Carlton are 2-0 for the first time in a decade and look like a genuine finals threat, if not more.
Their first win over Richmond since 2013, followed by a tough victory over 2021 Grand Finalists the Western Bulldogs has Carlton fans daring to dream. With Hawthorn and Gold Coast awaiting in the next fortnight, the Blues are staring down a 4-0 start.
Many of the plaudits for the Blues' blistering start to the season have fallen on captain Patrick Cripps as well as stars Harry McKay, Charlie Curnow, while Adam Cerra and Sam Walsh have garnered their fair share of plaudits for the respective individual performances this season.
Rightfully some of the stars of Ikon Park have been recognised as key factors in their back-to-back wins. Cripps has accumulated 65 disposals and kicked five goals to start the season.
Walsh had 34 disposals against the Dogs while Curnow booted five goals and McKay 4. Star recruits Cerra and former Swan George Hewett combined for 58 disposals and both kicked a major in Round 1. Hewett managed to back that up with 32 touches in Round 2, Cerra missed after entering the AFL Health and Safety Protocols.
Cripps' form has seen the biggest increase on his form from last season and even 2020. But the stars aren't the reason- or sole reason for the Blues' resurgence under Michael Voss.
It's often been noted how stacked the top-end of Carlton's list is. It's a top-end they often relied on in 2021 to win them games through individual brilliance. McKay won the Coleman Medal while Walsh was third in the Brownlow Medal count last year.
But Carlton has seen a huge return from some of their lesser lights in 2022 which has made them a far more difficult team to handle.
The question surrounding the Blues in recent years has been whether they can win if their stars don't fire.
Did the Blues have the depth of talent to be able to cover a poor night for Cripps or Walsh? Could they hit the scoreboard if McKay and Curnow didn't fire? In Round 1 the Blues kicked 14 goals with their twin towers kicking one goal between them.
Matt Kennedy is one of the players that has taken a massive leap at the start of the 2022 season.
He is averaging 32 disposals per game to start the season and has hit the scoreboard in both games. He has become a key cog in the Carlton midfield after he was delisted and re-rookied at the end of 2020 and eventually placed back on the senior list last year.
After being trialled as a forward under David Teague in 2019 and falling in and out of favour with the former Carlton coach, Kennedy seems to have finally found his feet at AFL level.
The former Giant had 15 disposals, three marks, eight contested possessions, 3 clearances and 22 pressure acts in the final term when the game was on the line.
Kennedy has benefited from Carlton's centre square dominance, which has been largely facilitated by ruckman Marc Pittonet. The former Hawk has been huge in the middle for the Blues giving the midfield first access to the ball in a season where centre clearance dominance is proving vital.
He had 11 hitouts to advantage last Thursday night in an underrated but important performance. Pittonet came to the Blues from Hawthorn for basically nothing. Carlton sent picks 54 and 63 to the Hawks in exchange for the 23-year-old and pick 61.
Carlton didn't prioritise the wing role under Teague, often being exposed by their lack of outside runners as a result. That isn't the case under Voss, with the 3-time premiership captain going with Will Setterfield and Lochie O'Brien as his starting wingmen.
The duo are both former first-round draft picks but both have failed to cement themselves as Carlton players in their time at the club.
O'Brien was drafted by Carlton in 2017 and has been in and out of the team his whole career. He wasn't seen last year until Round 20 when he played quite well. He was subsequently delisted at the end of the 2021 season and re-rookied.
His Round 1 performance was ok but last week was arguably his best game in a Carlton jumper.
The Mildura export managed 25 disposals, 22 uncontested possessions and a superb tackle on Ed Richards on the three quarter time siren that gave the Blues a massive boost.
Setterfield had a poor 2021 but is another who has found his feet again under Voss. He hasn't starred or done anything that will stun the neutral but his ability to fill a position the Blues lack depth in and play well there has been invaluable to Voss and his team.
SEE MORE: Carlton duo ink new deals at Ikon Park.
Corey Durdin and Matt Owies aren't household names at the moment, but their start to the season has been a welcomed delight to Blues fans who were asking who would replace Eddie Betts after his retirement.
The duo is making themselves undroppable through their pressure game and their ability to hit the scoreboard.
It seems so far in 2022 the Blues aren't carrying any passengers. Heavily scrutinised big-money recruits Mitch McGovern and Zac Williams have both started the year superbly down back helping alleviate some of the pressure from their respective shoulders.
But for Carlton to be a serious finals team, they need 22 contributors every week and so far they are getting that. The challenge for the Blues is consistency. Can these young, lesser talked about Blues keep this form as consistent as possible or is a drop off waiting in the wings?
