The game as it stands
The Blues are facing the Dockers at Optus Stadium with a relatively unchanged lineup from their Round 16 team.
With Marc Pittonet and Tom De Koning to miss again, Jack Silvagni will shoulder the ruck load assisted by Lewis Young. With the Dockers ranked first in the league for hitouts per game, it will be a big test for the duo to give their midfielders the best possible chance at ground level.
Matt Cottrell comes back into the side after serving a one-game suspension, with Ed Curnow omitted.
The last time Carlton played at Optus Stadium was when it handed a 108-point demolition to West Coast: the Blues will look to take some confidence from that performance as they head into enemy territory.
With Charlie Curnow and Nic Newman to play their 100th AFL games, there is plenty on the line as the Blues take on the Dockers on Sunday afternoon.
Key match up
It could be a huge job for the milestone man, with Newman likely to get the job on the sharp-shooter Michael Walters.
Walters - who kicked four goals last week against the Bulldogs - has been enjoying some positive form lately and has been deadly in front of goal, kicking 15 straight majors since Round 6.
Newman - who regularly takes on the game’s best small forwards - will want to keep an eye on Walters, using his defensive smarts and one-on-one prowess to keep Walters quiet.
Player to watch
Patrick Cripps loves playing in Perth.
The Northampton product received three Brownlow votes the last time these two sides met at Optus Stadium, while also having 33 disposals and a goal against West Coast earlier this year.
Undoubtedly buoyed by the support he receives when he heads back west, Cripps will need to flex his contested muscle alongside the likes of Adam Cerra and Matthew Kennedy, with Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw waiting in the wings.
Goss from Voss
AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss acknowledged the very real threat that is Fremantle playing on their home deck – a challenge that Voss wants his players to respect.
Focusing on a strong start and playing their own way, Voss doesn’t want his side to have to react in unfamiliar territory.
“I think every time you want to go to an opposition's ground, you want to start well, you want to make sure you have the right intensity around the ball,” Voss said at his press conference on Friday.
“It just makes it really hard if you’re going into a different environment from a negative position – the intention is always to start well, but it becomes a little bit more important when you play away.
“We understand Fremantle has a damaging game and we’re also walking into their territory and we have to respect that so it’s going to take our very best to get the job done.”
Things we love to see
What’s better than one milestone?
Two milestones.
That’s what the Blues will be serving up on Sunday afternoon when both Nic Newman and Charlie Curnow run out for their 100th league game.
Newman - who played 31 of his games for the Swans - has been a consistent defender since his arrival at IKON Park, crowned Best Clubman twice.
Though Newman didn’t have the most traditional route to the AFL - being picked up as a mature-aged recruit - he has certainly made the most of it since he landed in the system.
Curnow has played all 99 of his games to date with Carlton and has had a storied journey despite the injuries throughout his career.
Missing two seasons due to knee injuries, the much-loved Curnow came back with a vengeance, which saw him win the 2022 Coleman Medal with 64 goals.
