Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne believes Carlton made a strategic mistake playing the two ruckmen in their loss to Adelaide on the weekend.
With Adam Cerra a late withdrawal with a hammy, the Blues opted to bring in Marc Pittonet to pair with Tom De Koning in the ruck, rather than the midfield emergency in Jaxon Binns.
It was the ruckman’s first game of the year, changing Carlton structurally, given they’ve been using De Koning and Harry McKay as their ruck tandem.
However, Hoyne believes the inclusion of Pittonet reverted the club back to their 2023 profile.
Carlton had been an elite clearance and contest team under Michael Voss across 2022 and 2023, but across the first month of 2024 they became the best forward-half pressure team in the competition, leading to them dominating in scores from turnovers.
However, the return of two ruckmen, likely coupled with the loss of Lachie Fogarty who led the league in tackles inside 50, led to the Blues losing the turnover game to the Crows.
Hoyne says the Blues should be careful not to lose what has held them in good stead to start the season.
“The only reason I would be a little bit concerned is the injury front and the draw, as you mentioned,” Hoyne told SEN’s Sportsday.
“I’m big on how you’re playing more than who you’re playing, but there is a tipping point from the injury side of things.
“I want to more talk about the structure of the team on the weekend and moving forward.
“It surprised me to see Marc Pittonet back in the team and playing the two rucks together.
“If you look at every team heading into the year, there was an area of improvement for every team in 2024 and clearly that was the turnover game for Carlton.
“That needed to get better for them to compete – and across the first four weeks of the year, they’re the best turnover team in the competition. It’s been fantastic and through forward-half pressure.
“Then Pittonet comes back into the team and for the first time for the year they lose the turnover game, but their stoppage game comes back – and they dominate stoppage and score 14 times, but they lose the most important aspect of the game.
“So, over the last couple of years, when it’s just been De Koning, Carlton has won the turnover game 60 per cent of the time. They win it by seven points per game. That profile is going to take you a long way.
“When they play both rucks, they’ve won the turnover game 6 of 14 times and that’s not going to take you to a finals campaign.
“When it’s just Pittonet alone, they’ve won 1 of 5 in the turnover game.
“The previous three weeks they were +98 in the turnover game. They lose it for the first time.
“I’m looking at Tom De Koning and he plays 30 minutes as a key forward on the weekend and was targeted once inside forward 50. To me, that’s a waste and to me, they don’t need it given how well Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow are going and the impact the ruck time has had on Harry as well.
“I’d just be a little bit careful if I was Carlton to not get too consumed with what’s happening in your clearance game and thinking that Pittonet needs to solve that.
“Your profile before that was strong and with the addition of Sam Walsh, I’m pretty confident the clearance game will work itself out – don’t lose the aspect of your game that improved your profile and will hold you in good shape come Prelim Final week.”
Carlton signed Pittonet to a four-year deal last season and Cornes believes the club brought him in as part of needing to justify the contract.
“When you lock yourself in and sign the ruckman for four years and he doesn’t play the first month of the season, he is desperate to play, and it’s almost like a goodwill gesture,” he said.
“Cerra comes out and it’s like ‘geez we better play him. We’ve promised him that he’ll work with De Koning, so we better play him.
“I don’t think clubs are ruthless enough. There’s going to be a point where Port Adelaide goes ‘we have to play Jordon Sweet and Ivan Soldo is going pretty well, but we’ve promised this guy some opportunities’.
“There’s going to come a point where they play him for that reason and sometimes I don’t think clubs are ruthless enough.
“If one of them is going to be forward, it’s going to be De Koning and not Pittonet, De Koning is a much better forward. If Pittonet is going to ruck 80 per cent, the inability to defend comes in.
“Adelaide only had Reilly O’Brien rucking too. It’s a good pickup by you.”
McKay has been in outstanding form to start the season, partially due to his time in the ruck and around the ground.
Carlton will be hoping to bounce back this weekend against the undefeated GWS at Marvel Stadium.
They will be without Adam Cerra, Mitch McGovern, Adam Saad, Caleb Marchbank, Jesse Motlop, Jack Martin, David Cuningham, Lachie Fogarty, Sam Docherty and Jack Silvagni from their best 22 as their injury crisis mounts.
