AFL 2024: Carlton awaits Charlie Curnow, Harry McKay injury news
Carlton star Jacob Weitering says the Blues can take confidence from their finish to last season as they battle an injury crisis ahead of two must-win games.
As many as six players from Sunday’s heavy defeat to Hawthorn could miss the flight to Perth as the Blues scramble to regain their place in the top eight against West Coast on Sunday.
Weitering was tight-lipped on the outcome of scans for star forwards Charlie Curnow (ankle) and Harry McKay (quad) but said there were younger players desperate for an opportunity who could fill the void.
It comes as Adam Saad and Jack Martin (hamstrings), Lachie Fogarty (collarbone) and Jordan Boyd (adductor) all look certain to miss the Eagles clash and face a battle to play again in 2024.
“If anyone’s been watching the VFL in the last couple of weeks, they’ve probably come a long way since the start of the season,” Weitering said on Tuesday.
Camera IconCarlton is sweating on the results of scans for twin towers Harry McKay (centre) and Charlie Curnow (right). Michael Klein Credit: News Corp Australia
“We’ve got some young boys who really want to get a go, and there might be a few opportunities this week.
“There’s an element of (backs to the wall) … but we’ve been in these situations before in recent years, and I think it’s just a test of character, culture, values and the way we play the game.”
Weitering said “without making excuses” for the second-half injury carnage, the Blues had mostly focused their review on the first two terms and had been disappointed by a lack of “connection” and “communication”.
“I guess in a sense we certainly let ourselves down and the fans, and we’ve got a massive opportunity to get it right this week,” he said.
“Not to my memory, (I haven’t seen) that much injury carnage, (but) again we had an opportunity … you look at the first couple of minutes of the second quarter, we had a few shots on goal, we didn’t get it done – they kicked two or three quick ones and the avalanche happened from there.”
Weitering said the players remained focused on delivering results against West Coast and St Kilda and drew a parallel to the position the side was in at this time in 2022.
Camera IconJacob Weitering says struggles early in his career at Carlton had helped him gain perspective after the shattering round 22 loss to Hawthorn. Mark Stewart Credit: News Corp Australia
“(Two) years ago we were probably in a similar position earlier on in the season and didn’t get it done against Collingwood in that last round,” he said.
“Last year, everyone was saying ‘blow the place up again’. They were calling for Vossy’s head halfway through (the season), and everyone saw what happened.
“Our best is certainly good enough if we play the right way, play with our identity – pressure and contest.”
Weitering said the Blues had to remind themselves of the bigger picture and how much the club had transformed in the last three years to put the loss into perspective.
“You’ve got to understand how far we’ve come as a club, and that’s something we can take great confidence from,” he said.
“I played in a two-win side in 2018, I’ve had three head coaches in my nine years at the club, and especially in the last three years what we’ve been able to build as a club on-field and off-field, the stability we’ve been able to form … it’s exciting times for us, and sometimes you can lose that a bit in the heat of the moment.
“When you’re losing games, it’s never fun … we’ve just got to get back to what really matters, and that’s the process, and then the wins will come.”
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