AFL Round 18 Carlton v Hawthorn: Blues win second consecutive game, keep slim finals hopes alive
The Blues have now produced two wins in a row after a barren patch of footy, as the stars rear back into form. Is their form real? We’re set to find out.
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The dirty work has continued to resuscitate Carlton’s season and some old fashioned swagger packed the winning rooms on Sunday.
But a brutal stretch of games to start the run home will put the Blues’ mini-resurgence to the test.
The Blues celebrated keeping Hawthorn goalless in the first half of Sunday’s procession win harder than booting more than 50 points themselves as Michael Voss’ team showed why so many pundits had them as a top-four chance coming into the season.
The rooms beneath the MCG were jam-packed with smiling faces and some confidence after the 60-point win but the next month will test that belief, with games against Fremantle (in Perth), Port Adelaide (Marvel Stadium), West Coast (Marvel Stadium) and old rivals Collingwood (MCG) to come.
A blistering second-term against Gold Coast in round 14 gave Carlton life and through Harry McKay’s strong hands and the one-two punch of Patrick Cripps and Adam Cerra, the Blues pushed the Hawks aside with ease.
All of Carlton’s high-wattage names shone on Sunday but so too did the role players.
Ask anyone at Ikon Park and they will put the two-game turnaround down to pressure.
It was the first thing out of Michael Voss’ mouth post-match and the first things defender Jacob Weitering and forward David Cunningham pointed to after the win.
“We have played really good brands (of footy) the last two weeks, just focusing on our pressure and our contest and I think we nailed those things the last two weeks,” Cunningham said.
“That really set the tone, we got good territory with our ball movement and obviously kicked over 100 points in both games so that was pleasing but what was most pleasing was our defensive efforts.
“Team defence is one thing we can all buy into and we are all on the same page, coming forward and putting on pressure around the contest.”
Carlton was clearly outpointed for height on Sunday without either Tom De Koning or Marc Pittonet as the pair nursed knee injuries but Hawthorn’s dominance in the ruck only made Voss’ engine room work harder.
“If I look at what the mids were able to do today, we had minus 36 hitouts and plus 11 first position and we have plus five clearance,” Voss said.
“That is when the ball is on the ground, you are prepared to get your hands dirty.”
Before the Suns demolition, Carlton had only passed 100 points twice this year – against lowly North Melbourne and West Coast.
The Blues have put up a combined 232 points in their last two games but for Voss, setting the scoreboard on fire has all been thanks to the pressure.
“It hasn’t been because we have had a greater emphasis on our offence,” he said.
“I think we came in (at half-time) and were celebrating the five points (that Hawthorn had kicked to that stage) more than necessarily the score that we kicked.”
The Blues made the most of slack opposition to keep their season alive, the next month will show how serious their mid-season rebound can be.
MATCH REPORT: BLUES THUMP HAWKS AT THE G
WEITERING IN TROUBLE?
The star defender says the contact that saw him reported for striking Hawthorn’s Lloyd Meek was “open hand on the chest”.
Weitering was placed on report by umpire Nathan Wiliamson in the third quarter for striking, in an off the ball incident that saw Meek fall to the ground.
The incident – which took place about 50m off the ball – saw Weitering give away a free kick for high contact.
While Meek went to ground, the big man showed no signs of injury and continued to play the game.
Does Jacob Weitering have anything to worry about after this incident?
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Speaking to Fox Footy post game, Weitering said he made contact with Meek’s chest, not his throat or head.
“I have never been placed on report before,” he said.
“I felt like it was open hand on the chest so we will just see what happens later on in the week.
“I play the game pretty hotly contested so we will just see.”
Williamson could be heard saying the free kick was for high contact as he ran over to report Weitering.
Zoomed in footage of the incident appears to show Weitering making a motion with his left arm and connecting with Meek, who falls to the turf.
Carlton coach Michael Voss said post-match he “didn’t see the direct incident” but saw Meek holding his chest afterwards.
“It doesn’t look like that classifies as high to me,” Voss said.
“ (Weitering) is fairly comfortable with where it lies and he is pretty up front with these sorts of things so I will certainly back that man in.”
Weitering continued his strong performance in the second half of Sunday’s 60-point win after being placed on report but Voss said umpires using the book mid-match was unnecessary in the days of the match review officer.
“Absolutely (stop in-game reports), that is what the MRO is for and if there is any doubt, just wait,” he said.
“It won’t get missed. I guarantee you.”
BLUES BURST OUT OF THE BLOCKS
The Blues set up the win early on the back of their domination of contested possessions, which they led 47-30 at quarter-time, and territory as they almost doubled the Hawks for inside 50s in the opening term (16-9).
The Blues completely owned the ball as well in the first period with 51 more disposals (125-74), and by the 19-minute mark of the first quarter, nine Hawks were still yet to touch the footy. When Hawthorn did get their hands on the ball, they were often let down by poor ball use.
The Hawks were extremely disorganised in defence as Carlton players regularly found far too much space in their attacking zone, which resulted in the Blues tripling the Hawks for marks inside 50 by half-time (9-3). Carlton would finish up dominating that stat 20-8.
POOR ENTRIES HURT HAWTHORN
And when the Hawks managed to get regular forward entries, not only was the quality of their disposal poor and misguided without a threatening focal target to kick to, but Fergus Greene missed three set shots before they finally kicked their first major five minutes into the third term.
Carlton’s speed and pressure totally overwhelmed the Hawks, and perhaps the biggest indictment on Hawthorn’s first half was that the Blues had far more of the ball (218-150), yet also laid more tackles (43-33).
HAWK RESURGENCE SHORTLIVED
After Docherty made it nine goals in a row for the Blues, the Hawks finally sparked to life by booting the next three majors and actually outscored Carlton in the third quarter. But it was too little, too late and the Blues reasserted their dominance by kicking six goals to two in the final term to seal the big win.
SCOREBOARD
HAWKS 0.3, 0.5, 5.8, 7.10 (52)
BLUES 3.4, 8.7, 11.10, 17.10 (112)
LERNER’S BEST Hawks: Worpel, Ward, Day, Morrison. Blues: Cerra, Cripps, Docherty, Weitering, Acres, Cuningham, Walsh.
GOALS Hawks: Breust 2, Greene 2, Lewis 2, C.Macdonald. Blues: Martin 3, C.Curnow 3, Cuningham 2, Cerra 2, McKay 2, Owies, Docherty, Acres, Silvagni, Fogarty.
LATE CHANGE Tom De Koning (knee) replaced in Carlton’s selected line-up by Lewis Young.
REPORTS Jacob Weitering (Carlton) for striking Lloyd Meek (Hawthorn) in the third quarter.
UMPIRES Stephens, Williamson, Mollison, McGinness
VENUE MCG
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
LERNER’S VOTES
3 Adam Cerra (Carl)
2 Patrick Cripps (Carl)
1 Sam Docherty (Carl)
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