THE Carlton Reserves overcame a slow start to claim a 19-point win over Footscray in Round 13 of the VFL.
Despite conceding the opening three goals of the game, the Blues managed to turn the tide of the match and record a hard-fought victory.
Lachie Fogarty was prolific in midfield, amassing 32 disposals and nine clearances, while Josh Honey was a livewire up forward slotting four goals.
The Blues also recording the victory a player short on the bench after Dom Akuei was ruled out in the opening term due to concussion.
Quarter one
The Bulldogs made all the early running, recording eight of the opening nine inside 50s of the game for a return of three goals to nil. Ben Crocker opened the Blues’ account for the second week running with a set shot from directly in front. It was the fire-starter the Carlton Reserves needed as they surged in front with four consecutive goals: Honey got the Blues’ second set up by a huge Josh Cripps’ contested mark on the wing, then a Glass-McCasker snap followed by Crocker’s second was enough to give the Blues the lead. Footscray edged back in front after the siren of what was an entertaining opening stanza. Will Setterfield made a fast start under the IKON Park lights, collecting eight disposals and laying three tackles.
Quarter two
The Blues took control of the game in the second term, although they would’ve liked some more reward on the scoreboard. Glass-McCasker put the Blues in front with his second goal in the opening stages, before the Bulldogs hit back and took the lead nearing the major break. A swift counterattack allowed Josh Honey to get over the back and he made sure Carlton would go into half time with the lead. After losing the inside 50 and clearance count by eight in the first term, the Blues found themselves with one more inside 50 than the Bulldogs at half time and just one behind in the clearance count. That was largely thanks to Lachie Fogarty, who amassed six clearances and 14 disposals in the second quarter alone.
Quarter three
Honey picked up where he left off in the first half: his third goal from a set shot straight in front gave the Blues a handy 14-point lead. The game then hung in the balance for majority of the quarter, before a hugely significant one-on-one win from Brodie Kemp against Footscray’s Josh Bruce repelled a Bulldogs attack and led to a Setterfield goal in time on. Crocker then notched his third of the night to make it a three-goal-to-zero term for the Carlton Reserves. Alex Cincotta was impressive off half back in the third quarter, picking up 10 disposals and taking three marks.
Quarter four
The Blues did the damage early in this quarter to put the result beyond doubt. Honey bobbed up again to dribble home his fourth goal of the evening from a forward-50 stoppage in the pocket. Against a familiar opposition, Will Hayes gave the Carlton Reserves a game-high 37-point lead and the Blues couldn’t be headed. A few late goals to the Dogs ended what was a productive night’s work for the Blues.
Three things we learned:
1. Josh Honey was the protagonist of the evening, kicking four goals and taking six marks for the game. He kicked a goal in each of the four quarters, proving to be a consistent contributor across the night in his best performance since his return from injury.
2. Will Setterfield stuffed the stats sheet: he gathered 34 disposals, laid eight tackles, amassed eight inside 50s and took seven marks. You can add a goal to those numbers as well, making it two strong VFL performances in a row for the No.43.
3. The Blues brought the heat in this one. Despite having 38 more disposals than the Bulldogs, the Blues also laid 17 more tackles: Joel Trudgeon led the way with 10 of the Carlton’s 66 tackles on the night.
CARLTON RESERVES 4.1 6.5 9.8 11.9 (75)
FOOTSCRAY BULLDOGS 4.4 5.7 7.10 8.8 (56)
GOALS
Carlton Reserves: Honey 4, Crocker 3, Glass-McCasker 2, Hayes, Setterfield
BEST
Carlton Reserves: Setterfield, Fogarty, Crocker, Hayes, Honey, Dow
Tarquin Oakley is a student at La Trobe University, undergoing his Bachelor of Media and Communications (Sports Journalism). He is currently undertaking an internship at the Carlton Football Club as part of its partnership with La Trobe University.
