A STIRRING second half of the season will have Carlton full of confidence with 2019 coming to a close.

Familiar faces fired in Navy Blue while the Club’s emerging youngsters owned the future in a campaign which saw the Blues record seven wins for the year.

With the home-and-away season now over, we’re going through every player who featured for Carlton at senior level in 2019.

Here’s the year that was for Carlton’s No. 8, Matthew Kreuzer. 

GAMES

2019: 15
Career: 188

GOALS

2019: 5
Career: 94

KEY AFL STATISTICS (averages in brackets):

Disposals: 196 (13.1) Marks: 30 (2) Contested possessions: 137 (9.1) Tackles: 34 (2.3) Clearances: 84 (5.6) Hitouts: 467 (31.1)

OVERVIEW

After the frustration of 2018, this year was one where Matthew Kreuzer emphatically bounced back.

Injury troubles restricted Kreuzer to 12 games last season, after a career-best year in 2017. Despite a delayed start to the campaign, it was vintage Kreuzer upon return.

So often described as the barometer of the Carlton outfit, Kreuzer’s 15 games this season were of typical quality.

Averaging a career-high for hitouts and clearances, Kreuzer - who re-signed for an extra 12 months - showed there’s still plenty left to come for ‘the Tractor’.

BEST PERFORMANCE

Over the course of the season, Kreuzer enjoyed strong showings against Hawthorn (Round 6), Melbourne (Round 16) and Sydney (Round 17).

However, arguably the pick of the bunch came in Carlton’s final win of the season against St Kilda.

It was a vintage performance from the big man, who combined his 23 hitouts with 21 disposals, nine clearances and some towering marks in the last quarter.

In his career, Kreuzer has so often been described as ‘an extra midfielder’ — this was a perfect example.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT

Kreuzer showed just how valuable of an asset he was in his second game for the season against Hawthorn.

Arguably the best player on the ground in the first half, Kreuzer showed his class for a big man when he intercepted in the centre, didn’t break stride and converted from 50 metres.

It was a carbon copy of the goal a 20-year-old Kreuzer kicked a decade ago in the 2009 elimination final against Brisbane.

THEY SAID IT

After committing to the Club for 2020, Kreuzer was quick to say he couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

“Carlton has been a big part of my life,” Kreuzer said.

“I’m at the back end now and I’m seeing these young kids come through. I’m just trying to pass on as much knowledge and experience as I can.”