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| Venue: | Optus Oval, Perth. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date: | Sunday 18 August 2024 (4.40 pm). | ||||||||||||||||||
| Result: | Lost by 65 points. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Crowd: | 48,455 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Goalkickers: | B. Kemp 4.1, M. Owies 3.0, M. Kennedy 2.1, Z. Williams 1.1, A. Moir 1.1, J. Motlop 1.0, C. Durdin 1.0, J. Binns 1.0, S. Walsh 0.2, E. Hollands 0.2, M. Pittonet 0.1, C. Lord 0.1, B. Acres 0.1, Rushed 0.4. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Reports: |
Nic Newman (CAR) - engaging in a melee/wrestle (third offence), fixed financial sanction of $5000, reduced to $3125 with an early plea. Lachie Cowan (CAR) - engaging in a melee/wrestle (first offence), fixed financial sanction of $1875, reduced to $1250 with an early plea. Harley Reid (WCE) - engaging in a melee/wrestle (third offence), fixed financial sanction of $5000, reduced to $3125 with an early plea. |
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| Umpires: | Jeff Dalgleish, Nathan Williamson, Nathan Toner, Jacob Mollison. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Injuries: | C. Durdin (shoulder), Z. Williams (back). | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ladder: | 8th | ||||||||||||||||||
Game Review
Baby Blues back to winning ways
A young Blues outfit took home a 65-point win over the Eagles. - By Cristian Filippo, Carlton Media.Flying back to Melbourne with a crucial four points. The Blues will be hopping on the plane with a smile on their faces, after delivering an ultimate team win over the Eagles at Optus Stadium. Working with a new look forward-line, defender-turned-forward Brodie Kemp delivered a career-high four goals, while debutant Ashton Moir and second-gamer Jaxon Binns both contributed to the scoreboard. Patrick Cripps and George Hewett were dominant in the middle, both gathering 35 disposals in standout performances.
Quarter one
The Blues’ positional moves were there for all to see in the early going, with Brodie Kemp lining up in the forward line alongside Matthew Kennedy while Ollie Hollands moved to half-back following the inclusion of Jaxon Binns. Without Carlton’s typical tall targets, Kemp had an early win against Jeremy McGovern but couldn’t convert from the set shot, as the Blues dominated forward territory early but weren’t able to capitalise on their chances. Marc Pittonet set the tone early with three of the first seven clearances of the game, but the Eagles got the better of the early arm wrestle with the first goal of the day. Despite Jake Waterman recording the opening two majors of the game, the Blues would’ve been heartened by their physicality and fight around the ball, winning contested possessions and generating forward entries in the opening term. Eventually, persistence paid as the Blues embraced the chaos at ground level, with quasi-key forwards Kennedy and then Kemp both hitting the scoreboard to give the Blues a narrow lead at the first change. Patrick Cripps loomed large with 11 disposals, while George Hewett (nine), Elijah Hollands (eight) and Sam Walsh (seven) were all involved.
Quarter two
After ending the first quarter with a major, Kemp continued his good record in front of goal at Optus Stadium, kicking his fourth career goal — three of which have came at the venue. Carlton’s pressure game from the outset was on in the second term, with the Blues’ midfield mix getting to work and getting their rewards accordingly. Hewett was a central figure, taking his half-time tally to 20 disposals, with a handball out of traffic to Kennedy ensuring that the Blues kept the scoreboard ticking over. The Blues’ leaders were doing exactly that, with Jacob Weitering central to the team keeping the Eagles scoreless — he was well supported by youngster Lachie Cowan and inclusion Lewis Young, with a series of aerial contests going their way. Pressure was the name of the game for the Blues in the second term, and few lived that better than Corey Durdin, who had 12 disposals in the quarter alone - including a goal - as the Blues went hunting in packs. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, with the Eagles getting repeat entries late, but the Blues were able to hold firm to take a 31-point lead into the main break.
Quarter three
In their final home game of the year and in Andrew Gaff’s last game, the Eagles came out for the third quarter with renewed vigour, putting the Blues on the back foot. Carlton was unable to get its hand on the ball in the early going, with West Coast having the first 13 uncontested possessions of the game, but on the back of clearance dominance the Blues were able to kickstart their ball movement once more. It was a transition move which re-established the Blues ascendancy, ending via the boot of Zac Williams. From there, Carlton continued its run, with its work from clearance once again a feature. Four of the Blues’ five goals for the term came from clearance, with their pressure at the source a key instigator. In his second game, Jaxon Binns ticked along with seven disposals for the term while Kemp and Owies both took their tallies to three majors for the game as the Blues extended their lead to 55 points. After such an impressive second term, the dampener for the Blues was that the dangerous Durdin was subbed out due to a shoulder injury.
Quarter four
With Durdin subbed out, debutant Ashton Moir joined the impressive Cooper Lord in the game, and the young Blue made an instant impact with a mark on centre wing. With the game beyond the Eagles’ reach on the scoreboard come the final term, the Blues didn’t relent around the ball, with Cripps, Hewett and Pittonet continuing to lead the way. The Blues dominated time in possession throughout the course of the day, having 89 more disposals than the Eagles yet still breaking even with 73 tackles for the evening. The best moments of the day came in the final 10 minutes for the Blues, firstly with Binns receiving a handball from Jack Carroll and converting from just inside 50 for his first goal in the AFL. Just moments later, Moir backed it up beautifully, producing a volley with his back to goal to mark an outstanding maiden goal — and a super return to winning form the Blues.
Best: P. Cripps, J. Weitering, G. Hewett, M. Pittonet, B. Kemp, O. Hollands, N. Newman.
Brave Blues' win has Freo teetering, Pies all but cooked
Injury-ravaged Carlton takes care of Eagles to jump back into eight and have rivals' hopes looking slim - By Nathan Schmook at Optus Stadium.Carlton turned to a small forward line and its captain marvel Patrick Cripps on Sunday to conjure a famous road win and keep control of its finals destiny, beating West Coast by 65 points at Optus Stadium. The Blues all but ended the premiership defence of Collingwood in the process and replaced Fremantle in the top eight, winning 14.15 (99) to 4.10 (34) despite a mammoth injury list that had them as underdogs for the trip west. The Blues can lock in finals with a win against St Kilda next Sunday, while a loss would still see them qualify if the Dockers lose to Port Adelaide and the Magpies fail to make up a massive 10.6 per cent gap, which equates to almost 200 points. It was a win built on ferocity at the contest and a handball-heavy game that allowed an under-sized forward line to compete, with the Blues kicking almost 100 points despite missing Coleman Medal pair Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow. Brownlow medallist Cripps was the star with 35 disposals, 21 contested possessions, 10 clearances and eight inside 50s, leading powerfully to inspire a win in difficult circumstances.
Defender Brodie Kemp, who had two career goals to his name going into the match, was swung forward to provide a marking target and finished with four goals, with midfielder Matt Kennedy provided a physical presence inside 50 to kick two. Matt Owies was the pick of the small forwards with three goals in a 'small ball' structure that got the job done against the odds. Alongside Cripps in the midfield, George Hewett (35 and six inside 50s) was prolific, while ruckman Marc Pittonet enjoyed one of his best days with 20 disposals, eight clearances and 32 hit-outs. West Coast had few winners as Elliot Yeo (28 and eight clearances) and Harley Reid (26 and seven) did their best to get the ball moving the Eagles' way, and McGovern (19 and seven rebounds) fought hard in defence. It was a particularly flattening performance in Andrew Gaff's farewell, with the veteran wingman ending his 280-game career with 25 disposals before being chaired off by Yeo and key forward Jack Darling through a guard of honour. The Blues looked to be in trouble early as 192cm Kemp stood alone as a marking target and the forwards struggled to connect with the midfielders.
West Coast's tall defenders were preparing for a day of intercepting and controlling the air, while Jake Waterman got on top of Mitch McGovern at the other end to kick two early goals. But rather than adjust their structure and move a tall defender forward, the Blues stuck to their guns and started surging the ball towards goal and giving their small forwards a chance in space, resulting in quick goals to Kennedy and Kemp and a two-point lead at the first break. They made their move in a brilliant second quarter, dominating the contest and then ramping up their handball game in space as they continued a six-goal run that broke the game open. Cripps had 10 disposals (nine contested) for the term as the makeshift forward line capitalised with all of Kemp, Corey Durdin, Owies and Kennedy hitting the scoreboard, while the Eagles were held scoreless for the quarter. Premiership forward Jamie Cripps ended the drought early in the third term when he marked his 250th game with a long set shot goal from the boundary. But the Blues' Cripps soon added some polish to his brutality in the third quarter when he placed to perfection a deep inside 50 to Zac Williams, kickstarting another run of seven unanswered goals. Five of those came up to three-quarter time, with Durdin leaving the ground with an apparent shoulder injury in the one sour note to a day of celebration for the banged-up Blues.
Blues' debutants shine
Injected into the game just before three-quarter time, versatile forward Ashton Moir didn't take long to show his class and significant skill. The 19-year-old was under pressure as Cripps surged the ball towards the goal line, but he got his right foot free to guide it home out of mid-air in one of the game's highlights. Fellow debutant Cooper Lord was also impressive, winning his share of the ball in the midfield and getting involved in the Blues' handball chains in a lively performance.
Kemp claims forward line for himself
There is still significant doubt on key forwards McKay and Curnow for the final round of the home and away season, with Kemp now staking claim to the forward 50 if they don't return. Mitch McGovern might have been the popular tip to swing forward, but Kemp took the job and did it incredibly well with his ability to provide a marking target and bring the ball to ground for the smalls. His versatility meant he could chase and tackle while also fitting into the quick, rebound game and get goals out the back of the Eagles' defence.
Eagles quarter of horrors
The game was up for grabs when the second quarter started, however it was all but over when it finished. Carlton dominated disposals (109-64), contested ball (41-32), clearances (13-8), and inside 50s (16-7), despite its personnel issues, and handballed through the Eagles (50-29) for a 4.5 to 0.0 quarter. A four-point lead when the umpires put their hands up to end the first quarter (before a Kemp shot after the siren) turned into a 31-point deficit at half-time and, while there was plenty of time for a turnaround, the Eagles hardly looked capable of matching the Blues, let alone pegging back a six-goal margin.
Best: P. Cripps, B. Kemp, M. Kennedy, G. Hewett, N. Newman, M. Pittonet, M. Owies.
The Blues dominated in the midfield today, scoring 7.9 to 0.5 from stoppages. They recorded 43-33 clearances and 153-126 contested possessions. Patrick Cripps recorded a game-high 21 contested possessions, 10 clearances, 12 score involvements, and 35 disposals; while Marc Pittonet recorded 14 contested possessions and eight score involvements.
Patrick Cripps has the broadest shoulders in the AFL.
Everything pointed to a West Coast upset on Sunday, unless you followed coach Michael Voss and focused on the players that were still there for Carlton. If you did, you saw skipper Patrick Cripps lining up at the first centre bounce ready to tear West Coast apart in the first half, putting the banged-up team on his shoulders and refusing to let their finals chances slip away. Cripps produced a brilliant first half against the Eagles with 21 disposals, 13 contested possessions, four clearances and four inside 50s. Without him, a small forward line that lived off fast and scrappy entries might not have been viable, and the Blues' September plans might have looked very different. He's right up there as the most inspirational leader in the game, but whether or not it's enough to secure Cripps a second Brownlow Medal could well be in the hands of a star Magpie ... – Nathan Schmook
'It took a squad': Voss praises whole-team effort
Carlton coach says he found out a lot about his club, Eagles counterpart disappointed his side 'didn't turn up' - By Nathan Schmook at Optus Stadium.Carlton's ability to win with a ravaged forward line and take charge of its finals destiny has given the team a timely reminder of what its brand looks like, according to coach Michael Voss. The Blues swept injuries aside to beat West Coast by 65 points on Sunday, building an under-sized forward line around defender Brodie Kemp and ensuring they'll play finals if they can beat St Kilda next Sunday. Voss was beaming after the significant win, which ended a three-game losing run that had seen the Blues slip from top-four contenders to potentially missing finals altogether. "It was huge. It's been a been a big week. From taking stock, I guess, after the game last week and trying to count the bodies, it was just a really hard week," Voss said after the win at Optus Stadium. "Last week I said we'll find out a little bit about us as a footy team and as a footy club, and I just thought the response was outstanding. "We got a nice little reminder about how we play footy, and what is the Blues brand and how we want to play. It was a really well-connected performance. "We didn't rely on one individual to get it done, although there were some individual outstanding performances. But it took a squad. And when I mean, it took a squad, it took the whole squad to be able to get that one done." Voss paid tribute to an "unorthodox" forward line that saw Kemp play as a sole target for four goals, with key contributions from small forward Matt Owies (three) and midfielder Matt Kennedy (two). The coach asked the group to step up and cover Charlie Curnow (ankle) and Harry McKay (quad), who remain in doubt for the final round clash against the Saints. "I thought our forwards were absolutely magnificent tonight. I thought they were incredible, whether it was the ball in the air, attacking it in the air, or when the ball was on the floor," Voss said. "I just felt we were able to bring that pressure, that real sort of brand that we know works for us and identity that we want to play to. "They knew the mission that we're going after and it was all about bringing pressure, and we successfully did that." Asked about the brilliant performance of captain Patrick Cripps, who had 35 disposals and 10 clearances, Voss said: "He was huge. You need your leaders to be able to stand up, and 'Crippa' was that." Voss said he could not tell this early on if Curnow or McKay would be available against the Saints, with Corey Durdin now unlikely with a shoulder issue. Zac Williams will need assessment for an issue the coach hoped was just cramp.
Voss proud of emphatic win
Michael Voss was very pleased with the way his team responded to adversity. - By Carlton Media.ENORMOUS.
That was how AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss described the Blues' emphatic 65-point win over the Eagles in Perth. Bringing in a brand-new lineup, with established players taking on different roles and new players making their mark, there was plenty to like from the away side. Here's what Voss had to say.
On the result:
"It was huge. It’s been a big week. From taking stock after the game last week and trying to count the bodies, it was a really hard week. “Last week, what I did say was ‘we’ll find out a bit about us as a team and as a club’ and I just thought the response was outstanding. "We had to move on from last week really quickly into this week and it’s a nice little reminder of how we play footy, what the Blues’ brand is and how we want to play. "It was a really well-connected performance. We didn’t rely on one individual to get the job done, although there were some outstanding individual performances. It took a squad, it took the whole squad to get that one done."
On the forward mix with missing personnel:
"It was unorthodox. Early on in the week, we had to get ahead of it pretty quickly, try and get clear with the players about the changes we needed to make and where the gaps were going to be. "We appreciated that it wasn’t something that was going to be familiar for them but we asked them to step up. Ollie Hollands going back enabled Binns to come in on the wing and he did a great job. "Matt Kennedy and Brodie Kemp going forward and playing more permanently up there to try to help us get the ball to the ground knowing that West Coast had threats down there that could intercept the ball. "I thought our forwards were absolutely magnificent tonight, I thought they were incredible. Whether it was the ball in the air or whether it was on the floor, I felt we were able to bring that pressure, that real brand we know works for us and the identity we want to play for."
On the work of Brodie Kemp and Lewis Young:
"I think that was a great team performance. I’m really pleased for 'Kempy' to go forward, equally at the other end having Lewis Young come in and get his job done and fill that was equally as important. "I could spend a lot of time talking about individuals and how we stepped up collectively. We knew the mission we were going after: it was all about pressure and we successfully did that."
On the energy lift from the debutants:
"You can look at the guys that aren’t there but where we probably turned our attention to was the exciting opportunity that some of these boys were going to get. "We can’t dampen that, we’re here to celebrate each other's journey and when you get opportunities. I had some guys that were injured that were a bit down, but I had half the other side of the building that happy with smiles on their faces about the opportunity they were going to get. "They were able to play their role really well and have an impact on the game, so I’m really pleased for them."
On not dwelling on the past:
“I can’t spend too much on ‘what ifs’. It would be nice if the pressure was there more consistently, we’ve stated our position emphatically on where we see ourselves as a footy team. "I’ll keep coming back to that word ‘consistently’, that’s something we’ve got to do. The competition demands it. We’re facing the tightest competition I’ve ever seen and it looks like you need 14 wins to get in the eight, that’s unheard of. "It’s an incredibly tight competition and we’ve got to have that consistency, we found that through the four quarters today. I think we played a consistent brand over four quarters, and we’ll go into next week with that opportunity."
On Patrick Cripps and the leaders:
"Cripps was huge. You need your leaders to stand up and ‘Crippa’ did that. 'Walshy' and 'Weiters' the same, we probably just needed that reminder of how we play. "We put a lot of work into that over the last two or three years so it’s probably easy to look at the last month and say ‘where has the brand gone?’, but we also had a really strong feel on what it looks like. "We just had to keep reinforcing what that looks like, not deviate from the path and keep tinkering with our game style to ensure we get what we need. "I understand where West Coat are at, but for us and the stage of the season and the players coming in and what was being said about us, that was an enormous win."
On what comes next:
"When 'Freo' went down, it was in our hands again, which is a nice position to be in. We’re going to play this out really strong. "This next week, we’re going to step into it big and just enjoy it, enjoy the experience and we can’t wait to get there. We’ll absorb this one, we’ve got to absorb this one then turn our eyes to St Kilda and finish off really strong." On assessing availability for next week: "After the first day, the only days that mattered were the six ahead of us and it was all about those six days and making sure we got it right and we got ready for this game. "Now we’re past that, we can turn into next week and when I get back to Melbourne, we’ll start to assess who is going to be available and who is not."
On Corey Durdin:
"It’s possible he'll play next week, but we’ll need an assessment. He’s got a shoulder that he hurt eight weeks ago that was unstable. He went to work on it to try and get back and unfortunately in that incident, popped it out again. We’ll assess it, and see if we can strengthen it up, but I would think it’s unlikely for next week."
On Zac Williams:
"He had a back injury prior to that and we are hoping at this stage, it’s a cramp only."
Front Runners
Sam Walsh 14.7kmOliver Hollands 14.4km
Elijah Hollands 14.3km
Lewis Young 14.2km
Team
| B: | 33 Lewis Young | 23 Jacob Weitering | 2 Lachlan Cowan |
| HB: | 4 Ollie Hollands | 11 Mitch McGovern | 24 Nic Newman |
| C: | 25 Jaxon Binns | 9 Patrick Cripps (c) | 13 Blake Acres |
| HF: | 20 Elijah Hollands | 17 Brodie Kemp | 6 Zac Williams |
| F: | 44 Matt Owies | 7 Matt Kennedy | 3 Jesse Motlop |
| Ruck: | 27 Marc Pittonet | 18 Sam Walsh | 29 George Hewett |
| Interchange: | 19 Corey Durdin | 36 Cooper Lord | 16 Jack Carroll |
| 39 Alex Cincotta | |||
| Substitute: | 43 Ashton Moir | ||
| Coach: | Michael Voss | ||
| Emergencies: | 31 Harry Lemmey | 35 Billy Wilson | 41 Dom Akuei |
Substitute: Ashton Moir (replaced Corey Durdin at three-quarter time)
In; Lewis Young, Jaxon Binns, Ashton Moir, Cooper Lord, Jack Carroll, Corey Durdin.
Out: Adam Saad (hamstring), Harry McKay (quad), Jack Martin (hamstring), Lachie Fogarty (collarbone), Charlie Curnow (ankle), Jordan Boyd (adductor).
Milestones
Debut: Cooper Lord, Ashton MoirFirst Goal: Jaxon Binns, Ashton Moir
50 Goals (Carlton): Matt Kennedy
Games Record Holder in the No. 18 Guernsey: Sam Walsh
Interesting Facts
1. Brodie Kemp had kicked only two career goals before his bag of four goals against the Eagles.Free Kicks
Carlton 19West Coast 16
AFLCA Votes
10 - Patrick Cripps (CARL)8 - George Hewett (CARL)
5 - Jacob Weitering (CARL)
5 - Brodie Kemp (CARL)
1 - Elijah Hollands (CARL)
1 - Marc Pittonet (CARL)
Brownlow Votes
3 - Patrick Cripps (CARL)2 - Matt Kennedy (CARL)
1 - George Hewett (CARL)
Best and Fairest Votes
Video
Round 22 | Round 24