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The Carlton Blues have triumphed over the Sydney Swans by 19 points, and the Swans are 0-6!
The Blues controlled much of the game, but you sensed early that the Swans were dangerous on the spread, and it was that which gave them the lead for most of the first half.
But when it seemed the Blues might wither after the main break, they were inspired to a new level, taking the lead in the third and keeping it for a famous victory, their second of the season.
There were shades of Round 5 last year, when they went over to Perth and knocked over a struggling Fremantle to end their finals hopes then and there. At 0-6, Sydney are heading down that path.
Josh P Kennedy tried hard with 27 touches, Luke Parker had his best game of the season (though his clearance work still left a lot to be desired), Isaac Heeney was brilliant in the first half, and Zak Jones worked tirelessly from half-back.
But Lance Franklin was brilliantly held by Alex Silvagni, finishing with just one goal, and without him or the withdrawn Kurt Tippett, the Swans had no firepower up forward.
The Blues, by contrast, had winners all over the field. Patrick Cripps and Marc Murphy were monstrous in midfield, as was Matthew Kreuzer, who started on a wing but ended up controlling the ruck and kicking two important goals in the last quarter.
Sam Petrevski-Seton was classy and composed with ball in hand, Levi Casboult’s marking power had the Swans under constant pressure up forward, and Alex Silvagni played the game of his life on Lance Franklin, and laid a goal-saving tackle early in the last quarter on Brandon Jack which would have brought the Swans to within a goal.
But it was the tale of two men – in a game which was largely a scrap, very messy and inefficient, the class of Sam Docherty and Kade Simpson down back was huge.
39 touches for Docherty at 87 per cent efficiency, and 31 for Simpson at 93 per cent, tells the story. Yes, they got plenty of cheap kicks, but they worked hard all over the ground and were simply magnificent, particularly Simpson when the match had to be won.
Even at 0-6, it’s difficult to write off the Swans given their history, but surely finals are gone. And while the young players certainly aren’t having the impact of some of the guns of the past, the form of their senior players, though Hannebery and Parker both improved today, is concerning, particularly in the stoppages.
It’s difficult to believe, but one of the hardest teams in the competition was out hunted, out tackled and out run by the young, developing, wooden-spoon-fancied Blues. For whatever reason, the Blues simply wanted it more.
Final score
Carlton Blues 15.7.97
Sydney Swans 11.12.78
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