NORTHERN Blues coach Josh Fraser assesses the performances of all Carlton-listed players who featured in the VFL loss to Richmond on Sunday:

Tom De Koning
Stats: 15 disposals, 7 marks (4 contested)
From the coach: It was a pretty exciting game from Tommy on the weekend. He competes hard in the air, and he looked like he’d tear the game apart early with five marks in those conditions. His progress has been exciting — what we like is his competitiveness in the air and on the ground as well as the energy he brings. 

Jarrod Garlett
Stats: 15 disposals, 4 tackles, 4 rebound 50s, 1 goal
From the coach: It was a slow start but to his absolute credit he fought back after quarter-time to have a good impact - that came about through his pressure and generally being pretty clean with the ball. He played with speed and ran the game out well in his first game back for a few weeks. He was a solid contributor.

Jesse Glass-McCasker
Stats: 8 disposals, 4 rebound 50s
From the coach: Jesse started the game forward and showed some good signs. He copped a knock and to his credit he played the game out and competed. We moved him back in the second half after losing Cam O’Shea and Alex Silvagni where he competed well. The exposure as a forward is a good thing for him. 

Matthew Kennedy
Stats: 29 disposals, 12 clearances, 5 tackles, 1 goal
From the coach: It was good to welcome Matty back from a few weeks off. He played predominantly in the midfield while spending a bit of time up forward. His stats of 29 disposals and 12 clearances were really strong, as was his ability to apply pressure. In his first game up after a fair layoff, there were some really encouraging signs. 

Kym Lebois
Stats: 4 disposals, 4 tackles
From the coach: It was Kym’s first game in six weeks, and by his own admission he was probably a bit rusty in terms of his feel for the game. He took a good overhead mark early and applied some pressure, which we’re hoping he’ll build over four quarters when he gets some form and fitness over the next few weeks. We know he’s got great talent. 

Matthew Lobbe
Stats: 12 disposals, 11 tackles, 33 hitouts, 1 goal
From the coach: 33 hitouts for Matty but it was his physical presence which was the standout, while he also got forward at the right times which we’ve been working hard on. He put himself in the right positions, led from the front and his communication and leadership are helping our younger players. 

Cillian McDaid
Stats: 9 disposals
From the coach: Cillian played the second half in his first game, and he gave us what we expected. He had nine possessions off half-back and gave us some genuine run and dash in difficult conditions. For him, it was important to get a feel for the game and pleasingly he got through well. He’ll build his preparation from here.

Aaron Mullett
Stats: 20 disposals, 5 marks, 3 clearances
From the coach: It was a combination of wing and half-back for him, and he provided some good defensive support. He had 20 disposals and could’ve impacted a bit more if he was a bit cleaner at times, but he had some strong defensive actions. It was a solid performance over four quarters. 

Cameron O’Shea
Stats: 8 disposals, 4 tackles, 3 rebound 50s
From the coach: Cam played the first half for us before unfortunately going down with injury. Along with ‘ASOS’, he was one of our two most dependable defenders with both his actions and the ability to set up. We missed him in the second half. He gives unconditional effort every week which is what we love about him. 

Andrew Phillips
Stats: 10 disposals, 4 marks, 32 hitouts
From the coach: He had his fair share of ruck dominance while taking some strong contested marks. His follow-up and aggression at ground level were exactly what we want from him, and his leadership around stoppage was important. 

Jarrod Pickett
Stats: 4 disposals, 3 tackles
From the coach: It was an ‘almost’ game for Jarrod: he was in and around a lot of the contest but was a bit rusty with ball-in-hand. He had some important moments as the game went on, and we think he showed his best form isn’t far away. It was a frustrating day for him, because he threatened to tear the game apart at different times but it didn’t quite work out for him. We’re looking forward to seeing him build after missing a fair chunk of footy. 

Cameron Polson
Stats: 13 disposals, 11 tackles
From the coach: His energy, pressure and speed were exactly what we’ve been looking for, and he was able to do it for longer this week. His 11 tackles were really pleasing and showed an appetite for the contest. As a coaching group we were pleased with his energy and effort. 

Angus Schumacher
Stats: 18 disposals, 4 rebound 50s
From the coach: A young defender who I think is taking strides forward each week, shown with his 18 disposals in difficult conditions. His defensive actions are more consistent and are getting to what we expect. He’s developing well by playing against experienced AFL-listed forwards each week. 

Matthew Shaw
Stats: 10 disposals
From the coach: His contest and defensive actions were good but he couldn’t quite impact enough with the ball, with the conditions potentially playing a part in that. We want him to keep impacting the game through his leg speed and his ability to read the game well, which are his strengths. Defensively, he was solid. 

Alex Silvagni
Went off early through injury.
From the coach: We missed him. He played with speed and intent and sets an unbelievable tone for our players. His injury and loss on the day were definitely felt.