Despite a spirited fightback, the Blues fell narrowly short of a famous comeback in its seven-point loss to fifth-placed West Coast at the MCG on Sunday.

Here are the top-five most influential player stats from a promising afternoon for Carlton:

Sam Docherty
Game-high 9 rebound 50s, 32 possessions 

It was yet another remarkable performance from Sam Docherty on Sunday, who has had over 20 possessions in every game but one this season.  The 22-year-old had a game-high 32 possessions and nine rebound 50s – the latter four higher than next best Andrew Gaff.  His 94 per cent disposal efficiency was also the highest of any player who had over 20 possessions.

Patrick Cripps
Game-high 16 contested possessions, 12 clearances 

After being held to five possessions in the first half, Patrick Cripps exploded into action to bring the Blues to the brink of a famous comeback. The 21-year-old did as he pleased in the final quarter, recording a goal, 14 possessions and eight clearances on his way to game-high numbers in the latter two categories.

Kade Simpson
Team-high 8 score involvements

What more can you say about Kade Simpson? We’re running out of superlatives for the Blues’ little warrior, who is playing as brilliantly as ever at the ripe old age of 32. Carlton’s No.6 did the damage from half-back yet again, being involved in eight scoring chains. His ability to consistently hit targets (93 per cent disposal efficiency against West Coast) is a major weapon for the Blues. 

Bryce Gibbs
Game-high 549m gained

Like Cripps, Bryce Gibbs had a quiet first half (seven possessions) but finished with impressive numbers. Among those were his game-high 549m gained, which made him the best on ground for moving the ball forward. Based on this stat, it’s little wonder that Gibbs recorded a team-high three goal assists.

Simon White
Team-high 8 intercepts 

Simon White put himself in the right places to record a team-high eight intercepts. Not usually a player to find a lot of the ball, White also had a career-high 23 disposals in what was one of the swingman’s best performances in the navy blue.


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