The Wrap Up | R9 V GWS Giants.
MATCH SUMMARY:
Sunday twilight for the Baggers. A massive game in the context of both clubs’ year. The Blues have a chance to cement themselves in the top 4, whereas the Giants are fighting tooth and nail to keep their season alive. In the last game for Leon Cameron as GWS Giants coach, the Giants needed to respond after a more than disappointing effort the week prior. The Blues are bound to win at Giant stadium at some point, and this is the perfect opportunity for them to break their hoodoo.
The Blues needed to mitigate the impending hot start of the Giants, and when Lachie Plowman runs through Lachie Ash, before taking a very solid intercept mark to regain control for The Blues - from there on in, the game was even. The Blues got off the hotter start, kicking the first through Corey Durdin. The Blues got the next one through Sam Walsh, before kicking another one only a matter of minutes later. A long kick into the pocket found Tom De Koning who rose high into the Sydney sky, before going back and kicking a really nice goal. The Giants needed to respond, and they did through Callan Ward. Who, with their first touch inside 50, slotted through a much needed goal. The Blues responded through Zac Fisher, who got onto his left foot and smacked home from 50. Toby Greene got the Giants back into the game with two late goals to end the first quarter.
Jake Riccardi’s very early goal was quickly ruled out by Corey Durdin who kicked his second. Before the goal for goal theme continued as Harry Himmelberg’s goal was ruled out by a very classy goal from Jack Silvagni, breaking a tackle and bananaing through a gorgeous goal to give the Blues some breathing room. However, that breathing room was quickly suffocated as Adam Kennedy launched from beyond the arc to cut the margin to one straight kick. Before the Rolls Royce that is Josh Kelly very calming slotted through from the pocket to level the scores coming into the main break.
The Blues needed to respond and came out to the second half like they did the first, and when Jesse Motlop was found in the pocket by Jack Silvagni, we all knew the Blues came out to play in the 2nd half. Motlop went back and kicked his first goal in league footy, with dad Daniel watching on from the stands. The Blues then continued this good start through Matt Kennedy, who got a 50-metre penalty to go back and kick a really nice goal to give the Blues a nice buffer. The Giants punched back, however, kicking the last 3 of 4 goals of the quarter, including a bomb from Harry Perryman and Finn Callaghan getting a 50-metre penalty and kicking a goal from the goal square.
The Blues, as they have done in every quarter, came out firing in the last. And the king had arrived. After having a quiet game so far, Charlie Curnow bobbed up and kicked the first two goals of the quarter, to make the task for the Giants really difficult. And when Jack Silvagni kicked a fabulous goal from 40 metres out, after dancing around Nick Haynes to kick it, it was all but game over from there. Jake Riccardi kicked one to give the Giants a glimmer of hope, but a bomb from Sam Docherty and a Zac Fisher sealer gave the Blues a memorable 30 point win.
The Story From The Match:
Another Hoodoo broken.
Nearly every game this year has been deemed a danger game by most fans. This is because of the record that the Blues have had against plenty of teams in recent times. The term ‘danger’ game has been overused plenty of times this year, well, because Carlton has been very poor for the longest time, so we would very rarely have won more often than not against nearly every team. However, this can’t be said against the Giants. Carlton has only beaten the Giants 3 times in their history, and twice were in the team’s first two years of their inception.
This was the definition of a hoodoo. No matter the circumstance, no matter the game, the Carlton Football Club could never win at Giant Stadium. Well, until now. The Blues have broken duck after duck this year, and this was no different. Another monkey off the back, another weight, weighing us down removed, another hurdle jumped, another win in the column, another win closer to their first finals appearance since 2013.
The Best
Sam Docherty, Sam Walsh, Matt Kennedy, Jack Silvagni, George Hewett, Corey Durdin, Lachie Plowman, Lochie O’Brien, Adam Cerra
Final Scores
GWS Giants: 3.3 (21), 7.4 (47), 10.6 (66), 11.9 (75)
Carlton: 5.3 (33), 7.4 (47), 10.12 (72), 15.15 (105)
