Carlton coach Brendon Bolton was filthy with his players after the AFL club’s hopes of avoiding the wooden spoon evaporated with an inept third-quarter display against Fremantle.
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Final score
Fremantle Dockers 15.11.101
Carlton Blues 10.12.72
The season might be gone for the Fremantle Dockers and Carlton Blues, but the issue of spots next season still exists when the two sides clash in Perth. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 4:40pm (AEST).
Neither the Dockers or the Blues have had a great season, to put it bluntly.
As it stands, just three matches from the finals, the Dockers sit 13th and the Blues dead last with the wooden spoon virtually signed, sealed and delivered.
Carlton have won just two games all year, with their percentage right on 60. It’s abysmal, to say the least, and puts them in the discussion for worst season in the history of the competition.
While they beat the Gold Coast Suns a fortnight ago away from home, it was back to misery last week, with the GWS Giants beating them by 105 points and taking the last quarter despite having only 17 fit players at one point.
It was flat out embarrassing for the Blues and a trip to Perth isn’t going to make things any easier for the team with the second-worst attack and worst defence by a considerable distance.
The Dockers, as mentioned, haven’t been perfect either, but they are the best of the teams who have no chance of making the finals.
They have won seven of their 19 games throughout the season, but were going a heap better than that, having won just one of their last five games.
It’s been a tough run for the Dockers, playing Hawthorn, the West Coast, Melbourne and suffering a nine-point loss to Port Adelaide in that time frame.
The string of losses might have ended their finals hopes, but the Dockers can still finish the season on a high-note and build both some confidence and momentum ahead of a finals push in 2019.
At home this season, the Dockers have won five of their nine games, with one of those losses against the Eagles.
When the two sides met earlier in the season at Docklands, the Dockers recorded a 57-point victory.
Prediction
The Dockers should have absolutely no problems at home in knocking over a team who may be the worst in history. Given they beat them away from home earlier in the year by a considerable margin and the Blues seem to have clocked off for the year after last week, this could get ugly.
Dockers by 55.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of the final match in Round 21 from 4:40pm (AEST) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.
bryan
Guest
" suffering a nine point loss to Port Adelaide in that time frame" Sorry, but you've got that backwards--- Freo beat Port by nine points"
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Not exactly what you'd call a dominant display. The first half was a worry and my Carlton mate was all cokahoop (as cokahoop as a Carlton fan could expect to be at any rate) at half-time. But was almost regretting his ticket purchase by the end of the third. You really see the difference in playing another struggle street team like the Blooz. It's a more forgiving experience and a young team like Freo get a lot more leeway which is invaluable. It's good to get that 7 goal quarter and there was good interplay between the big forwards. Walters pinging one is typical of this year, but Switkowski should be a lock for the last two games.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks for joining me this afternoon on The Roar for our live coverage of the 2018 AFL season as the Fremantle Dockers beat the Carlton Blues. Hopefully you enjoyed the call. We will be back next week with all nine games, but for now, why not check out Josh Elliott's talking points from the weekend that was? Repeating the final score here in Perth. Dockers 15.11 (101) Blues 10.12 (72) Bye for now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thoughts on the match Roarers?
Scott Pryde
Expert
The Fremantle Dockers far too good in the end today. Carlton definitely put in one of their better performances, but in the end, it was the seven goals to nothing third quarter which allowed the Perth outfit to roll away with the big victory. Pretty complete effort across the park from Freo, but particular mention to Lachie Neale and Ed Langdon who had 34 and 31 disposals respectively. Patrick Cripps led the way for Carlton with 32. Scoring shared around between the sides. Dockers 15.11 (101) Blues 10.12 (72)
Scott Pryde
Expert
FULLTIME And that, will be the end of that. Good stuff from Fremantle this afternoon, defending all the way to the end there, preventing Carlton from bringing back a goal. A really even first half in Perth,but the Dockers have ran away with this in dominant fashion during the second. Dockers 15.11 (101) Blues 10.12 (72)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 0' Into what should be the final minute of action here. Ballantyne drops a mark this time and now Curnow fires into the 50, but picks out Wilson for the Dockers. Dockers 15.11 (101) Blues 10.12 (72)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 1' The Blues will search for a consolation goal here off the bounce. They go inside 50 through O'Brien, but Charlie Curnow can't hang on before there is a stoppage 40 metres out. Dockers 15.11 (101) Blues 10.12 (72)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 1' Some really nice short passing from Fremantle, but then Taberner drops a mark. It'll be a stoppage on the edge of the 50 here. Free kick Fremantle off it as well and Sheridan fires it into the middle. Darcy looks to take the mark, it's off hands, straight into the path of Cox and he dribbles it through to bring up the century of points for the hosts. Dockers 15.11 (101) Blues 10.12 (72)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 2' The Dockers right back in defence here, but Langdon takes a good mark to take some of the pressure off before firing it outside 50 and finds McCarthy with a huge mark. Fremantle now go up the middle of the ground looking for space, but slow things up as the clock runs down towards the end of this one. Dockers 14.11 (95) Blues 10.12 (72)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 3' - BEHIND DOCKERS Great work from McCarthy. He got it outside the 50, then beat a charging defender before throwing it low and flat into the 50 for Brennan Cox who takes the mark. Cox will now have the shot on goal from out wide, about 50 metres out. This is off to the left. Dockers 14.11 (95) Blues 10.12 (72)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 4' The Blues win the ruck there, but then Dow puts it straight to Nyhuis. He clears for the Dockers ahead of Graham, but then the Dockers get it back, go inside 50 again and turn it over again. Good defence for the moment from Freo as they try to wrap this one up. Dockers 14.10 (94) Blues 10.12 (72)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 5' - GOAL BLUES, CHARLIE CURNOW He has a boot on him, Curnow. Takes a mark 50 out and then kicks the goal from 55 out on the right side. Lovely kick. Dockers 14.10 (94) Blues 10.12 (72)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 6' Pearce has been really good in defence for the Dockers this afternoon. He grabs the mark ahead of Curnow this time to stop what was looking like a reasonably promising attack from the Blues. Freo then clear back to the centre and it's over the boundary with Cripps strangled across it by some excellent tackling. Dockers 14.10 (94) Blues 9.12 (66)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 7' Mundy wins it off the ruck and goes to Wilson before Switkowski. His kick for Taberner is dropped and Carlton try to clear, getting it back to the middle of the ground before the ball heads over the boundary. Dockers 14.10 (94) Blues 9.12 (66)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 8' - GOAL DOCKERS, CAM MCCARTHY Fremantle are starting to equalise this now. Great work from Mundy in the ruck and he finds Wilson in the middle who then goes out wide to McCarthy! Brilliant work. McCarthy could have a shot here from about 50 out off to the right, but this is arrow straight! Dockers 14.10 (94) Blues 9.12 (66)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 10' Brennan Cox with another mark. He is too far out for a goal this time though and tries to pick out Taberner, but the Blues will survive this time. Dockers 13.10 (88) Blues 9.12 (66)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 11' - BEHIND BLUES The Blues win it off the stoppage, then Murphy goes inside 50. Langdon clears for the Dockers though to Hill and he runs, handballs and then Cox is smacked in a tackle from behind. Pickett goes the other way, Lang, Cripps and he goes from 55 out, but it's off to the right. Dockers 13.10 (88) Blues 9.12 (66)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 12' - GOAL DOCKERS, BRENNAN COX Huge mark from Brennan Cox inside 50. He takes the shot from about 35 out off to the right. It scrapes inside the left post and Fremantle take their lead back out. Dockers 13.10 (88) Blues 9.11 (65)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 13' - GOAL BLUES, DARCY LANG Nyhuis with a ball out on the full now trying to clear. The Blues straight back into 50 and McKay! Huge mark! No, not paid! He has to go, then Dow kicks it up and down on the spot before Dow handballs to Cripps, then it's outside 50 to Kerridge who goes inside to Curnow before Lang is on the end of a chip. Lang to take the shot from 25 out, right in front and he will not miss from there. This may not be over yet! Dockers 12.10 (82) Blues 9.11 (65)