Carlton’s maligned forward Harry McKay kicks game-winner against Lions

Carlton has come from the clouds to steal victory against Brisbane, with a heavily criticised forward proving the hero.

Carlton’s maligned forward Harry McKay has proven the hero in the Blues’ stunning comeback victory over Brisbane at the Gabba.

The Lions led by 46 points late in the second quarter, but Carlton came storming back to steal a 13.8 (86) to 12.13 (85) victory.

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McKay was under an enormous spotlight after his goalkicking woes in 2023, when he regularly failed under pressure and ended the year with 29 goals and 29 behinds.

But trailing by five points with less than two minutes remaining, McKay took a huge mark then slotted the goal, showing nerves of steel.

“You’ve got to want to be in those moments,” McKay said on Fox Footy after the game.

“Obviously, a little bit of adrenaline, little bit of nerves, but sticking to your process and backing yourself in.

Harry McKay proved the hero for Carlton. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“As long as you commit, it doesn’t matter the result. Glad it went through. I thought the boys were great, the resilience to come back was amazing.”

McKay finished with three goals, added to Charlie Curnow’s four, in a huge boost to the Blues and coach Michael Voss.

“I loved it, not as a Brisbane Lions’ supporter, but I loved it for Harry McKay especially,” Jonathan Brown said afterwards.

“He stared down his demons. I loved his body language before his kicks tonight.

“Even the one he missed, I thought he was positive, he ran towards the fight tonight and embraced the pressure.

“You can only imagine the anxiety when he was having his shots tonight but this could set up his season and his team’s season.”

Nathan Buckley added he feared the worst as McKay lined up for goal.

“We were all looking at it and saying this is a moment. He has folded in that moment more often than not,” he said.

“He answered a few critics and hopefully he can continue it.”

Harry McKay. That’s staring down the devil. The ball - and game - in the hands of the man most vulnerable. What a staggering finale to a staggering game. #AFLLionsBlues

— Sam Edmund (@Sammy__Edmund) March 8, 2024

The result ended Brisbane’s 14-match winning-streak at the Gabba, Carlton the first team to beat the Lions at the venue since Melbourne achieved the rare feat in round 23 of the 2022 season.

The “Opening Round” win also gave the Blues revenge for their 16-point preliminary final loss to the Lions at the Gabba last year.

McKay’s teammates were ecstatic for the big key forward. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Carlton’s win was made all the more meritorious considering they lost Sam Docherty to a jarred knee.

Docherty didn’t come out after half-time, while the Lions also suffered their own injury blow, with Keidean Coleman also taking no part in the second half after hyper-extending his left knee in a clash of legs with the Blues’ Lachie Fogarty late in the second quarter.

The ruthless hosts kicked seven of the game’s first eight goals to lead by 32 points at the first break.

The evergreen Dayne Zorko led the way early with two first-quarter goals, while Callum Ah Chee saluted the crowd following a brilliant right-footed snap that typified Brisbane’s opening-quarter class and dominance.

The result is huge for Carlton coach Michael Voss. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“They (Brisbane) looked like a team that had been preparing for 18 weeks against a team (Carlton) that had preparing for 18 days,” Demons great and Fox Footy expert Garry Lyon said.

Just as the Lions responded to Carlton’s fast start in the preliminary final, the Blues hit back in emphatic style in an amazing blitz that left the hosts shellshocked.

Trailing by 46 points early in the second-quarter, Carlton suddenly found a new gear against a Lions team that perhaps thought the hard work had been done.

The Blues kicked the game’s next eight goals, with star full-forward Charlie Curnow kicking four of them.

Less than 15 minutes into the third quarter, Carlton grabbed the lead for the first time in the contest.

Having kicked eight behinds in a row, the Lions finally stopped the rot when Joe Daniher kicked Brisbane first goal since early in the second-quarter when he booted his first of the contest at almost 24 minutes into the third quarter.

- with NCA Newswire