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Game Review

This Friday night game was an exciting affair but as was usual for Carlton in 2002, it was so close, yet so far away for the Blues.

For the first quarter and a half, the Hawks dominated and after extending their 11 point quarter time lead by kicking 3 unanswered goals, they seemed set for a big win. Had it not been for their inaccuracy, they probably should have been leading by more than the 30 points that they were. Carlton's chances were not helped by injuries early to Camporeale (corked thigh) and Murphy (concussion), which put them out for the rest of the match.

But then the Blues stormed back into the match with 5 unanswered goals, to tie up the scores at half time. Lance Whitnall kicked two of them and Ryan Houlihan, in an electrifying burst, kicked 3 and could have kicked 4, had a clever, tumbling shot from outside 50 to a vacant goal square not hit the post at the last moment. Thanks to those two, the Blues were back in the match, after all had seemed lost and that really gave Carlton supporters hope at half time.

The third quarter was an arm wrestle that the Blues were winning near the end of the quarter, though the Hawks snuck a goal back to trail by 7 points at 3 quarter time. Carlton kicked the first goal of the final quarter to extend their lead to 13 points but the loss of two players from their rotations was always going to make it difficult to run out the match. Shane Crawford was unstoppable and would get the 3 Brownlow votes. The Hawks slowly got on top over a brave but undermanned Carlton, running out 9 point winners.

Whitnall was Carlton's best player and ended up with 5 goals. Craig Bradley was the leading possession getter with 23, while Ang Christou had 22.

Ladder: 16th. 1 win - 7 losses. Percentage - 73.2

Team

B:	14 David Gallagher	22 Glenn Manton	10 Michael Mansfield
HB:	5 Andrew McKay (a/c)	29 Simon Beaumont	39 Ang Christou
C:	17 Scott Freeborn	31 Simon Fletcher	20 Andrew Eccles
HF:	33 Ryan Houlihan	8 Lance Whitnall	45 Anthony Franchina
F:	37 Trent Hotton	18 Justin Murphy	12 Matthew Lappin
Ruck:	2 Corey McKernan	21 Craig Bradley	16 Scott Camporeale
Interchange:	6 Adam Pickering	13 Justin Davies	4 Luke Livingston
	15 Sam Cranage
Coach:	Wayne Brittain
Emg:	Blake Campbell	Ian Prendergast	Sam Cranage*
In:	Scott Camporeale	Luke Livingston	Sam Cranage*
Out:	Andrew Merrington	Ian Prendergast	Jim Plunkett (knee)*

-*late change Cranage for Plunkett

https://youtu.be/rBQf9NULY2E

Brownlow Votes

3: Shane Crawford (HAW)
2: Lance Whitnall (CARL)
1: Richard Vandenberg (HAW)