THE KING’S Birthday Rivalry Clash ended in a 34-point Carlton defeat at the hands of Essendon.

Once again, the Blues were the makers of their own destiny, only managing six goals from 22 scoring shots in the 13.8 (86) to 6.16 (52) defeat.

The typically consistent Adam Cerra put together a four-quarter performance while Alex Cincotta recorded his first Carlton goal, but the Blues were again left to rue missed opportunities going forward in their first defeat to the arch rival in four years.

Quarter one:

Inclusion Ed Curnow’s role was clear from the start, manning Essendon captain Zach Merrett at the opening bounce. As Carlton’s talk from throughout the week would’ve suggested, the Blues looked to be aggressive with their ball movement from the outset. The end result was an unlikely first goalkicker, with Alex Cincotta surging forward and bouncing one home from the centre square: the finish was only matched by the celebration. After two Essendon goals, the Sherrin constantly pinged between the arcs, with both teams looking to capitalise off turnover. Charlie Curnow looked ominous but could only manage three long-range behinds, as the Bombers looked to do what they’ve done all season and dominate possession. Source pressure was high for both teams, but the Blues would’ve been disappointed by their work around the ball in the early going, sitting -7 in contested possessions at the first change, despite the non-stop drive from Adam Cerra (eight disposals, two clearances).

Quarter two

Carlton’s contest method was much improved in the second term, allowing the team to play a front-half game from the outset. The Blues won the quarter by 18 contested possessions, giving them strong looks in front of the ball, particularly in the first half of the term: 70 per cent of the play was in Carlton’s forward half after 15 minutes. Cerra picked up where he left off with a 10-disposal quarter, while Jack Martin very much loomed as the danger man on return, kicking the first of the term while proving to be a difficult match-up for the Bombers’ defensive group. It was a strong contest on centre wing from Blake Acres which set the tone in the lead-up to Martin’s goal, as the Blues came out up for the fight. After an accurate Harry McKay set shot put his team nine points up, the Blues looked to be on their way to capitalise on their territorial dominance: however, inaccuracy in front of goal and a late flurry from the Bombers meant the Blues trailed by two points at the main change.

Quarter three

The third quarter was a complete reversal of the second, as the Bombers burst out of the blocks on their own accord — and, crucially, were able to put the score on the board. The Blues couldn’t stop their opponents’ blitz, surging out of the centre to kick six goals in the opening 15 minutes to open up a 40-point buffer. Carlton struggled to win the ball at the source, trailing in centre clearances by a tally of 12-4 after three quarters. Charlie Curnow and Matthew Owies registered late goals, while Sam Walsh battled manfully with 15 third-quarter disposals. However, the Blues had a 33-point differential to make up in the final term.

Quarter four

The Blues left nothing to chance in the final term, attacking the game at all costs despite the deficit. Winning the clearances 6-1 in the early going, Carlton looked to surge at all costs, but a disallowed Tom De Koning mark and subsequent counter attack for Essendon put the contest beyond all doubt. It was another wasteful term for the Blues who weren’t without their chances, registering 1.6, as they ended the game with considerably more inside 50s and more scoring shots than the Bombers, yet fell to a 34-point defeat.

CARLTON         1.5     3.10     5.10       6.16 (42)
ESSENDON      2.4     4.6      11.7       13.8 (86)

GOALS
Carlton: C.Curnow 2, Cincotta, Martin, McKay, Owies