CARLTON were outmatched by a very strong Essendon team but had plenty of positive moments in their match at The Hangar.
The Blues were undermanned going into the match, only to lose gun midfielder Ashlee Thorneycroft early in the second quarter.
Quarter one
Essendon began the match by dominating possession but were unable to capitalise until they finally broke through halfway through the term. Carlton’s defence was under the pump from the outset, but thanks to some valiant defending from the likes of Nadia Moore, they were able to hold out the Bombers for the majority of the quarter. Essendon’s Georgia Nanscawen was the driving force for the home side, accumulating a monster 11 disposals by the first break.
Quarter two
Essendon started the second quarter in a similar fashion to the first, with the side wasting a multitude of opportunities as they struggled with accuracy in the windy conditions. The match became largely a kick-to-kick affair, with the ball moving between the 50s for most of the term. While the Blues certainly played better going forwards, the match could have been blown out if not for the Bombers’ missed chances, with the home side managing seven behinds without scoring a major.
Quarter three
Essendon were finally able to break the goal drought in the match eight minutes in, after Carlton were able to repel yet more inside 50s from the home side. The Blues almost kicked one of their own in a rare foray forward when Mia Cowan hit the woodwork with her kick around the body, before the Bombers quickly moved the ball the other way to score their fourth of the afternoon. The Blues definitely wrestled some momentum that quarter, but the midfield continued to struggle to handle Nanscawen who had 24 by the final change.
Quarter four
The last term started on a positive for Carlton, with Teagan Brett scoring her first goal for the club and the team’s first for the game. However, the Bombers quickly responded with two of their own, with the scoreboard beginning to represent the dominance that they had over the Blues. Carlton refused to lie down though, with the side creating plenty of late chances, resulting in a contested mark and goal for Cowan just as the final siren went.
Match Summary:
Carlton: 0.1.1 0.1.1 0.2.2 2.3.15
Essendon: 2.3.15 2.10.22 4.14.38 7.19.61
Goals: Brett, Cowan.
Best: Klingbeil, Gurr, Jarvis, Borg, Moore.
Stafford says:
“I thought the girls endeavour today was fantastic, they stuck it out for four quarters against a really good opposition. We’re obviously focused on our continued growth and really looking forward to the second half of the season.”
