After a goalless first quarter, and with stars missing from the team, you could be forgiven for thinking that this was going to be a long night for the Dogs.
The Blues managed to make the most of their own forward forays, slotting the first four goals of the game and holding their opponents goalless. However, you just had the feeling that the Dogs were not out of this by a long shot. They had opportunities, and dominated territory for long periods – they just failed at the final hurdle.
That was never going to remain the case, and as soon as they started to hit the scoreboard, there was a sense of panic about the Blues that screamed ‘vulnerability’.
In the preceding weeks, Carlton have faded badly, and it was as though that fact buoyed the Dogs, driving them to push harder, and make the Blues either come with them, or fall by the wayside. Their pressure through the third and final quarters brought Carlton undone, and when Aaron Naughton kicked the go-ahead goal, and James O’Donnell followed up with one of his own several minutes later, the Dogs had more than a sniff – they had two full nostrils full of the sweet scent of victory.
The Blues had winners. Make no mistake, their players were “on” in several roles, but as a collective, for the third week on the trot, they just could not get it done in the second half. The Dogs kicked eight goals to four after the main break to storm back into the contest and roll over the top of Carlton to move to 2-1.
This was not just a win. It was not just four points. This was the type of victory that instils belief in the young players charged with covering some significant losses, and it is a launching pad for the remainder of the 2025 season.
As for the Blues, teams have bounced back from 0-3 before, but the more I watch this team, the more I see a team of individuals playing footy. And in this one, they were beaten by a better team.
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