CARLTON has ended its 2023 AFLW campaign with a loss, falling to St Kilda by 20 points at IKON Park in the annual AFLW Pride Round.

Carlton held strong in the opening two quarters, trailing by a small margin at half time, but wayward kicking from the Blues made the task of sticking with a fast-finishing Saints a difficult one.

Mimi Hill (31 disposals, 11 contested possessions), Jess Good (29 hitouts) and Abbie McKay (28 disposals and 12 clearances) were Carlton’s standouts around the ground, but in the end, the Saints proved too strong in their forward 50.

In a tight opening quarter, neither side could fully break free, with Mia Austin rounding out her impressive season with the first goal of the game. The Saints fought back late and the Blues went into quarter time with a slim one-point lead.

The second quarter continued to be a contested affair, with Lily Goss scoring the Blues’ only goal for the quarter after the first two minutes.

The rest of the quarter, the Blues’ defence were under pressure with the Saints kicking two quick goals.

Coming out of the main break, Carlton’s midfield and forward connection were strong, but the Blues’ finishing in front of goal let them down, kicking only the five behinds for the quarter.

Trailing by 18 points at the start of the final quarter, the Blues’ gave it their all for the home fans in what would be their final quarter for the season.

Brea Moody starred like she has all season, with a stunning goal on the run to bring the Blues fans to their feet.

In a game where pride was the centerpiece, the Blues played with their heart on their sleeve but couldn’t overcome the Saints in the final game of the season.

CARLTON       1.1    2.3    2.8    3.8 (26)
ST KILDA       1.0    3.1    6.2    7.4 (46)

GOALS
Carlton: Austin, Goss, Moody

BEST
Carlton: Moody, McKay, Hill, Skepper