As half the country watched another code, Carlton got the jump on the Dees with a dominant first quarter.
Dominant everywhere except where it mattered most.
Had the Blues dropped this game… had the goal umpire ruled that Caleb Marchbank did not touch the long Christian Petracca bomb in the last minute of the game, you could trace back to where Carlton lost it – back to that first quarter. With a 24-3 inside 50 advantage, Carlton entered the quarter time break with a lead of just three points.
It felt wrong. They were the better team, by quite a stretch at that, but they just failed to do what they needed to. They left the door open for the Demons, and Melbourne almost walked through it.
Had the 2022 version of the Carlton Football Club played this game, I reckon they would have dropped it, but 12 months down the track, with the pain of losing those close games down the stretch… there was no way the Blues, their captain, their young ruckman, and their desperate, manic defence was going to allow it to happen again. This is a side not just hoping to make finals. This side believes in themselves.
The final siren saw waves of relief and ecstasy wash over the Carlton fans. Last year they were close. So close it hurt. This season…
… this season they might not just make finals. With the footy they’re playing right now, they might give things a real September shake.
Let’s jump into The Mongrel’s Quarter-By-Quarter Review.
Oh, what the hell? A Mongrel paywall? Yep, I believe my work is worth twenty cents per day. If you don’t, that’s fine. Want to join us and access the members’ game reviews, as well as columns like the Wingman of the Year, Recruit of the Year, and other nonsensical stuff HB comes up with each week?
