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Venue: | MCG | ||||||||||||||||||
Date: | Saturday 16th July, 2022 (7.25 pm). | ||||||||||||||||||
Result: | Lost by 30 points. | ||||||||||||||||||
Crowd: | 68,208 | ||||||||||||||||||
Goalkickers: | C. Curnow 3.2, G. Hewett 1.1, P. Cripps 1.0, T. De Koning 1.0, J. Motlop 1.0, J. Silvagni 1.0, Z. Fisher 0.2, H. McKay 0.1, Rushed 0.1. | ||||||||||||||||||
Reports: | Will Hayes was handed a two-match suspension for his dangerous tackle on Geelong's Sam Menegola Geelong forward Jeremy Cameron was handed a $1000 fine for Careless Contact with an Umpire. |
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Umpires: | Craig Fleer, Andrew Stephens, Nathan Williamson. | ||||||||||||||||||
Injuries: | Nil. | ||||||||||||||||||
Ladder: | 7th. |
Game Review
Top Cats too good, Blues' double-chance dream in doubt
Carlton gave plenty but was unable to keep up with a switched-on Geelong unit - Howard Kimbe.Geelong has made an emphatic statement, dispatching Carlton by 30 points to consolidate their position on top of the ladder. Apart from a brief period in the first quarter, the Cats had the Blues' measure at the MCG on Saturday night to canter to an eighth-straight victory. Geelong (13-4) have not tasted defeat since losing to St Kilda in round nine, making it back-to-back wins against finals teams after a convincing triumph over reigning premiers Melbourne last week. Geelong had 27 fewer possessions than Carlton but used the ball more efficiently across every area of the ground to record a 12.13 (85) to 8.7 (55) win. The Cats' star forward duo Jeremy Cameron (three goals) and Tom Hawkins (two) had the better of their eagerly anticipated match-up against Carlton's forward twin towers Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay. Curnow played his part with three goals to be arguably the Blues' most influential player, but emerging Geelong defender Sam De Koning blanketed McKay (0.1, nine touches) in another classy display. Cameron delivered the knockout punch when he snapped an extraordinary goal-of-the-year contender in the pocket late in the third quarter to give Geelong a 29-point buffer at the final break. After booting four goals in a hurry late in the first term the Blues managed just four more for the rest of the game.
Carlton's fierce pressure, a trademark of most of their best wins this season under coach Michael Voss, was lacking. Star midfielder Sam Walsh (33 possessions) worked tirelessly, but skill errors cost the Blues dearly. The only downside for Geelong was winger Sam Menegola being subbed out with concussion early in the game. The result leaves Carlton (11-6) a game and percentage outside of the top-four with five games to play as it attempts to secure a finals spot for the first time since 2013. Geelong will travel to the Adelaide Oval for a clash with the resurgent Port Adelaide next Saturday, while the Blues will host Greater Western Sydney at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.
It's not just about goals for Cats guns, but then again ...
The battle of the competition's top key-forward pairings occupied a lot of media space during the week, and in the end the roles played by the spearheads were vital, but not in the way many expected. It was the extra work Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron did around the ball that made the difference. Hawkins and Cameron finished with five goals, 32 disposals, 11 marks and 20 score involvements between them, while Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay shared three, 19, seven and nine. But while the majority of the Cats' goals may have come off other players' boots, Cameron's third-quarter snap had a real 'matchwinner' feeling about it.
Cat shades his Blue brother in a fantastic family affair
The other two-sided contest of interest was between opposing twins Sam and Tom De Koning. Both were influential for their respective sides and Carlton's Tom won statistically, but Sam's defensive efforts for the Cats were outstanding, keeping Harry McKay to just one behind and forcing the reigning Coleman medallist to run well out of the forward 50 to find most of his nine disposals. And while brother's on opposite sides can always test a family's loyalties, Tom's final-quarter goal seemed to keep most of his other eight siblings happy.
Best: S. Walsh, S. Docherty, G. Hewitt, P. Cripps, Z. Fisher.
Blues defeated by Cats
It was a 30-point defeat to Geelong in Round 18 AFL action for Carlton. - Rose Zarucky, Carlton Media.Carlton has fallen by 30 points to Geelong at the MCG. The Blues' inefficiency around the ground cost them against a classy Cats outfit, with the ladder leaders producing seven goals to two in the second and third quarters to secure the win. Three goals from Charlie Curnow gave the Blues hope in the early going, but in the end, were unable to get the game on their terms for long enough throughout the course of the game.
Quarter one
The Blues started slow out of the blocks, allowing the Cats to get the first two goals on the board. The tone was set physicality-wise when Sam Walsh wrestled the ball from Jeremy Cameron in the defensive 50, with momentum starting to turn after 93 per cent of the first seven minutes were played in Geelong's forward half. Carlton’s chains through the corridor improved as the quarter went on, with Zac Fisher, Jack Silvagni and Walsh being the main contributors. Will Hayes got off to a hot start in his first official game in Navy Blue, picking up six disposals, while Liam Stocker was a welcome return to the backline with his physicality behind the ball. Charlie Curnow slotted the Blues’ first two goals, while strong forward pressure and clean ball movement led to goals from Patrick Cripps and Jesse Motlop, putting Carlton three points ahead going into the quarter-time break.
Quarter two
It was a low-scoring quarter for the Blues, with Geelong registering four goals to Carlton’s one. The first part of the term resulted in a lot of end-to-end play with neither side able to lock the ball in their half. A powerful kick from Walsh resulted in Curnow’s third goal, but that would end up being the Blues' only goal for the quarter. Geelong’s transition game was strong, able to move the ball quickly down the centre of the ground. Initially, Carlton’s defence held up well, with Adam Saad and Sam Docherty able to cut off the ball before it hit Geelong’s forward 50, but repeat entries and inaccurate kicking saw the tide eventually turn in the favour of Geelong's forwards. The Blues headed into the main break with work to do, trailing by 17 points.
Quarter three
The Blues were able to pick their way slowly through the ground to begin the third quarter, as George Hewett slotted a much-needed goal for the Blues after some earlier inaccuracy. Sloppy free kicks against Carlton didn't help the home team's cause, however, as Geelong continued to one-up its opposition both at ground level and in the air. Harry McKay began to work further up the ground after being restricted of the usual ball use he thrives on, despite the Blues beginning to get an ascendancy in the clearance stakes after a slow start. After drawing within two straight kicks, it was a tale similar to the preceding quarter as the Cats once again extended the margin to hold a 29-point lead.
Quarter four
The first two goals of the term went Geelong's way, effectively icing the contest. Carlton's defence continued to battle away against their direct opponents, but the Blues were unable to capitalise on turnover throughout the night, recording just 3.5 (23) from the source. Goals from clearances were Carlton's most likely avenue to goal, as evidenced by a goal to Tom De Koning halfway through the term. Fisher continued to be a livewire for the Blues across half-forward, while a late Jack Silvagni major narrowed the deficit. However, the Blues' inability to impact the scoreboard throughout the course of the night meant they would ultimately come away with a 30-point defeat.
Best: S. Walsh, S. Docherty, Z. Fisher, G. Hewett, C. Curnow.
'Ruthlessly efficient' Cats show the work ahead for Blues
Michael Voss says Carlton 'has just got to get better' to contend for the crown - By Howard KimberAfter a loss that sent his club from top-four contender to sitting in seventh place on the ladder, Carlton coach Michael Voss said his side still has a lot of work to do to keep up with a "ruthlessly efficient" outfit like Geelong. The Blues led early in the contest but were ground down by the more experienced Cats, eventually losing 12.13 (85) to 8.7 (55) at the MCG on Saturday night. Voss said the loss was something he and his players could learn from, and that they had "got a really important reminder about what we need to look like moving forward". "(Geelong) were methodical in the way they played, (I’d) describe it probably as ruthlessly efficient in the way they went about it," Voss said after the 30-point loss.
"We’d like to make some adjustments immediately, but the reality is some of it's going to take some time as well. "We didn’t stick at it for long enough and maybe got a little bit discouraged throughout the game as well and sort of fell apart from some of the things we’ve been able to do. "It can give you great clarity on what you still have to deal with and make stronger…. we've still got a bit of work to do. "We've just got to get better." Asked if Marc Pittonet was a chance to return next week, Voss didn’t sound hopeful. "We'll assess it more on Monday or Tuesday,” he said of the ruckman, who last played in round six. "(Mitch) McGovern came back as well and performed pretty well, but they’ve been out for a very long time, so we’ll still take a cautious approach if we need to.
Team
B: | 13 Liam Stocker | 23 Jacob Weitering | 33 Lewis Young |
HB: | 42 Adam Saad | 15 Sam Docherty | 20 Lachie Plowman |
C: | 40 Will Hayes | 9 Patrick Cripps (c) | 32 Jack Newnes |
HF : | 18 Sam Walsh | 10 Harry McKay | 1 Jack Silvagni |
F: | 19 Corey Durdin | 30 Charlie Curnow | 3 Jesse Motlop |
Ruck: | 12 Tom De Koning | 29 George Hewett | 7 Matthew Kennedy |
Interchange: | 5 Adam Cerra | 24 Nic Newman | 25 Zac Fisher |
46 Matt Cottrell | |||
Medical Substitute: | 36 Josh Honey | ||
Coach: | Michael Voss | ||
Emergencies: | 4 Lochie O'Brien | 38 Sam Durdin | 43 Will Setterfield |
Medi-sub: Josh Honey (unused).
In: Liam Stocker
Out: Lochie O'Brien (omitted).
Milestones
Last Game: Will HayesAFLCA Votes
9 - Mark Blicavs (GEEL)6 - Joel Selwood (GEEL)
5 - Zach Tuohy (GEEL)
4 - Jeremy Cameron (GEEL)
3 - Sam De Koning (GEEL)
3 - Sam Walsh (CARL)
Brownlow Votes
Best and Fairest Votes
Video
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