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Bolton's Blues become Pies' party poopers

6th May, 2017
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Carlton and Fremantle will recreate one of the great Round 9 games this weekend. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Roar Guru
6th May, 2017
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The Carlton Blues have pulled off a triumphant win over archrivals Collingwood at the MCG in front of 70,000 fans at the MCG.

The cleaner skills of the Blues were the difference as the underdog side fought to a 23-point win on the day that the Magpies were meant to be celebrating their 125th anniversary as a club.

The first ten minutes of the match went by without a single score, the ball travelling from end-to-end without anyone finding themselves able to break the deadlock.

Steele Sidebottom broke the drought with the first behind of the day, but it was Carlton’s boom young gun Sam Petrevski-Seton who registered the first goal at the 13th minute, leading to an eventual three-goal burst for the Blues.

Alex Fasolo kicked the Magpies’ first and only goal for the term just seconds before the quarter-time siren.

It was clear from the get-go that the Blues were the better prepared team, with Collingwood habitually turning the ball over whilst delivering it inside 50, the Blues happy to mop up their messy disposals and turn them into free-flowing attacking plays.

A couple of opportunistic goals from Jordan De Goey and Jamie Elliot got the Pies back within 2 points early in the second term, but that would be as close as they’d get all day.

From that moment, the Blues lifted a gear, and the Pies were simply unable to stay with them. Caleb Marchbank and Alex Silvagni were defensive pillars, while the unpredictability up forward provided many a target for the hard-running Carlton midfielders to aim for.

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Carlton led by 18 at the main break, while Collingwood looked for ways to steer the game in their favour.

The second half was all navy blue though, and it became clear that not only were the skills of the Carlton players a level above, so to was their commitment to the contest.

Ed Curnow began to dominate in close, gathering 25 possessions and laying nine tackles in a wonderful performance.

Petrevski-Seton continued on his merry way, his creativity continually providing spark for his team, while up forward Levi Casboult began to find the ball in his hands and make the most of his chances, kicking two crucial goals.

Somewhat fittingly it was ex-Pie Dale Thomas who kicked the sealer, capping off a decent day out by sidestepping a defender and launching the ball through the goals and into the stands where the cheering Carlton faithful made their appreciation heard.

Ben Reid made a nice return for Collingwood, racking up 12 marks and 25 touches as he floated around the ground with authority, while Taylor Adams and Scott Pendlebury were their usual industrious selves.

Jamie Elliot kicked 3 goals, but unfortunately for him his most memorable moment was a miss; a fourth-quarter almighty shank in front of goal that snuffed out any hope of a Magpie revival.

There were winners all over the ground for the Blues; Kruezer played his role, Nick Graham showed a lot, and the consistency twins Kade Simpson and Sam Docherty barely put a foot wrong.

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Carlton will go into next week’s clash with St Kilda confident they can make it three wins in a row, while things are about to get a lot uglier for the Magpies – they travel to Spotless Stadium to meet the Giants, hellbent on redemption.

Final score
Collingwood Magpies 8.8.56
Carlton Blues 12.7.79

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