CARLTON has answered where it counts the most, downing the Brisbane Lions by 15 points on Saturday afternoon at Marvel Stadium.

With caretaker Coach David Teague calling the shots in the box, and a rampaging Patrick Cripps leading the way on the field, the Blues’ produced one of their best performances of the year so far to come away with the win.

The Breakdown

Q1 Breakdown:

The Blues brought the heat early against the Lions, holding control of the inside 50 count (10-1) early in the quarter . However, they were unable to make the most of their opportunities with the Brisbane backline standing up strongly. A late charge by the Lions saw them take the lead into the first break with three unanswered goals. Sam Walsh was the Blues’ most impressive, collecting eight disposals and using his trademark running to pile the pressure on the opposition.

Q2 Breakdown:

Brisbane put its foot down on the accelerator following the first break, kicking the first three goals of the quarter to extend their lead to 37 points. Carlton was finally able to get its first goal of the game after Jack Silvagni’s repeated efforts in the goal-square found Michael Gibbons for the quick snap. The Blues’ charge was largely led by the massive efforts of Jacob Weitering and Caleb Marchbank, while Walsh continued to find plenty of the ball. Charlie Curnow found the goals after he sent the ball sailing through the big sticks from outside 50m.

Q3 Breakdown:

A quick goal by the Lions was immediately matched by Patrick Cripps early in the first quarter. This sparked a prolific five minutes from the captain, winning two clearances, laying two tackles and kicking two goals. Three goals in the early stages saw the Lions’ half-time lead cut to just five points, before Mitch McGovern’s first goal of the game saw the Blues’ lead for the first time halfway through the term. Able to keep their momentum up, Carlton would take a four-point lead into the final change.

Q4 Breakdown:

Cripps picked up where he left off in the third term, starting the Blues off on the best possible foot forward with an early goal. The Blues played with a confidence and skill level not often seen this season, dominating the final term and seeing off repeated attacks from the Lions. Charlie Curnow’s passion was on show when he slotted his third goal for the day and gave the Blues’ some breathing space in the final quarter.

Moment of the match:

Patrick Cripps. That is all. 

Three things from the game:

  1. Sam Walsh covers an insane amount of ground during a game. His running ability saw the youngster win plenty of the footy, and impact contest after contest throughout the day.
  2. When Patrick Cripps gets on a roll, there is no stopping him. The co-captain blistering form at the start of the third quarter set the tone for the rest of the match.
  3. Jacob Weitering is quickly becoming one of the premier defenders in the competition. Standing strong aside Caleb Marchbank, the young defender was all but flawless making it a hard day out for the Lions’ forwards.

CARLTON        0.3       3.4       8.9       11.12 (78)
BRISBANE       3.3       6.4       8.5       9.9 (63)

GOALS
Carlton: Cripps 4, C. Curnow 3, Gibbons 2, O'Brien, McGovern

BEST
Carlton: Cripps, E. Curnow, Weitering, Walsh, C. Curnow, Fisher, Gibbons

INJURIES
Carlton: O'Brien (left leg)
Brisbane: Nil

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Nicholls, Williamson, Mitchell, Glouftsis

Official crowd: 32,211 at Marvel Stadium