THE CARLTON Reserves have enjoyed a dominant win over Richmond VFL in their final practice match of the pre-season. 

In what could only be described as a 'day out' for kicking goals, the Blues recorded 11 individual goalkickers, including three-goal performances from Matthew Cottrell, Jesse Motlop and Sam Philp. 

It was an impressive display around the field, with several of Carlton's AFL-listed players catching the coaches' eyes throughout the day. 

There was also plenty to love about the team's emerging VFL talent, with Joel Trudgeon, Xavier Maher and Stefan Radovanovic all standouts on a brilliant day for the Blues. 

The breakdown:

Quarter one:

It was a blistering first term from the Blues, in every sense. Coming about from their source pressure and attack on the contest, the Carlton Reserves piled on nine unanswered goals at Punt Road. Sam Philp was the individual who did the most damage from a scoreboard point of view, contributing three goals, while fellow youngster Jack Carroll put together a strong first term in terms of disposal numbers and efficiency. On the rare examples of Richmond forward forays, Lachie Plowman held up brilliantly, intercepting the high ball or pressuring the opposition into mistakes. The highlight of the first quarter came from Brodie Kemp, who - stationed in attacked - nailed a blind turn and right-footed snap from the pocket which summed up Carlton’s first half hour.

Quarter two:

It was a much more evenly contested second term compared to the first, with Richmond answering Lachie Fogarty’s opener which made it 10 straight goals to the Blues. Maurice Rioli made it two in the row for the Tigers, but as they looked to gain a foothold on the contest, Jesse Motlop provided a moment of individual brilliance. Smothering the ball on centre wing, Motlop won the ball for his side, got it back, took two bounces and kicked truly from 30. It was another instalment of Carlton goals of great quality, with Jordan Boyd (two first-half goals) and Jack Newnes getting in on the act. With more action than in the first half, Lewis Young and Luke Parks were typically strong in the air.

Quarter three: 

The Blues continued their relentless attack on the Tigers as soon as the siren sounded to begin the third quarter. Ruckman Alex Mirkov showed off his clean touch work, giving Paddy Dow ample opportunities to generate centre clearances. The run of Boyd and Trudgeon off the half-back line was also noticeable as the Blues surged forward with great reward. It was Matthew Cottrell who would find space in the forward line in the third quarter, breaking away from his opponent to provide another leading target for his midfielders: he would finish the quarter with three goals. Aside from his midfield work, Dow would also have an impact on the scoreboard, kicking two goals, while Jack Carroll added another goal to his tally. Across the backline, the combination of Parks, Plowman and Stefan Radovanovic was almost impenetrable. The trio read the space well, engaging their direct opponent while also breaking away to force a two-on-one contest. The Blues broke the 100-point barrier to lead by 103 points at the final change.

Quarter four: 

Heading into the final term with an unassailable lead, the Blues were able to rotate players through different positions as the coaches finalised their preparations for Round 1. After spending most of the day in the forward line, Brodie Kemp spent some time in the midfield where he was joined by Will Hayes with both able to win clearances and send the Blues into offence. Xavier Maher continued his hard attack on the ball, while Jack Newnes was important throughout the day playing a number of roles: in particular, his defensive running and work up-and-down the wing was noticeable in the fourth quarter. However, it was a term largely dominated by the Tigers who outscored the Blues five goals to one to cut the final margin to 77 points. 

Three things from the game: 

1. The performance of the AFL-listed players shows the depth that Carlton's senior side will have to play with during the season. The performances from the likes of Dow, Carroll, Fogarty and Boyd would be hard to ignore if they consistently back up week by week. 
2. Joel Trudgeon and Stefan Radovanovic provided great run-and-carry off the half-back line as the Blues transitioned from defence to attack. Their ability to provide run through the centre following a stoppage was also notable and will be a key strength for the team heading into the beginning of the season. 
3. Brodie Kemp’s versatility was on show against the Tigers. Having played last year in the backline, Kemp started the game up forward, where his speed and read of the play saw him earn plenty of opportunities and kick a goal. The young Blue also spent time in the midfield, where his bigger frame worked to his advantage. 

Summary: 

RICHMOND        0.3      2.4        4.5           9.8 (62)
CARLTON           9.2      15.2      21.6          22.7 (139)

GOALS
Carlton: Motlop 3, Philp 3, Cottrell 3, Dow 2, Boyd 2, Cripps 2, Carroll 2, Crocker 2, Fogarty, Kemp, Newnes

BESTS
Carlton: Dow, Carroll, Fogarty, Motlop, Boyd, Newnes