CARLTON has held on to record a five-point win over Melbourne in its final practice match before the 2022 home-and-away season.

Leading all night, the Blues burst out of the blocks with an impressive first half, jumping out to a seven-goal lead on the back of some midfield dominance led by Matthew Kennedy (37 disposals, two goals) and captain Patrick Cripps (31 disposals, four goals).

There were some nervy moments among Bluebaggers who returned to Marvel Stadium, when the reigning premiers drew within a kick with minutes to go. However, the Blues were able to hold on for a second close victory in their pre-season schedule.

Quarter one

It was a good first quarter for the Blues, kicking five goals in the opening term. Carlton’s movement in offence was efficient, but their forward 50 entries saw them miss a few early opportunities while Melbourne kicked two early goals. It was the Blues’ quarter after that, as Patrick Cripps and George Hewett (12 disposals) got on top of the Dees midfield, with the duo topping the clearances for the quarter. Adam Saad showcased his flair across half back while Corey Durdin was busy buzzing at ground level in front of goal, kicking two in the quarter. Oscar McDonald and Nic Newman held their own down back while Matt Kennedy did well to get involved in the ball movement from end to end, slotting his own goal in the process. 

Quarter two 

The quarter started similarly to how the previous ended, with Carlton firing into its forward line. Cripps kicked the first of the quarter, followed by Harry McKay from a 50-metre penalty. The Blues did well to lock the ball in their forward half, with the Dees struggling to get the ball past the centre square with the Blues taking the ascendancy in the middle. Mitch McGovern and Newman led the intercept game, while Matt Owies used his class to slot the Blues’ third for the quarter. Melbourne found some scoreboard pressure through Bayley Fritsch, but an over-the-head snap from Cripps proved an impressive response. Ed Curnow kicked a handy goal after classy ground-ball teamwork from the smalls in Owies and Durdin. The game to half time was determined by the clearances, with the Blues almost doubling the clearances of the Dees and well ahead in uncontested possessions: a credit to their ability to maintain possession of the football.

Quarter three

Fritsch opened the quarter with his third for the game, but Cripps responded with a third goal of his own.  The duo of Cripps and Hewett were firing out of the centre, accompanied by Kennedy as a formidable centre-square unit. Luke Parks was subbed in after half time and immediately made an impact, kicking a goal from outside 50 in a makeshift forward role. He was one of four changes for the Blues at the main break, joining Matthew Cottrell, Lachie Plowman and Tom Williamson for Ed Curnow, Corey Durdin, Harry McKay and Jack Silvagni. McGovern continued his impressive intercept game, consistently taking strong grabs in his new defensive role. Max Gawn started to make his presence known across the ground as Melbourne continued to ramp up its pressure. Kicking four consecutive goals gave the reigning premiers some confidence, but a fourth goal from Cripps after the siren widened the margin at the perfect time from a Navy Blue point of view.

Quarter four

Fritsch kicking two goals wasn’t the way Carlton wanted to start the final term, putting Melbourne within reach of a winning result. The Dees were able to keep the territory, but a quick passage from the Blues led to Zac Fisher running into an open goal. Melbourne controlled the ball, but Carlton’s backline did well to minimise the damage on the scoreboard. Tom De Koning showcased his aerial ability and his run, matching a third-quarter hanger with a fourth-quarter chasedown which the coaching staff would've loved. There was a lot of play taking place in Melbourne’s forward line late in the quarter, making the most of their opportunities in front of goal, but the Blues managed to hang on and take home a five-point victory with some key players out of the game in the final term.

Three things from the game 

1. Nic Newman did well to lead the backline in the absence of Jacob Weitering. Totalling 27 disposals and 12 intercepts, Newman was able to clear the ball quickly and set up his teammates effectively. He was ably supported by Mitch McGovern and Oscar McDonald, who completed their impressive pre-season campaigns with strong defensive showings in the air.
2. Cripps, Hewett, Kennedy and Cerra: Carlton’s midfield had plenty of grunt despite the absence of Sam Walsh. Combining for 130 disposals and 30 clearances, a highlight of the Blues’ game on Thursday night was the work of the midfield bulls on the inside of the contest. Led by the captain's four goals, they were ball magnets when it came to the contested ball. 
3. There were no shortage of goalkickers tonight for Carlton, and they weren’t all from likely sources. Harry McKay kicked one goal in his half of game time, with Cripps, Durdin, Fisher and Kennedy all managing multiples of their own. The most surprising of all was Luke Parks, who kicked his first unofficial goal in the Navy Blue as a makeshift forward after being subbed on: he was one of nine individual goalkickers come the end of the night. 

CARLTON                 5.1     10.3     14.3       15.8 (98) 
MELBOURNE           2.3     4.6       9.7         14.9 (93)

GOALS
Carlton: Cripps 4, Durdin 2, Fisher 2, Kennedy 2, Curnow, McKay, O'Brien, Owies, Parks

BESTS
Carlton: Kennedy, Cripps, Hewett, McGovern, Newman, Fisher, Cerra