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| Venue: | MCG | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date: | Friday 21 June 2024 (7.40 pm). | ||||||||||||||||||
| Result: | Won by 63 points. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Crowd: | 75,218 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Goalkickers: | C. Curnow 5.2, M. Owies 3.1, H. McKay 3.0, A. Cincotta 2.0, S. Walsh 1.1, T. De Koning 1.1, B. Acres 1.1, E. Hollands 1.0, O. Hollands 1.0, M. Kennedy 1.0, L. Cowan 1.0, N. Newman 1.0, O. Fantasia 0.1, Rushed 0.5. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Reports: | Patrick Dangerfield (Geel) was suspended for one week for rough conduct on Sam Walsh, it was rated as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact. The suspension was later overturned upon appeal. Gryan Miers (Geel) was reported for striking Lachie Cowan, it was rated as intentional conduct, low impact and body contact, he was fined $2500 with an early plea. |
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| Umpires: | Nick Foot, Brett Rosebury, Andrew Stephens, Hayden Gavine. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Injuries: | Nil. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ladder: | 2nd | ||||||||||||||||||
Game Review
Blues' big win on seminal night
The Blues have recorded their first AFL Carlton Respects Game win in serious style. - By Cristian Filippo, Carlton MediaCarlton have recorded its first ever win in an AFL Carlton Respects Game, producing an emphatic 63-point win over Geelong. Leading from the outset, it was a brutal performance from the Blues, who set the game up in the first term before producing an incredible nine-goal final term to bring it home. Patrick Cripps recorded another best-on-ground showing with 41 disposals (one shy of a career-best), but he wasn’t alone, with Sam Walsh (33 disposals), Jacob Weitering (zero goals conceded), Tom De Koning (20 contested possessions) and Charlie Curnow (five goals) all brilliant. It was the Blues’ biggest score of the season, on a night where the Club’s commercial partners contributed $7,000 towards Carlton Respects for every Blues goal, while Bupa donated a dollar for each of the 75,218 people who piled into the MCG on Friday night.
Quarter one
Despite the comments from Michael Voss earlier in the week that he wouldn’t like a similar shootout to what happened in Round 7, the opening to the game started in a similar fashion. Not for the first time in the last month, it was the Blues who made the fast start, registering three goals before the Cats had even registered an inside 50. The first of the game came through Tom De Koning, who received quite the surprise when brother Sam - and not Mark Blicavs - took the opening ruck battle. The Cats soon settled with two gold in quick succession, but the Blues’ pressure game was well and truly on, recording eight forward-50 tackles while dominating clearances in the early going. Zac Williams was dangerous forward of the ball, turning provider of a number of scoring opportunities, while Charlie Curnow was providing headaches with two first-quarter goals. Sam Walsh and Patrick Cripps were prolific, while Jacob Weitering stood up time and time again on the last line: the leaders ensured the Blues took a 19-point lead into the first change.
Quarter two
The game looked well and truly to be back on as a contest when Geelong got out the back for two goals inside the opening four minutes, bringing the margin back within a kick for the first time since the opening minutes. But Carlton was able to rally when the game called for it, with Curnow conjuring his third goal out of nothing before his mate Harry McKay quickly joined him on the scoresheet. Orazio Fantasia was busy with two direct assists in the forward half, while Nic Newman’s commitment to the cause at the other end was evident. while Weitering was at his intercepting best on Tom Hawkins, recording four in the first half. After the early scare by the Cats, the Blues were back to their ruthless best, recording six straight goals despite the game being relatively even as a contest. The Blues were dominant around the ground in stoppage clearances (+18) and made the most of their forward entries in a half where they had eight more inside 50s than the Cats. Matt Owies was electric up forward, kicking three first-half goals - with the last coming from a desperate holding-the-ball tackle - to open up a 36-point lead at the main break.
Quarter three
Carlton’s pressure felt like it was at an all-time high to start the third term, with the home side suffocating Geelong as the game was entirely played in Carlton’s forward half. After getting an early goal in his tag against Tom Stewart, Alex Cincotta doubled up, kicking his fifth goal in three weeks on the back of smart play from a Geelong turnover. Regrettably for the Blues, that was where their good work in front of goal ended, kicking six consecutive behinds from that point on - plus two that failed to register a score - at a time when they could’ve taken the game away from the Cats. Cripps continued to lead from the front with eight disposals for the quarter, taking his tally to 28 for the game at three-quarter time, while Adam Saad produced some blistering passages of play that had Carlton fans out of their seats. Just when the Blues looked to have the game on their terms, three consecutive goals late in the term stung them - especially after their earlier inaccuracy - with the margin whittled down to 27 at the final change.
Quarter four
In previous weeks, the Blues have found themselves ahead but with the game still in the balance at three-quarter time: that was no different in Round 15. And once again, the Blues stormed home. Matthew Kennedy kicked things off following a 50-metre penalty, and the Blues didn’t let up from there. Kennedy, Cripps and Walsh led the charge in the final term, with the midfielders collecting 11, 13 and 11 disposals respectively as the Blues took the game away from the Cats. Continuing their trend of blistering final terms, the Blues - who kicked 1.6 in the third - turned it around with 9.1 in the final quarter, averaging just shy of seven goals in the last four weeks throughout the final term alone. Blake Acres’ effort was indicative of the Blues’ temperament, fighting until the final siren to stop a Geelong goal with the game over as a contest on the scoreboard. The unanimous highlight from the quarter came from Lachie Cowan, with the first-year Blue producing a memorable first ever goal for his boyhood club as over 75,000 at the MCG cheered a big Carlton win.
Best: P. Cripps, T. De Koning, J. Weitering, N. Newman, S. Walsh, C. Curnow, M. Kennedy.
Blues consolidate second spot as Cats' poor run continues
The Blues have produced a strong first half on their way to a win over the Cats - By Josh Gabelich.There are 10 De Koning siblings, but the two who play in the AFL squared off in a heavyweight bout on Friday night, with Tom beating Sam in the ruck to lead Carlton to a dominant 63-point win over Geelong at the MCG. Each side had a pair of brothers in the same jumper – Ollie and Jack Henry for Geelong, Ollie and Elijah Hollands for Carlton – but it was the De Koning brothers who were the main event on a night where the Blues consolidated second spot on the ladder and sent a statement. Michael Voss' side led from the moment Tom outworked his younger brother inside 50 to kick Carlton's first goal 90 seconds in. It never relinquished the lead and was never threatened after the first 40 minutes, handing Geelong a sixth loss from seven games – a 21.12 (138) to 11.9 (75) result – to put the Cats' spot in the eight in jeopardy for the first time in 2024. Tom De Koning picked up where he left off before the Blues' mid-season bye, finishing with 34 hitouts, 25 disposals, 20 contested possessions, seven clearances, 10 score involvements and a goal to take the points against his younger brother Sam.
After starting the season with four straight wins, the Blues have now won four consecutive games again to bank a 10th win, moving a game clear of Collingwood and six points ahead of Essendon, which faces West Coast at Marvel Stadium on Sunday. All-Australian midfielders Patrick Cripps (41 disposals, 18 contested possessions and 13 clearances) and Sam Walsh (33 disposals, nine clearances and 603 metres gained) feasted on De Koning's silver service at the coalface. With Chris Scott leaving Rhys Stanley out of the 23 and Toby Conway remaining in the VFL, it was De Koning v De Koning who met in the middle of the ground before the first bounce in a surprise move from the Cats. Tom set the tone from the outset, much to the delight of Carlton players who went after Sam. When Charlie Curnow nailed the second a minute later, the Blues had the fast start on the back of ruck dominance. Patrick Dangerfield, in his first game in two months, got involved early with a crunching tackle on Walsh, but the Cats skipper might face some MRO scrutiny. It took a dribbling finish from Zach Tuohy to put the Cats on the board, enraging the Carlton faithful who booed the former Blue. Max Holmes added a second to settle the Cats after a start where they couldn't get their hands on the ball. Geelong only just held on in the first quarter with Tom Stewart v Alex Cincotta symbolic of the unfolding contest. The in-form Carlton tagger pinched a goal and pinched the points early in a sign of what was to come. Telstra AFL Rising Star contender Ollie Dempsey marked and played on two minutes into the second quarter to reduce the margin to two goals and Jeremy Cameron got involved shortly afterwards to get going with his first goal, but that was a rare patch of momentum. Matt Owies kicked three first-half goals amid a run of seven straight goals, before Cameron ended that streak with a goal after the siren from outside 50.
Cincotta started the second half in Stewart's shadows and rubbed some salt in the champion defender's wounds by kicking the opening goal of the second half after intercepting a poor pass by Jake Kolodjashnij and making him pay. De Koning and De Koning sounds like a Dutch law firm or marketing agency, but the battle continued after the main break with the older brother maintaining his dominance over the premiership Cat. Cameron kicked three behinds in the third quarter, as the margin remained north of 40 points, but then Geelong made the most of its chances, kicking three straight goals to remain in the contest at the final change. That glimmer of hope was extinguished early in the last quarter when Matt Kennedy kicked the first goal of the term, before the Blues added three successive majors to end the night early. With Ben King sidelined this weekend after an ACL scare, Curnow made a move in the goalkicking race by kicking five goals. But he wasn't the headline act, despite moving to 43 goals to continue his pursuit of a third consecutive Coleman Medal, a rare streak last achieved by Gary Ablett in the 1990s.
MRO scrutiny for returning star?
Patrick Dangerfield hadn't played since the last time Geelong faced Carlton in round seven and the Brownlow medallist got involved early, although one of his first involvements will be looked at by Match Review Officer Michael Christian. Dangerfield clamped Walsh in a tackle before driving the Carlton midfielder into the ground. Walsh's arms were pinned and his head made contact with the ground.
Voss sends Cincotta to five-time All-Australian
Alex Cincotta has become an important cog in Michael Voss' side across the past two months, locking down a handful of opposition stars. After clamping Zach Merrett, Zak Butters and Touk Miller in the three weeks before the bye, the second-year rookie was handed a different role following Tom Stewart around the MCG. Cincotta kicked two goals and clearly took the points, limiting the influence of the five-time All-Australian to maintain his great run of form. Lachie Cowan also limited the influence of Gryan Miers in a second win.
Best: T. De Koning, P. Cripps, S. Walsh, C. Curnow, A. Cincotta, M. Kennedy.
'Blue goes to 'another level'
As they wait to find out the severity of Tom Hawkins' foot injury, the Cats are worried about the veteran forward - By Josh Gabelich at the MCG.Carlton coach Michael Voss labelled the performance the most complete of his first 61 games in charge of the club he joined at the end of 2021. The Blues registered their highest score (138) of the season to date, leading for 130 minutes on the back of a convincing win in inside 50s (+15), tackles (+14), contested ball (+11) and clearances (+11). "It was probably the most balanced game we've had across all our phases," Voss said on Friday night. "We weren't relying on one area, but clearly, we had stoppage dominance, we had pressure on the ball, we were able to set the game up in our front half; we're still preaching that consistency message. "That momentum started three or four weeks ago and after the bye we've been able to pick it up straight away, which is pleasing to see. We had a much more balanced profile today, we weren't relying on one particular area. The pressure we were able to bring forced Geelong into areas that maybe they wouldn't normally make." Voss lauded the performance of Tom De Koning after he beat his younger brother – Geelong key defender Sam – in an enthralling ruck battle, finishing with 34 hitouts, 25 disposals, 20 contested possessions, 10 score involvements, seven clearances and a goal. "I'm OK to celebrate people and what they're doing – we should when they are in great form," Voss said. "I get the theatre around it and it is a great talking point for everyone to take some intertest in, even a little bit of bumping at breaks. But in reality, I think he is just so focused on being able to play a certain way. "He has certainly taken his game to another level. He has taken his training to a completely different level as well. It's not complicated where he has found himself."
After taking the scalps of star midfielders Zach Merrett, Zak Butters and Touk Miller in the past three games, Alex Cincotta was handed the critical role on five-time All-Australian defender Tom Stewart and nailed the brief, continuing to cement his spot in Carlton's best 22. "We rate Tom really highly – I'm sure the rest of the competition does as well – he is just a superb player and he gives them a lot of drive and a lot of composure. He sets up so well behind the ball and is so hard to beat. The type of player to play on him takes a bit of thought. With 'Cinc' and the role he has been playing, he is big and quick, so we felt it was the right match-up," he said. "We had to make some adjustments around the midfield but he was able to execute it. He is a hungry dog, he is desperate to be in the team. You love coaching those players. They are just prepared to do everything, the navy blue jumper runs deeper for him, it's not just about playing AFL, it is about living out his boyhood dream and doing what he's doing. I go to him every week and tell him the role, and he says, 'No worries, I'll get it done for you.' It has been good addition to our team." Carlton is clear in second spot after banking a 10th win of the season, while Geelong is now 8-6 after starting 2024 with seven straight wins.
Balanced Blues chasing excellence
What Michael Voss had to say in his post-match press conference. - By Carlton MediaEarning the right. Carlton AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss has been consistent with his messaging all year about the Blues chasing excellence, and Friday night was another step towards that. In the Blues' most complete showing of the season so far, they lead from start to finish in the 63-point win over Geelong, marking the Club's first win in an AFL Carlton Respects Game in the process. This is what Voss had to say.
Before the press conference started, Voss took a moment to speak on Carlton Respects:
“Obviously tonight was a really important night for us as a football club. Carlton Respects has been a really important program for us since 2016. To be able to play in games like tonight really fit in the sweet spot around our purpose and how we want to continue to bring joy to people, to inspire and create change. “Tonight made it really important because it obviously put front and centre the things we need to change and the things we need to get better at as a society. It was a fantastic display from our football club tonight, to be able to do that activation before the game itself. “The plan to come in here tonight was to try and get $200,000 and raise some much-needed funds to continue that education process. It looks like we’ve been able to raise about $350,000 in the very early days, and it might end up being a bit more than that. “As a club, I just want to extend out a thank you to all of you, the media, for being able to give us a platform and a presence to be able to communicate that message. It means a lot to us that you were able to do that, and being able to embrace what the night was about. From all of us at the Club, I just wanted to pass on that thank you.”
On what a win in the AFL Carlton Respects Game meant to the football club:
“We’ve spent a lot of time in this space, around winning being one thing but also what do we want to become? That’s really important to us. It’s one thing to have these really important occasions that we take on as a club. It’s very important we have that strong community presence. “You get games to be able to do that, and we haven’t had a winning ledger in this game. To be able to come in tonight, get the win and have that as a purpose to play for, it was really important. We win games as a team, but you want to win games as clubs: for us, I felt we had a win as a club today.”
On Carlton’s identity shining through:
“It’s a great way to sum it up in one word. We’ve had lots of games where we know what it feels like, we’ve had games where we know what it doesn’t feel like. It all goes into the pot to find out what you ultimately want to be. We’ve been getting after that pretty hard over the last few years, but particularly in the first half of the season. “We had a much more balanced profile in our game today, we weren’t necessarily relying on one particular area. The pressure we were able to bring in the game forced Geelong into errors that maybe they wouldn’t normally make. We were able to capitalise the other way.”
On the Blues’ style of play:
“It was probably the most balanced game we’ve had across all our phases. In early parts of the season, we’ve had moments where we’ve been good in transition but our stoppage play hasn’t been great, we’ve had some where the contest stuff has been alright but the clearance isn’t going so well so we’ve had to win in a different way. “We had much more balance in the way we played. We weren’t necessarily relying on one area. We had stoppage dominance, we had pressure on the ball, we were able to set the game up in our front half: all the things you want to be able to have, we were able to execute. “We’re still preaching that consistency message. That momentum hopefully started three or four weeks ago, and after the bye we’ve been able to pick it up straight away which is pleasing to see.”
On Tom De Koning’s performance:
“There have been individuals that have stepped up, but more importantly, they’ve got their roles done. We’ve had a fairly settled line up for the last little while as well, so that cohesion and connection, it gives you a chance to go away at training and get better at things. “No doubt there are individuals, and in Tom’s case that has certainly been the case. He’s giving us a lot of drive out of the middle, we’ve structured up a little bit differently forward of the ball. With a couple of different looks, we’ve found a couple of different things.”
On Tom De Koning’s consistency in performance:
“It probably sits in that basket of consistency and what he’s been able to do, what he’s had to build up over a period of time. We know rucks take a long time to do that. “They’re involved in an enormous amount of contests, there’s a time they might be able to do that for one game, but can you turn up next week and in Round 8 and in Round 15 and in Round 23. We ask a lot of them. His resilience now, not just to be able to go quarter to quarter but game to game, has been where he’s stepped up.”
On the De Koning brother battle:
“I’m okay to celebrate people and what they’re doing, we should when they’re in great form. I get the theatre around it. I understand that’s a byproduct of it all. It’s a great talking point for everyone to take some interest in, even a little bit of bumping during quarter-time breaks. “In reality, I think he’s just so focused on being able to play a certain way. He’s certainly taken his game to another level, he’s taken his training to a completely different level as well. It’s not complicated where he’s found himself, but he’s certainly persisted, and he’s getting some great reward at the moment.”
On Alex Cincotta’s role on Tom Stewart:
“We rate Tom really highly, I’m sure the rest of the competition does as well — he’s just a superb player. He gives them a lot of drive and composure, he sets up so well behind the ball, he’s so hard to beat. The type of player to play on him takes a bit of thought. “With ‘Cinc’ and the role he’s been playing for us, he’s powerful, he’s big, he’s quick. We felt like it was the right match-up. We had to make some adjustments around our midfield, because that’s been a slightly different role, but to be able to execute it was really important for us.”
On another crucial performance from Cincotta:
“He is a hungry dog, he is desperate to be part of the team. I tell you, you love coaching those players. They’re just prepared to do everything. I’ve spoken about what the Navy Blue jumper means to him, it runs deeper for him. “It's not just about playing AFL, it is about living out his boyhood dream and doing what he's doing. I go to him every week and tell him the role, and he just says ‘no worries, I'll get it done for you.' It’s pleasing to be able to have, he’s proven hard to beat. It has been good addition to our team, there’s no doubt about that.”
On Lachie Cowan’s showing:
“He showed a little bit, we mainly went there because of his job on Nic Martin late against Essendon and he was able to do a pretty good job there. A young man that’s been able to come in and get his task done. “The things we celebrate a lot is the status to the roles. We give them presence, we celebrate it, our leaders celebrate it and we’re trying to build that culture of next man up, squad mentality and getting your job done. So far, that energy has been really positive for us.”
On welcoming players back in the coming weeks:
“Form always determines that. We still think we’ve got a couple of people we can add in to that, but the form has been really strong. The cohesion with the group being settled has certainly helped, and that helps with the consistency. “I thought tonight was a really powerful performance, the most powerful we’ve played for the year. We’re a settled side getting to work on ourselves and the familiarity with the roles we’re asking them to play.”
On Carlton’s quest for consistency:
“We’ve always seen it that way. I don’t want to keep saying it, but the reality is we haven’t proven over time — that’s what we’re busy trying to prove, in some ways. We’re still trying to earn the right, we’re still chasing excellence. “We certainly don’t feel like what we’re doing right now will be the final version of what that looks like, whether that’s personnel or the way we’re playing. Hopefully we can consistently apply it. From Opening Round to now, that’s been a real focus of ours: to turn up on Monday, review it really well, have consistency in our week, work out how to get better and turn our attention to our next opponent. I think the boys have done it really well.”
On where Adam Cerra fits in the team:
“It’s interesting, if you asked me on Thursday I might have had a different response to Friday. He’s a wonderful player, we’ll find a spot for him! But it’s great to see so many guys in form, we’re not relying on one or two to get the job done. “We’re a connected team and we’re playing that way at the moment, but we also don’t take it for granted. As quickly as it comes, it disappears just as quick, so we’ll stay on edge with that.”
Matt Owies could be what Carlton has been looking for
Carlton has chased plenty of high profile small forwards in recent years (think Tom Papley in 2019 and Will Hayward this year), but they may have unearthed a reliable option from within in the form of Matt Owies. The former College basketballer kicked three first-half goals on Friday night to put the Blues on a path to a victory that has them entrenched in the top four. Owies is now up to 20 goals for 2024 to sit not far behind Tyson Stengle (28 goals), Jack Higgins (23), Tom Papley (23), Izak Rankine (22), Dylan Moore (22) and Charlie Cameron (21) and level with Bobby Hill, all of whom get more headlines than the Blues small. Owies has now kicked four bags of three goals for the season, electrifying the Carlton faithful each week to show it's not just about the tall timber up forward at the Blues. - Josh GabelichTeam
| B: | 37 Jordan Boyd | 23 Jacob Weitering | 17 Brodie Kemp |
| HB: | 42 Adam Saad | 11 Mitch McGovern | 24 Nic Newman |
| C: | 4 Ollie Hollands | 9 Patrick Cripps (c) | 13 Blake Acres |
| HF: | 6 Zac Williams | 10 Harry McKay | 8 Lachie Fogarty |
| F: | 39 Alex Cincotta | 30 Charlie Curnow | 44 Matt Owies |
| Ruck: | 12 Tom De Koning | 18 Sam Walsh | 29 George Hewett |
| Interchange: | 2 Lachlan Cowan | 14 Orazio Fantasia | 20 Elijah Hollands |
| 7 Matt Kennedy | |||
| Substitute: | 19 Corey Durdin | ||
| Coach: | Michael Voss | ||
| Emergencies: | 22 Caleb Marchbank | 3 Jesse Motlop | 27 Marc Pittonet |
In; Orazio Fantasia
Out: Jack Carroll (omitted)
Substitute: Corey Durdin (replaced Orazio Fantasia in the final quarter).
Milestones
50 Goals (AFL): Matt KennedyFirst Goal: Lachlan Cowan
Interesting Facts
1. Patrick Cripps became the player with the most handballs in Carlton's history with 3110, he passed Marc Murphy's tally of 3109, with the third best being Craig Bradley with 2900.2. After almost 29 years, this is Carlton's highest score against Geelong since the Grand Final, 1995
3. Tom De Koning's game was the highest ranking game played by any player so far, in the AFL this season.
4. During the final quarter, 11 goals were scored in 14 minutes, Carlton 8.1 - Geelong 3.0.
5. Patrick Cripps for the first time in his 197 games with the Blues he has gone back to back matches without taking a mark.
6. Patrick Cripps 41 disposals against Geelong places him equal second for most disposals in a game without a mark (42 is the current record held by West Coast's Tim Kelly).
7. Sam and Tom De Koning matched up in 49 ruck contests, the most contested ruck contests between two brothers on record (since 1999).
Free Kicks
Carlton 16Geelong 22
Front Runners
Jacob Weitering 15.6kmBrodie Kemp 15.5km
Oliver Hollands 15.4km
Elijah Hollands 15.4km
AFLCA Votes
9 - Patrick Cripps (CARL)7 - Tom De Koning (CARL)
7 - Sam Walsh (CARL)
4 - Charlie Curnow (CARL)
2 - Alex Cincotta (CARL)
1 - Matt Kennedy (CARL)
Brownlow Votes
3 - Patrick Cripps (CARL)2 - Sam Walsh (CARL)
1 - Tom De Koning (CARL)
Best and Fairest Votes
Video
Round 14 | Round 16