AFL great Jimmy Bartel fears Carlton coach Michael Voss may be overcomplicating his half-time messaging as the Blues scramble to fix a dire problem.
The team’s habit of going to sleep after half time seems to be getting worse this season.
The Blues led Melbourne by 43 points at the weekend before being belted in the second half to lose the game by 23.
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That stunning loss followed one to the Swans in which Carlton led at half time only to be dominated in the third and fourth quarters, and a narrow win against Richmond despite kicking just one goal in the final hour of the contest.
In the past two seasons the team averages 34.5 points in second halves, which is the third lowest in the competition.
Blues coach Michael Voss is under pressure. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Following the loss to the Demons, former Carlton player Brendan Fevola suggested Voss could face the sack if the Blues lose to lowly North Melbourne on Good Friday.
Essendon legend James Hird says there will be major doubt in the minds of players about whether they can play consistently for an entire game.
“If you are Michael Voss and the Carlton players, in your minds without a doubt is ‘can we play a whole four quarters of footy?’,” Hird said on Nine’s Footy Furnace.
“If I was coaching I would say righto boys, we are worrying about quarter one, and we’re not worrying about the next quarter. We’re just going quarter by quarter by quarter.”
The Blues have been heavily criticised for their playing style, most notably by former captain Sam Docherty following the loss to Sydney in round one.
Bartel wants to see Voss focus on one or two simple messages which the players can take into the second halves of games.
“I think when you approach the third quarter you have to approach it with that attitude,” Bartel said, agreeing with Hird.
“What I notice… is I think they drift away. (Blues star) Sam Walsh touched on it in a press conference, it’s a concentration thing.
“So instead of giving them 10 things at half time let’s bring it back to three things.
“They get their numbers around the contest… but what I want to see more from a technical point is use their handball a lot, because they get their number at a stoppage, they jam it on the boot too much and don’t actually use the numbers.
“Use the forward handball, use the numbers around you. When they kick it it allows the opposition to beat them in transition, which they are not overly strong at.
“But if you use your numbers around, then you’ve got to use the work rate. If you can handball, handball, then you can find that release mark and then you control the tempo of the game.
“This might sound a bit under-16s stuff, and people might take it for granted… you’ve got to get over to a stoppage early and everyone has got to be talking.
“It makes the game easier.”
The Blues sit 16th on the AFL ladder with one win from three games.
They face the resurgent Kangaroos on Good Friday before tough assignments against Adelaide and Collingwood in the coming weeks.