Carlton and Geelong braved the heat at Princes Park on Thursday afternoon in a competitive hit-out.
The Cats led for most of the day, winning 10.13. (73) to 8. 8. (56). Both teams were inaccurate in front of goal, clearly showing some rust up forward.
Geelong rotated almost their entire squad in the win, while the Blues were without the likes of Jacob Weitering, Sam Walsh, Zac Williams and Caleb Marchbank.
All both teams would have hoped for is to get through unscathed, but unfortunately for Geelong, Cam Guthrie came from the field almost immediately with a quad injury.
The Blues will face Melbourne next Wednesday, while Geelong hosts Essendon on Friday.
See our takeaways for both teams below:
Carlton takeaways
Harry McKay’s goal kicking woes remain unchanged
Do you take the glass half full or the glass half empty when it comes to a pre-season game in late February?
On one hand, McKay took big marks, showed improved ruck craft which will greatly help Carlton structurally and looked super fit.
On the other, he had five set shots at goal – one from 50m out that didn’t score, one from the left forward pocket that he jagged, and two from the top of the goal square that he missed. The fifth came in the last quarter, a lovely set shot from 50.
What this suggests is that his goal kicking yips, which derailed his 2023 season, remain to some extent.
But again, it’s February.
If McKay can fill the backup ruck void for the Blues in 2024, it would allow them to play the extra runner as opposed to two ruckmen.
The Blues have a small forward selection headache
Carlton will have a few to pick from this year inside 50. Jesse Motlop looked great against the Cats and appears to be a lock in the best 22, while Orazio Fantasia was also impressive, looking fit and having an impact whenever he went near the ball.
Elijah Hollands had a few scrappy moments, but covered the ground well and looks to be well in the mix once he serves his two-game suspension.
Then you have Matt Owies, David Cuningham, Lachie Fogarty, Corey Durdin and the returning Jack Martin all fighting for only a few spots.
And that’s before considering draftee Ashton Moir, who had a few nice moments against Geelong, kicking two goals.
Who replaces Jacob Weitering?
With Jacob Weitering set to miss the start of the 2024 season, the battle is on to fill the hole.
Caleb Marchbank (who missed with illness) and Mitch McGovern are locks for Opening Round, with one of Brodie Kemp, Lewis Young or Sam Durdin likely to grab the third spot.
Kemp and Young had rocky outings on Thursday, with neither really putting their hand firmly up.
Durdin didn’t play against the Cats for load management reasons, but he will be available to face Melbourne.
At this stage, there doesn’t appear to be a clear frontrunner.
Ollie Hollands will go to another level
Already a great runner, Hollands had a great debut season, playing 19 games including three finals.
He appears to have had an excellent pre-season, with the Blues using him on-ball as well as through the wings.
Expect the 20-year-old to lock in his spot in the club’s best 22 this season.
Loved some of what Ollie Hollands has produced today as he enters year two! pic.twitter.com/Y4pgvJtMhq
— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) February 22, 2024
Geelong takeaways
Guthrie quad injury could spell disaster
It’s simple. Geelong’s hopes of returning to its 2023 form hinged on its midfield showing its true colours. Guthrie was a central piece to that after missing all but six games of 2023.
In his return to AFL-level football, he pinged a quad in the very first minute of the game. Cam Guthrie immediately grabbed at his right leg and hobbled off the ground.
While it didn’t set the tone and the Cats impressed across the game, it’s a worrying development given Guthrie’s importance to the team.
Guthrie would be in the top handful of Cats most important to Chris Scott in 2024, as is Sam De Koning, who overcame his own injury concern during the hitout.
Patrick Dangerfield, Mark Blicavs, Tanner Bruhn, Jhye Clark and more all ran through the midfield and the Cats do have the depth to cover Guthrie.
However, it’s unlikely they have the class and his absence would be a blow for the early parts of the season, assuming he misses.
Hawkins and Cameron won’t be the be-all and end-all in 2024
The Cats veterans were roaming the forward line all day and were in cruise control. Geelong fans will no doubt be overjoyed their two key pillars are already up and running for the new season.
And while Jeremy Cameron’s brilliance was on display on several occasions, he and Tom Hawkins didn’t take centre stage for much of the four quarters.
Instead, Shannon Neale – who has played five AFL games – was pivotal and looked a player ready to grasp his chance with his aerial ability.
Ollie Henry also took several strong marks and was lively inside 50, while Ollie Dempsey did his chances of breaking back into Scott’s team no harm and sat on Blake Acres’ head for the mark of the game.
If all of Geelong’s forwards are up and running, not only will there be plenty of competition for spot, but plenty of competition for goals.
O’Sullivan will play senior footy early in 2024
How or where exactly Geelong’s top pick of the 2023 draft fits into Chris Scott’s lineup is still to be seen. All that’s clear is that he will.
Connor O’Sullivan looked assured with ball in hand spending most of his time behind the footy and already standing at 198cms and weighing 92kgs, he’s got the body of an AFL athlete.
Geelong’s defence was its most settled line in 2023. But he’s shown genuine ball-winning ability as a junior and his running power could also see him move up the wing.
It’s not hard to see why teammate Gryan Miers said he’d offer O’Sullivan a 10-year contract straight away.