WHAT a turnaround.
The Carlton Reserves prevailed against Geelong in Round 20, overturning a 101-point loss in Round 5 to a 23-point win at GMHBA Stadium.
Down by eight points at three-quarter time, the Blues fought hard for a memorable comeback after trailing all day, ending in a 16.5 (101) victory over the Cats’ 11.12 (78).
Liam McMahon - the team’s leading goalkicker - held onto that title by producing an incredible seven-goal performance, while Cooper Lord (30 disposals, eight tackles) and Zavier Maher (29 disposals, one goal) played vital roles throughout the game.
Quarter one:
The Blues had to rearrange some magnets in the lead-up to the game, with Jack Carroll and Lewis Young both coming out of the side as AFL emergencies with Jack Lefroy and captain Lachie Young replacing them. After last week’s loss against Brisbane, Carlton was quick to apply pressure coming out of the centre bounce, with Archie Stevens and the returning Corey Durdin in the thick of it. Great play down the wing saw Jack Lefroy kick Carlton’s first goal in response to Geelong’s opener, but it was the home side who took control of the game early. The Blues fought back with a goal from Jaxon Binns, and not long after they moved the ball down the field to secure another goal from Liam McMahon. A great smother from Michael Lewis stopped Geelong from extending its lead, as Carlton looked to keep its pressure game going. The Blues fought well, but the Cats fought to get the ball back and converted late, taking a 10-point lead into quarter time.
Quarter two:
After a close first quarter, the Blues gained possession of the ball and started to maintain control the game with a strong start out of centre bounce. A transition goal from Durdin got the Blues off to a great beginning in the second term, with the team fierce in the contest to get the ball out of danger. In the absence of Lewis Young and Caleb Marchbank, Dom Akuei battled brilliantly as an undersized key defender, while an intercept mark from Heath Ramshaw provided great support. As Geelong looked to put its stamp on the game, an incredible rundown tackle from Durdin shifted the momentum, with the Blues progressing the ball down the ground for Ned Cahill to kick his first. Hayden Gill also got on the scoresheet, but the Blues had to fight, with the Cats - looking to lock in a top-four berth – once again taking control. Will White produced a good smother while McMahon swung down back to provide some extra support, as the Blues went into half time trailing by 19 points.
Quarter three:
Continuing his highly impressive start to life at Carlton, Cooper Lord kicked the quarter off with a strong contest, getting the ball into the Blues’ forward 50 for McMahon’s second of the day. The Blues continued their pressure and determination to close the gap, with McMahon the danger man, kicking another two in two minutes to bring the Blues back within single digits. In one of his best games so far, Ashton Moir was working overtime in offence and defence, while more great defending - this time from Cahill – seeing Lefroy get his second of the day. The game turned in the third quarter, with the Blues recording four goals to two, as their defence held up brilliantly to regularly stop Geelong’s forward entries. Akuei took a crucial intercept mark on the last line, while the Blues started to get on top in clearances, led by Alex Mirkov. At three-quarter time, Geelong’s lead had been trimmed to eight points.
Quarter four:
The Blues came out firing at the start of the last quarter, creating space and winning the ball regularly out of the contest. Lord, Zavier Maher and Mirkov (21 clearances between them) were driving the Blues out of the middle, and McMahon was continuing to cause headaches for the Geelong defence with his fifth. Playing his first game for the year, Patrick Dozzi was busy and fought all day to get the ball back in the Blues’ possession, while a crucial defensive win for Rob Monahan - who started across half-back for the second straight week – was a pivotal moment. After Luke Nelson snapped truly after the Blues forced a turnover, they were back within a kick, before McMahon once again stepped up. The forward kicked goal six and then goal seven in quick succession - a career-high – before drawing another free kick, as Maher took the advantage to produce another. When Lefroy kicked his third, the Blues had five goals in 10 minutes, and all of a sudden had a 23-point lead, shocking the highly fancied Cats for the team’s fourth win of the season – and third in five matches.
GEELONG VFL 4.4 8.8 10.11 11.12 (78)
CARLTON RESERVES 3.0 6.1 10.3 16.5 (101)
GOALS
Carlton: McMahon 7, Lefroy 3, Binns, Cahill, Durdin, Gill, Maher, Nelson
BEST
Carlton: McMahon, Lord, Akuei, Maher, Mirkov, Lefroy
