Game Review

Carlton was still clearly struggling as indicated by this defeat by a Geelong team that had regressed badly this year. Carlton was so poor that first gamer Craig Cleave may have been Best on Ground. Yet, he was hardly heard of again!!

'Carlton's current form must be of great concern to Blues coach David Parkin. Certainly, they have a number of injuries and, perhaps, the Cats are performing a little bit more like the Geelong of 1981. Their performance down at Kardinia Park was lethargic however, and without their usual enthusiasm. Most sides experience a slump at one time or another during a season but Carlton's is dangerously close to the end of this one. A couple of poor games between now and the beginning of September could see them lose their double chance to Hawthorn or Essendon. Their usual line-up has been altered continually over the last couple of weeks in a bid to recapture some of that sparkling form. We have seen the surprise axing of star forward, Peter Bosustow. That in itself is an indication of how desperately the Blues are searching for form. Mark Maclure has had a bad year with injuries but he was one of Carlton's few winners last week. Getting himself reported and outed for two weeks hasnt helped the Blues. - Graham Teasdale Inside Football.

The ficklness of football ..... it sure does change in a hurry. Some weeks ago, we had Hawthorn supporters wandering around with huge smiles andno doubts about their premiership prospects. Carlton was similarly confident, possessing an explosiveness that was awesome. The Blues could turn the game in a matter of minutes. Carlton seems to be having the share of problems currently. With the sort of mosquito fleet that Carlton basically relies on, the dominance of the backline is of great importance. Ashman, Marcou, Sheldon, Buckley, Glascott and company run fast and like the ball out in front of them, so they have space to use their quickness. They rely on the legendary precision of Doull and Southby to commit themselves strongly. Up forward, they aren't all that tall and with Bosustow down on form, Maclure frustrated by his form and Ditchburn a fledgingfull-forward, they are not as competitive in the air as they should be. They have been through many campaigns though, most of them successful in recent years, and the memory of success may be just sufficient spur to get them up and firing again. - Barry Richardson Inside Football.

Team

Milestones

200 Goals:' Mark Maclure