Round 16, 2024

Carlton 2.4 16 7.8 50 14.9 93 20.11 131 Richmond 2.1 13 6.2 38 7.6 48 10.10 70
Venue:	MCG
Date:	Sunday 30 June 2024 (3.20 pm).
Result:	Won by 61 points.
Crowd:	59,298.
Goalkickers:	O. Fantasia 4.0, L. Fogarty 3.0, H. McKay 2.2, C. Curnow 2.0, S. Walsh 2.0, A. Cincotta 2.0, Z. Williams 1.1, M. Owies 1.1, M. Kennedy 1.1, E. Hollands 1.0, P. Cripps 1.0, N. Newman 0.1, A. Cerra 0.1, Rushed 0.4.
Reports:	Jordan Boyd received a one-game ban for front-on contact against Tiger Ryan Mansell. The MRO graded the incident careless conduct, high contact and medium impact. This was overturned upon appeal, Boyd was fined instead after the impact was changed from medium to low.
Umpires:	Chris Donlon, John Howorth, Nathan Toner, Nicholas McGinness.
Injuries:	M. Kennedy (knee).
Ladder:	2nd.

Game Review

Brutal second half inspires Blues to win

Carlton has recorded a 61-point win over Richmond. - By Cristian Filippo, Carlton Media

Carlton has recorded its biggest win over Richmond in 13 years, prevailing by 61 points at the MCG. After an even first half, the Blues blew their opposition away on a cold winter’s day at the home of football, piling on 20 goals for the second consecutive week in the 20.11 (131) to 10.10 (70) win. Marking Zac Williams’ 150th game with a win, Patrick Cripps was instrumental again with 40 disposals while Orazio Fantasia (four goals) and Lachie Fogarty (three) bobbed up in attack on another good day for the Blues. Adam Cerra also emerged unscathed in his first game back from a hamstring injury, collecting 23 disposals and eight score involvements in limited game time after being subbed off in last quarter with the game won.

Quarter one
It was an old-fashioned scrap between the Tigers and Blues, with downpours earlier in the day making for a slippery affair at the MCG. Carlton had the early ascendancy in terms of the possession count, with Nic Newman prolific behind the ball in the early going as Richmond peppered. Patrick Cripps was the provider for his great mate Sam Walsh for the opening goal of the day, as the Blues’ skipper willed himself to 14 first-quarter disposals. As is always the case when these two sides meet, the Blues had to fight for every opportunity against a resilient Tigers, who recorded back-to-back goals for an early lead. Zac Williams had a milestone goal chalked off via a review, but there was nothing in doubt about Charlie Curnow launching from 55 metres out to give the Blues a late lead. Blake Acres worked tirelessly for his 12 disposals on the wing, but while the Blues led in disposals, inside 50s, contested possessions and in the tackle count, they had only a three-point lead to show for it at the first change.

Quarter two
The Blues came out of the quarter-time break with an edge, attacking the ball and man with ferocity to create a gap over their opponents. Within the opening 12 minutes, the Blues had piled on four more goals to open up a handy 29-point lead. The Blues’ small forwards got to work, hunting the Tigers in numbers and capitalising in front of goal, with Orazio Fantasia, Lachie Fogarty, Elijah Hollands and Matthew Owies converting in quick succession. Just when the Blues looked to be well in control, the Tigers came again, kicking goals from centre clearances in a rush to bring the margin back within two goals. Williams wasn’t to be denied a milestone goal on the second time of asking, thanks to an assist from Curnow, but the Blues found themselves unable to keep the Tigers down. In his first game for seven weeks, Adam Cerra lifted brilliantly in the second quarter, recording 11 disposals (six contested) as well as a crucial holding-the-ball tackle late in the piece. A bugbear for Michael Voss and Carlton was that Richmond got back into the game off its contested ball-winning, with the margin reduced to an even two goals at the main break.

Quarter three
In recent weeks, it’s all been about the way Carlton has blown teams away in final quarters. In Round 16, however, the Blues were at the brutal best in the third term, harkening back to Carlton teams of old. After Noah Balta opened the scoring to bring Richmond back within a kick, Carlton - on the back of captain Cripps - put together an incredible patch of football. With seven consecutive goals, including six in 12 minutes, the Blues blew the game wide open. Cripps had 16 in the third quarter alone as the Blues had options bobbing up in attack everywhere you looked, with Lachie Fogarty producing a career-high three goals. The skipper wasn’t alone of course, with Walsh and Acres again stepping up on busy afternoons, while Jordan Boyd and Adam Saad helped set the game up with their ball use coming off half-back. Carlton was utterly dominant in the last 20 minutes of the third quarter, recording +36 disposals, +20 marks and +10 inside 50s. Come the end of the quarter, the Blues had a 45-point lead to show for their work.

Quarter four
All the Blues needed to do in the final term was consolidate what they already had, and that’s exactly what they did. Making a successful return from injury, Adam Cerra was subbed out of the game for George Hewett purely as a precaution, ensuring the Blues didn’t lose any of their grunt around the ball. After the Tigers broke through for an early goal, the Blues rallied, with key forwards Curnow and McKay - who had been well-held over the course of the day - both taking strong marks to kick multiple goals for the day. In his best game as a Blue so far, Fantasia cashed in throughout the final term, kicking his third and fourth goals to round the game out in some style. The only concern for Carlton was Matthew Kennedy coming off the ground late with a knee injury in what was another decisive quarter for the Blues, kicking another six goals to reach the 20-goal mark for the second consecutive week in a 61-point win.

Best: P. Cripps, N. Newman, B. Acres, S. Walsh, L. Fogarty, A. Saad, O. Fantasia.

Brutal Blues flex their muscles, Dusty adds to Tiger injury woes

Carlton moves six points clear of third spot thanks to a brutal third quarter performance against Richmond. - By AAP with Martin Smith

A stunning burst of five goals in less than four minutes in the third quarter has helped Carlton overcome a brave Richmond side by 61 points and move six points clear inside the top two with eight rounds left in the home-and-away season. After a tight opening half, the Tigers continued to defy the form guide and moved to within a kick when Noah Balta landed the first major of the third quarter. But Carlton kicked the next seven goals of the term, including a run of five in just three minutes and 56 seconds of game time, as midfield stars Patrick Cripps and Sam Walsh put the foot down. And the Blues cruised home to win 20.11 (131) to 10.10 (70) as the rain tumbled at the MCG in the final term, with Cripps leading the way with 40 disposals, 13 clearances and a goal. The goals were shared by the Blues, who had 11 individual goalkickers and were led by four from Orazio Fantasia, while Balta kicked three for the Tigers.

Richmond will be hoping for good news on star Dustin Martin, who was subbed out in the third quarter with a back injury after managing just seven disposals. Blake Acres (33 disposals), Nic Newman (28) and Matt Kennedy (21) were all busy for Carlton, as was Adam Cerra (23), who was substituted out of his first game back from a hamstring injury. Kennedy also failed to finish the match, sitting out the latter stages with a knee complaint.

Fantasia (four) and Lachie Fogarty (three) were the most prolific of six multiple goal-kickers for the Blues in a powerful team performance. Tim Taranto (27 disposals) fought against the tide for Richmond and Daniel Rioli (24) showcased his superb ball use, while Jacob Hopper (25) worked hard on his return from a hamstring injury. Balta was the Tigers' leading goal-kicker with three, while Ben Miller did a good job to restrict Coleman Medal leader Charlie Curnow to just two goals and seven disposals. Carlton swung a late change when in-form ruckman Tom De Koning (managed/soreness) pulled out, replaced by Marc Pittonet. After a tight first term, Carlton's lead quickly swelled to 29 points early in the second quarter before the Tigers responded with four of the next five majors to cut the margin back to 12 points at the main break. The Tigers sniffed an upset when Balta put them within touching distance early in the third term. But Fantasia responded with his second major and another goal to Harry McKay, who was paid a controversial mark after Newman's pass was touched off the boot, signalled the start of Carlton's match-winning blitz. The result left Richmond (2-13) sitting second-last on the ladder ahead of an interstate trip to face Fremantle next round.

Charlie's streak continues - just
Ben Miller was one of Richmond's best on Sunday, keeping two-time Coleman Medal winner Charlie Curnow to just seven disposals for the day. The Blues star, however, did manage to kick two goals, the second of which came in the final minutes of the match, to keep his remarkable streak alive. Curnow has kicked multiple goals in all 15 games Carlton has played so far this season, just the second man to do so in nearly three decades after Brisbane legend Jonathan Brown in 2009.

Best: P. Cripps, S. Walsh, O. Fantasia, N. Newman, J. Weitering, M. Kennedy, B. Acres.

Cripps is on track for Charlie No.2

If Patrick Cripps, the 2022 Brownlow winner, had been creeping up on everyone in the race for Charlie this year, he isn't anymore. While the likes of Heeney, Daicos, Bontempelli and Merrett have been the focus of Brownlow chat this season, Cripps had quietly moved to second spot on AFL.com.au's Brownlow Predictor - which correctly tipped Lachie Neale last season - at the start of the weekend. And after a best-on-ground display against Richmond on Sunday, he should be equal leader with eight rounds to go. While individual accolades won't mean as much to the Blues skipper as the ultimate success, his game on Sunday - 40 possessions, 13 clearances and a goal - was yet another reminder of just how important he is to Carlton's fortunes this season. The heart and soul of a stunning Blues surge in the third quarter, Cripps will be a man to watch in September in more ways than one. - Martin Smith

Determination at the forefront of Round 16 win

Confidence built from determination kickstarted the Blues' Round 16 win. - By Carlton Media

A well-fought win. After a close first half, Carlton was able to foot the down against Richmond, taking home a 61-point victory with an emphatic second half. The Blues were able to pile on 13 goals after the main break, with AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss hailing the team's effort to overcome a slow start and find different ways to hit the scoreboard. Here’s what he had to say.

On the match as a whole:
"We did start the game a little bit slower than we’d like, we didn’t hit the ground running. Credit to Richmond, they brought really good pressure and were really intent on making sure they defended well. They kept the scoreboard tight and they persisted. "It felt like we needed to energise the game a bit, it felt like we were playing a bit too conservatively and a bit safe. At half time, we had a talk about that and how we corrected some of the contest to give us a bit more territory in the game. "The first five minutes after half time didn’t look so good, there were plenty of mistakes. But fortunately the boys stayed really present and didn’t labour on their mistakes too much and kept trying to play the right way. In the end, we were able to find our way through it."

On scores from turnover:
"It’s been something that we have been gradually working away at. I think it was 96 points from turnover, so that’s a big number to be able to have that. It’s been well spoken about: we’ve spoken a lot about our stoppage and our contest and we know we’ve got that and we can go to that if needed. "To be able to have a better balance in our game now, to ask the question a different way of the opposition – that’s an important attribute to have moving forward. If we’re going to have a say in this competition, you’ve got to have a better balance and I feel like we’ve had that for the majority of the year."

On the momentum behind multiple-goal runs:
"I think the guys are believing somewhat in how we’re trying to play. Like anything, if you see it once, it’s good. If you see it twice, you get a little bit of confidence from it. If you start to see it a few more times, the belief starts to grow. "The boys should be building some confidence off the back end of the games that they can play that style of football if needed. We’re not necessarily doing it from a negative position, we’re doing it from a positive position. We want to keep playing with that courage, play our game strong and challenge the opposition right to the very end."

On a wide spread of goalkickers:
"Our two big guys cop a lot of attention, and so they should. We’ve been trying to work out what that forward line looks like and how many threats we have down there. We've probably been accused of not having enough, and we’ve acknowledged that, but we’ve also got two pretty good forwards there who do know how to kick goals. "When it’s not their day, who joins in? Being able to share the load over the course of the last month has been particularly impressive. Zac Williams was able to hit the scoreboard, Fogarty kicked three, and Fantasia - who I was really pleased with - kicked four. "'Raz' has been doing a role for us that has been somewhat unheralded, probably unnoticed in a lot of ways. He’s just stuck at it, hasn’t got desperate, believed in the job he had to get done and he hit the scoreboard today. It won’t always work out like that but it did today. Getting a few goalkickers on the floor, that’s going to be pretty important for us."

On key personnel returning: -
"Building into the back half of this year and having players return, that builds momentum when you have players who are in form and guys trying to vie for that position as well. "It creates some internal drive and competition but also understanding that we prioritise those roles, we give status to those roles and we want to keep celebrating them. Today was one of those days where it wasn’t the talls marking it, but the smalls were able to have some impact on the game."

On Zac Williams' 150-game milestone:
"When I first got here, he struggled with the body and trying to get out on the park. For Zac, there's a lot of stuff he’s done around his footy and how he’s formed his identity as a person playing football. Family has always been really important to him and he’s had some real off-field challenges and football was taken away from him for a while. "I think he’s really gone to work on himself. He’s got an unbelievable understanding around gratitude and perspective and who he is as a person, the family he has and the people who back him. "His journey has been a special one to watch and to see where he’s at now and the joy on his face, seeing his family out there today was pretty special. He’s a very important person to us and will continue to be so. "It’s nice to have someone who celebrates a goal more than Matty Owies, it’s nice to see! Whenever I see that, and the boys and how they’re coming together as a forward line, that brings a smile to my face."

On Tom De Koning's late withdrawal:
"The bigger picture is that we’re asking him to play big minutes - certainly over the last month - and he was just too sore. We got to yesterday and he was still really sore from last week’s game, so we took a conservative approach and we had a ruckman that could come in and play his aggressive best. "I thought 'Pitto' really stuck at his guns for most of the game and in the second half, was able to have a say on what happened. He deserved it, and being able to take that squad mentality and the next man, he’s a pretty handy next man in. I guess we’ll get Tom back next week: to be able to have the week off and rest a few bruises isn’t a bad thing."

On Adam Cerra's substitution:
"We had done some pre-planning that if we were in a position to do so to sub him off. We had Hewett, who has been in pretty good form himself, so we felt it was a like-for-like to manage his load in the game if we could."

On Patrick Cripps' form:
"It’s been pretty impressive. I think he’s playing with an element of freedom, he gets to concentrate on his job knowing he’s got men around him that will get their jobs done. I don’t feel like he’s overreaching, he's sticking at his job and he trusts the people around him and he has some bigger goals in mind. "His leadership has been outstanding this year: what he does behind the scenes and the standards he’s trying to drive, he’s determined as anyone to get the best out of this group and he wants success for this football club and you can see it in the way he’s playing."

Team

B:	2 Lachlan Cowan	23 Jacob Weitering	17 Brodie Kemp
HB:	42 Adam Saad	11 Mitch McGovern	24 Nic Newman
C:	4 Ollie Hollands	9 Patrick Cripps (c)	13 Blake Acres
HF:	6 Zac Williams	10 Harry McKay	8 Lachie Fogarty
F:	39 Alex Cincotta	30 Charlie Curnow	20 Elijah Hollands
Ruck:	27 Marc Pittonet	18 Sam Walsh	5 Adam Cerra
Interchange:	44 Matt Owies	14 Orazio Fantasia	7 Matt Kennedy
	37 Jordan Boyd
Substitute:	29 George Hewett
Coach:	Michael Voss
Emergencies:	22 Caleb Marchbank	3 Jesse Motlop	19 Corey Durdin

In; Orazio Fantasia. Marc Pittonet
Out: Jack Carroll (omitted), Tom De Koning (soreness)

Late Change: Tom De Koning (soreness, replaced in the selected side by Marc Pittonet).

Substitute: George Hewett (replaced Adam Cerra in the fourth quarter).

Milestones

150 Games (AFL): Zac Williams

Interesting Facts

1. Lachie Fogarty kicked a career best three goals in this match.
2. Orazio Fantasia kicked multiple goals in a Carlton game for the first time, he kicked four goals in total.
3. Nic Newman played in his 50th win for the Blues in his 94th game.
4. Patrick Cripps became the first player in more than five years to win 40-plus touches in successive games
5. Carlton scored 96 points from Richmond turnovers.

Free Kicks

Carlton 17
Richmond 22

Front Runners

Oliver Hollands 15.7km
Elijah Hollands 14.9km
Blake Acres 14.9km

AFLCA Votes

10 - Patrick Cripps (CARL)
8 - Sam Walsh (CARL)
6 - Nic Newman (CARL)
2 - Adam Saad (CARL)
2 - Blake Acres (CARL)
1 - Elijah Hollands (CARL)
1 - Ben Miller (RICH)

Brownlow Votes

3 - Patrick Cripps (CARL)
2 - Blake Acres (CARL)
1 - Sam Walsh (CARL)

Best and Fairest Votes

Video

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Round 15 | Round 17