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Round 13, 2023

Carlton 1.5 11 3.10 28 5.10 40 6.16 52
Essendon 2.4 16 4.6 30 11.7 73 13.8 86
Venue: MCG.
Date: Sunday June 11, 2023 (7.15 pm).
Result: Lost by 34 pts.
Crowd: 83,638
Goalkickers: C, Curnow 2.4, J. Martin 1.2, M. Owies 1.1, A. Cincotta 1.0, H. McKay 1.0, J. Motlop 0.2, S. Docherty 0.1, E. Curnow 0.1, J. Silvagni 0.1, Rushed 0.4.
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: 11 – Curtis Deboy, 1 – Chris Donlon, 23 - Robert Findlay, 32 – Jacob Mollison
Injuries: Nil.
Ladder: 15th


Game Review

Wasteful Blues succumb to arch rival

It was a 34-point defeat for Carlton at the hands of Essendon. - By Cristian Filippo, Carlton Media

The King's Birthday Rivalry Clash ended in a 34-point Carlton defeat at the hands of Essendon. Once again, the Blues were the makers of their own destiny, only managing six goals from 22 scoring shots in the 13.8 (86) to 6.16 (52) defeat. The typically consistent Adam Cerra put together a four-quarter performance while Alex Cincotta recorded his first Carlton goal, but the Blues were again left to rue missed opportunities going forward in their first defeat to the arch rival in four years.

Quarter one:
Inclusion Ed Curnow’s role was clear from the start, manning Essendon captain Zach Merrett at the opening bounce. As Carlton’s talk from throughout the week would’ve suggested, the Blues looked to be aggressive with their ball movement from the outset. The end result was an unlikely first goalkicker, with Alex Cincotta surging forward and bouncing one home from the centre square: the finish was only matched by the celebration. After two Essendon goals, the Sherrin constantly pinged between the arcs, with both teams looking to capitalise off turnover. Charlie Curnow looked ominous but could only manage three long-range behinds, as the Bombers looked to do what they’ve done all season and dominate possession. Source pressure was high for both teams, but the Blues would’ve been disappointed by their work around the ball in the early going, sitting -7 in contested possessions at the first change, despite the non-stop drive from Adam Cerra (eight disposals, two clearances).

Quarter two
Carlton’s contest method was much improved in the second term, allowing the team to play a front-half game from the outset. The Blues won the quarter by 18 contested possessions, giving them strong looks in front of the ball, particularly in the first half of the term: 70 per cent of the play was in Carlton’s forward half after 15 minutes. Cerra picked up where he left off with a 10-disposal quarter, while Jack Martin very much loomed as the danger man on return, kicking the first of the term while proving to be a difficult match-up for the Bombers’ defensive group. It was a strong contest on centre wing from Blake Acres which set the tone in the lead-up to Martin’s goal, as the Blues came out up for the fight. After an accurate Harry McKay set shot put his team nine points up, the Blues looked to be on their way to capitalise on their territorial dominance: however, inaccuracy in front of goal and a late flurry from the Bombers meant the Blues trailed by two points at the main change.

Quarter three
The third quarter was a complete reversal of the second, as the Bombers burst out of the blocks on their own accord — and, crucially, were able to put the score on the board. The Blues couldn’t stop their opponents’ blitz, surging out of the centre to kick six goals in the opening 15 minutes to open up a 40-point buffer. Carlton struggled to win the ball at the source, trailing in centre clearances by a tally of 12-4 after three quarters. Charlie Curnow and Matthew Owies registered late goals, while Sam Walsh battled manfully with 15 third-quarter disposals. However, the Blues had a 33-point differential to make up in the final term.

Quarter four
The Blues left nothing to chance in the final term, attacking the game at all costs despite the deficit. Winning the clearances 6-1 in the early going, Carlton looked to surge at all costs, but a disallowed Tom De Koning mark and subsequent counter attack for Essendon put the contest beyond all doubt. It was another wasteful term for the Blues who weren’t without their chances, registering 1.6, as they ended the game with considerably more inside 50s and more scoring shots than the Bombers, yet fell to a 34-point defeat.

Best: A. Cerra, A. Saad, C. Curnow, S. Walsh, J. Motlop.

'Embarrassing’ bottom four Blues’ season over as two-metre Peter fires in long-awaited return - Catherine Healey and David Zita from Fox Sports.


A brilliant seven-goal third quarter blitz has lifted Essendon to their first win over arch rival Carlton since 2019. The Bombers were clinical in a 15-minute demolition of the Blues before running out 13.8 (86) to 6.16 (52) winners in their King’s Birthday Eve clash at the MCG in front of more than 83,600 fans. The 34-point loss ensures Carlton are now anchored in the bottom four after their sixth straight defeat – and their eighth in just 13 games. And again it was goal scoring woes that cruelled Carlton’s charge as they finished with just six goals in their tally. Pressure continues to grow on Blues coach Michael Voss in just his second year at the helm. But ahead of the game Carlton CEO Brian Cook said the under-fire mentor has the club’s full support to see out his contract, which would keep him at Ikon Park until at least the end of 2024. Asked if Voss was coaching for his future, Cook said on ABC Grandstand: “No, Michael Voss’ future with us is a three-year contract and he will be with us until at least the end of next year.” After the follow-up question “he will coach round 1 next season?”, Cook replied “absolutely.”

1st Quarter
The Bombers blew two golden opportunities in the opening minutes against the Blues. Jake Stringer sent his set shot wide while Zach Merrett missed with his snap. And down the other end, it was Alex Cincotta who made Essendon pay with his first goal in the AFL. Cincotta grabbed at his jumper in passionate scenes as the goal sparked the Blues fans in the stands. Peter Wright, in his first game since last August, stood tall for his side as he took a strong contested grab and nailed the goal. Wright was left perplexed moments later when he wasn’t paid his second mark inside 50 for the term as the Blues dodged a bullet. The Blues backline was left perplexed when the Bombers were allowed a “mulligan” second shot on goal which Kyle Langford converted. It was Langford who was brought down without the footy and the whistle blown, but Sam Weideman opted to grab the footy and take the shot on goal which missed. But the ball was called back to Langford. “It’s either 50 or advantage!” Blue Sam Docherty could be heard telling the umpire. “They certainly got two bites of the cherry Essendon,” commentator Jobe Watson said. That Langford goal ensured it was Essendon leading 16-11 at the first change.

2nd Quarter
Harry McKay’s nightmare woes in front of goal rolled on when he failed to make the distance with an around the body snap from 30m out. Jack Martin made no mistake from the square but the Blues were still wasting opportunities in the second as they reached 2.9. “They are not converting but they are playing a better style of footy, a more sustainable style of footy,” Watson praised. McKay finally found his radar to give the Blues their third goal, but Essendon had the immediate replay through Will Snelling. When Lewis Young got caught out of position on big two-metre Peter, he coughed up the free kick which Wright made the most of, reclaiming the lead for his side. At half time it was Essendon up 30-28 in a low-scoring affair.

3rd Quarter
The third quarter belonged to the Bombers as they piled on six goals in the space of just 15 minutes. It took just seconds for Zach Merrett to start the run. When Jordan Boyd was penalised for an “unlucky” hold on Matt Guelfi, Essendon had two for the term in the space of three minutes. “It’s a dangerous time now for the Blues,” commentator Jason Bennett said. Three more goals to Peter Wright extended Essendon’s lead while down the other end it was only embarrassment as Matt Owies and Charlie Curnow decided against going for the mark – despite the open targets standing shoulder to shoulder in a moment that summed up the Blues’ third term.

4th Quarter
Staring down a 33-point deficit at the final change, Carlton came out fired up in the last. But they couldn’t put that aggression on the scoreboard as Jye Menzie ensured there would be no miracle fightback.

THE 3-2-1...


3) BRUTAL BLUES REALITY HITS HOME
Barring a minor miracle, Carlton’s finals hopes are over. A side that is winless in its last six attempts still has a bye to go through in two weeks and its run home includes games against Fremantle at Optus Stadium, Port Adelaide at its home away from home Marvel Stadium, Collingwood and Melbourne. It’s a tough enough ask for any side, let alone one that’s struggling with confidence. In the match-breaking third quarter, the Blues laid just six tackles, a statistic dubbed “embarrassing” by Jonathan Brown and “unbelievable” by Garry Lyon. There were signs the Blues wanted to play a different way and they did, but the outcome was the same as the last five weeks. “I think the messiness is due to Carlton being asked to play a way that they haven’t played for a long time,” Jordan Lewis said at halftime. “There always is confusion. You can get why they’re not automatic, they’re not in sync, but they are trying and you tip your hat to them. “It’s tough to change the way you move the ball week to week and I think they’re having a big go.” That third quarter was damning, however, with the Blues falling apart and put to the sword by an Essendon side that is firing on all cylinders. For the Bombers, they have winnable games in their run home against Adelaide, the Western Bulldogs, Sydney, West Coast, North Melbourne and GWS. Win five of those and the Bombers almost certainly play finals, a brilliant achievement that will only rub more salt into the wounds of Carlton fans.

2) CAPTAIN CRIPPS SHOULDERING A HEAVY BURDEN
Carlton captain Patrick Cripps has shouldered so much of the load for the Blues in their struggles over the years. In 2023 so far, that weight looks to have taken a toll on the midfield star. Decent enough averages in the opening seven rounds have fallen considerably since. His clearance average has dropped from 8.3 to 4.6, while his score involvements have slumped from eight to four. “You can never question his effort,” Jonathan Brown said on Fox Footy, “but his contested footy has really dropped away. The last month of footy he’s gone from 17 to 10 contested possessions a game.” It could lead to a sinking feeling for the Blues skipper, whose finals drought has reached gargantuan levels. “(It’s been) 170 games to not play a final,” Nathan Buckley said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the last month in some shape or form is a realisation of, ‘Oh, it might not happen again.’ “It sort of becomes a bit of a weight you sort of can carry. You need to meet the moment and this is a moment for him. “He’s been such a strong character for this football club over such a long period of time, you’d like to think that others are going to come up for him, but in the end he’s just got to free himself up and play his best footy.” Cripps struggled on Sunday night once again, however, as his side struggled with him. As a midfield whole, there were issues once more, with disposal numbers not translating to impact. Sam Walsh had 27 disposals to Zach Merrett’s 13 at three-quarter time, but Merrett was far and away the more impactful player. There are plenty of issues for the Blues, with the engine room one of the most glaring.

1) TWO-METRE PETER RETURNS TO THE BIG STAGE
Essendon’s performances this season had been made all the more impressive by the fact they were without Peter Wright, their leading goal kicker from 2022. Wright booted a whopping 53 goals in 2022 to stamp himself as one of the best forwards in the competition. His absence due to shoulder surgery has seen Kyle Langford thrive, but Wright’s return on Sunday night underscored just how much better this side could be in the back half of the season. Wright looked ominous from the opening bounce and was the focal point in a pulsating third quarter that saw the 26-year-old tear the Blues’ defence apart. It was a stark reminder of Essendon’s potency and its blend of experience with youth. At the youthful end, Nic Martin once again put in a phenomenal performance, with his running power a brilliant sign. Despite the promising start to the year, the Bombers could well be about to get even better.

Team

B: 23 Jacob Weitering 33 Lewis Young 11 Mitch McGovern
HB: 39 Alex Cincotta 17 Brodie Kemp 42 Adam Saad
C: 15 Sam Docherty 9 Patrick Cripps (c) 46 Matthew Cottrell
HF: 44 Matt Owies 30 Charlie Curnow 18 Sam Walsh
F: 21 Jack Martin 10 Harry McKay 3 Jesse Motlop
Ruck: 12 Tom De Koning 35 Ed Curnow 5 Adam Cerra
Interchange: 1 Jack Silvagni 7 Matthew Kennedy 13 Blake Acres
37 Jordan Boyd
Substitute: 2 Paddy Dow
Coach: Michael Voss
Emergencies: 8 Lachie Fogarty 26 Lachie Cowan 32 Jaxon Binns


Jack Silvagni replaced Marc Pittonet in the selected side and Jaxon Binns replaced Jack Silvagni as an emergency

In: Ed Curnow, Jack Martin
Out: Zac Fisher, Lochie O'Brien

Substitute: Paddy Dow (replaced Jack Martin at 3/4 time).


Milestones

100th (AFL): Mitch McGovern
1st Goal: Alex Cincotta

AFLCA Votes

10 - Nic Martin (ESS)
8 - Peter Wright (ESS)
5 - Jye Caldwell (ESS)
4 - Adam Cerra (CARL)
2 - Jordan Ridley (ESS)
1 - Ben Hobbs (ESS)

Brownlow Votes

3 - Nic Martin (ESS)
2 - Peter Wright (ESS)
1 - Jye Caldwell (ESS)

Best and Fairest Votes


Video




Round 12 | Round 14
Contributors to this page: Jarusa , Bombasheldon , WillowBlue and molsey .
Page last modified on Thursday 21 of March, 2024 01:48:12 AEDT by Jarusa.
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