Garry Lyon was full of praise for Carlton defender Jacob Weitering and his performance on the weekend.
Weitering had one of the more unenviable tasks, manning 2020 Coleman Medallist Tom Hawkins.
Despite the Cats controlling the contest and peppering the forward 50, Hawkins finished with no score, 14 disposals, six marks, five inside 50s and two score involvements.
Weitering and Hawkins battled in an old school one-on-one contest, amplified by the absence of Liam Jones, who was a late withdrawal.
Lyon can’t remember a defender beating the star Geelong veteran so comprehensively.
“I would’ve given Weitering and Sam Walsh votes and probably Zach Tuohy the other one, maybe Tom Stewart, they were the four,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.
“I just thought Weitering … his positioning on Tom Hawkins was superb.
“He played him from behind. If Tom gets behind you, he could push a truck under the footy.
“Weitering played him from behind … and he would either hold that position and hold him under the ball and mark or spoil or, and this is what I loved most about it, and you could see it at the ground, at the right time he would just dart around from the back to the front.
“That one was one of his great skills. He would have back position on Hawkins, read the ball in flight and be so quick to get around the front. It was great to watch.
“Yeah (it’s the best I’ve seen someone play Hawkins), he didn’t score, Tommy. They had 30 inside 50s to 15 at one stage in favour of the Cats so there was a lot of looks at it, I thought (Weitering) was magnificent.”
Without Jones, the Blues were severely undersized in defence.
The 193cm Lachie Plowman was forced to play on Esava Ratugolea, with the 190cm Tom Williamson also forced into a key position role at times.
Carlton’s key defensive stocks behind Weitering and Jones are thin, with Oscar McDonald (long-term back injury) and Levi Casboult (also a late withdrawal) the only real depth.
The Blues will be hoping Jones, who missed with soreness, returns to face Collingwood on Sunday afternoon.