‘Opponents are Charging Through’: Troubling Blues Statistic Reveals Key Weakness

Jimmy Bartel has expressed that Carlton’s head coach, Michael Voss, needs to address the team’s defensive shortcomings after a dismal beginning to the season.

The Blues have conceded 14 instances of five-goal bursts since the start of 2024, and their performance in the second halves of matches so far in 2025 has left much to be desired, with a second-half point differential of -89.

Following Thursday night’s defeat to the Bulldogs, Voss acknowledged that lapses in concentration during crucial moments of the game were proving detrimental to their performance.

“Our best has been reasonably strong, yet we frequently veer from our game plan more than we’d like, allowing opponents to exploit gaps and re-enter the contest,” Voss explained.

Bartel contends that these ‘small’ openings are allowing far more than just a gentle breeze to filter through.

“The issue with those windows is that the opposition is currently driving buses through them,” the Geelong champion remarked on Nine’s Footy Furnace.

“Since 2024, we’ve seen Carlton have 14 five-goal scoring surges against them, and their point deficit in second halves this season stands at -89.

“The challenge lies in their capacity to identify those critical moments and adapt their setup accordingly when facing an opponent on a scoring spree. Our coaches instilled in us that conceding one goal is acceptable, tightening up after two, but allowing a third is unacceptable. You can design your game’s structure accordingly, although the 6-6-6 rule does complicate matters somewhat. However, with centre bounces, positioning should allow for better chances, and the worst case would result in a high ball that gives defenders an opportunity to regroup.

“They must learn how to halt opposing scoring streaks. Experiencing 14 run-ons is simply too frequent over the span of just over a season.”

Former Essendon coach James Hird echoed this sentiment, asserting that the Blues require a more solid defensive strategy to counteract momentum shifts in games.

“It’s essential to have a strategy in place when three goals are scored against you. This could be a winger rotating around to cover space or finding ways to create another stoppage,” he suggested.

“Ensuring your ruckman is directing taps to where their ruckman is positioned allows you to maintain pressure, but this doesn’t seem to be happening at the moment.”

Since 2007, only one team that began their season with three consecutive losses has managed to break into the top four, presenting a challenging outlook for the Blues.

Nonetheless, Bartel remains optimistic about Carlton’s potential to turn their fortunes around, pointing to last year’s champions, Brisbane, who were also searching for their first win after three rounds.

“The goal should still be finals football. While securing a top-four spot may be a stretch, the team can channel their inner Brisbane, who rallied from a slow start to achieve success, as well as the Hawks, who also began with five straight losses,” Bartel said.

“It’s crucial to find a way to build momentum. There’s no use in writing off the season; Michael Voss must instil hope within the squad.”

Carlton now faces a significant challenge ahead, taking on arch-rivals Collingwood on Thursday night.