Carlton VFLW secured its third consecutive win on Saturday, defeating Williamstown in a gritty 10-point victory at IKON Park, 6.6 (42) to 4.8 (32).
The Blues made a strong start, with Danika Spamer capturing the opening major in the first three minutes of the game. This was closely followed by a goal from Alessia, giving the Blues the lead in the early moments of the first term.
The back line remained disciplined, applying unwavering pressure behind the ball and limiting the Seagulls’ ability to move the ball freely down the corridor.
AFLW Blue Kiara Bischa played a key role in the first quarter, intercepting and clearing the ball before finding Phoebe Hargreaves in space. The pair drove the ball downfield, helping Carlton take an 11-point lead into quarter time.
Carlton continued to apply pressure at each contest, but Williamstown began to generate more opportunities. Lucy Burke proved pivotal as a key defender, as she smothered a crucial ball deep in defence and followed that up with a massive tackle. She ended the game with 29 disposals and 10 marks.
The game went from end-to-end, with neither team able to capitalise on the consistent forward entries.
Williamstown slowly worked its way back into the contest, and despite Carlton’s early advantage, the Seagulls led by seven points at half time.
Carlton came back from the main break ready to take back the lead. Nell Morris-Dalton provided a storybook start to the second half, using her height and aerial skills to take a flying mark inside 50 before converting to level the scores.
The backline acted as a brick wall, allowing Carlton to move the ball at speed to find the hands of attackers such as Alessia Acquaro, who kicked her second goal for the afternoon.
The Seagulls attempted to respond, but found the Blues' defensive structure too difficult to penetrate, and Carlton used this to its advantage as they linked up through the middle.
The discipline and control shown by the Blues were reflected on the scoreboard, with three goals recorded in this quarter, establishing a valuable lead and sitting 11 points ahead of the visitors at three-quarter time.
Both sides fought hard for territory in the final quarter. Summer Hall provided a clever moment with a short kick inside 50 after creating space for her teammates. Carlton’s persistence and smart ball movement were rewarded when Acquaro converted a set shot for her third goal of the game.
Both sides continue to challenge until the final siren, but Carlton’s backline remained composed under pressure to record the 10-point win.
Assistant Coach Michael King commended the team for playing to their strengths.
“They played to their weapons, which was something we’d talked about before the game…they were challenged in the second quarter and responded, and now they get to enjoy it,” he said.
“Our forwards had some great moments, but a lot of defensive work supported our offence today. Burke and Bischa were amazing today.”
He finished with some words of wisdom for the team to carry into the final weeks of the season.
“When the team believes that they can play with the strong teams and execute our system, they are rewarded; it’s just doing that more often than not.”
Carlton is now set to take on Casey Demons in Round 12 next Saturday, August 1, at Casey Fields from 12:05 pm.
SCORES
CARLTON: 2.4 (16), 2.4 (16), 5.5 (35), 6.6 (42)
WILLIAMSTOWN: 1.1 (7), 3.5 (23), 3.6 (24), 4.8 (32)
GOALS:
CARLTON: Acquaro (3), Spamer, Morris-Dalton, Di Donato
Eve Joyce is a student at La Trobe University, undergoing a Bachelor of Media and Communications (Journalism and Marketing). Eve is currently undertaking an internship at the Carlton Football Club as part of its partnership with La Trobe University.
