Goalkickers: M. Pittonet 3.0, B. Ainsworth 2.0, W. Hayward 1.2, B. Kemp 1.1, A. Moir 1.0, H. McKay 1.0, E. Hollands 1.0, Z. Williams 0.1, L. Reidy 0.1, P. Cripps 0.1, C. Lord 0.1, Rushed 0.2.

Reports: Chad Warner (SWA) received a fine of $2000 with an early plea for tripping Elijah Hollands (CAR) [first offence]. It was rated as intentional contact, low impact, and body contact. Sam Walsh (CAR) received a $1000 fine with an early plea for being the instigator of a melee (first offence). This is a fixed financial sanction. Callum Mills (SWA) received a $1000 fine with an early plea for engaging in a melee/wrestling (first offence). This is a fixed financial sanction. Errol Gulden (SWA) received a $1000 fine with an early plea for engaging in a melee/wrestling (first offence). This is a fixed financial sanction. Sam Walsh (CAR) received a $1000 fine with an early plea for engaging in a melee/wrestling (first offence). This is a fixed financial sanction. Lewis Young (CAR) received a $1000 fine with an early plea for engaging in a melee/wrestling (first offence). This is a fixed financial sanction. Will Hayward (CAR) received a $1000 fine with an early plea for engaging in a melee/wrestling (first offence). This is a fixed financial sanction.

Umpires: Brendan Hosking, Jamie Broadbent, Simon Meredith, Martin Rodger.

Injuries: A. Saad (hamstring tightness).

Ladder: 10th.

Game Review

Swans blow away Blues in second half

Carlton has gone down by 63 points in the season opener against Sydney. - By Cristian Filippo, Carlton Media.

Carlton has gone down by 63 points in the season opener against Sydney. Despite a bright start, the Blues were no match for the power of the Swans in the second half, ultimately falling 20.12 (132) to 10.9 (69). On a night where the Blues unveiled seven new faces for the Club, Ben Ainsworth and Will Hayward kicked their first goals in Navy Blue while AFL debutants Jagga Smith (27 disposals) and Harry Dean (six intercepts) showed they belong at the level. The Blues enjoyed a strong start, with their appetite for the contest and willingness to take the game on a feature. They kept the Swans goalless in the opening term, with the returning Brodie Kemp kicking the first goal of the season. He was quickly followed up by Hayward, while fellow former Swan Ollie Florent started brightly as the Blues took an 11-point lead into the main break.

Carlton kept that going in the second term, responding to Sydney taking the lead with a pair of quick goals to close the term. One of those was a piece of individual brilliance from Ainsworth, launching from 60 metres out to wrestle the lead back, before Marc Pittonet had a key victory against Brodie Grundy. The recently re-signed Sam Walsh led the charge for the Blues in the first half, typically combative at stoppage, while young midfielder Cooper Lord was prolific in the opening stages. When Pittonet converted once again from a stoppage at the resumption of play in the third term, the Blues led by 22 points - but from there, it was all Sydney. The Swans were at their devastating best, comprehensively beating the Blues at stoppages to pile on 12 goals for the term. It turned a 22-point Carlton lead into a 39-point deficit at the final change, with the Blues no match for the Swans’ run and carry. Come game’s end, it was a 63-point difference on the scoreboard, with the Blues needing to dust themselves off and go again against Richmond next Thursday night at the MCG.

Swans' stunning blitz sinks Blues in season-opener.

The Swans have charged past the Blues at the SCG. - By Sarah Black.

It had been a long summer for Charlie Curnow and his ex, the Carlton Football Club. Their reunion was an awkward first half, his every move closely followed by Jacob Weitering. But after a few false starts, Curnow finally got on the board in the third term with a goal, which was immediately followed by a huge scuffle as tensions built up over months – exacerbated by Ollie Florent and Will Hayward also swapping allegiances – bubbled over in a testy match. Curnow's major came amid an astonishing 12-goal onslaught of a third term for the Swans that set up a statement-making 63-point win, with Matt Roberts just one of the surprise stars for the quarter with two absolute stunners.

It was a near-unbelievable turnaround from the Swans, who were jittery, slow and riddled with errors in the first half, before Isaac Heeney, Errol Gulden and co found their legs, securing the 20.12 (132) to 10.9 (69) victory at the SCG. It's hard to believe, but at half-time, the Matildas up the coast were comfortably lapping Sydney when it came to goals on the board (just two for the Swans), until Justin McInerney and Logan McDonald kicked off the scoring onslaught, combining for three in four minutes. Curnow's second was the 12th of the third term. Carlton had led by 22 three minutes into the third quarter after gentle giant Marc Pittonet snagged his third, and trailed by 39 at the final break, after a seemingly never-ending 41-minute term, watching the ball sail over their heads through the big sticks time and time again. Brodie Kemp – coming off a season decimated by a torn Achilles – had kicked the opening goal of 2026, but that bright spark and the forward's strong first half was a distant memory for Carlton fans.

All eyes were on Curnow, but it was Hayward who struck the first major blow against his ex-side, taking advantage of a frazzled Swans backline who were particularly vulnerable to the fast ball in the first half, celebrating to the crowd with a "calm down" motion. Prized draft pick Jagga Smith might have had to wait a year to debut due to a torn ACL, but made up for lost time, the Blue recording nine disposals in his debut quarter, while Jai Serong couldn't get a game at Hawthorn but had eight touches in his first term for the Swans. The Blues moved the ball in waves and looked particularly dangerous out in space in the first half, but were let down by their disposal into attack, and ultimately didn't take advantage of their early dominance. Debutant and father-son Harry Dean can hold his head up high after a baptism of fire in defence, but Carlton was seriously exposed for foot speed on the outside of the contest in the second half, and was seriously undisciplined as the game unravelled, including skipper Patrick Cripps. Adding salt to the wound, Adam Saad was pulled from the game in the fourth term with hamstring tightness.

A statistical onslaught
Sydney recorded 108 disposals to just 56 Carlton touches in the third term. Contested possessions read 40-30, inside 50s a thumping 24-11. And the score? 75 to 26. Sydney became just the third VFL/AFL team to have both a goalless term and at least 12 goals in a quarter in the same game, with both other occurrences happening in the high-scoring 1970s.

A stray knee and a possible nervous wait
Isaac Heeney was the victim of an accidental/maybe accidentally-on-purpose knee to the head as former teammate Florent attempted to hurdle the superstar who was lying on the ground. Heeney required a concussion test, but was cleared to play out the second half. Commentating on SEN, Toby Greene called it a "Shane Mumford special", and it'll be curious to see what, if any, action the MRO takes.

Best: S. Walsh, C. Lord, J. Smith, M. Pittonet.

We couldn't stop it': Blues to closely review costly third quarter

The Blues will closely review the third-quarter collapse that cost them against the Swans. - By Sarah Black.

After the brightest of pre-seasons, Carlton crashed back to earth, conceding an astonishing 12 third-quarter goals to Sydney as its pressure around the footy dropped. The Blues had led by 22 points early in that same third quarter before the Swans got on a roll, eventually winning by 63 points. "Our intensity just dropped significantly. They absolutely dialled up their pressure around the ball, probably across the whole ground. But we lost some pretty important territory in our stoppages, their centre-square bounce was too good," Carlton coach Michael Voss said. "Their best players got going and had a significant influence on the game in the second half. Our intensity dropped. We kicked the first two goals after half-time and were thinking the game was in pretty good shape, and for the next 20-odd minutes, it was watching the ball go through the opposition's goals. No matter what we did, we couldn't stop it. "The game was looking really healthy for us, we were winning some really important battles that we'd assigned people to do, but the challenge for us will be the consistency of being able to do that. If we stray from it, we see what happens. "When we lost our pressure around the ball, and we were losing our contest, and we lost important metres from stoppage, they were just able to dominate field position, and they were kicking them from everywhere. We're going to have to look back at that pretty closely."

Given three players – Charlie Curnow, Ollie Florent and Will Hayward – switched between the two teams in a slightly contentious deal over the Trade Period, there was always going to be plenty of emotion in the clash. But the sheer number of tussles and ill-disciplined free kicks conceded, particularly by the Blues, contributed to the third-quarter rot, although Voss said he didn't think his side was overawed by emotion. "I need to go back and see [the post-goal free kicks], because sitting on the interchange bench, I don't have the privilege of being able to look at all the instances," Voss said. "But what's important for us, and what I'll always maintain, first and foremost, is that we'll defend ourselves, and we'll protect our own. Those two particular scenarios didn't go our way, and I'll reserve judgement on it for now, but there were plenty of others where we were flying the flag for our teammates. "There were different melees that were happening across the ground – I don't know what was behind those, but what I want to see is the Carlton jumper defending the Carlton jumper. I'm never ever going to ask my players not to do that."

Team

Milestones

Debut: Harry Dean, Jagga Smith
Debut (Carlton): Ben Ainsworth, Campbell Chesser, Oliver Florent, Will Hayward, Liam Reidy
50 Games: Brodie Kemp
First Goal (Carlton): Ben Ainsworth, Will Hayward

Interesting Facts

1. Marc Pittonet kicked a career high 3 goals.
2. Carlton played seven debutants this match, the most since Round 1, 2004 when the Blues had nine debutants.
3. The Swans recorded a 75-point third quarter, the third best score in a single term in AFL history (since 1991), and equal 9th overall.

Free Kicks

Carlton 23
Sydney 19

Front Runners

1 - Jai Serong (SYD)15.5km
2 - Riley Brice (SYD)14.9km
3 - Oliver Hollands (CARL) 14.6km
3 - Matt Roberts (SYD)14.6km
3 - Sam Wicks (SYD)14.6km

AFLCA Votes

10 - Justin McInerney (SYD)
8 - Errol Gulden (SYD)
5 - Isaac Heeney (SYD)
3 - Tom McCartin (SYD)
3 - Sam Walsh (CARL)
1 - Chad Warner (SYD)

Brownlow Votes

Best and Fairest Votes

Video