CARLTON went down by 17 points against Essendon in a tight contest at Windy Hill on Saturday afternoon.

Carlton started strong with two first-quarter goals but failed to capitalise on the scoreboard after that.

In positive signs for the Blues, they applied great tackling pressure all day and created some handy scoring opportunities.

Breakdown:

Q1:

The Blues got off to a good start with fierce tackling and a couple of early goals on the board. Mia-Rae Clifford got the ball rolling with a goal from a free kick, while also applying pressure in the midfield. Co-captain Natalie Plane made it two majors for the Blues with a great goal on the run to back up her tenacity in the contest. Lauren Munday and Jess Hosking also impressed with great intent in the heart of the contest.  

Q2:

The pressure lifted in the second quarter and it was the Bombers who scored the only goal of the term. Jess Hosking was dominant with her run and carry, as was Plane. Teresa Cassar showed great signs in her first game, going in hard at the contest through the midfield.

Q3:

Sarah Hosking came on the ground for the second half to inject more poise into the midfield and it paid off as she created some great passages of plays. Breann Moody took control in the ruck in that quarter while Charlotte Wilson proved useful at full-back. Sarah Wright also battled hard, rotating through the forward line and the midfield.

Q4:

The ball was locked in Carlton’s forward half to start the quarter off. Sarah Wright took a great contested mark to get the crowd up on their feet while Sarah Hosking delivered plenty of nice kicks inside 50. Nicola Stevens was able to show poise in defence and calm things down when the contest began to heat up.

Shan’s Player of the Day: Jess Hosking

“Jess’ run off half-back was fantastic. Her endeavour at the footy and her ability to win the contest and shut down her opponent all day for four quarters was a really, really good effort.”

Match summary:

ESSENDON: 1.1   2.2   4.2   5.2   (32)

CARLTON: 2.0   2.1   2.3   2.3   (15)

GOALS: Clifford, Plane

BEST: J Hosking, Stevens, Wilson, Plane, G Wright, Moody