THE CARLTON RESERVES put on a show against the Northern Bullants on Saturday afternoon at IKON Park, winning by an impressive 85 points.
It was a competitive contest at the start of the game, as the rain started to come down during the first quarter. But the Blues would pile on 13 goals to the Bullants’ three after the opening change to secure a big win at home.
Paddy Dow (29 disposals, three goals) and Jaxon Binns (29 disposals, one goal) were once again strong in the midfield, while AFL-listed player Jessie Motlop put away four goals. The defensive duo Sam Durdin and Caleb Marchbank were impressive in their return, with the help of Lachie Cowan and Plowman’s consistency down back.
Quarter one
Paddy Dow opened proceedings, booting the first major of the game from the 50-metre arc. Shortly after, with some great ball movement through the corridor, the Sherrin found Motlop who collected his first goal. The Blues took control early, and the Sherrin lived mostly in Carlton’s forward half, but a few good intercept marks for the Bullants stopped the Blues attacking opportunities to stretch their lead. The Bullants would score 10 minutes in, but the Blues started to switch it on in the second half of the quarter. A bit of scrappy football in Carlton’s forward half saw Blake Kuipers gather cleanly and kick his first directly in front. Lachie Cowan and Lachie Plowman were putting in the work down back, and it wasn’t long before Motlop secured his second at the other end, with Ned Cahill booting a long-range goal directly after. As the rain started to come down, the conditions created some slippery football: the Bullants goaled just before the siren, giving the Blues a 19-point lead at the end of the first charge.
Quarter two
It was a lively quarter from the Blues, as their defence was able to keep the Bullants goalless for the entirety of the term. It started with Dow, Jack Carroll and Heath Ramshaw in the midfield, who were all lively, while Sam Durdin and Caleb Marchbank held firm down back: the returning duo defended strongly while also intercepting well. Hayden Gill and Ben Crocker secured back-to-back goals to open their accounts, with Ben Ronke snapping one soon after in his first game back from a hand injury. Again, the Sherrin lived mostly in the Blues’ hands, with Jaxon Binns again busy and Cowan getting involved higher up the ground. Kuipers snagged his second goal from 50 metres out, and following a nice intercept mark from Marchbank as the half-time siren went, the Blues led by 47 points.
Quarter three
The Bullants scored to start off the second half, but the Blues took control quickly. Carlton’s midfield did extremely well getting the ball out from the clinches, seeing them score four consecutive goals in quick succession. Dow kicked two more (three for the game), Gill converted his second and Liam McMahon converted from a set shot. The Bullants responded by kicking two back-to-back goals but it wasn’t enough to stop the Blues in their tracks. A free kick paid to Carlton saw Tyreece Leiu hit the scoreboard, with Ronke converting his second just before the siren. It was an enormous effort from the Blues, mustering six goals from their 12 scoring shots to lead by 71 points at the final change.
Quarter four
The Blues had already secured their fate leading into the last quarter, but their consistency would’ve impressed the coaching staff. As it was for most of the game, the Blues saw a lot more of the ball. While there was a bit of back and forth, with both teams’ defences holding form, it was Motlop who broke the goal drought, collecting his third from a set shot. Binns continued to impress on the wing, rewarding himself with a goal, while Carlton’s backline able to keep the Bullants goalless until the final minute. Plowman showcased his defensive skills, while some great ball movement from the Blues saw Motlop run into an open goal for his fourth of the game. Despite a collision for Dow in the final seconds, it was otherwise a great day for the Blues as they claimed an 85-point victory.
CARLTON RESERVES 5.2 9.7 15.13 18.17 (125)
NORTHERN BULLANTS 2.1 2.2 5.2 6.4 (40)
GOALS
Carlton: Motlop 4, Dow 3, Gill 2, Kuipers 2, Ronke 2, Binns, Cahill, Crocker, Leiu, McMahon
BESTS
Carlton: Dow, Motlop, Binns, Cowan, Plowman, Carroll
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.
