WHO WOULD’VE thought?

Carlton has held on to return to the winner’s list, defeating Melbourne by one point in yet another nailbiter between these two sides.

After comfortably leading all night on the back of a ruthless first quarter where the Blues kept the Dees scoreless, Carlton spent the entire last quarter on the back foot as Melbourne surged towards a comeback win.

It was a late tackle from Nic Newman and Patrick Cripps which sealed the win, with the skipper brilliant on the back of a 35-disposal, one-goal performance. Sam Walsh wasn’t far behind with 34 disposals and 10 tackles, while Jacob Weitering (seven marks, eight intercepts) was brilliant on the last line.

Quarter one

They weren’t perfect conditions at the MCG, but it was just about the perfect start from Carlton against Melbourne. Ollie Hollands and Sam Walsh signalled their intentions early, running rampant in the early going as the Blues were ferocious at the contest against the Dees. It was Walsh who opened proceedings on the scoreboard, channeling his inner Matthew Cottrell with his celebration as he registered his first goal of the season. Speaking of Cottrell, the high half-forward was once again a bundle of energy for the Blues, working overtime in offence and defence to support the Blues on both sides of the ball. Mitch McGovern’s presence behind the ball was a welcome addition for Jacob Weitering, who stood up well deep in defence, while Jack Martin’s also marked his return with a contested mark and goal to solidify the Blues’ advantage. It was a first quarter shutout for the Blues, who kept the Dees scoreless while posting great numbers in key metrics (+12 contested possessions) to take a five-goal lead into the first change.

Quarter two

After the Blues’ outstanding start, the Dees were always going to respond, but they were shut out by the Blues in the early going. Weitering positioned himself expertly against Harry Petty, taking three intercept marks in the second term to set the Blues up behind the ball. After Matthew Owies opened his account, it was Christian Petracca who loomed as the danger man, kicking back-to-back goals to give Melbourne a spark. When Carlton needed a response, it was unsurprisingly the captain who delivered: Patrick Cripps registered 13 disposals in the second term alone, leading all comers with eight contested possessions and kicking an opportunistic goal to extend the Blues’ buffer. Save for a late goal conceded from a turnover, the Blues were excellent defensively, stifling the Demons to just four scoring shots from 28 inside 50s in the first half.

Quarter three

Playing an unselfish role higher up the ground in the first half, Charlie Curnow stamped himself on the proceedings from a scoreboard perspective, converting a brilliant goal to start the term. After what was a much more even second term, the third quarter followed a similar trajectory, with both teams going goal for goal as the Blues threatened to break the game wide open while the Dees fought to stay in the game. There were some crucial defensive efforts from Alex Cincotta - who was doing a great job quelling the dangerous Kozzie Pickett - and Brodie Kemp, while a ground ball from Matthew Kennedy which led to Owies’ third was indicative of the Blues’ hunger for the contest. Cripps (nine disposals) and Walsh (eight disposals) continued to soldier on, but Carlton was forced to make a change when Adam Cerra (hamstring) was subbed out for like-for-like replacement George Hewett. The last minutes of the third term were going to be crucial, and they went the way of Melbourne, who reduced the deficit to 22 points at the last change.

Quarter four

It was the sub Hewett who stood up with the crucial moment of the final term, snapping truly from a Corey Durdin assist to open up a 28-point lead to the Blues. However, from there, it was all Melbourne, as Carlton struggled to maintain its opponent’s run and carry as it looked to snatch a come-from-behind win. The Blues looked to have weathered the Demons’ storm, holding them to just one goal inside the opening 25 minutes, but a quick flurry saw the game change dramatically. With three goals in four minutes of game time, the margin was reduced to a solitary point with a minute still remaining. Playing their third game in 12 days, the Blues couldn’t halt the Demons’ run, with Melbourne posting 20-5 inside 50s. In a tense final few seconds, the ball was again amped in Carlton’s defensive 50, but a group tackle from Nic Newman and Patrick Cripps sealed the result by the narrowest of margins.

CARLTON          5.0     8.2     11.4        12.5 (77)
MELBOURNE     0.0     3.1     7.6          11.10 (76)

GOALS
Carlton: Owies 3, Curnow 2, Cripps, De Koning, Hewett, Martin, McKay, Pittonet, Walsh

BESTS
Carlton: Cripps, Walsh, Weitering, Cincotta, Owies, Cottrell