CARLTON coach Brett Ratten says wasted opportunities and overuse of the football cost the Blues victory against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Thursday night.
The Blues held a seven-point advantage at the final change after a seven-goal third quarter, but they beaten by 19 points at the final siren.
Ratten said his side had too many handballs (42) compared to kicks (37) in the final term.
“We let ourselves down,” Ratten said.
“The last quarter, 51 per cent kicking efficiency or effectiveness with the footy, it’s hard to win games of football when you do that.
“We over-finessed the ball at times when we had the opportunity to give our forwards that opportunity.”
Ratten also rued his side’s inaccuracy in front of goal after it headed to the half-time break down by 22 points.
While pleased with the effort of tall forwards Setanta O’hAilpin (four goals) and Lachie Henderson (three), Ratten was disappointed his small forwards failed to capitalise on their opportunities, with Eddie Betts and Chris Yarran kicking six behinds between them.
“I thought an advantage we had pre-game was probably our small forwards,” Ratten said.
“And we got no goals and they got two out of Todd Banfield so that might have helped them through the game.”
Carlton led the possession count (366 to 349) but were smashed in marks (101 to 64) including 12 marks to Jonathan Brown.
The Lions captain’s seven-goal haul proved too much for the Blues to overcome.
“He was in great form last week,” Ratten said.
“We thought he could be the game breaker for them and as it turned out he was the difference between the two teams.”
Ratten said a pre-game leg injury to Paul Bower hindered their plans to contain the Lions captain.
“That was a match up we earmarked early in the season that we would go with Bower on Brown but it never eventuated,” Ratten said.
“I thought [Bret] Thornton tried hard but [Brown is] just a really good player in great form at the moment and kicking the ball extremely well from 55, 60 out and hitting the scoreboard.”
