Game Review

Carlton consolidated their place in the top eight, and notched up their sixth win in seven games with this clinical 94-point demolition of the GWS Giants on a Saturday afternoon under the closed roof at Docklands. Despite the late withdrawal of Chris Judd - due to hamstring tightness, general soreness (or more likely, strategic considerations) - the Blues’ poise, pace and experience overwhelmed the winless Giants, and the final score was a fair indication of the gulf between the two teams.

The steadily-improving Blues were forced into two changes to the side that had scrambled home against Brisbane the previous Saturday night, losing Robbie Warnock and Kane Lucas to injury, but welcoming back Chris Yarran and Levi Casboult. When Chris Judd pulled out some 24 hours beforehand, Troy Menzel was called up for his second senior match, and Tom Bell was made substitute. GWS also made a late change, including former Blue Setanta O’hAilpin for his fifth game at his second club. Unfortunately for ‘Carlos,’ it wasn’t one to remember.

Intent on establishing their superiority early, the confident Blues blasted away to lead by 22 points at the first change, after an entertaining quarter that produced six excellent goals by the home side. Sent forward, Lachie Henderson opened the scoring with a big mark and a big kick from right on the 50-metre line, followed only a minute later by a clever left-foot snap from Menzel that brought up the athletic youngster’s first career goal.

Jeff Garlett snapped the Blues’ third from 35 metres on his left foot, before Dennis Armfield produced an electrifying sprint around the boundary in the left forward pocket, leaving his opponent in despair as he charged into an open goal-square. Next, Garlett’s exquisite skill at ground level came to the fore again, when he gathered the ball at pace and steered through his second major. Another by Henderson - after a mark right on the siren - rounded off a dominant term for the Bluebaggers.

The second quarter was a similar story, as Carlton got on top in most positions. Ranging across half-back, Andrew Walker was gathering possessions at will, Matthew Kreuzer was on top in the ruck, while Kade Simpson, Yarran and Garlett were slicing gaping holes in a tissue-thin Giants defence. Only their captain Callan Ward, and his understudy Dylan Shiel – who was hard-tagging Carlton skipper Marc Murphy - were breaking even for the Giants at half-time, when Carlton led by 40 points.

The Blues snuffed-out all resistance in the third quarter, slamming on 6.6 to only three behinds. Highlights for Blues fans included more magic from Garlett and Yarran, a trademark long bomb from the 50-metre arc by Zach Tuohy for his second goal of the game, and the growing confidence of Simon White at centre half-back. After another fine game at full-back (where he had kept the Giants Jeremy Cameron near kickless) Michael Jamison was substituted by Tom Bell at the last break, no doubt with the arduous campaign ahead in mind.

Lachie Henderson replaced Jamison in defence for the last quarter, but the Blues potency up front was not in any way diminished. They went right on with the job, and finished off their demoralised opponents by adding 4.4 to 2.1 for an emphatic victory by 94 points. And on an afternoon when everyone got plenty of the football, there were some very big numbers on the stat sheets. Andrew Walker (32 possessions at 82% efficiency, 7 marks, 4 clearances), Simon White (21 disposals at 90%, 6 marks), Jeff Garlett (19 possessions -12 contested, 5 marks, 4 goals) and Matthew Kreuzer (14 disposals, 8 tackles, 37 hit-outs) were the stars in an even team, with one big exception.

Not for the first time in 2013, Blues captain Marc Murphy was subdued by a hard tag. Although he finished the game with respectable figures (20 possessions at 90%, 7 contested) ‘Murph’ was virtually unsighted during the first half – a situation that had to be a major concern ahead of the make or break stage of the season, when consecutive matches against Essendon, Hawthorn, Sydney and Collingwood would decide Carlton’s fate.

Subs: Tom Bell replaced Michael Jamison at three quarter time.

Team

B:	4 Bryce Gibbs	40 Michael Jamison	43 Simon White
HB:	6 Kade Simpson (vc)	1 Andrew Walker	42 Zach Tuohy
C:	27 Dennis Armfield	14 Brock McLean	35 Ed Curnow
HF:	12 Mitch Robinson	30 Jarrad Waite	2 Troy Menzel
F:	41 Levi Casboult	23 Lachlan Henderson	38 Jeffery Garlett
Ruck:	8 Matthew Kreuzer	37 Jaryd Cachia	3 Marc Murphy (C)
Interchange:	13 Chris Yarran	21 Josh Bootsma	29 Heath Scotland
Substitute:	28 Tom Bell
Emergencies:	5 Chris Judd	7 Dylan Buckley	10 Matthew Watson
Coach:	Mick Malthouse

Note: Chris Judd was replaced by Troy Menzel in the selected side

Milestones

First Goal(s): Troy Menzel
Coaching Record: Mick Malthouse coached against Kevin Sheedy for the 47th time, which is an AFL/VFL record. He also became the first individual to coach against 18 different League Clubs.

Brownlow Votes

3. Andrew Walker, Carlton
2. Jeffery Garlett, Carlton
1. Callan Ward, GWS

Best & Fairest Votes

Jeffery Garlett 8, Andrew Walker 8, Kade Simpson 6, Zach Tuohy 6, Dennis Armfield 4, Lachie Henderson 4, Bryce Gibbs 3, Brock McLean 3, Mitch Robinson 3, Simon White 3, Ed Curnow 2, Michael Jamison 2, Chris Yarran 2

Ladder

Posn	Team	P	W	L	D	For	Ag	U/D	Strk	%	Pts
1	Hawthorn	10	9	1	0	1205	810	+0	W 9	148.77	36
2	Geelong	10	9	1	0	1134	899	+0	W 2	126.14	36
3	Sydney	10	7	2	1	1017	798	+2	W 2	127.44	30
4	Fremantle	10	7	2	1	904	724	+0	W 2	124.86	30
5	Essendon	10	7	3	0	1075	819	-2	L 1	131.26	28
6	Carlton	10	6	4	0	1052	857	+2	W 3	122.75	24
7	Richmond	10	6	4	0	971	874	+3	W 1	111.10	24
8	Collingwood	10	6	4	0	931	958	+3	W 1	97.18	24
9	Adelaide	10	5	5	0	986	833	-2	L 1	118.37	20
10	West Coast	10	5	5	0	1051	907	-4	L 1	115.88	20
11	Port Adelaide	10	5	5	0	946	885	-2	L 5	106.89	20
12	North Melbourne	10	4	6	0	1097	967	+1	W 1	113.44	16
13	Gold Coast	10	4	6	0	893	948	-1	L 2	94.20	16
14	Western Bulldogs	10	3	7	0	789	1027	+2	W 2	76.83	12
15	Brisbane	10	3	7	0	783	1041	-1	L 2	75.22	12
16	St Kilda	10	2	8	0	820	965	-1	L 3	84.97	8
17	Melbourne	10	1	9	0	685	1333	+0	L 6	51.39	4
18	GWS Giants	10	0	10	0	728	1422	+0	L 10	51.20	0