THE CARLTON Reserves were left to rue a slow start in their season opener against Geelong, falling by 16 points at IKON Park on Friday night.
After conceding the opening five goals of the game, the Blues responded in kind, but Luke Power’s side were unable to bridge the gap, despite drawing within nine points in the final quarter.
Lachie Fogarty made a successful return from injury, collecting 17 disposals in limited game time, while Lachie Plowman (29 disposals) and Brodie Kemp (20 disposals) had strong moments down back in the Round 1 clash.
Quarter one
It was a rough start for the Carlton Reserves in the first half of the quarter. A few early attacking opportunities were missed, and Geelong made Carlton pay, kicking the first five goals to Carlton’s zero. Lachlan Fogarty had an impressive start to his return: he was busy in the midfield, creating attack opportunities for the Blues. Paddy Dow also started to get going, but the ball spent a considerable amount of time in the Cats’ forward half. Ben Ronke scored the Blues’ first goal late in the quarter and Fogarty was busy between the arcs, assisting Ned Cahill who ran into an open goal to finish off the first term.
Quarter two
Both teams were struggling to take the control of the contest, with the respective defences showing authority. Tyreece Leiu applied the pressure in defensive 50, stopping Geelong’s chances at goal with a few intercept marks and a strong tackle. Heath Ramshaw kicked the first goal of the quarter in the 18th minute to break the goalless drought: however, the Cats picked up the pace and quickly returned the favour. A beautiful transition down the field saw Plowman booting a long-range kick, falling in the hands of Ben Crocker right in front of goal. The captain kicked truly just before the siren, which saw the Blues trail by 22 points at half time.
Quarter three
Geelong’s defence was locked in: with multiple intercepts, they were able to stop promising attacks from the Blues early in the third. Cahill battled manfully all quarter, showcasing his defensive impact, making smothers and tackles inside 50. Geelong grabbed the first goal for the term after a few narrow Carlton misses, but Josh Honey had a few key defensive highlights with his forward pressure, and skipper Crocker bounced the ball in for his second goal. Lemmey opened his VFL account on debut with a beautiful long-range goal from the 50, and Honey hit the board soon after.
Quarter four
The Blues came in hot, with Zavier Maher getting a much-needed goal three minutes into the final quarter. Rookie Hudson O’Keeffe created valuable ruck depth for the Blues, also kicking his first goal wearing the Navy Blue after a forward-50 tackle. Domanic Akuei’s aerial ability was on display, battling for the contest and flying high for a remarkable intercept to keep the Cats away. A perfect transition down the field saw Ben Ronke convert his second goal, making it a nine-point game. The Blues were able to stop the momentum of Geelong most of the quarter, keeping them to just one goal. Carlton was on a steady comeback, but it was a case of too little too late in the game, producing a 16-point deficit to the Cats.
CARLTON RESERVES 2.2 4.4 7.8 10.9 (69)
GEELONG VFL 5.4 7.8 11.10 12.13 (85)
GOALS
Carlton: Crocker 2, Ronke 2, Cahill, Honey, Lemmey, Maher, O’Keeffe, Ramshaw
BESTS
Carlton: Dow, Plowman, Kemp, Stevens, Carroll, Cahill
Samantha Smith is a student at La Trobe University, undergoing her Bachelor of Media and Communications (Sports Journalism). She is currently undertaking an internship at the Carlton Football Club as part of its partnership with La Trobe University.