Game Review

Carlton brings the Blues to west Sydney.
Carlton produced some composed four-quarter football to outlast GWS by 23 points. - By Cristian Filippo, Carlton Media

What an away day. In front of a big travelling Navy Blue contingent, Carlton has emerged from western Sydney with a fifth straight win. Overcoming some early jitters, the Blues produced some composed four-quarter football to outlast the Giants by 23 points. In doing so, it was the Blues’ third win at ENGIE Stadium, continuing their brilliant run of recent form. It was an even opening term by the two sides, with both sides having their chances but unable to capitalise on the scoreboard, with the Giants taking a narrow ascendancy. Ben Ainsworth continued his positive 2026 form with a brilliant snap in the opening minutes, but that proved to be the only major for the Blues in the opening term from seven scoring shots. Jagga Smith was the bright spark for the Blues, with his 10 disposals the most of anyone on the ground in the opening term, but the Blues were left to rue not only inefficiency in front of goal, but also their final kick inside 50. Carlton tidied up its entries in the second term and made the home side pay, on the back of a classic captain’s quarter from Patrick Cripps. Cripps had 15 disposals, seven contested possessions and four clearances in the second term alone, willing the Blues forward regularly as they took the game by the scruff of the neck.

He wasn’t alone, with Francis Evans producing a five-minute cameo that generated two brilliant goals in a term that yielded five majors. Nick Haynes stood up constantly on the last line against his former side, while Lachie Cowan picked up from where he left off pre-bye, producing a number of telling moments against Toby Greene, Jake Stringer and Jesse Hogan. When the Blues produced the first two goals of the third term, they had opened up a 24-point lead, with the returning Matthew Cottrell getting more and more involved. Just as the game threatened to open up on Carlton’s terms, GWS pressed again, kicking four consecutive goals to level the scores. That was despite the best efforts of Haynes and Harry Dean, with the latter producing another excellent defensive performance, this time on Aaron Cadman. When the Blues needed another big moment, one of their big names provided, with Sam Walsh reinstating the Blues’ advantage on the scoreboard following a goal on the three-quarter time siren. Leading by one straight kick, Carlton needed to put in a big shift to come away with a fifth straight victory. They did exactly that. Keeping the Giants goalless, Will Hayward, Matthew Cottrell and Harry McKay produced majors of their own to open up an equal game-high lead. Nic Newman led the Blues brilliantly in managing the clock, and when the siren sounded, the Blues had a 23-point lead for their third ever win on the Giants’ home deck. Carlton’s midfield contingent was brilliant, with Walsh (34 disposals), Cripps (33), Hewett (30) and Smith (26) leading the way, while Evans produced three goals. The Blues return home next weekend to host the Eagles at Marvel Stadium.

Fraser on consistency and connection.
The transcript of Josh Fraser's post-Round 15 press conference. - By Carlton Media.

Carlton produced its fifth consecutive victory on Saturday against Greater Western Sydney with a solid four-quarter performance on the road. Speaking post-match to media, here’s what Interim Coach Josh Fraser had to say.

On the win:
"Probably some recency bias, but I thought it was as well as we've played, particularly when you consider playing away from home, the opposition we were playing, and having to be really well prepared for what their best football looked like. The preparation's one part, but then being able to go and execute. To be challenged at different stages in the game, particularly in the second half, and then to stay as well connected as I've seen us all year, continue to back in our system, and for players to have really important moments, I thought it was one of our better performances."

Having the momentum in the centre < br> "Stoppage contest has been a cornerstone of the football club for a while. So whilst we're growing other parts of our game, that has to remain a strength. We've got players that are really good in that part of the ground. What I'm enjoying at the moment is our senior players are getting challenged to get better and find ways to get better, and they've been doing that really well. It's been set up through the work they're doing during the week, but for them to take ownership on game day and get their jobs done has been really important for us."

On what's driven the past five weeks:
"It's been really deliberate the way we've gone after certain parts of our game. We've had a strong focus on walking into the club on any given day and getting better, and that's a holistic approach to everything we're doing, regardless of whether you're a young player or an old player, a staff member, a coach. We're all on this journey of trying to grow and get better. We want to make sure the Club is better prepared and better set up. We've shined a light on certain things around managing moments, what that looks like, how we stay connected, how little things in the game can help us stay connected. And the work our coaching group and leadership group are doing in terms of how we set a game up and then go in with the confidence to execute. It's been really deliberate, and we're seeing more consistency off the back of that." "My experience suggests that once you start to lift your eyes too much, you can take your focus away from what's got you into a position where you've shown signs of improvement. Games like this afternoon continue to build belief, but for us it's important how we front up and do Monday really well, how we train on Tuesday, how we prepare on Thursday, that's the process for us getting some of the results we've had. We've got work to do, we understand that, but I'm very process-orientated and I think that'll hold us in good stead."

Finding joy in the process
"It wasn't as fun at times tonight, (GWS) challenge you in different ways. They've got some elite players across the field. But I thought our coaching group operated really well tonight, the assistant coaches and the way they're managing the game, seeing things and communicating with players. You find joy in the wins, and for me, the win is the outcome but you find joy when you reflect on the process to get that result, and that's what our players are starting to embrace as well."

On Wade Derksen's performance:
"I loved Wade's game, I thought he was terrific. Our backline's been quite strong all year and we're trying to grow this team defence system so we're not exposing our defenders, but there are times when they do get exposed in contests, and I thought Wade was exceptional in that space. It's great to see him enjoying his footy. He's building confidence and belief, the players love him, he fits into the group really well. I was really happy for him."

On the message to the group at three-quarter time:
"We spoke about, in a funny way, that we couldn't have asked for a better script being in that position. What they threw at us, the way Walsh was able to take his moment at three-quarter time, understanding what they would throw at us again in the last quarter. It was going to be a great test for us. And again, this is where I've seen the growth in this group, the occasion doesn't get too big for us in recent times, and we've been able to manage that. We've got bigger challenges ahead, but tonight in isolation, the players and the way they led and their connection on field, I thought was terrific."

On the young defensive group:
"Harry Dean doesn't play like a young player, does he? Billy Wilson's still relatively inexperienced, he had some really important moments for us. But it's worth acknowledging the experienced guys who are standing up and playing really important roles also. Building depth in our list and building capacity... (players) coming in and playing their role, that's really important, and that's why the way we perform at VFL level and our training standards all goes into the mix for us... In some ways it felt like a home game, our supporters are coming along for the ride which is fantastic, we appreciate everything they're doing for us and we get a chance to play in front of them next week again in Melbourne."

On building belief within the group:
"I think it's coming from the work we're putting in. My job on game day is almost to reinforce that and show evidence of it. We've got plans going into each week of the way we want to play... and being really deliberate with setting that up during the week, training it, and then showing evidence of it. I think we're building belief through that. The coaching group plays a part in it, but I think it's the evidence we can put in front of the players."

On Matt Cottrell's post-game antics:
"(The harmonica) was a surprise to me. He's a man of many talents, some of which are a little bit quirky, but he's so good for the group. He's a great connector, he brings great energy, the way he plays. We need him to continue to play the way he did tonight, that's his responsibility, like everyone else when they're in the side to play their role. But it's great that he could bring some fun to us in the post-game."

On Jacob Weitering's return:
"My understanding is he'll train fully this week and push for selection. With anyone that's coming back from injury, we want to make sure we're doing the right thing by the player and the team. We're hopeful he puts his hand up for selection but we'll wait and see as the week unfolds."

It's a Blue tsunami: Carlton downs Giants to keep riding wave of wins.
A fifth consecutive victory has Carlton fans dreaming of the near impossible. - By Emily Patterson at Engie Stadium

The fairytale continues for Carlton. Under interim coach Josh Fraser, the surging Blues have ignited their campaign, taking down Greater Western Sydney by 23 points in a Saturday afternoon thriller at Engie Stadium. The 12.16 (88) to 9.11 (65) victory breathes new life into a rollercoaster season for the Blues. The remarkable resurgence under Fraser continues, with Carlton banking its fifth consecutive victory to go 6-8 and keep its finals hopes alive. With the Giants heavily leaking goals to small forwards in recent weeks, the Blues' dynamic ground-level players loomed as a major threat. The small forwards capitalised beautifully, with Francis Evans booting three and Will Hayward adding two. There was very little separating the two sides throughout the match; while the Blues only briefly edged the clearance count (36–30), they gained a significant upper hand where it mattered most, dominating inside-50 entries 61–46. Early on, Carlton locked the ball in their forward 50, generating repeat entries and stoppages while applying relentless pressure. However, the Blues left the door open, allowing GWS to get their run and carry going to open the game up from one side of the ground to the other. Despite being well held in the first term, Clayton Oliver (who finished with 29 disposals, five clearances, and five tackles) lifted to go head-to-head with Carlton’s midfield unit.

For the Blues, Patrick Cripps led from the front to finish with 33 disposals, seven clearances, and three tackles, while Sam Walsh was equally prolific, racking up 34 disposals, five clearances, one goal, and two tackles. Navigating this trip without star defender Jacob Weitering made containing the lethal GWS offence a challenge. However, Carlton’s young defence held up brilliantly, shutting down Jesse Hogan (1.3), Jake Stringer (0.1), and Aaron Cadman (1.1). The Giants got their ball movement flowing early, drawing first blood through Brent Daniels after he snuck forward and converted a tough set shot from 45 metres out. The Blues responded immediately via Ben Ainsworth, who snapped a clever goal following dynamic ground-level work. While Carlton dominated territory — locking the ball in their front half via relentless turnovers and a superior repeat-entry count (18-12) — the Giants scored with higher efficiency to lead by five points at the first break despite the Blues' weight of opportunities. The second term saw Evans drill back-to-back goals within three minutes as the Blues built momentum. However, Conor Stone responded with two second-stanza goals of his own to reel the margin back in and ensure a tight, goal-for-goal contest. Ultimately, it was a dominant performance out of the middle that fuelled Carlton's 11-point lead at the main break, with the visitors leading the centre clearances 8-4. The Blues carried that momentum into the second half as Evans slotted his third, putting Carlton on track with a 24-point lead. However, the Giants steadied the ship through Greene, who kicked two for the term to stem the bleeding. A clutch goal to Walsh after the three-quarter-time siren snapped a run of four straight goals from the Giants, giving the Blues a six-point lead into the final change. Carlton seized total control early in the fourth term as Haywood and Matthew Cottrell added their seconds, before Harry McKay converted a crucial free kick to push the margin back out to 24 points. From there, the Blues' defence locked down as GWS failed to fire a goal in response.

Best: G. Hewett, S. Walsh, N. Newman, P. Cripps, B. Acres.

Carlton's defence is no longer just about Jacob Weitering
Carlton's season-saving victory over Greater Western Sydney proved that its young defence can stand tall without star defender Jacob Weitering. Navigating a tough road trip without their defensive anchor loomed as a massive test against a potentially lethal Giants attack, but the Blues' youthful backline rose to the challenge brilliantly. Showcasing elite maturity and resilience under intense pressure, they completely restricted the Giants' main targets, keeping dangerous threats Jesse Hogan, Jake Stringer and Aaron Cadman quiet to secure the 23-point win. The defensive performance was highlighted by the composure of promising young players like Harry Dean and Billy Wilson, who stood resolute alongside the reliable veterans stepping up in the absence of their defensive lynchpin. - Emily Patterson

In: Matt Cottrell
Out: Flynn Young (omitted)

Interesting Facts

1. Matt Cottrell led the Carlton team theme song by playing a harmonica intro of Billy Joels' Piano Man that led into "We Are The Navy Blues"
2. It was Carlton's 1,500th Victory in the League from their 2,661 games since 1897 (they have had 35 draws).

Free Kicks

Carlton 16
Greater Western Sydney 16

Umpires

Andrew Stephens, Alex Whetton, Paul Rebeschini, Andrew Heffernan.

Reports

Toby Greene (GWS) was reported for striking Nic Newman (CARL), with an early guilty plea, he was fined $1,875.

Front Runners

1. Latchie Whitfield (GWS) 15.5km
2. Harvey Thomas (GWS) 14.8km
3. Aaron Cadman (GWS) 14.7km
4. Matt Cottrell 14.5km
4. Joe Fonti (GWS) 14.5km

Disposal Efficiency

1. George Hewett 93%
2. Harry McKay 87%
3. Francis Evans 86%
4. Marc Pittonet 85%

AFLCA Votes

8 - Patrick Cripps (CARL)
8 - George Hewett (CARL)
8 - Sam Walsh (CARL)
4 - Jagga Smith (CARL)
1 - Nick Haynes (CARL)
1 - Nic Newman (CARL)

Brownlow Votes

3 Sam Walsh
2 Patrick Cripps
1 George Hewett

Best and Fairest Votes

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