IT WAS a monumental win for the Blues in the west, as they downed the Eagles by 63 points. 

Keeping West Coast to two scoreless quarters, Carlton delivered its highest ever score against the Eagles in Western Australia, helped by the performance of Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay in a combined 10-goal performance.

Sam Docherty and Adam Cerra both gathered 28 disposals, while Nic Newman contributed seven intercepts in a strong win for the Blues. 

Having not beaten the Eagles in eight years (and not in Perth since 2010), the flight home to Melbourne will be an enjoyable one for the Blues, who gave themselves a tidy percentage boost heading into the final rounds of the season. 

Quarter one 

It was a dominant first term for the Blues, who managed to keep the Eagles completely scoreless. The game was competitive from the first bounce, being played quickly and physically, with smothers and tackles aplenty. Zac Fisher got the first goal on the board, while Harry McKay produced a great chase-down tackle that resulted in Charlie Curnow’s first goal. Carlton’s forward pressure was immense, with West Coast not managing an inside 50 until the 17-minute mark of the quarter and Carlton leading 15-0 in forward-half intercepts – ending up being the main source of their goals. The Blues had the better of the clearances early, giving them ownership on the field position. Curnow delivered three contested marks as well as two goals, while Corey Durdin and McKay also contributed goals to Carlton’s 34-point lead. 

Quarter two 

West Coast definitely responded in the second quarter, kicking seven goals to Carlton’s three. Tom De Koning fared well in the ruck against Nic Naitanui and Bailey Williams, but the Eagles managed to get things going for them through the middle, resulting in more forward half time for the home team. Goals from McKay, Curnow and Durdin kept the Blues in the game, but apart from that, it was all on the Eagles' terms. The Blues' pressure was down while the Eagles ramped theirs up, getting the better of the contested possessions (42-31). Josh Kennedy became a handful for Carlton in the defensive arc, while Lewis Young and Nic Newman battled manfully. Matt Kennedy was getting the brunt of the clearances for the Carlton midfield (six to half time), using his physicality alongside Patrick Cripps to get the ball moving. Sam Docherty finished the half with five inside 50s, gaining the most metres for the Blues, but after all its hard work in the first term, Carlton entered the main break only 10 points ahead. 

Quarter three

It was a relatively even but messy quarter, with neither side being able to break the game open. The Blues couldn’t get the start they were hoping for, missing some key opportunities in front of goal. Curnow was a bright spark for Carlton, slotting two goals in the term to take his tally to five for the game: his contested marking was crucial as an outlet for the Blues. Carlton wasn’t able to mount the same pressure in their forward line as it did in the first term, recording a forward-half kicking efficiency of only 23 per cent for the term. Young continued to provide a strong intercept game and Adam Cerra battled away in the contest (seven contested possessions). Carlton had a purple patch in the last five minutes of the term where it was able to hold the ball in their forward half, keeping a 17-point lead heading into the final change. 

Quarter four 

Carlton came out of the gates strong, as McKay slotted two back-to-back goals to push the margin to 29 points. From there, it was all the Blues, as Matt Cottrell and Patrick Cripps also contributed a goal each to the delight of a vocal Navy Blue contingent in the stands. Even though the rain started to get heavier, Carlton was playing cleaner footy than it had in the previous two terms. Cottrell provided some clever play down the wing and the Blues consistently won the ball out of the middle, surging the ball forward at will after the stilted slog that preceded it. Sam Walsh was on another level, gathering 12 disposals in the final quarter that includes four score involvements and a goal. Carlton didn’t give up after gaining a comfortable lead, piling on the scoreboard pressure with seven goals and again keeping West Coast scoreless. 

Three things from the game 

1. Matt Kennedy played a strong role for the Blues throughout the entire game, battling it out in the middle when Carlton were under the pump. Kennedy’s clearances and contested possessions were the hallmark of his game, while Adam Cerra also produced a polished midfield performance in familiar territory at Optus Stadium.

2. It isn’t easy to sustain a dominant game throughout four quarters, but Carlton showed maturity by continuing to battle it out even when things wasn’t going its way. Facing a danger point in the second term, the Blues were able to even things up in the third quarter and finally broke away in the final term, doing exactly what they needed to in their biggest win of the season and their first over the opposition since 2014. It was an indication of how much the side has grown in 2022.

3. Not for the first time in recent weeks, Tom De Koning came up against a highly fancied opposition ruckman and certainly held his own. Against Nic Naitanui, De Koning finished with 17 hitouts, but it was his work around the ground - registering 16 disposals and a career-high six clearances - which saw him able to provide his midfielders with clear access to the ball. It’s safe to say the emerging tall has found his feet against some of the best rucks in the competition.

WEST COAST      0.0     7.3      8.5          8.5
CARLTON            5.4     8.7     10.10       17.14

GOALS
Carlton: Curnow 5, McKay 5, Durdin 2, Fisher 2, Cottrell, Cripps, Walsh

BESTS
Carlton: Curnow, De Koning, Kennedy, Cerra, McKay, Docherty, Walsh