Game Review

They're in! Blues' EPIC draw with Dogs secures finals, season over for Saints, Giants.
Carlton and the Western Bulldogs draw to secure the Blues a spot in finals. - By Gemma Bastiani at Marvel Stadium

And somehow, Carlton has done the seemingly impossible. Under the guidance of interim coach Josh Fraser, the Blues have confirmed a wildcard position with a round to play, following a dramatic draw with the Western Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon. Captain Patrick Cripps put the side on his back, leading the 12.10 (82) stalemate under the Marvel Stadium roof, as he finished with 33 disposals and 12 clearances out of the middle. His midfield proteges Sam Walsh (33 disposals, 318 metres gained) and Jagga Smith (25 disposals, six inside 50s) flanked him, pulling the Blues back up every time it looked as if the Bulldogs had landed the crucial blow. In a see-sawing encounter at Marvel Stadium, the Blues trialled by seven points with six minutes remaining, with a Bulldogs win to leave Fraser's side needing to beat Fremantle next week to guarantee finals. A Dogs win would have also kept St Kilda and Greater Western Sydney alive heading into the final round of the season. But the Blues rallied with a behind from Ben Ainsworth and then a goal through Francis Evans that levelled the scores with less than three minutes remaining. And despite some nervous moments late, the Blues held on for a draw that leaves them six points clear of the chasing pack with one round remaining. It is the second draw in less than 24 hours after Hawthorn and Collingwood finished all square at the MCG on Saturday night. Early on, the Bulldogs were hurt around stoppage, and warning bells were ringing with both Marcus Bontempelli and Tim English out of the side. But it was Ed Richards (31 disposals, six clearances, two goals) who donned the cape to wrench it back the Dogs' way, moving with power out of the contest and remaining involved in passages as they moved down the ground.

Tom Liberatore also came to the party with 12 clearances and 33 disposals, doing his usual grunt work to release the likes of Joel Freijah and Ryley Sanders on the outside. The home side lived in its attack for large swathes of the game, and while in the second term it capitalised on that territory, recording four goals to Carlton's one, in the third it lacked some finishing. It was quick, ground level players who were able to do the damage for the Bulldogs, positioning themselves well and applying a heap of pressure within goal scoring range. In his first game captaining the club, Aaron Naughton had a tough day. It wasn't always the fault of his own – some of the Dogs' choices going inside 50 didn't give him the best of chances – but his capacity to convert in front of goal was limited, recording three behinds for the afternoon. Nick Haynes' sweet patch of form continued, with 26 disposals and 12 intercept possessions, and Harry Dean's aggression was channelled well to record eight intercepts and seven marks. The pair jelled well with the returning Jacob Weitering, who didn't miss a beat on his first game since round 12. And at the other end of the ground, Carlton's talls caused some headaches for the Dogs' defence. Harry McKay (two goals), Mitch McGovern (one) and Brodie Kemp (one) effectively worked together, creating leading space for one another and separating the Dogs' keys. They were assisted by the midfield's willingness to move laterally around the forward 50 arc before going for the money kick inside. The subplot of the match was the head-to-head battle between young Blues defender Wilson and dynamic Dogs forward Arty Jones. The pair traded blows all afternoon – Jones with his clean gathers and ground speed, Wilson with his tackle pressure and rebounding ability. The match ends in a draw, which is good enough for Carlton to qualify for the Wildcard Round. Both sides threw everything at the final quarter. Blake Acres had 12 disposals and four contested possessions in the final term for the Blues, while Tom Liberatore had 11 disposals, six contested possessions and five clearances in the last quarter for the Bulldogs. Sam Walsh has had a huge last quarter with nine disposals at 100 per cent kicking efficiency, along with four contested possessions and two score involvements.

Blues fume at pivotal call.
In the tense final quarter, the Blues were up by six points but the Dogs were surging. Running down the wing, Jordan Croft was caught in a tackle, but released the footy. Legally? Not according to Carlton fans. It ultimately resulted in a goal to Rhylee West to equal things up, but on replay, it looked like a certain throw, irritating the vocal Blues crowd.

Hayward's frequent flyer points
Will Hayward is known for his capacity to fly at the ball, and protect it on its way down, but there aren't too many Hayward highlights better than his fly over Ryley Sanders in the third quarter. One-out against the young Bulldog, Hayward leapt and kept climbing to take what very well could be Mark of the Year. Unfortunately for the Blue, he hurt his ankle on the landing, and while the adrenaline was high enough for him to kick truly for his third goal, he immediately came from the ground in lieu of celebrating and went straight to the rooms with the club doctor. He spent the better part of the second half trying to convince the medical staff he was able to play on, and after a brief return to the field, he was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Fire on the siren
On the cusp of the half-time siren, the Western Bulldogs were pressing forward for yet another inside 50 after a four-goal quarter. Arty Jones was there to swoop on the ground ball, and key back Harry Dean swung an arm in an attempt to tackle the Bulldog. Clumsily, he caught Jones in the face, with all in the stadium anticipating a high free kick to be paid, but the wrong-sided umpire called for play on, and Dean leapt to lock Jones down in a tackle, ultimately winning a holding the ball free kick. The siren went as the skirmish was wrapping up, and Dean had some words to Jones, triggering a melee between the sides before they split to head into their respective rooms. Amidst it all, Rory Lobb and Will Hayward shared some words loudly from afar, still throwing barbs as they moved to their separate races.

Best: P.Cripps, J. Smith, S. Walsh, H. McKay, M. Pittonet, N. Haynes.

"To qualify is huge": Patrick Cripps on a year Like No Other. Patrick Cripps speaks on the Blues qualifying for wildcard in the most extraordinary of circumstances. - By Cristian Filippo, Carlton Media

At the start of the 2026 season, Carlton said that the football club was "Like No Other". If ever there was a year that proved exactly that... On Sunday, a draw with the Western Bulldogs confirmed that Carlton had secured a wildcard berth, with the Blues realising in the final minutes that a tied result would suffice. For captain Patrick Cripps, who was there for the heartbreak of 2022 against Collingwood - and also 2024, where the Blues were ultimately saved by a later result - he admitted it was a weird feeling... but he didn't really care. "I was thinking about it, trying to actually save the game when it was a draw. After 2022, I don't really care how we get in - we've just got to get in," Cripps told Carlton Media post-match. "To be honest, to put ourselves in the position we are now from the position we were in at the start of the year, it's awesome. I'm really proud of the group and the Club in general. "I feel like the energy throughout the year has been pretty consistent... the whole job of the year is to qualify for finals, we're in there now and we want to make some noise." Cripps said the manner in which the Blues qualified, which also saw a strong Carlton crowd react in kind to the drawn result, summed up the "rollercoaster" that is being involved with the Carlton Football Club. "This year has summed up what the Club is. I feel like we've made some really big growth as a club. As much as it's been a rollercoaster in the last 10-12 weeks, I feel like there's some sustainability behind it. "It just sums up what the Club is about. We're passionate. We want to be in September and it doesn't matter how you get there, we found a way. Their passion is going to be huge."

The immediate reaction to the draw:
"That feels as good as a win. To be honest, I thought it was a great contest - the way the Bulldogs played really challenged us in a lot of ways. To qualify for finals is huge."

The final few minutes, realising a draw would be enough:
"I saw the sign, but one of the backs took an intercept mark and ‘Weiters’ was really loud with it. We practice that a lot at training, it was pretty good the way we did it in transition. It was a weird feeling, but we recognised that we only needed a draw to get in. I thought we executed the last few minutes well."

Grinding out a result after previous heartbreak:
"I was thinking about it, trying to actually save the game when it was a draw. After 2022, I don’t really care how we get in, we’ve just got to get in. To be honest, to put ourselves in the position we are now from the position we were in at the start of the year, it’s awesome. I’m really proud of the group and the Club in general. I feel like the energy throughout the year has been pretty consistent, but once we started ticking over the wins… the whole job of the year is to qualify for finals, we’re in there now and we want to make some noise."

The young players living it for the first time:
"Jagga is up and about, you can’t wipe the smile off his face. They’ve added a lot to our group and have really helped us get in there. That’s what you play footy for, they’re going to get that exposure early in their career. Those guys are built for that. "Harry Dean is made of the right stuff, Talor Byrne is the same, I love the way crack in. Billy Wilson too, the way he goes for his kicks. Those young guys, it’s great exposure for them, but they’re going to be a big say for us."

Playing his 200th game with Jacob Weitering:
"It’s awesome. He’s one of if not the best key back in the game, he’s huge for us. It was great to see him back out there. If we’re going to give this thing a shake, he’s going to have a big say in it. He’s played 215 games, and I’ve played 200 of those with him which is pretty cool. "It’s a nice reflection when you realise how long we’ve both been around for. When you’re leaders of the footy club, you spend a lot of time together and you try and problem solve and make the place as great as it can be. I’ve got a lot of respect for ‘Weiters’, I love the way he goes about it and he’s been so consistent for us for a long time. He leads really well."

The energy from the Carlton fans in the final minutes:
"It just sums up what the Club is about. We’re passionate. We want to be in September and it doesn’t matter how you get there. We found a way. Their passion is going to be huge. We’ve obviously got one more to go and then I’m not sure who we’ll end up playing, but whether it’s in Melbourne or somewhere else, I know they’ll travel and I know they’ll be loud. Let’s try give it a shake."

The Club being "Like No Other":
"Yes for sure. This year has summed up what the Club is. I feel like we’ve made some really big growth as a club. As much as it’s been a rollercoaster, the last 10-12 weeks, I feel like there’s some sustainability behind it. With this young core coming through, the older guys who’ve come in and the older guys who have been here, I feel like the foundation is really set to build on."

It's got to be Fraser, right?
It is one of the more remarkable stories in footy. A club down and out, going so poorly that its coach is sensationally sacked mid-year, and an assistant is handed the reins for the remainder of the year. But this time, Josh Fraser has all but led Carlton from a 16th-placed, 1-8 result line, to have one foot in the door of the wildcard round. And he has done so by bringing in the kids, and instilling a fun, attacking style of play. It hasn't been perfect, and there have been blips along the way, but the clear look to the future has the fans onside. As "we want Fraser" chants went up around Marvel Stadium on Sunday evening, it became obvious; Carlton's choice is clear. - Gemma Bastiani

In: Jacob Weitering
Out: Lewis Young (omitted)

Milestones

100 Games (Carlton): George Hewett
200 Games as Team-Mates: Patrick Cripps and Jacob Weitering.

Interesting Facts

1. With the drawn game yesterday between Hawthorn and Collingwood, this is the first time in 49 years that there have been two drawn games in the same round. (Round 7, 1977).
2. Blake Acres played his 76th game for Carlton, passing the 75 games he played for Fremantle.
3. This was the first time that Western Bulldogs Coach Luke Beveridge had been involved in a drawn match as a coach.

Free Kicks

Carlton 23
Western Bulldogs 15

Umpires

Daniel Johanson, Matt Stevic, Nathan Toner, Peter Bailes.

Reports

G. Hewett (CARL) careless contact with an umpire, fixed financial sanction of $1000 with an early plea.
T. Byrne (CARL) careless contact with an umpire, fixed financial sanction of $1000 with an early plea.
L. Bramble (WB) careless contact with an umpire, fixed financial sanction of $1000 with an early plea.
H. Dean (CARL) instigator of a melee/wrestle, fixed financial sanction - fined $1,000 with an early plea.
H. Dean (CARL) reported for tripping Arthur Jones (WB), it was rated as intentional contact, low impact, body contact - fined $2,000 with an early plea.

Front Runners

1. Cooper Lord 15.4km
2. Ryley Sanders (WB) 14.7km
3. Cooper Hynes (WB) 14.6km
4. Matt Cottrell 14.5km
4. Sam Davidson (WB) 14.5km

Disposal Efficiency

1. Oliver Florent 93%
1. Billy Wilson 93%
2. Matt Cottrell 88%
3. Marc Pittonet 87%

AFLCA Votes

10 - Ed Richards (WB)
5 - Tom Liberatore (WB)
5 - Patrick Cripps (CARL)
4 - Oliver Florent (CARL)
3 - James O'Donnell (WB)
3 - Blake Acres (CARL)

Brownlow Votes

2 Sam Walsh
1 Patrick Cripps

Best and Fairest Votes