Four games into their season, the Blues are still without a win. This is why their weekend went from bad to worse on Saturday, and other key takeouts from round four.

Thursday night, MCG
Collingwood defeated Carlton by 17 points

Carlton coach Michael Voss and his players look dejected after losing to the Magpies on Thursday night.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

Carlton coach Michael Voss would have thought after the dispiriting loss to Collingwood, his weekend could not be worse. Then he watched the Blues’ VFL team play on Saturday night.

If Voss’s language at his post-match press conference is a guide, when he described the Blues’ effort as “unacceptable” and questioned his players’ toughness and standards, he is close to the point of making wholesale changes.

The problem for Voss is he has more spots available than he has players worthy of taking them.

On the evidence of the first four losses, there are about a dozen Blues from last week who would be struggling to get a regular match at a contending club. This includes their much-loved veteran Sam Docherty, 31, who is struggling, either because the game has passed him by, the effects of a third knee reconstruction, or both.

But at a time when senior spots are up for grabs, the Blues’ VFL side was uncompetitive for long periods against the non-aligned Southport. Yes, the Sharks are in it to win it rather than developing talent for an AFL team, but there’s no excuse for being 59 points down at half-time.

The 0-4 Blues have gutted their depth. Gone to other clubs in the past three seasons are Will Setterfield, Liam Stocker, Paddy Dow, Jack Carroll, Matthew Kennedy, Jack Martin and Matthew Owies. David Cuningham and Caleb Marchbank, injury-prone but highly talented, have also left.

There were sound reasons for all those changes, which allowed Blues list boss Nick Austin to take more picks........

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