Away from home, the Carlton Reserves fell just shy against an experienced Frankston Dolphins outfit. 

Here's what development coach Tom Langford had to say on the clash. 

On his thoughts post-game:

“It’s sometimes difficult to say this and it can come across as token but I'm really proud of the effort of the guys. We came out in blocks really well and executed our plans which was really pleasing with a young group.

“We got off to a flyer, Frankston are a much more mature side than us. They came back and chipped away and eventually came home really strongly, but we tried until the very end.”

On the young group: 

“There are a lot of guys that are still pretty young - playing in their first or second season - coming in having played 10 games or less. 

“It’s pleasing to see to guys get an opportunity to play in front of a good crowd in a hostile environment. We’re really pleased with the way they gave it all and held strong.

“A lot of people forget that the Carlton Reserves program has only been around post-COVID, which is really important to remember that it’s not just the players' age but also the program. We’re still learning how to do things as a club.”

On what worked well:

“We had a plan tonight to really saturate the contest and sort of layer around that, whether it was a stoppage or a general contest, and be able to break really hard forward off the back of it, which I thought we did really well.

“[Darcy] 'Hoggy', who had such a great season, kicked two in the first quarter from getting up high at the stoppage and working back to goal, which was pleasing to see.

“Heath Ramshaw in his 50th game, I think he had 15 touches in the first quarte,r which was awesome.

"He really set the tone for us, his power and his drive were integral and he was able to bring others into the game.

“Young Ollie Badr was really lively. The two tall forwards finished with three each, Dane [Harvey] and Denver [Grainger-Barras], which was good. Hudson O’Keeffe provided a great contest and kicked one himself. 

“The pieces were there, we just weren’t able to sustain it for four quarters against a more mature team.”

On Captain Heath Ramshaw:

“He’s been a constant. Coming through the Carlton College of Sport as well, he’s been a great Carlton person. He sets some really great standards throughout the program, from a training perspective and also a high-performance perspective – he is a really good professional. 

“He certainly wouldn’t look out of place at the higher level. We would love to continue trying to support him as he tries to achieve that goal. He’s a really really great person and a great role model for younger players.”

On how they prepare for next week’s clash:

“We get the chance to have an eight-day break now, so we get a chance to put a little bit more effort in on the track this week, and we will come up with a clear strategy.

"What that is will depend on our personnel, hopefully some returning players and set the guys up to succeed with a clear plan."

“Albeit a loss tonight, it gives us the confidence that these guys can execute a plan, so we’ll come up with something exciting and give the guys a really strong desire to play that way.

"Hopefully we can go out and put on a show, put a big score on the board and get the four points next week back at home.”

Photo credit: Tom McLachlan