The Wrap Up
Written By Ari Stamatakos
MATCH SUMMARY:
It was a must-win game for both sides, as the Blues look to bounce back from a disappointing defeat to the Gold Coast 7 days ago. Whereas the Power look to register their first points of the season and avoid going 0-5 for the first time in their history.
The Blues needed to start hot, and they couldn't have gotten a hotter start as from the centre clearance, the ball gets out the back and Charlie Curnow is there to soccer through his first of the game. The Power held firm and responded in kind through Robbie Grey who continues to haunt Carlton fans in his return game. The Blues then got on a roll, first through Harry McKay who got his first through his trademark snap. Then Jack Martin kicked two in as many minutes to extend the early Carlton lead to 19 points. Zac Fisher then dobbed one from 50 and the Blues lead by 25 points. Mitch Georgiades got one back for the Power before Curnow kicked his second on the quarter-time siren as the margin going into the first change was 15 points.
If you thought that the Blues start to the first quarter was hot, then their start to the second would be nuclear. McKay kicked his second through a clever dribbler before he was one-upped by Zac Fisher who kicked his second in an extraordinary fashion, collecting from the pocket and dribbling through a gorgeous goal. Grey and Jeremy Finlayson kicked goals in between Harry McKay’s third, before a three-goal flurry from Curnow, Jack Silvagni and Corey Durdin saw the lead extended to 50 points at the main change.
However, just as things were going well for the Blues, it all turned sour pretty quickly. Sam Powell-Pepper and Zac Butters got the ball rolling for the Power in the third term before quick thinking from Curnow allowed him to kick his fourth and give the Blues some breathing room. From then, the Blues dominated the next portion of the quarter, however, they were unable to hit the scoreboard. And when the Power went forward, they made them pay full price. Ryan Burton kicked his first, before Travis Boak got the next. A miracle goal from Connor Rozee which proceeded to another bomb from Burton on the cusp of three-quarter time. All of a sudden, within a flash, it's a 16 point game and the Power are right in the contest.
The Blues did well to stem the flow at the start of the last, but it was a hack kick from Powell-Pepper that floated through to make it an 8 point game. And when Grey marked the unremarkable ball, to then go back and kick his third to cut the margin back to 2 points, it was PTSD all over again for the Blues. But they did well to once again, stem the flow. And they did this long enough to allow for Charlie Curnow to take a mark inside 50 and give them some much needed breathing room, back to 9 points. Georgiades kicked another for the Power to cut the margin back to 3 points and it was set for a grandstand finish. With some spirited one on one efforts from Matt Cottrell and Lewis Young late, coupled with a miraculous mark from stand-in skipper Jacob Weitering, the Blues thought they did it. But when Karl Amon found himself free from 50 out with under a minute left, all Blues hearts were in their mouths. His flying shot at goal went across the face and was unconvincingly fisted through for a behind. One massive Harry McKay mark on the wing later, and the Blues held on for an incredible victory.
BREAKING IT DOWN: KEY MATCH INSIGHTS:
A Tale Of Two Halves:
The Carlton Football Club struggle to please their fans don’t they? Even when they are 50 points up at halftime, the Blues fans are always on the edge of their seats. The Power came storming home in a very predictable fashion, as not for the first time this year, the Blues have let sides back in the game after dominating them for the best part of 2 quarters.
In the first half, the Blues were playing scintillating football. It was clinical and ruthlessly effective. Being elite from the stoppage and overrunning the Power at will, it seemed that the 50 point half time margin would extend to 80 by three-quarter time. There was nothing in that first half that indicated to anyone that Port would be capable of a comeback, it was the definition of clear and systematic destruction from the Blues in the opening two quarters.
However, the second half couldn't have been any different. Port Adelaide came out of the blocks steaming, kicking goals at will and being first to every contest. Carlton looked all at sea as they were chasing shadows in an attempt to get the game back on their terms. It took two moments of Charlie Curnow magic to kick the only two goals for the Blues in the second half. The Blues were holding on for dear life and they luckily, for the second time in three weeks, held off a spirited comeback at the MCG after being in front by an enormous margin.
The Best
Sam Walsh, Charlie Curnow, Zac Fisher, Adam Saad, Adam Cerra, George Hewett.
Final Scores
Carlton: 6.4 (40), 12.6 (78), 13.8 (86), 14.10 (94)
Port Adelaide: 2.3 (15), 4.5 (29), 10.9 (69), 13.13
