, and they bang 13 goals in a row … modern-day footy is set up for Gulden, Warner, Blakey, Heeney … it’s the gap between the best and the not.”
The Blues host Richmond this Thursday night in their traditional Round 1 meeting.
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