Outfit choice of Carlton fans roasted in AFL clash with Brisbane
What seemed like a fun idea at the Gabba blew up in the faces of a huge section of Carlton fans before they had the last laugh.
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What seemed like a great idea took a turn for the worse for scores of Carlton fans early in the club’s season opener — until they had the last laugh at the Gabba.
The Blues opened their season against the Brisbane Lions on Friday night in a clash of teams that have high hopes in 2024.
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The Lions suffered a heartbreaking four-point loss to Collingwood in last year’s grand final, while Carlton lost a preliminary final to the Queensland outfit the previous week.
Unfortunately, expectations of a tight, high-quality contest didn’t eventuate early on in the game, with the Lions kicking seven goals to two in a horribly one-sided first term.
A 32-point lead at the first break then turned some attention towards the packed crowd and in particular, one section of Carlton fans.
In an impressive piece of planning, one whole section of the Gabba is decked out in uniform, paying respects to the classic Blues Brothers movie released in 1980.
While the shirts appear to be printed, rather than full suit and ties, the vast majority of the section is donning the distinctive outfit, including the famous fedora hats John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd wore throughout the movie.
The only problem was the scoreline made the section look far more like a funeral scene than one from the riotous movie that made over $170 million four decades ago and has one of the greatest soundtracks in movie history.
Carlton did eventually work its way into the game, kicking seven goals to one in an impressive third quarter.
In a nailbiting final term, Harry McKay proved the hero, slotting the winning goal as the away fans could celebrate an incredible comeback win.
But that all came after the AFL’s official Twitter account tweeted photos of the fans, with the caption “The Blues Brothers have filled the Gabba” and a cry laughing emoji.
A close up of some of the fans showed they were in far from jovial moods as they watched their team get thrashed in the first half.
Some of the reaction was hilarious.
“Cool, but when they lose, gonna look like a funeral procession out of the Gabba,” was one sharp reply.
“They’ll be burning their outfits by round 10,” wrote another.
“Gotta hand it to them: Comedy on and off the field,” added a third.
Some could at least credit the effort the fans had made, before lamenting the spectacle they were enduring.
They need more than a full tank of gas, half a packet of cigarettes and some sunglasses to win tonight.
— Vincent Paver (@vincent_paver) March 8, 2024
“Imagine putting this much effort in, to support a club like Carlton,” was one fairly unkind comment.
“Getting treated to a ripper too,” wrote another sarcastically.
“Oh that’s a shame, all that money in flights and hotels food and drink to find out they are still s**t,” wrote a third.
Carlton earned a slice of luck late in the second quarter when a Charlie Curnow kick bounced through a sea of players and ended in teammate David Cunningham’s hands.
He turned and accelerated into the forward 50m and slotted truly to get the Blues Brothers out of their seats and cut the margin to 40 points.
“Understating things to say the Blues needed that and it came out of nowhere,” James Brayshaw said in commentary.
“Our game still allows a lot of luck in it,” Joel Selwood added. “The roll of the ball there helps Cunningham finish off his good work.
“They needed it the Blues, one (goal) back, they just need to keep chipping away here.”
After a far more even second term, with the teams kicking two goals apiece, the margin was 31 points at halftime.
“Carlton fans are sensing there’s suddenly a game,” Brayshaw said late in the half. “They’ve at least stopped the bleeding the Blues.”
It was all Carlton from then on, with the visitors kicking nine goals to three after halftime to snap Brisbane’s 14-game home winning streak.
Anything is possible and it seems this Carlton side channeled the original Blues Brothers, who were “on a mission from God”.
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Originally published as Outfit choice of Carlton fans roasted in AFL clash with Brisbane
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