3 minute read

Carlton are braced for another huge test against a Geelong side featuring dangerous goal-kicker Jeremy Cameron and returning skipper Patrick Dangerfield.

Carlton coach Michael Voss has put a target on Jeremy Cameron as he seeks to blunt Geelong's high-powered attack in their AFL blockbuster.

The Blues (9-4) and Cats (8-5) clash for the second time this year when they return fresh from their mid-season byes at the MCG on Friday night.

Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield is back from his latest hamstring issue and could be in the sights of Blues tagger Alex Cincotta, with Voss also able to send his chief stopper to Tom Stewart or Max Holmes.

But it is mobile key forward Cameron who arguably poses the biggest threat, having kicked 14 goals in three meetings between the teams since Voss took the reins at the Blues.

"Cameron's done particularly well against us the last couple of times but it's important to try to find even balance because there's a few other pieces that go really well," Voss said.

"They've got other threats that are forward of the ball and clearly they've got scoring power.

"We have to keep that in mind. Jeremy's clearly a high priority, but we also can't focus all our energies on one person.

"There's a system that we need to make sure we pay attention to and there's a style we want to go after."

That focus includes implementing a stronger team defensive structure, after Carlton conceded a season-high 118 points to Geelong in their round-seven encounter.

It is the equal-highest tally the Blues have given up in Voss's three seasons at the helm.

"We were just too easy to score against," Voss said.

"That game and a few other games mean we've had to work hard at being able to correct that and make sure we defend harder for longer, and not just make it an offensive transition game.

"We feel like we've gone to work pretty hard on that.

"There is an expectation that we defend harder and a standard we expect."

Cincotta has been lauded for his shutdown jobs on opposition midfield stars Touk Miller, Zak Butters and Zach Merrett in recent weeks and looms as a key player in the Blues' strategy.

Voss kept his cards close to his chest when quizzed on which Cats player the tagger will shadow.

"It's something we've added into our game that's been quite useful for us," Voss said.

"Clearly we've had a bias of looking at the midfielder and we still have that within us, but we acknowledge that there are some really important players to Geelong that help them execute the way they want to be able to play.

"Stewart is one of those, clearly, but they've got some through the midfield and up forward that we'll need to take care of.

"They're all things to keep in mind but we still come in largely focused on how we try to fuel our own game."

Geelong star Dangerfield will play for the first time since round seven after fully recovering from his second hamstring strain of the year, while Zach Tuohy and Ollie Henry are also back.

But midfielder Tanner Bruhn will miss at least a month for the Cats after breaking a wrist at training this week.

"It was a real shock, the severity of the injury, because it seemed innocuous in training," Geelong coach Chris Scott said.

"He actually trained through and then had a precautionary scan afterwards. It revealed the scaphoid fracture."

Carlton made one change, with Jack Carroll making way for Orazio Fantasia to return from a shoulder injury.