The Carlton Reserves have recorded their first win of the season a 20-point victory over Port Melbourne.
After a one-point loss last week, the stakes were high in an action-packed contest, with Carlton prevailing 16.15 (111) against Port Melbourne 14.7 (91).
Zavier Maher (30 disposals, four clearances) was the beneficiary of good work from Alex Mirkov (26 hitouts) and Hudson O’Keeffe (22 hitouts, five tackles), while VFL-listed debutant Jess Gedi (16 disposals) showed his strengths.
In front of goal, Ashton Moir and Will White recorded three goals each.
Quarter one:
Taking on Port Melbourne for the third game of the season, the Blues were in need of a fast start. That’s exactly what they got through Ashton Moir, who recorded back-to-back goals within the first five minutes of the game. A slower start for Port Melbourne allowed the Blues to bring great pressure to keep the ball within their half. Liam McMahon kicked his first goal for the game with another involvement from Moir, with the team’s selflessness on display early as Ned Cahill also hit the scoreboard. The contest for the ball didn’t stop after Port Melbourne opened its account, as a goal from Will White started the Blues up again, with Jack Lefroy and Blake Kuipers bringing Carlton’s goal tally to seven for the game. Tom Phillips led the quarter with eight disposals, as the Blues ended the term with a 15-point lead against the Borough.
Quarter two:
The second quarter started with strong defensive play from captain Lachie Young as well as debutant Jess Gedi, who showed great pressure in the backline. There was great movement of the ball through the centre of the ground, opening the door for Cahill to kick his second of the game. Port Melbourne continued to fight its way back into the contest, but the Blues hurried back to keep their lead with a long-range goal from Heath Ramshaw. Strong work in the contest from both Ramshaw and Zavier Maher saw them lead the disposal count at half time, as the Blues did their best to thwart the Borough from entering inside 50 in a high-scoring game. A goal from Alex Cincotta ended the quarter just how the Blues were hoping, opening up a 16-point lead.
Quarter three:
It was a slow start to the quarter for the Blues, as Port Melbourne took control of the ball and start to close the gap on the scoreboard with the first two goals of the quarter. Carlton looked to respond as good transition from the backline to the forward 50 led to Luke Nelson converting his first of the day. But from there, the rest of the quarter saw Port Melbourne get speed in their ball movement and get reward on the scoreboard. There were some strong defensive efforts from Logan Prout and Ramshaw, but the Blues find themselves behind for the first time as Port Melbourne took the lead by seven points.
Quarter four:
Starting the final quarter of the game, Port Melbourne continued to look to take control of the ball, but the Blues’ defensive intent was clear with a good tackle from Hudson O’Keeffe inside the opening minute. After a stalemate for the opening 10 minute, Will White brought the Blues back into the game with the first goal of the quarter following multiple behinds from both teams. Great ball movement - started by Jaxon Binns - led to a goal from Liam McMahon in direct response to a Port goal, as the Blues started to get their hands on the ball through the centre of the ground. Michael Lewis had some crucial defensive moments against the dangerous Billy Gowers, with White soon after kicking his third of the game. The Blues’ confidence was rising as they hit the lead once more, with Ashton Moir kicking the next goal of the game to open up a handy buffer. The Blues’ hard work and strong finish to the game paid off with Nelson adding another goal, extending the margin to 20 points come the final siren.
CARLTON RESERVES 7.0 10.8 11.9 16.15 (111)
PORT MELBOURNE 4.3 8.4 13.4 14.7 (91)
GOALS
Carlton: Moir 3, White 3, Cahill 2, McMahon 2, Nelson 2, Cincotta
BESTS
Carlton: Lewis, Maher, White, Nelson, Cincotta, Moir
Hannah Tomasoni is a student at La Trobe University, undergoing his Bachelor of Media and Communications (Journalism and Marketing). She is currently undertaking an internship at the Carlton Football Club as part of its partnership with La Trobe University.
