Big Blue's blow opens door for veteran

Marc Pittonet will play his first game of the season against the Swans and Brody Grundy

Tom De Koning during the round seven match between Carlton and Geelong at the MCG, April 27, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

WITH STAR Tom De Koning out injured, Carlton coach Michael Voss is backing forgotten man Marc Pittonet to make his case in the No.1 ruck role against Sydney.

De Koning is sidelined for Friday night's clash at the SCG after suffering a knock to his larynx during their last-start 15-point win over St Kilda.

Voss is confident the in-demand talent will only miss the first of the Blues’ two Sir Doug Nicholls fixtures.

"He came out (against St Kilda) with the husky voice and we sort of thought that it'd just be a knock to the throat and be OK," Voss said on Thursday.

"By the time we got into yesterday, it was still hanging around.

"It just warranted a little bit more investigation and sort of felt like we just needed that to settle for another week before he becomes available next week."

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De Koning's injury opens the door for Pittonet to play his first AFL game of the season, slated for a match-up against Sydney ruck Brodie Grundy.

Pittonet, after playing 14 games last year, was named as an emergency last round.

"Pitto's been in some really great form himself. The best he could possibly do is just state his case through form," Voss said.

"He's been able to do that and played some really strong VFL football, so quite familiar with what he can do, but it'll be a pretty important tussle in the middle of the ground with Brodie Grundy."

Marc Pittonet during the VFL round four match between North Melbourne and Carlton at Arden Street Oval , April 18, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Carlton, sitting 10th (4-5), are out to end their SCG hoodoo off the back of their hard-earned win over the Saints.

The Blues haven't defeated the Swans at their home venue since 2019 and have lost nine of their last 10 SCG matches.

An injury-ravaged Sydney outfit is also struggling to find form, licking its wounds after an eight-point loss to Essendon condemned them to a 3-6 record.

"Certainly, at the SCG, we haven't had a great recent record here, so we have to amend that," Voss said.

"We've got an opposition that's a pretty good opposition. They've been a very good team over a long period of time.

"They've got plenty of weapons that, if they have their own way, it'll be a tough game.

"We're not expecting anything different except their best, and having played against them in some really good games, we've got a really clear picture on what that looks like."

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