NOBODY said it was easy.
AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss wasn't completely impressed with his side's performance, but what did please him was the Blues' ability to take hold of the big moments.
With four minutes and 42 seconds left on the clock and Carlton behind on the scoreboard in a tight contest, the game turned on its head.
Here's what he had to say.
On the last quarter:
"What we got right was that we got the last part right. In four minutes and 42 seconds, we were able to execute late in the game but we stayed engaged right throughout.
"Even when the [Fremantle] goal was kicked, you thought with that couple goal margin it might be too hard to get two scores in four minutes and 42 seconds. But they were able to stay engaged, stay connected with each other and saw a possibility to win the game.
"To be able to have those moments and finish the plays, it’s one thing to set it up and it’s another to finish. We weren't really accurate today but we were accurate when we needed to be."
On numerous close wins:
"We’ve had a lot of moments in the past where we’ve had some hard and harsh lessons about those moments and the boys have gone to work on ourselves around that, being able to stand up when it counts.
"I thought there were some individuals that really stood up when it counted and they take real pride in those particular moments in games. They’re getting the detail right, they’re putting the effort in it and they’re executing it really well.
"We were a bit untidy for most of it and I felt like Fremantle were a bit better around the contest and were a bit cleaner when they needed to be. They seemed to be having their moments through the game and it was hard work for us for most of it.
"The tide turned when we needed it to and the margin never got out on us which was important, so that says a lot about the arm wrestle. You don’t always win how you would like to win, you’ve got to win when the game is an arm wrestle and Fremantle were able to put the game together and it made it really tough for us."
On Fremantle's game and Carlton's effort:
"It was small margins and we spoke a lot about respecting Fremantle’s game. We came in, looked at their contest game and it’s in really good shape, we look at how they denied opposition score, that’s in really good shape.
"We always knew this was going to be a tough game, but I felt like our game, we had good moments, but largely was a bit untidy. We could’ve been cleaner in the contest, and lacked composure at times with ball in hand.
"We made it difficult for ourselves, but you can get frustrated by that or you can just stay connected as a team and they were able to do that and still execute their roles – our effort never wavered, that’s the big thing for us. Tackles were +13, and contested possessions kept coming, so we couldn’t fault the effort but the execution needs work."
On the interstate win and breaking the Adelaide Oval hoodoo:
"To be able to get games on the road, they’re important. They’re extremely valuable to have and there’s a level of maturity you have to have as well to win those games and we made some great ground last year on it.
"To knock this one over was semi-important: Adelaide Oval, not being able to win here, they can sometimes stack up on you so it’s nice to put that one to bed. It’s a nice little achievement, a nice little acknowledgement for us as a team.
"They’re all really important. To go on the road and get two really close wins is important in the bigger picture of the season."
On winning in different ways:
"Our profile is a bit different to how you’ve traditionally seen us. Clearances were -17, that’s a big number. That’s not something we could absorb in the past. But what we have been and what we’ve grown is how we want to defend as a team.
"Even when we’re not getting territory from that part of the game, we’re still able to defend and hold as best as we possibly can and we’re starting up our game from a different area of the ground. We don’t always want it to be that way but that’s what we got today. We had to work through it and the boys solved it really well."
On Patrick Cripps moving forward in games:
"He’s been doing that the last month, for us it’s about spreading and sharing the load. He wants to have that as part of his game and to be able to get him forward and throw in some other guys in the midfield is sharing the load and probably says where 'Crippa' is at – he trusts his teammates. He’ll have his turn at times but he trusts his teammates and his trusting that the role will get done."
On Sam Walsh:
"He's tracked really well and we found out that he’s trained really well over the weekend so if he gets through training, he’ll play next week."
On Elijah Hollands:
"Hip/adductor, we’ll have to get scans."
On Zac Williams:
"It was a special moment [the assist for Charlie Curnow], wasn't it?
"He’s missed a lot of footy over the last little period of time and he's just going to keep getting better just by continuing to play and playing with that back six/seven that are down there and getting some familiarity and cohesion amongst them, we’ll start to see more of that, him taking those moments and break through."
On Tom De Koning:
"He got plenty of looks throughout the day. His game has grown enormously. He’s setting up his games throughout the week, his training really well, he’s taken that to a whole new level and he’s been able to grow parts of his game.
"Some of that is around the ruck contest, but I think where he’s actually having more impact is when the ball hits the floor and he's starting to get involved around the ground. It’s been really good to see his growth over the course of the last month."
