Undermanned Blues crunch Eagles; Gawn re-signs with Melbourne

Our expert Steve Barrett has his say on how the Blues dismantled the Eagles in Perth.

Blues are back

Horribly out of form and severely depleted with six forced changes on the back of an embarrassing loss to Hawthorn, Carlton defied stacked odds to storm back into the eight with a stunning return to form, albeit at the expense of utterly uncompetitive West Coast.

Seeking to build on their preliminary final appearance last year, the Blues were sitting pretty in second place after round 16, before crashing to ninth spot before this weekend, conjuring just one win - against North Melbourne - from their previous six starts.

For Carlton, who leapfrogged ahead of Fremantle into eighth position with their commanding 65-point win at Optus Stadium, the equation is simple.

Beat St Kilda next week and a September berth is sealed.

If the Blues lose, they can still qualify if Port Adelaide beat the Dockers in Perth in the last fixture of the home-and-away season.

Carlton’s on-ball brigade had a field day, conjuring repeat entries which presented numerous opportunities for the Blues’ patched-up, second-string forward line, minus twin towers Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay.

The only negative for the resurgent Blues was a left shoulder injury to Corey Durdin, who got tangled up in a Harvey Johnston tackle late in the third quarter.

Captain Marvel

Patrick Cripps boosted his hopes of a second Brownlow Medal by hauling the undermanned Blues on his back and producing a majestic midfield masterclass.

The Eagles threw everything at Cripps - starting with Harley Reid on him in a mouthwatering match-up, spending some time with Elliot Yeo going head-to-head and attempting to run Zane Trew as a tagger - but nothing worked.
Cripps finished with game-highs of 35 disposals, 21 contested possessions, 10 clearances, eight inside-50s, 12 score involvements and surely three Brownlow votes.

George Hewett went with him as the Blues’ engine room put their outclassed Eagles rivals to the sword, constantly outnumbering and outworking the home side at the source.</a

Makeshift forward line prospers

Injury presented opportunity for Carlton.

Usual defender Brodie Kemp, who entered the match with two goals from 41 AFL matches, tripled his career tally with a four-goal haul, mixed with strong marks and clever crumbs, after starting in attack in the absence of Curnow and McKay.

Matt Owies added three in a typically enterprising display. <a
One of the 179cm Owies’ goals came courtesy of a pack grab the smaller man took against Trew and Brady Hough. And Matthew Kennedy complemented a prolific display with a pair of goals.</a

Substitute Ashton Moir, on debut, slotted the goal of the day with a marvellous mid-air volley over his shoulder in the last term.

Carlton’s forward line will be stronger when Curnow and McKay return, but they showed they have some depth in their goalkicking reserves.

Key stats

Age expert analyst Marnie Vinall gives her take on the Hawks’ win over Richmond at the MCG.

Not Will’s Day, huge loss for the Hawks

There’s no sugarcoating it, losing Will Day is a big blow for Hawthorn. The star midfielder, arguably the Hawks best player, was subbed off in the opening quarter and taken to hospital with a suspected collarbone injury. The extent of the injury won’t be known until scans are done, but it’s unlikely he’ll reappear for Hawthorn’s final home-and-away season game against North Melbourne next week or, most damagingly, for a potential first elimination final in September. But right now, it’s a wait and see.

Hawks need to keep their heads as run into September

Ahead of the match-up at the MCG, Sam Mitchell said if Hawthorn couldn’t get it done against a struggling Richmond side, they didn’t deserve to play finals. They were to treat the game like an elimination final, which if today was one, you’d think they’d be very happy with. Just a comprehensive 63-point win. And it all started very well with a nine-goal opening term, the best quarter the side’s had this season. But in the second term, Richmond adjusted and kicked seven goals to six in the second and third term, eliciting some head shakes from Mitchell in the coaches’ box. While Hawthorn got control back, the young side will need to make sure to keep their heads in the tougher moments if they are to make the eight and face a much stronger, more confident, composed and less-injury hit team in the finals.

It’s only up from here for the Tigers

That’s the gift of finding yourself at the bottom - there’s only one way to go. After languishing down the lower end of the ladder all season, they now find themselves firmly placed at 18th, a game clear down there. There’s a chance they’ll escape the wooden spoon if they manage a win over Gold Coast next week at the MCG and North Melbourne don’t get it done over Hawthorn. But all in all, it really hasn’t been a good season for the Tigers. There are positives, as there always are, with Shai Bolton still seemingly doing the impossible, Jayden Short and Nick Vlastuin standing tall and Toby Nankervis a thorn in oppositions’ sides. But if you’re a fan in yellow and black, you’re probably looking forward to the season break [and the AFLW].

Day of the Dogs

Western Bulldogs remain an outside chance to force their way into the top four after pulverising North Melbourne by 96 points at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.

Exciting tall forward Sam Darcy led the way, helping himself to a career-most seven goals against an outmatched and undersized Kangaroos defence who lost Charlie Comben (concussion/leg) in the first quarter.
Kallan Dawson had the job on Darcy for much of the day, with none of him, Aidan Corr or Luke McDonald able to stem the flow. Darcy’s forward sidekicks Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (three) and Aaron Naughton (two) also slotted multiple goals.

Darcy, who also combined with Rory Lobb in the ruck in Tim English’s absence, grabbed six of his nine marks inside 50 and amassed 15 score involvements and 20 disposals in an awesome display.

The Bulldogs enter the last round a game behind fourth-placed Geelong but with a vastly superior percentage.
They must beat the Giants in Ballarat and hope the Cats (West Coast) and Brisbane (Essendon) suffer shock losses - and need Hawthorn to drop one of their final two matches as well.

Whatever happens, Luke Beveridge’s men are in a good position to play in September.

Mr Versatile

Rory Lobb has come a long way since being dumped to the VFL, posting cringeworthy TikTok videos and weighing up another trade.

The three-club big man appeared certain to seek a fresh start after falling out of favour, but has blossomed in a new role down back before stepping in for injured Tim English to perform well in the ruck on Sunday.

Lobb finished the match on the bench with a corkie, but did his bit with 13 disposals, five marks, five tackles and four centre clearances.

It is still unclear where the 31-year-old fits at the Kennel beyond this season when everyone is fit - particularly with Jedd Busslinger waiting in the wings - but for now, he looks a staple in the in-form Dogs’ best side.

Crazy collisions

If North Melbourne could not upset the Bulldogs, they would have at least hoped to emerge from the match unscathed.

Neither scenario played out for the Kangaroos.

Talented but injury-prone swingman Charlie Comben did not even make it to quarter-time after a heavy collision running back with the flight in his defensive 50. Comben initially brushed the trainer off and remained on the field, but he hobbled off under duress soon after from a separate incident.

Concussion was listed as the reason for Comben being subbed out, but he went to hospital to have a lower-leg injury assessed.

Nick Larkey also came off in the same term, appearing not to be able to place weight on his left foot, but returned for the start of the second quarter and played the match out.

The carnage was not over, with Miller Bergman - who was subbed in to replace Comben - copping a friendly fire hit from Dylan Stephens down back. Bergman, too, was swiftly ruled out with concussion.

By Steve Barrett and Jon Pierik

Port Adelaide star Dan Houston anxiously awaits his fate from the AFL’s match review officer, coming as league greats expect Houston to be given a four-week suspension, his season hanging by a thread.

Power coach Ken Hinkley has launched an impassioned defence of Houston, describing him as a “really, really good person” after the Power defender concussed Adelaide star Izak Rankine with a massive bump in Saturday’s acrimonious Showdown.

It is possible Houston, strongly linked to a return to his home state Victoria next year despite being contracted at Alberton until 2027, has played his last game for Port.

Houston’s shirtfront sparked an all-in melee and left his prospects of taking part in the Power’s upcoming finals campaign - after their 22-point win locked in a top-four berth - hanging on the findings of the AFL match review officer. Rankine was taken off the ground on a stretcher and immediately subbed out of the game.

“Dan is a really fair player, an outstanding person,” Hinkley said.

“Anyone who’s been involved in those types of situations, I’m sure they know what’s going on and they feel the consequence of what happens. Dan is a really, really good person - I can’t say that enough.

“I know people will say ‘I don’t care whether he’s a good person’, I do. I care about him.”

The heavy hit was a major point of debate on Sunday, Geelong great Jimmy Bartel describing the incident as a “classical shirtfront”.

“It was a bump. Where, in my mind this will play out, the AFL will send it to the tribunal. Port Adelaide will argue it was a bump and it [Houston] got him [Rankine] in the chest. He [Rankine] had some whiplash, that’s what created the concussion. Other people will go: ‘Well, he bumped, he is out, you just get weeks’,” Bartel told 3AW.

“Some people try and be the loudest and yell out: ‘Six weeks’. Some are saying three to four.”

Richmond great Matthew Richardson said he expected Houston to be given up to four weeks.

“I say three to four, probably won’t play for Port again,” Richardson said.

“I would like to see all the evidence and if they could prove that [Rankine was hit in the chest, not the head], maybe bring it down to a couple [of weeks], but I think he will get three to four.”

Collingwood premiership captain Tony Shaw said the Power could argue the specifics of why Rankine had been concussed.

“On the slo-mo and the still photos that we have seen at different stages, his shoulder [Houston] hits into the shoulder [of Rankine]. The ball comes up, which can be a little bit of a weapon itself because it was right in front of his face, but just under his jaw,” Shaw said.

“But his head misses his head, but what happens when he gets hit, his head goes forward like whiplash. That is probably one thing that can knock you out, and then he went back and hit his head on the ground, again.

“I think three or four weeks is enough - I don’t think it should get to six.”

Former St Kilda star Nick Dal Santo said Houston has likely played his last game of the season.

“I just can’t see it being any less than four weeks,” Dal Santo said on SEN.

“If Rankine got four for his bump on [Brisbane’s] Brandon Starcevich, and I don’t think he had the ferocity in the bump like we saw last night, I can’t see it being any less than that.”

Carlton is back in eighth spot and on equal points with Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs, with Fremantle slipping to ninth, two points adrift. There is only 1.1 per cent separating the surging Hawks and battered Blues.

The Blues face St Kilda on Sunday, while the Hawks have North Melbourne in Launceston on Saturday. The Western Bulldogs have Greater Western Sydney in Ballarat on Sunday, while Fremantle host Port Adelaide on Saunday night, guaranteeing a blockbuster finish to the home-and-away campaign.

It shapes as a must-watch final round of action. For all the news, views and analysis, follow this masthead through the week.

The Blues have thumped West Coast by 65 points, led brilliantly by Patrick Cripps with 35 touches, including 10 clearances.

“It was pretty special. Sometimes when you are backs to the wall, you go away and have a mission. We knew it was going to be an arm-wrestle,” Cripps told Fox Footy

“We had a lot of belief … there was a lot of excitement in that forward line. It was constant pressure … I am just so proud of the boys.”

Zac Williams is off the field with a hamstring issue, but the Blues are reporting it is cramp. More details post match. Corey Durdin [shoulder] is gone for the day.

The Blues are firmly back in the finals hunt, but have a tricky clash against St Kilda next week. The Saints, of course, upended the Cats on Saturday night, storming home from a six-goal half-time deficit.

The Blues will have selection issues, for it’s hoped Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay will be among the inclusions.

The Blues lead by 55 points at the final break. Here’s what our expert Steve Barrett says about the clash so far:

Carlton have powered into the top eight and to a massive 55-point three-quarter-time lead over an uncompetitive West Coast in Perth.

Milestone man Jamie Cripps, playing his 250th game, ended the Eagles’ long goalless drought early in the third term, which has otherwise been played on the Blues’ terms, spearheaded by namesake Patrick Cripps. West Coast’s skill level has completely eroded since quarter-time and Carlton’s makeshift forward line has made the home side pay dearly. Patrick Cripps and George Hewett have led a midfield procession, while Matt Owies and Brodie Kemp have three goals each.

The only negative for the Blues was a shoulder injury suffered by Corey Durdin late in the quarter after he was tangled up in a Harvey Johnston tackle.

Debutant Ashton Moir, donning the famous No.43 guernsey worn by [Lord Mayor hopeful] Anthony Koutoufides and fellow premiership great David McKay, has been activated off the bench, with Corey Durdin subbed off because of injury.