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| Venue: | MCG | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date: | 7.10 pm, Sunday June 29, 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Result: | Lost by 15 points | ||||||||||||||||||
| Crowd: | 40,939 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Goalkickers: | A. Everitt 2, L. Henderson 2, C. Judd, L. Casboult, B. McLean, B. Gibbs, D. Thomas, T. Menzel, M. Murphy 1. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Reports: | Mitch Robinson for striking Taylor Adams in the first quarter. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Umpires: | S. Jeffery, M. Nicholls, B. Ryan | ||||||||||||||||||
| Injuries: | White (knee) replaced in selected side by Armfield | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ladder: | 14th | ||||||||||||||||||
Game Review
In front of the smallest crowd at a Carlton-Collingwood clash since 1921, the Navy Blues lost their fifth match in succession when they fell to Collingwood by 15 points on this Sunday night at the MCG. As football fans across the League continued to rebel against a raft of issues - including contentious fixturing and the ballooning costs of attending matches - Collingwood stamped their authority on the game in the first quarter, then withstood a late Carlton rally to further sour the Blues’ miserable season. Compounding Carlton’s despair, Mitch Robinson was reported for little more than a slap to the face of his Magpie opponent during the first quarter. The following day, the AFL Match Review Panel suspended Robinson for two matches because he had already accumulated penalty points from a number of previous transgressions.Facing an in-form Collingwood for the second time in eight weeks, Carlton made two changes to the team beaten by GWS in round 15. Jarrad Waite and Dennis Armfield originally paid the price for indifferent form, making way for returning captain Marc Murphy and first-gamer Blaine Johnson. However, when defender Simon White was a late withdrawal because of a troublesome knee, Armfield won a reprieve, and Johnson was nominated as the Blues’ substitute.
On a cold, showery Melbourne Sunday evening, Rob Warnock won the opening ruck duel for the Blues and Chris Judd got his team rolling with the first goal of the match. But after that the quarter belonged to the Magpies, who proceeded to kick 6.3 to 1.2 and take a 25-point advantage in the first break. Meanwhile, after copping a short right to the ribs from his opponent, Robinson had retaliated without thinking and his name had gone straight into an umpire’s book. There was plenty of niggle from both sides, in the midst of a hard, bruising contest.
Judd was prominent again in the early stages of the second quarter, as Carlton began their counter-attack amid a swelling chorus of boos for Dale Thomas from the Collingwood cheer squad and the rest of the black and white intelligentsia. Thomas was working hard against his old side – at times, too hard – and while his ball-handling was not as clean as usual, his clever goal at the 22 minute mark of the quarter kept Carlton in the contest. In defence, Michael Jamison and Sam Rowe were holding a tight rein on Collingwood’s big forwards Cloke and White, although the Magpies were dominant in the midfield where Murphy was being closely marked by his regular nemesis Brent Macaffer. Still, Judd, Bryce Gibbs, Ed Curnow, Chris Yarran and Robinson were standing tall, and by half-time the efficient Blues had sent the ball inside their attacking 50 metre arc only 15 times to score 6.3, while Collingwood had penetrated 37 times and kicked 8.8 to hold a 17-point advantage.
Both sides began the third quarter with renewed intensity, and once again Judd was involved early when his slick handpass found Andrejs Everitt for Carton’s ninth major. The niggling between players continued and two minutes in, Magpie Dayne Beams was reported for striking Curnow. Carlton could have been closer than ever at three-quarter time, but gettable shots on goal by Thomas, Murphy, Gibbs and Levi Casboult all missed, and at the last break Collingwood’s advantage had stretched out again to 23 points. Late in the term, Armfield was called to the bench and 19 year-old West Australian Blaine Johnson was substituted into the game as his replacement.
Two key Blues – Marc Murphy and Lachie Henderson – came to life in the last quarter as Carlton surged one more time. Sparked by Gibbs, Yarran, Robinson and Warnock, the Blues clawed their way to within nine points of Collingwood as the clock ticked into time-on, before Curnow went for a 40-metre pass into the centre square. But instead of spearing to its target, the ball floated through the air and was spoiled by a Magpie defender. Collingwood midfielder Steele Sidebottom dashed onto the loose ball, and strolled into an open goal to seal the match.
Although Carlton fought this game right out, Collingwood held sway for all but a few minutes and it would have been a travesty had they lost. Once again, Carlton’s glaring problems in the midfield were laid bare in this match, as Warnock clearly won the ruck duels, but Collingwood’s ruckmen were more effective around the ground. The Magpies tackled relentlessly, used the ball better and controlled the clearances all match.
Despite his late in the game clanger, Ed Curnow (28 disposals, 6 marks, 4 tackles) was among Carlton’s better players. Chris Judd (27 disposals, 5 clearances, 1 goal) Chris Yarran (23 disposals, 6 bounces and 5 inside 50s) and Mitch Robinson (23 disposals and 8 inside 50s) were others who stood out. On debut, Blaine Johnson was steady, racking up 7 disposals and two inside 50s in just over a quarter of football.
Subs: Blaine Johnson replaced Dennis Armfield in the third quarter.
Team
| B: | 13 Chris Yarran | 17 Sam Rowe | 40 Michael Jamison (DVC) |
| HB: | 6 Kade Simpson (VC) | 42 Zach Tuohy | 35 Ed Curnow |
| C: | 15 Sam Docherty | 5 Chris Judd | 33 Andrejs Everitt |
| HF: | 3 Marc Murphy (Captain) | 41 Levi Casboult | 2 Troy Menzel |
| F: | 39 Dale Thomas | 23 Lachlan Henderson | 14 Brock McLean |
| Ruck: | 11 Robert Warnock | 4 Bryce Gibbs | 44 Andrew Carrazzo (VC) |
| Interchange: | 1 Andrew Walker | 12 Mitch Robinson | 27 Dennis Armfield |
| Substitute: | 45 Blaine Johnson | ||
| Emergencies: | 26 Andrew McInnes | 30 Jarrad Waite | 43 Simon White |
| Coach: | Mick Malthouse | ||
*- Dennis Armfield replaced Simon White in the selected side
Milestones
Debut: Blaine JohnsonLosses: This was our 5th loss in a row
Brownlow Votes
3. Steele Sidebottom, Collingwood2. Scott Pendlebury, Collingwood
1. Chris Yarran, Carlton
Best & Fairest Votes
Chris Yarran 11, Chris Judd 6, Michael Jamison 5, Bryce Gibbs 4, Mitch Robinson 4, Sam Rowe 2, Kade Simpson 2, Sam Docherty 1,Ladder
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | For | Agn | Stk | Chg | % | Pts |
| 1 | Hawthorn | 14 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 1634 | 1105 | 5W | U1 | 147.87 | 44 |
| 2 | Port Adelaide | 14 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 1521 | 1072 | 1L | D1 | 141.88 | 44 |
| 3 | Sydney | 14 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 1346 | 976 | 10W | - | 137.91 | 44 |
| 4 | Fremantle | 14 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 1253 | 949 | 6W | - | 132.03 | 40 |
| 5 | Geelong | 14 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 1280 | 1199 | 1W | - | 106.76 | 40 |
| 6 | Collingwood | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 1241 | 1088 | 1W | - | 114.06 | 36 |
| 7 | North Melbourne | 14 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 1200 | 1091 | 1L | - | 109.99 | 32 |
| 8 | Gold Coast | 14 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 1305 | 1290 | 1L | - | 101.16 | 32 |
| 9 | Adelaide | 14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 1268 | 1208 | 1W | U2 | 104.97 | 28 |
| 10 | Essendon | 14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 1153 | 1099 | 1L | D1 | 104.91 | 28 |
| 11 | West Coast | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 1270 | 1148 | 1L | D1 | 110.63 | 24 |
| 12 | Western Bulldogs | 14 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 1136 | 1379 | 1W | U1 | 82.38 | 20 |
| 13 | Richmond | 14 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 1194 | 1237 | 1W | U3 | 96.52 | 16 |
| 14 | Carlton | 14 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 1202 | 1380 | 5L | D2 | 87.10 | 16 |
| 15 | Melbourne | 14 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 901 | 1154 | 2L | - | 78.08 | 16 |
| 16 | GWS Giants | 14 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 1168 | 1517 | 1L | D2 | 76.99 | 16 |
| 17 | Brisbane Lions | 14 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 915 | 1477 | 1W | - | 61.95 | 16 |
| 18 | St Kilda | 14 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 910 | 1528 | 9L | - | 59.55 | 12 |
Round 14 | Round 16