A BRUISED Blues have fallen by 26 points at the SCG.

An inaccurate Carlton was left to rue missed opportunities as Sydney kicked away in the final term, with a scoreline of 11.11 (77) to 6.15 (51) under Friday night lights.

The Blues finished the game without George Hewett (concussion), Nic Newman (hamstring) and Ollie Hollands (shoulder), and were only able to register a score of 51 from 59 inside 50s, with conversion issues continuing.

Sam Walsh was one of Carlton's best with 31 disposals and eight inside 50s, while Jacob Weitering kept Lance Franklin goalless.

Quarter one

It was a quarter of two halves, with Carlton starting strong in the contest. It was Matt Cottrell who got the Blues going on the scoreboard, with his gut running and positioning around the fall of the ball seeing him record eight first-quarter disposals to go with his goal. Adam Cerra led the way with a strong rundown tackle on Chad Warner, while he and Sam Walsh impressed through the middle with their clearance work. Jesse Motlop made the most of what could have been a bad situation for the Blues, scooping up the Sherrin for a goal after Charlie Curnow kicked it into the man on the mark. Jacob Weitering provided some impactful marks in defence against Lance Franklin as the Blues had the better of the inside 50s, but a flurry from the Swans - kicking three goals from 10 possessions - caught Carlton off-guard. A late goal from Tom De Koning put the Blues within three points at the end of the first term.

Quarter two 

Conversion was an issue for Carlton in the second term, registering one goal through Motlop at the 16-minute mark. It was reward for effort, with Carlton continuously keeping the ball in their forward half without scoreboard impact. Against his old side, George Hewett was subbed out of the game with concussion, seeing Ed Curnow come into the game, who looked to surge the ball forward at every opportunity. While the Swans relied on their handball chains to get things moving downfield, the Blues led contested possessions, clearances and marks inside 50: however, their inability to finish their work left them six points behind at the main break.

Quarter three

The Blues attempted to get some scoreboard pressure flowing, with an opportunistic goal from Sam Walsh starting off the term. Charlie Curnow got some reward for effort, kicking his first of the evening. However, it was more of the same after that, with Carlton kicking four behinds for the remainder of the quarter. Cottrell’s workrate was evident, getting involved at both ends of the ground, as the ball pinged frantically between the arcs. Walsh continued his determined style of play, but the likes of Chad Warner and Isaac Heeney were proving a difficult match-up for the opposition, as they began to get on top late in the quarter. After a late surge from the Swans, the Blues trailed by eight points at the final break.

Quarter four 

Both sides were desperate for the footy, with the first goal of the quarter proving to be the most important. Despite getting some forward territory early, Carlton was unable to thwart Sydney from breaking the game open through Warner. The Blues found themselves short of options on the bench after injuries to Newman and Hollands, while Cripps also limped from the field late following an ankle injury. The momentum was with the Swans late, despite the best efforts of Weitering - who kept Franklin goalless - and a determined Sam Docherty. Late goals to the Swans saw the Blues ultimately fall by 26 points.

SYDNEY         4.1     6.2     8.8        11.11 (77)
CARLTON       3.4     4.8     6.12      6.15 (51)

GOALS
Carlton: Motlop 2, Cottrell, C.Curnow, De Koning, Walsh

BESTS
Carlton: Weitering, Walsh, Cottrell, Docherty, C.Curnow