CARLTON has broken its yellow-and-black drought with a famous 25-point win over Richmond.

Staring at a 20-point deficit in the final term, the Blues well and truly flicked the switch, kicking seven consecutive goals and producing a win that was nine years in the making.

Patrick Cripps willed his team over the line with a virtuoso performance, while Sam Docherty's showing - and second-quarter goal - was exactly what the Navy Blue faithful who turned up in their droves wanted to see.

Quarter one 

Carlton won the territory battle early, with a very early contender for Mark of the Year from Tom De Koning. However, a missed set shot from the ruckman and a running goal from Shai Bolton put Richmond on the board first. While the Blues moved the ball well, the Tigers’ forward 50 entries were quick and efficient. Matt Kennedy got the Blues' first with an impressive over-the-shoulder snap: however, the Tigers quickly responded with a goal of their own. It became a common trend of the opening term, with Richmond countering whatever Carlton could muster. The Blues' backline was busy early, with Mitch McGovern, Oscar McDonald and Sam Docherty all recording regular intercepts and while Richmond’s forward entries were clean, their inaccuracy in front of goal stopped the margin from being blown out. Adam Cerra was influential in creating scoring opportunities for the Blues while George Hewett and Kennedy produced a strong contest through the middle. 

Quarter two

It was Patrick Cripps who kicked off for the Blues in the opening minutes of the term after a strong contested grab from McGovern, with an eerily similar moment occurring just moments later when McGovern set up Cripps’ second goal. Corey Durdin was the beneficiary from a very clean kick from Hewett, putting Carlton ahead for the first time in the game with his first goal at the MCG. The Blues controlled the territory for the quarter, topped off by a rare goal from Sam Docherty, who didn’t leave a dry eye in the house as teammates swarmed him from all angles. The Tigers ramped up their physical pressure, but the Blues were able to stop them from penetrating their tight defence. 

Quarter three 

The Tigers started the second half quickly, kicking two goals in the first six minutes. Harry McKay was able to even up the contest with his first of the night, but a quick reply from Noah Balta gave Richmond the lead again. Docherty continued to play a very strong game across half back, intercepting and clearing the ball from dangerous territory. Richmond had the momentum towards the back-end of the term, kicking two goals in quick succession from the centre bounce. The Blues had issues locking the ball in their half, having it taken out as quickly as it came in.

Quarter four 

Bolton kicked the term off in the worst possible fashion for the Blues, who fell 20 points adrift when he snapped truly. However, what occurred from there was nothing short of a Navy Blue avalanche. Corey Durdin kicked the Blues into gear, and what ensued was a seven-goal burst which ripped the game away from the Tigers and handed all four points to the Blues. A long-range goal from Jack Martin gave the Blues the lead, and the home side never looked back from there. It was at the centre bounce where Carlton got the ascendancy, smashing its opposition with the first seven centre clearances of the term. It was party time at the home of football, with the distinctly Navy Blue crowd in full voice among over 72,000 people.

Three things from the game

1. The addition of Mitch McGovern and Oscar McDonald to the backline certainly bolstered the Blues defence. McGovern looked right at home in his defensive post, intercepting at will and generating plenty of offence as he showed consistently throughout pre-season. In a game of fluctuations, Oscar McDonald performed admirably in his first start for the Club, collecting 15 disposals.

2. Adam Cerra, George Hewett, Matthew Kennedy. Patrick Cripps was the clear standout on Thursday night, but it was his mates in the middle which allowed him to do what he does best. All hit the scoreboard - Kennedy in the first term, Cerra and Hewett in the last - and had 33, 30 and 28 disposals respectively. Carlton's on-ball dominance set the scene in the fourth term, and it was in no small part to the four players mentioned here.

3. All summer, Michael Voss has spoken of his desire for a collective effort and not just individuals stepping up. That well and truly occurred on Thursday night, particularly on the scoreboard. The Blues had no less than 11 individual goalkickers (half the team), with seven different players chiming in with final-quarter goals. In cracking the ton, it was the cherry on the cake for a Navy Blue crowd which sang well into the night.

Moment of the match

It had to be Sam Docherty. 

There wasn't a dry eye in the MCG when the defender slotted a set shot goal in his return to the highest level. 

CARLTON           1.3       5.9       7.12         14.17 (101)
RICHMOND        4.5       4.7       10.9         11.10 (76)

GOALS
Carlton: Cripps 3, Durdin 2, Cerra, Docherty, Fisher, Hewett, Kennedy, Martin, McKay, O'Brien, Silvagni

BESTS
Carlton: Cripps, Docherty, Kennedy, McGovern, Cerra, Saad, Hewett