Round 5, 2025

Carlton 3.6 24 7.11 53 11.15 81 17.19 121 West Coast Eagles 1.3 9 3.6 24 4.12 36 6.14 50
Venue:	Adelaide Oval (Gather Round).
Date:	Saturday 12th April 2025 (1.20 pm).
Result:	Won by 71 points.
Crowd:	41,252
Goalkickers:	C. Durdin 4.1, P. Cripps 3.3, S. Walsh 3.0, C. Curnow 2.4, W. White 1.1, L. Fogarty 1.1, M. McGovern 1.0, C. Lord 1.0, S. Docherty 1.0, Z. Williams 0.2, M. Cottrell 0.2, J. Motlop 0.1, H. McKay 0.1, B. Kemp 0.1, Rushed 0.2.
Reports:	Nil.
Umpires:	Leigh Fisher, Nicholas Brown, Harrison Birch, Nicholas McGinness.
Injuries:	H. McKay (concussion), B. Kemp (achilles).
Ladder:	13th.

Game Review

Carlton secures win in Gather Round

Carlton take home the four points after securing a 71-point victory over West Coast in Gather Round. - By Rose Zarucky, Carlton Media.

A comprehensive win. Carlton secured its first win of the campaign in emphatic fashion, claiming a 71-point victory over West Coast in Gather Round. The Blues led from start to finish and finished strongly, producing their biggest score of the season in the 17.19 (121) to 6.14 (50) win. George Hewett and Sam Walsh were instrumental through the middle, gathering 39 and 37 disposals respectively. Hewett led the way with 14 score involvements, while Walsh added 13 of his own and matched a career-best with three goals. Corey Durdin was electric up forward, finishing with a career-high four majors, while youngsters Cooper Lord and Will White both celebrated their first AFL goals. The Blues dominated at the coalface, winning the clearance count 40-18, with Hewett and Adam Cerra each collecting eight clearances. Captain Patrick Cripps was influential all afternoon, finishing with 23 disposals, 13 score involvements and three goals after a late move forward, while Jacob Weitering anchored the defence with 11 intercept possessions. It was a term of two halves early, with the Blues unable to capitalise on their forward entries, registering six behinds in the opening term. The Eagles were slick on the counter, registering their first goal from a rebound 50. Mitch McGovern and Jack Silvagni were strong behind the ball, using their intercepting ability to steady the defence. After a genuine team effort, Charlie Curnow got Carlton on the board. All three of the Blues’ first-quarter goals came from stoppage, with Corey Durdin - in his first game of the season - chipping in with back-to-back majors. Harry McKay was unfortunately subbed out at quarter time after a head knock, leading to Cooper Lord entering the game.

The sun was beating down at Adelaide Oval, with both teams battling the heat as the game flowed end to end. In his AFL debut, Matt Carroll impressed with his composure, showcasing sharp intercept marking and precise kicking. He was well supported by a number of leaders in defence, with Weitering (six intercepts to half time), Jack Silvagni and Nick Haynes standing up under West Coast pressure. Lord got on the board with a crafty goal in the second term, reacting quickly to a free kick paid to Adam Cerra. Sam Walsh then finished the term in style, booting back-to-back goals to round out a dominant quarter for the Blues, who took a 29-point lead at half time. Liam Ryan came out firing after the main break, proving a real threat for the Blues with a goal in the opening seconds of the third quarter. He had three more shots on goal for the term, but fortunately for Carlton, he couldn’t make them count. Once the Eagles’ early surge eased, the Blues took control of the territory battle, locking the ball inside their forward half. Patrick Cripps was rewarded for his persistence, slotting his first after missing his previous two efforts, while Lachie Fogarty added his name to the scoreboard soon after. Playing on the wing, Matthew Cottrell worked incredibly hard to provide an outlet, while Silvagni continued to stand tall down back, keeping the Eagles in check. Durdin capped off the quarter with a brilliant boundary-line finish - his third for the day - to give his side a game-high lead heading into the final change. The final term turned into a grind as the taxing conditions began to wear on both sides, with fatigue clearly setting in. The quarter was marred by an injury to Brodie Kemp, just as tensions started to boil over between the teams. Despite the slower pace, Carlton finished with a late burst, with goals from Durdin, Sam Docherty, Mitch McGovern, and Cripps pushing the margin out. The highlight of the term came when White was rewarded for his hard work, slotting his first career AFL goal in a term where he also produced two direct goal assists for his captain. In a game which was played under a fast tempo, the Blues dominated proceedings with 140 more disposals (+59 contested possessions), 38 more inside 50s and 49 more marks, with their ball winners all producing big afternoons. The relief was evident for the Blues as the final siren rang, securing the four points away from home for their first win of the 2025 season.

Best: S. Walsh, G. Hewett, C. Durdin, M. McGovern, P.Cripps, J. Weitering, A.Saad, M. Cottrell.

McKay hurt as Blues break drought to leave Eagles winless.

Carlton has finally notched up its first win of 2025 with a big victory over a hapless West Coast. - By Nathan Schmook.

Carlton secured its first win of the season and obliterated its second-half demons in the process, powering away from West Coast late in the game to win by 71 points at Adelaide Oval. The confidence-boosting win came at a cost, however, as key forward Harry McKay suffered concussion in a brutal head clash with Tom Gross just one quarter into his return from time off to focus on his mental health. The Blues also look set to lose forward target Brodie Kemp for a period after his left leg buckled in the fourth quarter in what appeared to be an Achilles tendon injury. Repeatedly outplayed in second halves through a 0-4 start to the season, Carlton turned its 29-point lead at the main break into a powerful 17.19 (121) to 6.14 (50) win that Michael Voss will hope can kickstart his team's season. It was ugly at times as both teams wasted opportunities and broke down defensively, with the Blues' wayward kicking at goal keeping the Eagles in the game longer than they should have been. Ultimately, however, it was the winners' contested ball strength (136-77) and weight of inside 50s (73-35) that proved impossible for the Eagles to overcome as they endure their worst start to a season, going 0-5 for the first time in club history. Midfielder Sam Walsh was outstanding for the Blues, relishing the gruelling conditions to finish with 37 disposals and 13 score involvements, slicing forward repeatedly to kick an equal career-best three goals.

Sidekick George Hewett had a game-high 39 disposals, eight clearances and seven inside 50s in a fantastic performance, while captain Patrick Cripps spent a lot of time forward as the game went on, kicking 3.3. Small forward Corey Durdin booted a career-best four goals in his return to South Australia for Gather Round, with spearhead Charlie Curnow finding some better form with 2.4 and nine marks as the Blues kicked their highest score of the season. They were up against an Eagles team that played with better energy for periods but also found itself lapsing, making simple errors like leaving Cripps to stroll in for a goal with nobody on the mark in the third quarter. They were best served again by midfield recruits Liam Baker (23 disposals) and Jack Graham (20), while defender Ryan Maric (21 and seven rebounds) worked hard to generate offensive play and Tom Gross (18) backed up his excellent debut in round four. After Tim Kelly's axing during the week put everybody on notice, the Eagles brought plenty of fight to the early exchanges and put the Blues on the back foot. Co-captain Oscar Allen was on the board quickly after combining well with the returning Jake Waterman, Jayden Hunt saved a goal with a chase-down tackle, and Liam Ryan was flying through contests and using his speed. The Blues soon settled, however, and went on a three-goal run to open a 15-point lead at the first change as Durdin found pockets of space inside 50 to kick back-to-back goals. Both teams were able to move the ball end-to-end through the second quarter in a sign that the respective defensive structures were falling down, but the Blues' 18 inside 50s resulted in 4.5. Premiership Eagle Jamie Cripps cut the margin to 17 points late in the quarter when he converted on the run from just inside 50, but back-to-back goals from the brilliant Walsh pushed that back to 29 points at the main break. Amid nerves about how they would handle the second half, the Blues made their move in the third quarter, with Matthew Cortrell particularly influential as he pinpointed targets inside 50. Back-to-back goals for the Eagles to start the fourth quarter might have given them some hope given the Blues' struggles late in games, but that was quickly dismissed as the winners went on a six-goal run that should ease the pressure on the struggling team.

The Blues recorded 136-77 contested possessions, with the Eagles recording the lowest contested possession tally on record. The Blues also recorded 40-18 clearances, including 17-5 centre bounce clearances, scoring 6.9 to 1.5 from stoppages.

McKay's return over early
Key forward Harry McKay was involved in the game early and looked capable of a big performance after taking three weeks off to focus on his mental health. An early shot on goal dribbled wide and the 2021 Coleman medallist spent time in the ruck, throwing himself around. Then came an accidental head clash with midfielder Tom Gross, however, that left McKay worse for wear and saw him removed from the game. It was a sickening clash as Gross moved at pace to become an offensive option and McKay moved to stop ball-carrier Tyrell Dewar. Gross was able to continue, but McKay walked from the ground with trainers and didn't return in a cruel blow after speaking courageously this week about his recent mental health battles.

Blues' maiden win soured by double injury blow, Eagles want long-term solutions

Harry McKay enters concussion protocols after a sickening head clash with West Coast's Tom Gross. - By Nathan Schmook

Carlton coach Michael Voss is hopeful his team's powerful win against West Coast on Saturday is the breakthrough performance needed to give the Blues momentum as they prepare to lose Harry McKay for at least one match. McKay suffered concussion in a brutal head clash with Eagles midfielder Tom Gross, ruling him out for the Good Friday clash against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium, with the team also set to lose forward Brodie Kemp to a suspected Achilles tendon injury. The Blues weathered their losses, which also included the late omission of Blake Acres due to illness, with Voss proud of his team's ability to persist and finally be rewarded after a difficult start to the season. "We've got the one win away, and that's really what we've done here. It's the one we needed and hopefully it's the leverage we can build some form off the back of," the coach said on Saturday. "It's nice to get the win and then very quickly you can't help but look to next week. "I should be sitting here with a huge smile on my face, but I'm not. So that might say something about it. We needed it, we got it, and I'm extremely proud of our club and people, because they haven't wavered. "The support has been significant. We've backed in our program, backed in our environment, our training fundamentals have been really strong, so there's no accusations there. "What we've struggled to do is transfer it and for whatever reason that hasn't been at 100 per cent effectiveness. But it was certainly closer to what we expect today." Voss said McKay was OK after his short-lived return on Saturday, having taken time away from playing to focus on his mental health. Kemp will be sent for scans to confirm his suspected Achilles tendon injury. The Blues will have options, however, when they take on the Kangaroos, with Acres to be available alongside ruck Marc Pittonet and half forward Elijah Hollands. Voss paid tribute to his on-field leaders on Saturday, with midfielder Sam Walsh particularly influential with three goals and 37 disposals after spending time on the wing. The coach was also pleased with the impact of small forwards Corey Durdin (four goals) and Jesse Motlop, who made an impact in the midfield.

Team

B:	1 Jack Silvagni	23 Jacob Weitering	6 Zac Williams
HB:	4 Ollie Hollands	11 Mitch McGovern	42 Adam Saad
C:	15 Sam Docherty	9 Patrick Cripps (c)	32 Matt Carroll
HF:	8 Lachie Fogarty	30 Charlie Curnow	46 Matt Cottrell
F:	38 Will White	19 Harry McKay	3 Jesse Motlop
Ruck:	12 Tom De Koning	29 George Hewett	18 Sam Walsh
Interchange:	17 Brodie Kemp	19 Corey Durdin	26 Nick Haynes
	5 Adam Cerra
Substitute:	36 Cooper Lord
Coach:	Michael Voss
Emergencies:	33 Lewis Young	20 Elijah Hollands	13 Blake Acres

In: Matt Carroll, Matt Cottrell, Harry McKay, Corey Durdin.
Out: Lewis Young (omitted), Lachlan Cowan (hamstring), Ashton Moir (omitted), Blake Acres (illness).

Late Change: Blake Acres (illness) was replaced in the selected side by Cooper Lord.

Substitute: Cooper Lord (replaced Harry McKay in the first quarter).

Interesting Facts

1. George Hewett had a career-high 39 disposals.
2. Corey Durdin kicked a career-high four goals.
3. Oliver Hollands had a career-high 10 marks.
4. Sam Walsh equalled his career high of three goals, all kicked in the first half.
5. Carlton has squared the ledger against West Coast with both sides now winning 26 games each
6. The current sequence of 5 victories against West Coast is the now the most consecutive victories against them, with an average winning margin of 75.6 points.
7. In 2025 Carlton scored a total of 17 goals 27 behinds in Rounds 1 & 2 and 17 goals 19 behinds in Rounds 3 & 4 and also scored the latter in Round 5. They have now scored 51 goals 65 behinds to 51 goals 52 behinds with 13 more scoring shots that their opponents (all of them behinds).

Free Kicks

Carlton 20
West Coast Eagles 15

Front Runners

Sam Walsh 14.9km
Matt Cottrell 14.7km
Oliver Hollands 14.3km

Milestones

200 Games: (AFL): Adam Saad
Debut: Matt Carroll
First Goals: Cooper Lord, Will White

AFLCA Votes

Brownlow Votes

Best and Fairest Votes

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Round 4 | Round 6