Max Gawn’s unthinkable error as Blues secure nailbiting two-point win

Melbourne captain Max Gawn left footy fans watching on in utter disbelief after producing a brainfade for the ages on Friday night.

Max Gawn spoils his own teammates goal.

Carlton have booked their place into the third week of finals after taking down Melbourne in a Friday night thriller at the MCG.

The Blues came from behind, kicking the winning goal with less than a minute on the clock as they secured the 11.7 (73) to 9.17 (71) victory.

A monstrous 96,412 fans flocked through the gates and sat on the edge of their seats as the Blues snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

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Melbourne have now been knocked out of September action in straight sets for the second year running, making them the only team ever to do so.

They only have themselves to blame after losing that contest with another wayward display in front of goal.

The Demons kicked nine goals and seventeen behinds with several of those misses coming from simple set shots.

Demons star Clayton Oliver looked to have kicked a monster goal in the dying stages of the fourth quarter only for his shot to be sent upstairs for review.

As the replays rolled it was Melbourne’s own skipper Max Gawn who got a hand on the footy and stopped it from sailing through for goal.

The skipper looked to be attempting to tap the ball back into play, but in the end he’s ultimately cost his side a goal that would have handed them the win.

“Look at that! Maxy’s the last man to touch it – that’s a goal otherwise,” Jonathan Brown said on the Fox Footy coverage. “I feel bad for Maxy – he obviously didn’t mean to do it.”

Max Gawn spoils his own teammates goal

In the final 90 seconds the Demons were surging towards goal when Jack Viney elected to kick on his opposite foot and turned the ball over.

Carlton launched on the counter instantly and the ball made its way into the hands of Sam Docherty who sent it deep inside 50 where Blake Acres took the uncontested mark.

With nobody on the mark he played on and kicked the matchwinning goal.

Blues star Sam Walsh produced a herculean display on the night, finishing the contest with 34 disposals, two goals, eight tackles, six inside 50s and 618 metres gained.

The win for the Blues puts them into a preliminary final next Saturday where they’ll travel to the Gabba for a showdown against the Brisbane Lions.

The Blues did it. Photo by Michael Klein.

The contest was a seesawing affair all night long with the lead chopping and changing throughout the contest.

Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett became the villain after he elected to bump Carlton’s Patrick Cripps in the second quarter.

Pickett left the ground and the back of his head collided with Cripps’ nose which forced the Blues skipper from the field.

While the incident won’t be as highly looked at now that the Demons season is over, it will for sure end with Pickett missing the start of the 2024 season.

Pickett hits Cripps high.

Recap the key moments from the nailbiting clash below.

10.28pm - Blues in front, Blues in front

There’s 56 seconds on the clock and Carlton have taken the lead by a single point.

The Blues have thrown everything at the Demons and after a manic piece of play it ended in the hands of Blake Acres just outside the square and he slotted the potential game winner.

10.25pm - Melbourne miss again

It was a tough chance but another shot on goal from the Demons failed to go through the big sticks and leaves the door open for the Blues.

10.23pm - Fans flock through in record numbers

96,412 fans have rolled through the turnstiles at the MCG. The figures are the biggest Melbourne crowd since the 1964 Grand Final and Carlton’s biggest crowd since the 1993 Grand Final.

10.20pm - It’s back to within three points

Melbourne missed two big opportunities at one end, Carlton took full advantage at the other.

After a chaos ball inside 50 hit the deck, one handball out of the pack found Jesse Motlop all on his own and he didn’t miss the chance as he snapped through the goal.

10.15pm - Demons inaccuracy could come back to haunt them

Melbourne’s kicking in front of goal cost them again with skipper Max Gawn slamming a ball into the goal post after marking on the goal line.

Bayley Fritsch followed up less than a minute later by missing his shot on goal after electing to go around the body on his favoured left side.

His kick for goal worked back too much and went through for yet another Melbourne behind.

10.05pm - Pickett is turning it on at the G

From villain to hero.

Kysaiah Pickett is likely going to be watching on from home if the Demons win, but the livewire forward is producing a masterclass at the MCG.

Pickett kicked a goal that drew the scores level before feeding Bayley Fritsch with a perfect set up as the Demons extended the lead to seven points.

ABC’s Paul Johnson wrote: “Kossie is everywhere.”

The Herald Sun’s Tim Michell wrote: “Kozzie has produced two freakish goal assists, given away two 50m and probably got himself suspended. What a wild game.”

Another user wrote: “Kozzie is in his Toby Greene pre-2022 era. Villain but winning the game.”

9.55pm - Blues once again with the perfect start

Just like it was in the third quarter, the Blues have come roaring out of the blocks.

Sam Walsh who has been enormous all game long got on the end of a chain of handballs and slotted the opening goal of the final term to level the scores up.

The Blues then took the lead back after another brilliant passage of play saw the ball end up in the hands of Matt Owies who made no mistake with his set shot.

9.50pm - One quarter left to play

The last time these two sides met it was all locked up after three quarters, this time around it’s the Demons holding the six point lead.

In what has been a seesawing affair the match looks set to go right down to the final siren.

9.45pm - Demons take the lead back

Melbourne are back on top after Kysaiah Pickett tumbled one through in the middle of a pack deep inside the Dees 50.

The momentum of the contest has shifted in the favour of the men in red and blue but not in any major way.

Melbourne should be further in front but for the second straight week their inefficiency in front of goal is severely hurting them.

Pickett missed an easy chance before skipper Max Gawn squandered his shot from 30m out on a slight angle.

9.40pm - ‘Unbelievably sh*t’: Fans fume over ugly game

Both teams are struggling in a major way with simple execution as the turnovers pile up. From missing teammates by foot and hand, the game is turning into an ugly viewing spectacle.

CODE Sports’ Daniel Cherny wrote: “We’ve just seen the worst 10 minute period of kicks into the 50 this season.”

The Herald Sun’s Tim Michell wrote: “Fogarty kicks to Viney, Viney kicks to Docherty, Marchbank handballs to no one. It’s all happening.”

Another user wrote: “Never seen two teams so out of synch at the same moment. This is unbelievably sh*t.”

9.20pm - Carlton with the perfect start

Matthew Kennedy got on the end of a fast passage of play and kick started the second half in perfect fashion for the Blues with a goal.

It means they’ve now kicked six out of the last seven goals.

Joel Smith was once again the man to respond for the Demons after Kysaiah Pickett missed a golden opportunity a few minutes earlier.

9pm - Blues with the slight advantage at halftime

Down by seven at quarter, the Blues fired in the second quarter and will head into the rooms at the main break holding the slender two point advantage.

A three goal to one quarter saw the Blues flex their muscles as they comfortably took control of the contest.

Melbourne looked rushed at every contest as the pressure ramped right up on them. Their star players have been contained with skipper Max Gawn having no impact on the match.

8.45pm - Blues looking seriously dangerous

Melbourne kicked the match off with the hot hand, but after their quality opening 15 minutes it’s been all the way of the Blues.

The Blues have come to life and are firing on all cylinders as they turned the screws on their highly-favoured opponents.

After conceding the opening three goals of the match the Blues responded with the next five goals to pinch the lead.

Just as the contest looked to be slipping away from them the Demons responded with the next goal before a review took away their second.

8.35pm - Dees star slammed over inexcusable brainfade

Pickett hits Cripps high.

Kysaiah Pickett could be facing a week on the sidelines if the Demons are to advance into the third week of finals.

The Melbourne forward was suspended earlier in the season after electing to bump and on Friday night he decided to go again.

In the middle of a contest Pickett flew in and bumped Carlton’s Patrick Cripps, collecting the Blues skipper in the head.

Cripps made his way off the field with a towel over his nose.

“There’s contact and he’s opted to bump. I know it was his head, but Cripps has gone off with a blood rule,” four-time premiership Hawk Luke Hodge told Channel 7.

“They’ll look at that and say: ‘As soon as you opt to bump and you get a player high, they’re definitely going to look at it.’”

Tigers legend Matthew Richardson added: “It’s just fraught with danger, you’re better off tackling, that should be your first thought now.

“If you can legally do it, OK, but you’re taking a big risk.”

8.20pm - First quarter in the books

Melbourne head into the first break with a seven point advantage in what was a genuine arm wrestle of a contest.

The Demons made all of the running in the early going before the Blues found their groove and came roaring back late in the quarter.

8.10pm - Demons on fire early, punishing the Blues

The intensity of the contest is through the roof early with the Demons holding the upper hand on their opponents.

Carlton have made simple mistakes and been punished going the other way with the Demons continually driving the ball forward at speed.

In defense Melbourne’s Jake Lever is doing as he pleases with three intercepts marks already in the opening quarter.

The Blues nailed their first goal through ruckman Tom de Koning with a tick over four minutes to play.

He nailed his second less than a minute later after being shoved out of a contest by Melbourne’s Adam Tomlinson.

Charlie Curnow has been curtailed early. Photo by Michael Klein.

8pm - Unforgivable error from Pickett

Melbourne had a shot for the second goal after Joel Smith took a contested mark inside 50, but before he was even able to line up the ball was given back to the Blues.

Livewire forward Kysaiah Pickett got into a tussle with Blues defender Mitch McGovern and grabbed a handful of his jersey and clipped him in the chin.

The Age’s Damien Ratcliffe wrote: “If Kozzie Pickett stopped acting for free kicks and getting involved in rubbish off the ball scuffles, reckon he’d be a decent player.”

7.50pm - We’re underway at the G

Charlie Curnow sprung over the top of Jake Lever and pulled down a big contested mark on the 50m arc before wheeling around and heading for home.

His kick was touched just on the line to register the opening score of the contest.

Melbourne went the other way and unlike last week, lowered their eyes going inside 50. On their third attempt they scored the opening goal through an opportunistic Ed Langdon.

7.10pm - Dees take chance with tactical sub

Josh Schache will take part is only his third game of the season after being named as Melbourne’s starting sub.

For the Blues they’ve stuck with Oliver Hollands as their starting sub for the match.

7pm – Cornes puts Charlie Curnow on the hot seat

Port Adelaide premiership player Kane Cornes has grilled Coleman Medal winner Charlie Curnow over his failure to deliver last week.

The Blues star forward failed to fire and now faces an even tougher defensive unit when he goes up against the Demons.

He has gone goalless in five of his past seven quarters – with only two goals outside of that.

“Charlie Curnow is in the gun for me,” Cornes said on SEN.

“He is the best player there and for them to win, he’s going to have to get a hold (of Melbourne).

It was an ugly day out for Curnow against the Swans. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

“I think he was well beaten last week. I thought Tom McCartin was outstanding.

“I just didn’t think he worked hard enough. Didn’t think he got to enough contests. I thought he was out-marked too often.

“He’s going to have to compete like he hasn’t competed before in a long time. It’s going to be against two, it’s going to be against three opponents.

“Can he get up the ground? Can he kick the ball inside forward 50?

“He’s three and one goals in his last two (games). Well beaten by (GWS’ Sam) Taylor and well beaten on the weekend by McCartin.

“He’s going to get a good player in May, but athletically he’s got May covered everywhere.

“But it’s not just going to be May, it’s going to be the other opponents.

“It’s not about winning Colemans, it’s about winning finals. When you’re the best player on the ground, you’ve got to produce a performance worthy of that.”

Originally published as Max Gawn’s unthinkable error as Blues secure nailbiting two-point win