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CARLTON has come out on top in an epic encounter with traditional rivals Collingwood to claim a place in the top eight with a 17.17 (119) to 12.17 (89) win in front of 80,310 fans at the MCG on Sunday.
The Blues trailed by 23 points midway through the third quarter and looked in trouble, but mounted a stirring comeback to claim the 30-point victory.
Scores were level at three-quarter time, and the lead changed hands five times in a see-sawing final term before Carlton launched a stunning burst to finish right over the top of the tiring Magpies.
Brendan Fevola, who booted four goals in the last quarter, battled with both Nathan Brown and Harry O’Brien at various stages of the day, but took the honours with his eight-goal bag – including the final score of the game after the siren – the decisive factor in the win.
Marc Murphy (31 possessions), Chris Judd (25), Heath Scotland (22) and Kade Simpson (20) were vital to Carlton’s running game with Andrew Carrazzo, Setanta O’hAilpin and Jarrad Waite important down back.
Dane Swan was outstanding for the Pies with two goals and 27 possessions while Paul Medhurst was their most potent forward with four goals.
It was a feisty opening as you’d expect when the two old rivals meet, and it was Carlton that got off to the better start.
Murphy and Nick Stevens were winning the ball around the stoppages and going inside 50 where Fevola lurked with intent.
The big spearhead gloved everything that came his way, but didn’t reward his or his teammates’ good work with as many goals as it deserved. He kicked his side’s only two goals of the term, but also registered four behinds and one that didn’t make the distance.
Bryce Gibbs was matched up on Heath Shaw and he largely negated the half-back general’s influence keeping him to just one possession in the first half.
Collingwood skipper Scott Burns let fly from inside the centre square with the kick shepherded through for the Pies’ only goal for the quarter, with the Blues leading by nine points at the first break.
Invariably if you let the opposition off the hook they’ll make you pay, and that’s exactly what the Magpies did in the second term.
Bret Thornton banged one through midway through the quarter, but that was all Carlton could manage.
With Travis Cloke and Ben Reid well held by O’hAilpin and Waite respectively, it was the Collingwood smalls that did the damage with Swan and Medhurst kicking the last two goals of the half to establish a 10-point lead at half time.
Medhurst continued to do the damage in the third term with another two goals as the Pies made their move. The lead stretched to 23 points with Carlton’s defence under siege, but a stunning Blues’ resurgence led by Murphy and Scotland amazingly saw the two teams level on 9.13 at three-quarter time.
Fevola had drifted out of the game a little since the first term, but kicked goals on Brown and O’Brien as the Blues kicked five of the last six goals of the third quarter to set up a thrilling finale.
The Blues led by just eight points when Medhurst kicked his fourth 20 minutes into the quarter with the crowd on the edge of their seats, but Waite, Stevens, Scotland and then finally Fevola scored to make the premiership points safe.
Carlton 2.7 3.10 9.13 17.17 (119)
Collingwood 1.4 5.8 9.13 12.17 (89)
GOALS
Carlton: Fevola 8, Waite 2, Scotland 2, Thornton, Armfield, Fisher, Wiggins, Stevens
Collingwood: Medhurst 4, Swan 2, Burns, Thomas, Lockyer, O'Bree, Cloke, Davis
BEST
Carlton: Fevola, Murphy, Judd, Waite, Scotland, Carrazzo
Collingwood: Swan, Medhurst, O'Bree, Cloke, Lockyer, R. Shaw
INJURIES
Carlton: Nil
Collingwood: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Farmer, Kennedy, Schmitt
Official crowd: 80,310 at the MCG
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
