CARLTON has produced a barely believable backs-to-the-wall win, ending a 10-year Adelaide Oval drought in the process.

The Blues struggled to get the game on their terms against a dogged Dockers outfit, but a stunning final four minutes saw a nine-point deficit turning into a 10-point win in an instant.

Matthew Cottrell kicked the go-ahead goal in the 10.13 (73) to 9.9 (63) victory, with birthday boy Matthew Kennedy wrapping things up with his second last-quarter goal.

Jacob Weitering was excellent on the last line in his second game for the season, while Adam Saad and Adam Cerra were prolific in Carlton’s fourth consecutive win.

Quarter one

The game was always going to be dictated in the early going by who was on top in the midfield battle, and it was Fremantle who dictated that early contest. The Dockers generated numerous forward opportunities in the opening minutes of the game, but it was a former Fremantle player in Adam Cerra who kicked off proceedings on the scoreboard with an opportunistic snap. The Blues struggled to get the game on their terms from there, with Fremantle getting the chance to dominate possession on the back of clearance dominance (10-1). Fremantle had over 30 more disposals than Carlton in the first term with six of the top seven ball winners on the ground, as co-vice captain Jacob Weitering (nine disposals, five marks) worked overtime on the last line. After the Dockers kicked two consecutive goals to open up a lead, it was Patrick Cripps - on the back of an Orazio Fantasia assist - who answered the Blues’ call for a response, nailing his set shot and dedicating the celebration to baby Koda as he brought the Blues back within a point at the first change.

Quarter two

After the Blues rallied in the final stages of the opening term, it was the Dockers who once again managed to wrestle momentum back as the players returned for the second quarter. As they have for 2024 so far, Fremantle managed to dominate hold of the Sherrin, ending the first half with the top seven disposal getters on the ground. After their opponents kicked the first two goals of the quarter, opening up an 11-point lead in the process, the Blues were in need of a spark. That came from Matthew Cottrell, with the recently re-signed Blue winning some crucial one-on-one contests to generate some spark. It was Cottrell who kicked Carlton’s singular goal of the second term, bringing the Blues within a kick in what was a low-scoring half at Adelaide Oval. The goal seemed to give the Blues a second wind, starting to gain more territory and generate forward-half intercepts in the final five minutes. Jordan Boyd was aggressive with his ball movement, while De Koning started to have more of an impact with six second-quarter disposals. Nearly 70 per cent of play was in the Blues’ forward half in the last 10 minutes of term two, but the Blues could only register two behinds from their six forward-half intercepts of the quarter, going into the half-time break three points in arrears.

Quarter three

It was clear that Carlton came out with extra vigour in the third term, peppering Fremantle’s backline for a sustained period upon the resumption of play. After being well held in the first half, Charlie Curnow came to life — as he so often does when the Blues need a spark. The key forward kicked two straight goals as the two sides went toe to toe, with Fremantle responding in kind. Adam Saad stepped up to the plate, looking to rebound at every opportunity through a restrictive Fremantle press. As the Blues looked to get the game on their terms for the first time in the contest, the next goal was always going to be crucial. Unfortunately for the Blues, it went to the team in purple, who continued to have prominent ball winners in all areas of the ground. After inaccuracy plagued the Blues in the early going, some late chances went begging for the Dockers, who took a nine-point lead into the final change.

Quarter four

After being subbed into the game in the third quarter for Elijah Hollands (hip/adductor injury), Matt Owies was the one to bring some life to the Blues. Kicking the opening goal of the term to bring the Blues back within a kick, it wasn’t long before Carlton was in the lead on the back of a goal to birthday boy Matthew Kennedy. The Blues couldn’t hold on, as Fremantle rattled off consecutive goals to open up what looked to be an insurmountable lead in as tight a contest as you could imagine. But then, out of nowhere, Carlton sprung to life. Jordan Boyd produced some key defensive moments, a one-handed mark from Curnow ended in his third, and minutes later the excellent Cottrell marked and converted to give Carlton an incredulous lead with less than a minute remaining. For good measure, Kennedy kicked his second of the term, giving the Blues a game-high 10-point lead seconds before the final siren, ending Carlton’s decade-long Adelaide Oval hoodoo in unbelievable fashion.

Match summary

FREMANTLE       2.2    4.2     7.7           9.9 (63)
CARLTON            2.1     3.5     5.10        10.13 (73)

GOALS
Carlton: Curnow 3, Cottrell 2, Kennedy 2, Cerra, Cripps, Owies

BESTS
Carlton: Weitering, Cottrell, Saad, Cerra, Kemp, Cripps