CARLTON has returned to the winner's list with an all-too-rare victory over Hawthorn.

Coming up against the side which has tormented them in recent years, the Blues prevailed in a scratchy affair at the MCG for their fourth victory of the season.

Sam Walsh and Ed Curnow set the tone from the outset with another first-class showing, while the Blues were able to produce a winning score despite dominant forward Harry McKay being well-held before two second-half goals.

Quarter-by-quarter summary:

Quarter 1:

Eddie Betts opened the Blues’ account in near-perfect conditions at the MCG on Saturday afternoon. Following suit, it took no time for returning Blue Jack Silvagni to make an impact with his first major of the day. The Hawks got one back at the 13-minute mark of the opening to kickstart the day’s back and forth. Carlton punished a costly Hawthorn turnover with an easy goal kicked off by Sam Walsh and finished by Matt Owies in the goal square. Tom De Koning thought he’d join in the first term fun in his first game back in 2021, an impressive mark and subsequent goal making it four for the Blues. Sneaking in their major before the siren, the Hawks closed the lead to 10 points at the first break.

Quarter 2:

Carlton came bursting back on to the scene in the second quarter with a first goal in Navy Blue off the boot of Zac Williams. Perhaps the most impressive goal of the first half came from Sam Walsh at the 14-minute mark, lining up from outside 50 to reinforce the Blues’ first-half ascendency. Quick goals from Matt Owies and Eddie Betts kept the good times rolling, but two quick goals in the last two minutes of the quarter saw the Hawks narrow the margin to just three points. It could've very well been a Hawthorn lead at the main change if not for the exemplary Jacob Weitering, who registered six intercepts in the first half alone.

Quarter 3:

Carlton was eager to start the second half with the momentum after a late second-half surge from Hawthorn. Wasting no time against his old side, Marc Pittonet took matters into his own hands with his first major for the day. A goal from the Hawks kept them right in contention for the majority of the quarter, with both sides working hard to lock down through the centre. Michael Gibbons broke the scoring drought with three minutes remaining to give the Blues the breathing space after what had been a hotly contested quarter. From there, McKay was able to take advantage of a free kick to put the Blues 14 points up for his first of the day. But it was Marc Murphy with an impressive quarter who capped it off on the siren, registering his first goal to open up a 19-point lead at the final change.

Quarter 4:

It was Hawthorn with the early goal at the MCG, chipping away early at Carlton’s final term lead. Sticking fat, the Blues managed to quell an attacking Hawks outfit despite repeat entries in their forward 50. It hadn't been his day, but the Coleman Medal leader made it his moment: after marking on the 50-metre line, Harry McKay wheeled onto his left foot and iced the game with his second of the afternoon. It was a willing final term, but it ended the way of the Blues for just the second time from the past 17 meetings between these two sides.

Moment of the match:

It’s hard to go past a first goal in new colours for a moment of the match, and this week it’s Zac Williams with the reward. The Blues had the ascendency early in the quarter when when a crafty pass from Sam Walsh landed squarely in the hands of Williams: the boyhood Bluebagger didn’t miss a step in sending it towards goal for his first in Navy Blue.

Three things we learned:

1. We say it every week, but Sam Walsh is impossible to ignore. Three years at the senior level and his best just keeps getting better. Walsh finished as one of the Blues' best on Saturday afternoon, largely down to his performance in the first half where he was the most-dominant player on the ground. Finishing with 30 disposals and a classy second-quarter goal, it was another outstanding showing from the young Blue.

2. While the 45,000-strong crowd at the MCG have loved seeing McKay kicking multiple goals every week, the Blues were more than happy to share the load. With McKay curtailed before his last-quarter heroics, the Blues were forced to find different avenues to goal and they duly obliged: the home side registered 10 individual goalkickers.

3. A positional switch in the last fortnight has returned immediate dividends for David Teague's side. Zac Williams returned to half back against Melbourne and produced arguably his best performance for his new club against Hawthorn, registering a game-high 741 metres gained from his 26 disposals. In his place, Sam Docherty has revelled his role higher up the ground in the last fortnight, producing another strong showing with 26 disposals.

Match summary:

CARLTON                4.1       8.3      12.4    13.8 (86)
HAWTHORN            2.3       7.6      8.9      9.9 (63)

GOALS

Carlton: Betts 2, McKay 2, Owies 2, De Koning, Gibbons, Murphy, Pittonet, Silvagni, Walsh, Williams

BEST

Carlton: Curnow, Walsh, Williams, Docherty, Cripps, Weitering

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