CARLTON’S AFL-listed quartet emerged unscathed in a narrow VFL practice match loss to Port Melbourne.
In a side featuring some AFL talent, new VFL recruits on managed minutes and a number of developing players on the Carlton Reserves, the Blues narrowly fell with the last kick of the game against the Borough.
Josh Honey kicked two goals while Jack Martin’s application and physicality was on display for four quarters. Marc Pittonet gave a typically solid presence in the ruck, while Mitch McGovern was composed behind the ball for three quarters.
Quarter one
Jack Martin joined Marc Pittonet at the opening centre bounce, throwing his body around from the outset. Another AFL-listed Blue got involved early, with Josh Honey kicking the opening goal of the game from long range. The passage of play was launched from an impressive intercept mark from Liam McMahon, with the VFL recruit enjoying a bright start in defence in his first hitout for his new side. It was an end-to-end term with meaningful chances hard to come by, but young key forward Jed Brereton benefited from some good work from Logan Prout to give the Blues the lead at the first change.
Quarter two
It was a wasteful quarter for both sides at IKON Park, with the first and only goal scored - via Port Melbourne - in the 23rd minute. In his first game of 2023, Tyreece Leiu picked up where he left off at the end of last year, attacking the ball at speed and rebounding at will. He was well supported by Mitch McGovern, who took a number of intercept marks. Martin’s strength at the contest was again on show in the front half, although a chance went begging late in the quarter: it was indicative of the Blues’ quarter, managing five behinds for the term to head into the main break four points in arrears.
Quarter three
Kicking things off the same way he did in the first, Honey converted from a set shot just inside the arc in the opening minute to give the Blues the best possible start. Similar to the pattern which unfolded over the first two quarters, the defences of both teams were on top while the two sides failed to convert going forward. McGovern and Pittonet both had strong defensive moments to stop promising Port Melbourne attacks, while Hayden Gill kicked truly immediately after Port Melbourne hit the lead to give Carlton a slight lead at the final change.
Quarter four
Martin was the hot hand in the opening stages of the final term. Inside three minutes, Martin had taken a strong contested mark, won possession for his team in their own half and pushed forward to kick a goal, giving his team a nine-point lead. Pittonet rose in some big moments late in the final term, with some good work overhead and a crunching tackle in a matter of minutes. However, Port Melbourne kicked the next two goals of a truncated 20-minute final quarter, with the last major coming seconds before the siren to end the game in a five-point defeat for the Blues.
CARLTON RESERVES 2.1 2.6 4.7 5.8 (38)
PORT MELBOURNE 1.4 2.10 3.11 5.13 (43)
GOALS
Carlton: Honey 2, Brereton, Gill, Martin
