THE VFLW Blues secured the come-from-behind victory over the Casey Demons by 26 points at Casey Fields.

The Blues welcomed Northern Knights representative Maeve Chaplin into the side, as well as AFLW-listed Game Changers Charlotte Wilson, Brooke Walker and Lucy McEvoy. It took little time for the new additions to settle in, especially Walker, who snagged three majors for the game.

Quarter-by-quarter breakdown:

Quarter 1:

Casey got off to a fast start, cementing the ball in their forward 50 with the breeze for the majority of the quarter. With the ball locked in their attacking end, a few unlucky bounces and wind carried shots allowed the Demons to kick out to a 23-point lead at the first break. 

Quarter 2:

Carlton opened its account with Brooke Walker converting consecutive goals to put the Blues back in the match. A lift in forward pressure was evident across the field as the girls crafted repeat forward 50 entries to win the statistic 15-0 for the quarter. Amber Micallef managed to sneak another goal in just before the siren, capitalising on a Casey clanger to get the Blues within 2 points. 

Quarter 3:

Despite the majority of the play occurring in Casey’s attacking end, Carlton’s backline tightened up in the battle for possession. Maddy Guerin then moved into the midfield, the structural change transforming the game for the Blues. Big grabs from Brooke Walker and Stephanie Lawrence complemented Carlton defensive efforts, constricting the Demons to two minor scores for the remainder of the game. With Carlton unable to make an impact on the scoreboard, Casey entered the final break ahead by 4 points. 

Quarter 4:

As a light shower sprinkled the field, it started to rain Carlton goals. The haul started with Guerin who turned the game on its head, kicking high off a step to put the Blues in front. In quick succession, Charlotte Hammans notched another and Walker kicked her third. Courtney Jones lined up for goal, but the attempt fell short. Nonetheless, it was marked on the line by Lawrence in emphatic fashion who went back and scored. Rewarded with a set shot, Olivia Madden kicked Carlton’s fifth goal of the quarter to give the Blues a winning margin of 26 points and their first victory since Round 5. 

Luke’s best on field:

“Maddy Guerin’s going to get it,” O’Shannessy said.

“She really changed the game going inside-mid [in the third quarter].

“She was hitting the scoreboard, she was winning clearances, smothering, doing a lot of defensive stuff but then offensive stuff as well, breaking the lines and playing on after a mark or free-kick.”

Match summary

Carlton        0.0    3.3    0.0    5.0(51)
Casey            3.5    0.0    0.2    0.0(25)

GOALS
Walker 3, Micallef, Guerin, Hammans, Lawrence, Madden

BEST
Guerin, Lawrence, Borg, Walker, Plane, McEvoy