The Wrap Up | Round 5 V Port Adelaide

Written by Ari Stamatakos

Each week, Blue Abroad’s “The Wrap Up” takes a different perspective on Carlton’s post-match review. “The Wrap Up” provides insights and stats supporting the key trends, moments and patterns of the game that held the most influence over the final result. This is your Round 5 Wrap Up following a comprehensive defeat to premiership favourite, Port Adelaide. 

MATCH SUMMARY:

It was finally Carlton’s time to announce themselves to the competition. Under the bright lights, MCG stage, Saturday night, against a flag favourite, it was set up to be a blockbuster encounter. Port, avenging their preliminary final defeat the week prior with a gusty win over Richmond, were looking to continue their good form and go 4-1, firmly entrenching themselves in the premiership window. 

A slow start to the game as both sides looked to assert their dominance early on, the crowd were struggling to get into the game as both sides starting in a very uninspired way. Charlie Dixon (2 goals, 7 marks, 7 score involvements) got the ball rolling for the Power, as Blues fans feared that he may have the same impact that he had in their last encounter. The ever-reliable Lachie Fogarty (16 disposals, 4 tackles, 24 pressure acts) kicked the Blues first of the night. Patrick Cripps (27 disposals, 78% disposals efficiency, 6 clearances, 5 inside 50’s) then lines up for a set shot 20m out on a slight angle, his kick fades to the left and it proved to be a sad indictment of the disappointing night to come for the Blues. Goal for Goal followed the Cripps miss until it was broken by consecutive Power goals, Orazio Fantasia (2 goals, 5 inside 50’s, 3 tackles. ) kicked his first and the Power kicked away just a little bit. Levi Casboult (2 goals, 7 score involvements, 4 inside 50’s) kicked a brilliant goal for his first of the night to get the Blues back within striking distance at quarter time. 

Port started their second term better than the first as Mitch Georgiades (3 goals, 15 disposals, 93% disposal efficiency) and Robbie Gray (3 goals, 3 inside 50’s, 16 disposals) both got their second of the day to really put the pressure on the Blues. The Blues needed to respond, and they did through Levi who got his second of the game. A long stretch of the second term saw no score as the next goal became crucial and critical for the momentum of the game. After multiple inside 50’s went begging for the Blues, it was the Power’s elite ball movement inside 50’s which saw the ball fall into the hands of Gray. His kick goal through and Blues momentum is halted in its tracks. Scott Lycett’s (1 goal, 28 hit-outs, 4 tackles) goal not long after put the Blues on the canvas heading into the main break.

The Blues rose early as Harry McKay (1 goal, 5 marks.) got his first of the game and the Blues looked to be fired up. Again, as all good side do, Port stemmed the flow and fired back with 2 goals in a matter of minutes, including a stunner from Karl Amon (28 disposals, 79% disposal efficiency, 6 rebound 50’s) in the pocket. Wasted attempts from the Blues were finally capitalised on by Mitch McGovern (1 goal, 5 marks, 5 inside 50’s) who marked directly in front and slotted through to keep the Blues in the hunt... just about. A rinse and repeat of the second term as an extended period of time saw no score, in which the subsequent score became vital. The Blues were pushing and pushing, but again, it was the Premiership favourite who got that all-important next goal through Fantasia. It was damage limitations for the Blues towards the end of the 3rd as the Power slammed on 3 goals to end the quarter and put the game all but beyond doubt. Despite the persevered domination from Port in that 3rd term, the Blues were level in scoring shots.

A rather uneventful final term followed as Port were able to kill the game off and halt any chance of a Carlton comeback. A goal from Matthew Cottrell (1 goal, 5 score involvements) kicked off the goals scoring for the last, as Conner Rozee (17 disposals, 76% disposal efficiency, 4 inside 50’s) responded, after which saw Blues fans leave in droves as another game goes begging in a gut-wrenching and frustrating way. 2 late conciliation goals for the Blues weren’t enough to salvage many of disgruntled and very angry fans. 

BREAKING IT DOWN: KEY MATCH INSIGHTS 

PROFLIGATE: 

The story of the game was constant poor ball movement from the Blues. The inability to hit a target and to find the right option cost the Blues dearly as they went at 68% disposal efficiency. Not only is that shocking but compared to the season average of 72.3% disposal efficiency, this is even worse and illustrates that the Blues game plan was heavily built around good ball movement, due to how poor they played when they couldn’t move the ball around at an elite level. As well as being incredibly poor around the ground, they were incredibly poor whilst inside 50 as well. They had 27 shots from 57 inside 50’s, that an efficiency of 47%, far below the competition average. This, coupled with the ruthlessness of Port Adelaide really proved to be the difference-maker. Port has a season average disposal efficiency of 73.4%, on the weekend they went at 76%, proving that they played a game that was far more efficient than normal. They also went at 56% inside 50, above the competition average. The combination of Carlton being incredibly profligate and Port Adelaide being extraordinarily efficient spelt doom for the Blues. 

DECEIVINGLY POOR 

If you were to look at the reaction online, without watching the game, you wouldn’t be remiss to think that Port Adelaide absolutely smashed the Blues in every area of the park, we couldn’t get near them. While yes Port were good and yes, Carlton were objectively poor, you can go pass how the stats were surprisingly close in a lot of the KPI’s for a game in which the Blues were seen to be ‘pathetic’. Most fans at the start of the game, if given the question of “if I were to offer you that the Blues were going to have, more scoring shots (23-21), more clearances (36-32), more tackles (57-48) and fewer turnovers (72-74)”, I think most fans would take that. Carlton were very even in most of the other KPI, and in the ones which were a little one-sided, Port far outperformed their seasonal average. For example, marks. Port had 110 marks, their season average is 96, illustrating again that the Blues had to verse a seriously good Port team. This overall performance is even more impressive as the Blues 57 tackles, was the most they have had to face this year, as well as being the second most tackles per game the Blues have faced this year. Arguably, one of their more impressive 4 quarter performances this year came in a game where they faced the most pressure.

FINAL SCORES

Carlton:                           3.3 (21), 4.5 (29), 6.10 (46), 9.14 (68) 

Port Adelaide:                   4.2 (26), 8.4 (52), 14.5 (89), 15.6 (96) 

Carlton Goals:               Casboult (2), McKay, McGovern, Newnes, Fogarty, Cottrell, Pittonet,  Walsh                               

Carlton Best:                Walsh, Docherty, Curnow, Weitering