Charlie Curnow inspires Carlton to victory after 761-day absence from AFL

Carlton recorded its best win of the year on Friday night, thanks in no small part to the return of injury-plagued star Charlie Curnow.

Curnow (L) returned to AFL footy in emphatic fashion. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The long-awaited return of injury-plagued forward Charlie Curnow has inspired Carlton to a dominant victory over an underwhelming St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.

Under pressure amid an external review into the club’s poor performance, and following a disappointing loss to cellar dwellers North Melbourne the week before, the Blues responded with a blistering 10 goal first half to blow the Saints away on Friday night.

Sam Walsh continued his stellar season with another strong performance, while Coleman Medal leader Harry McKay put on a clinic up forward with five goals as the Blues smashed the Saints to the tune of 31 points.

For St Kilda, it puts a nail in the coffin of a disappointing season with it now almost impossible to play finals this year as Carlton leapfrogged the side into 11th spot.

The Saints would have been inside the top eight with a win on Friday night, but poor kicking let them down, gifting the Blues double-figure goals on turnovers in another blowout loss this season.

Rowan Marshall dominated the hit outs against an undersized Jack Silvagni after Tom De Koning was subbed out of the game, but the Saints on-ballers couldn’t capitalise as Carlton almost halved the clearances.

The Blues stamped their authority on the contest in the second term with five straight goals, and procession continued in the third quarter as fast ball movement and another five goal quarter stretched the Blues’ lead to 43 points at the last change.

The fizz fell out of the contest in the last quarter as the Saints kicked three consecutive goals to reduce it to a flattering final margin.

Charlie Curnow (R) played his first AFL game in over two years on Friday night. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Worth the wait

It was a dream start for Charlie Curnow, who nailed a goal with his first kick in AFL football after more than two years on the sidelines due to injury.

The 24-year-old pounced on an errant kick from the Saints coming out of defence in the first quarter and sent it sailing through the sticks from outside 50 to give the Blues a two-goal buffer at quarter time.

It was a sight that had David Teague punching the air in delight in the Carlton coaches box as Curnow returned to action for the first time since round 15, 2019 after suffering five separate knee injuries.

It was a promising, albeit quiet return for Curnow who joined McKay and Jack Silvagni in a young, talented forward line that must have Blues fans excited for next season and beyond.

Harry’s reign

It shaped as a shootout between two emerging key forwards as McKay and Max King went goal for goal in the opening quarter.

King booted St Kilda’s first three majors as McKay kicked two opening quarter goals of his own at the other end, but the St Kilda spearhead struggled to find the footy after the first break as Carlton gained the ascendancy.

It was a brilliant return for McKay, who missed last week with a toe injury, as he finished the night with five goals to extend his lead in the Coleman Medal race with just three rounds to go.

McKay (R) booted five goals to extend his lead in the race for the Coleman Medal. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Tired Saints

Coming off a long road trip back from Perth after last week’s narrow loss, the energy seemed to fall out of the Saints as their pressure fell away and the Blues stretched the margin after half time.

In what has become a theme of St Kilda’s season, the Saints couldn’t stop the opposition from scoring as they sunk to a fifth blowout loss of the year.

Carlton was extremely efficient in front of goal and barely looked like missing all night, booting five goals straight in the second term to ram home their advantage.

SAINTS 3.1 5.3 7.7 12.9 81

BLUES 5.1 10.1 15.2 18.4 112

PAYNTER BEST SAINTS: Jones, Dunstan, Steele, Marshall.

BLUES: Walsh, Silvagni, McKay, Dow, Weitering, Cripps, Fisher.

GOALS SAINTS: King 4, Membrey 3, Sharman 2, Jones, Marshall, Higgins

BLUES: McKay 5, Walsh 3, Williamson 2, Honey 2, Silvagni, C Curnow, Kennedy, Cripps, Dow, Murphy

INJURIES SAINTS: Howard (hamstring)

BLUES: De Koning (pec)

UMPIRES: Donlon, Findlay, Fleer.

MARVEL STADIUM

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JACK PAYNTER’S VOTES

3 Walsh

2 Silvagni

1 McKay