'Hard to watch!': AFL great left completely dumbfounded by 'mind ...

26 May 2023
Sydney vs Carlton

Carlton has copped a spray from AFL great Jason Dunstall for their inability to hit a target against Sydney on Friday night.

The Blues managed just one goal in a dour second term at the SCG, in an effort Dunstall labelled as “hard to watch”.

“I can’t deal with this - honestly!” he said on Fox Footy.

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“If I was a Carlton coach or supporter right now, I’ve got no hair to pull out right now, but honestly the inability to do something decent with the football.

“Their kicking skills from the moment this game started, and it’s not just this week, it’s been consistent throughout the course of the year – the inability to hit targets, the inability to kick to the advantage of teammates, inability to make good decisions with ball in hand … it’s mind boggling!

“It’s that bad, it’s hard to watch.

“It’s a bit Charlie Curnow or bust for the Blues.

“They’ve got to improve their ball use.”

Curnow redeemed after misfire in front | 00:34

Despite the Blues backline standing tall with a remarkable 12 intercepts to one in the opening half, the dominance wasn’t put on the scoreboard due to turnover errors.

“When they are out, they are turning it over,” Fox Footy’s Ben Dixon added.

Dunstall accused Carlton players of simply allowing the Swans to dictate to them.

“That difficulty in defending starts with their forward 50 the Blues. They are always behind their opponents,” he lamented.

“So the Sydney Swans players will take an aggressive positioning, they’ll be first to react to a miskick or turnover or ground ball and away they go – all you see are Carlton players trailing.

“Some of the Carlton players have got to take front position and be accountable for the rebound.

“I think Carlton have been outworked, they’ve been outmuscled, they’ve been outplayed and they’ve been less aggressive than Sydney have and they’ve got a fight on their hands.”

'He has no home' - Silvagni at crossroad | 01:39

The Blues are going at less than 50% efficiency inside forward 50 in the opening half while inaccuracy in front of goal is another issue coach Michael Voss needs to address.

Harry McKay’s wayward kicking continued as he sprayed his set shot out on the full in the second term.

Statistics show he’s going at just 54% efficiency in front of goal in worrying signs for the Blues.

But he wasn’t alone with the yips on Friday night as Charlie Curnow was goalless with just two behinds to his name - and a moment to forget where he kicked into the man on the mark just 15m almost directly in front.

“It’s infectious – Charlie Curnow who just doesn’t miss,” Fox Footy’s David King said.

“He just never misses the target and he’d had several couple shots of goal he’d like again.”

Carlton headed into Friday night’s game off the back of five losses in their past six games to slide out of the top eight.

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