Goalkickers: Walker 4, Waite 2, Ellard 2, Betts, Garlett, Russell 1.

Reports: Nil

Umpires: B. Rosebury, S. Stewart & S. Wenn

Injuries: Nil

Ladder: 4th

Game Review

The disappointment of the round four draw had been difficult to swallow for Carlton supporters but fortunately for the Blues they had to wait but a week for their chance to restore some lost pride, this time against the Crows of Adelaide. The Crows themselves were coming off a humiliating second half fade out against home town adversaries Port so naturally had plenty of their own to prove under the lights of Etihad Stadium.

At selection the consistently high performing David Ellard could go unacknowledged no longer as he forced his way into the 22 for the first time in 2011. Joining him was fellow small man Aaron Joseph, also for his first hit-out of 2011, and undoubtedly his first as substitute. When the axe swung it honed in on the dismal performances of Andrew Collins and the horribly underdone Lachie Henderson both relegated to the VFL to lick their wounds and regain touch. For the Crows ex-Carlton blood-nut Sam Jacobs had been selected for his debut performance against his old club.

Some thirty seconds after the ball had bounced at 7:10pm EST the decision to persist with Eddie Betts for just another week was looking like a masterstroke. After Chris Judd’s opening clearance, Eddie eventually got hold of the bobbling ball and, on the run, popped through the opening goal. He couldn’t have asked for a better confidence booster. It set the tone for the Blues opening term with Judd and Marc Murphy smack in the middle of everything, the ball flowing freely out of defence through Chris Yarran and Andrew Walker lively in attack with two of the five goals. With the Crows managing just a solitary major for the term the Blues’ inaccuracy was keeping them alive. Of Carlton’s five behinds, most noteworthy was Judd’s poster from point-blank range, the most painful of several uncharacteristic poor disposals by foot from the captain. That said, the 27 point quarter time lead was a reasonable reflection of Carlton’s first quarter dominance.

Somebody wise (probably an old sage) once said “don’t flirt with form”. Now I love to flirt as much as the next bloke, but I knew what that old sage was getting at as I watched the Blues dominate possession in the early part of the second term but continually come unstuck with poor finishing and wasteful disposal. With five unanswered goals the Crows were able to work their way back into a game which could have been close to out of reach by mid way through the term, but had closed to within a goal as the shadows of half-time drew near. Step forward Andrew Walker. Walker is widely acknowledged as an athlete of some repute and from game one in round 5, 2004 (when he almost took mark of the year) there have been few (if any) of his subsequent 107 games where he hasn’t at least attempted a similarly spectacular leap. It took until the 31st minute of the second quarter of round 5, 2011 (some seven seasons later by my reckoning) for one ripper to finally stick. Not only did his big hanger over a sizable pack stick firmly in his grasp, he nailed the subsequent shot at goal after the half-time siren giving them a slender 10 point lead. Walker’s third goal was the Blues’ only one for the quarter to go with seven behinds.

When Jeff Garlett opened the third term as Betts had opened the first I was hopeful that normal service had resumed and the Blues had responded appropriately to a tastefully delivered half-time rocket from Ratts. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. The Blues continued to be frustratingly inaccurate in front of goal and the game stayed precariously poised in the balance. Late in the term Walker calmly slotted his fourth after benefitting from Joseph’s crumbing almost immediately after being subbed into the game. The goal extended the lead to 19 points before two late Adelaide goals narrowed the margin to just seven at the final break.

The Crows managed the first goal of the final term a few minutes in and the game was well and truly up for grabs. They continued to maintain possession and play their way through Carlton’s zone during the first half of the term and with two more goals had hit the lead and pushed it out to 11 points by the 14th minute. Another test of the Blues’ character presented itself and Garlett and Walker were the first to respond with some wonderful defensive hustle inside attacking 50. Their pressure created the turnover that allowed Murphy to pass to Waite who waltzed in for the easiest of goals (his second). Ellard then got on the end of a chain of clearing handballs before launching a high bomb from just outside 50 which snuck home to square the game up. Then Kade Simpson bumbled and stumbled his way along the wing before getting tangled up and somehow managing to squeeze out a handball to Jordan Russell. Russell shrugged off a defender, spun onto his right foot and banged home a superb goal to put the Blues a goal clear. A nerve-wracking, mistake-ridden final few moments ensued with both sides having further chances before Aaron Joseph’s lunging tackle in the dying seconds ended Adelaide’s chances.

The siren sounded with the Blues one straight kick to the good and a collective sigh of relief was audible from Carlton supporters everywhere. It was an unattractive, gutsy, hard fought win in a game that the Blues were expected to win but made very hard going of doing so.

Aaron Joseph replaced Chris Yarran during the 3rd quarter.

Team

Brownlow Votes

3. Andrew Walker, Carlton
2. Chris Judd, Carlton
1. Marc Murphy, Carlton

Best & Fairest Votes

Marc Murphy 40, Michael Jamison 35, Chris Judd 35, Andrew Walker 35, Ed Curnow 30, David Ellard 20, Heath Scotland 17, Jarrad Waite 17, Kade Simpson 11, Eddie Betts 6, Jeffery Garlett 5

Ladder