There is little doubt the Demons will come out with plenty of fire and a desire to make up for such a disappointing effort, thus adding to the challenge for the Blues. This is one of those games where there will be more on the line for the opposition than the four points; this will be about pride, while for Carlton it is about meeting another challenge head on.
It has been years since a team, and indeed a club, was criticised and put under the media microscope in the manner the Melbourne Football Club has this week. We all know there will be a reaction to this criticism on Saturday afternoon. Rising to the challenge is part of being a top side in the AFL and on Saturday Carlton has another opportunity to show the competition that it is a top side.
Overcoming the challenges is an important part of the development of a team and in recent years Carlton has accepted the challenges to develop into a top team. The victory earlier this year in round six on a Friday night at the SCG against Sydney, Carlton’s first win at the SCG since 1993 is an example of rising to the challenge.
It is also about the challenges during a game such as last week against North Melbourne. Poor kicking (3.9 at half-time) saw Carlton behind for much of the game however this team was not content to sit back and wait for something to happen. In previous seasons last week’s game may have resulted in a loss with the game slipping away, however this Carlton side kept working and rose to the challenge to ensure a victory for the Blues, only the second over North Melbourne in the last nine matches.
As a team develops the challenges are not only accepted but they are overcome.
Saturday is not as much a challenge as it is an opportunity. An opportunity for Carlton to show it belongs in the top four, to once again overcome a challenger hell-bent on causing an upset and regaining some pride.
Let’s grab this opportunity and set up the last three matches for Carlton in the home and away season and head into the finals full of confidence. As the players have said, “we want to win a final and anything is possible from there”.
