THE Carlton Reserves will head to Brisbane next week after eliminating Collingwood in an elimination final at Victoria Park.

A hot start saw the Blues kick five unanswered goals to begin proceedings and lead by 32 points, and that was the final margin at the end of the match.

Ben Crocker slotted three majors, four other Blues kicked multiple and Will Setterfield put in a best-on-ground performance, collecting 38 disposals and kicking two goals.

Quarter one 

It all went to plan for the Blues in the opening 25 minutes of the game. They were getting first use out of the middle and taking the available territory, leading the Pies 16-8 in both clearances and inside 50s at quarter time. Crocker got the party started, strolling into an open goal after being set up by a Brodie Kemp handball. Quickfire goals to Ned Cahill from a forward-50 stoppage and Zavier Maher with a snap soon followed, before David Handley had a hot few minutes and he added two more to the Blues’ tally. All of a sudden, the lead was 32 points before the hosts had even registered a score. Collingwood did find the last major of the quarter, but the Carlton Reserves were more than pleased with their opening term. Dow and Setterfield both dominated proceedings in the opening term, collecting 11 disposals each and combining brilliantly at stoppages.

Quarter two 

Cahill started the second term where the Blues left off in the first, slotting goal number two with a delightful set shot that went straight over the goal umpire’s hat. This quarter wasn’t as easy for Carlton, with Collingwood stepping it up a notch to find the next two majors. However, the Blues kept finding ways to halt the Pies’ momentum: Crocker kicked his second after Kemp found him again inside 50, with the combination working magnificently up forward. Another couple of Collingwood majors were then countered by a clutch Jesse Motlop set shot on the half-time siren: the kick never looked like missing and the Blues went into the major break 22 points up.

Quarter three 

An early Collingwood major was swiftly answered by a pair of Carlton set shots from Setterfield and Crocker. The game was delicately poised for majority of the term, with Collingwood attempting to wrestle momentum from Carlton who were holding firm, with Liam Stocker bringing plenty of physicality behind the ball. The Pies managed to scrag one back as the quarter ticked into time on, but the Blues found Brodie Kemp in space out the back and he made sure that his side would go into the last change with a handy lead of 28 points. Zavier Maher came from the ground in this quarter with a shoulder injury, leaving the Blues with four on the bench for the rest of the game.

Quarter four 

With a 28-point lead at the last change, an early goal in the last quarter would be huge for the Blues to snuff out any kind of fightback the Magpies had planned. That was exactly what eventuated, with Tom North launching a 50-metre bomb to extend the margin beyond five goals. That was enough to keep the Pies at bay, with there being a few goals to each side to finish the game - including a stunning banana from Mitch Moschetti - and the Blues were victorious by 32 points.  Unfortunately for Handley, he came from the field in the dying stages with a hamstring injury.

Three things we learned:

1. The Blues are through to week two of the VFL finals series. Details for the Carlton Reserves clash with the Brisbane Lions will be released soon, with the winner of that match to play Casey in a preliminary final.

2. The 32-point win today meant the VFL Blues recorded consecutive victories over the Magpies within seven days. Last Sunday the Carlton Reserves won by 10 points on the MCG, this time around the margin was a little bit more comfortable for the team in Navy Blue.

3. Will Setterfield and Paddy Dow were prolific for the Blues, especially at stoppages: they combined for 71 disposals, 16 clearances and two goals. They were ably supported by a number of other Blues, with Carlton arguably producing their most complete performance of the season at a time where it mattered most.

COLLINGWOOD VFL        1.0     5.2     7.4    10.8 (68)
CARLTON RESERVES      5.4     8.6     11.8     15.10 (100)

GOALS
Carlton Reserves: Crocker 3, Cahill 2, Handley 2, Kemp 2, Setterfield 2, Maher, Moschetti, Motlop, North

BEST
Carlton Reserves: Setterfield, Stocker, Dow, Cahill, Kemp, Crocker, Hayes, North

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.