Australian Football

Match Report

The one certainty in football is that there are no certainties, and Carlton proved that at the MCG on Sunday. The Blues came into the match against Essendon with a 0-2 record, while the Bombers were 2-0. Logic pointed to a comfortable Essendon win but, as is so often the case in our wonderful game, logic was thrown out the window, and Carlton recorded a hard-fought win in pouring rain against the Bombers, sneaking home by 15 points.

After Bomber Orazio Fantasia kicked a behind, Patrick Cripps drew first blood for Carlton with a goal at the four-minute mark. The Blues followed that upon with a couple of behinds before Darcy parish goaled for Essendon after 12 minutes to give the Dons a one-point lead. Anthony McDonald-Tipungwati followed up with another major two minutes later, after which Carlton had several chances but wasted them, kicking three consecutive behinds. The Bombers got a third goal through Joe Daniher at the 24-minute mark, and went into quarter time with an eight-point lead. 

Essendon added a couple of points early in the second quarter but a mark and goal to ruckman Matthew Kreuzer had the Blues back within four points after seven minutes. They added three further behinds before a goal to skipper Marc Murphy gave them a one-point lead midway through the term. Essendon hit back through a goal from Brendon Goddard to put the Bombers ahead by a point, but that proved to be the last goal of the first half, the only further scores of the half being two behinds to Carlton, giving the Blues a one-point lead at the long break. 

In the driving rain each side added just one behind in the first seven minutes of the third quarter, before a brilliant goal from third-gamer Samo Petrevski-Seton extended Carlton's lead to seven points. The Bombers responded almost immediately through Cale Hooker, who goaled after being awarded a free kick, but a goal-of-the-year contender from Marc Murphy on the boundary had the Blues ahead by seven again half way through the quarter. Essendon responded once more via a mark and goal to Kyle Langford but the Blues looked the better side late in the term, adding three behinds to go into the last change with a four-point buffer. 

The first seven minutes of the final term was an arm-wrestle in the wet. The deadlock was finally broken when Ed Curnow roved beautifully to kick a goal and put the Blues 10 points ahead, a very handy lead in the conditions. Another 11 minutes passed in the pouring rain before there was another score, a behind to Fantasia. McDonald-Tipungwati had a shot soon after but he too missed, leaving Essendon eight points adrift. The Blues added another behind before Sam Kerridge sealed Carlton's win with a mark and goal at the 29-minute mark. 

Murphy was the Blues' match-winner, laying 10 tackles to go with his 32 possessions, while Essendon was well served by Jobe Watson (10 tackles, 28 touches) and the man who has replaced him as captain, Dyson Heppell (30 disposals, eight tackles). 

Next up for the Blues, who are 14th with a 1-2 record, is another winnable match against the Gold Coast Suns at Docklands on Saturday night. Essendon (seventh, 2-1) will travel to the Adelaide Oval on Saturday night to take on the top-of-the-ladder Crows. 

GOALS
Carlton: Murphy 2; Cripps, Kreuzer, Petrevski-Seton, Curnow, Kerridge
Essendon: Daniher, Hooker, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Parish, Goddard, Leuenberger, Langford

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Carlton: Murphy, Gibbs, White, Plowman, Curnow, Cripps, Docherty
Essendon: Watson, Hurley, Heppell, Goddard, Parish, Merrett, Kelly

BEST - THE AGEU
Carlton: Murphy, Marchbank, Docherty, Plowman, Gibbs, Cripps, Rowe, Simpson
Essendon: Heppell, Merrett, Hurley, Goddard, Leuenberger, McDonald-Tipungwuti

INJURIES
Carlton: Weitering (head), White (back)
Essendon: Nil

UMPIRES: Fisher, Pannell, Jeffery

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Brian Taylor, Hamish McLachlan, Leigh Matthews, Jimmy Bartel