Carlton 16.11 107 d Port Adelaide 10.11 71
Carlton players mob Zac Williams after his last-term goal.Credit: Sarah Reed/Getty Images
KEY POINTS
THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS SHINE: All eyes were affixed on the four superstar midfielders wearing the No.9 and No.18 jumpers for both sides – Zak Butters and Jason Horne-Francis for Port Adelaide, and Patrick Cripps and Sam Walsh for Carlton – and all had big moments.
Butters warded off a slowish start and the close tagging attention of Alex Cincotta to have a particularly heavy impact in the second term.
Walsh was typically prolific and productive from the outset, one of the few Blues to stem the first-half tide at stoppages.
Jason Horne-Francis led the Power’s ascendant midfield early, at one stage single-handedly boasting more clearances than Carlton’s whole team.
Cripps’ first-quarter brilliance in traffic set up Charlie Curnow’s pack mark and opening goal but the 2022 Brownlow Medallist was otherwise well contained in the opening half, one of many Blues who needed to lift in the middle.
He did just that, lifting appreciably in the third stanza then starting the fourth with a bang, booting two goals in the first two minutes and letting his direct opponent – Horne-Francis – know all about it. Tom De Koning enjoyed a strong second half in ruck, allowing his midfielders to turn the tables dramatically on the Power.
Before this year, the Blues had never won at Adelaide Oval, losing all seven matches at the venue. They registered their first victory during the Gather Round against Fremantle and have now made it two following a win over the Power.
MIXED MESSAGES: After three coaches – including Carlton boss Michael Voss – last week expressed their frustration at the way holding-the-ball decisions were being assessed, the AFL wrote to clubs on Tuesday to advise umpires would tighten the way they interpret the rule.
The first half of Thursday’s clash saw the new interpretation in effect. Charlie Curnow was pinged quickly when tackled by Aliir Aliir midway through the first quarter, as was Jacob Weitering when brought down by Ivan Soldo later in the term and Port’s Kane Farrell when tackled by Matt Owies.
But the umpires seemed to go back to the old ways in the second half. Sam Walsh was unrewarded when he spun Todd Marshall in a tackle, while Nic Newman was unlucky not to win a free when he appeared to have tackled Butters cold.
POWER REVIVAL SHORT CIRCUITED: A fortnight ago the Power overturned a 41-point third-quarter deficit to pinch a last-second miracle against Hawthorn.
The earlier damage wasn’t as severe this time, Port trailing by 24 points midway through the fourth term when Mitch McGovern snuck forward and threaded a left-footer.
Todd Marshall got six of those points back when he converted a set shot and Francis Evans thought he’d further trimmed the margin to two straight kicks, only for a snicko murmur to review a touch on the score review.
Port’s faint hopes were dashed moments later when Brandon Zerk-Thatcher’s errant switch in defensive-50 landed in the lap of Blake Acres, who duly split the middle, before Zac Williams and Harry McKay turned a tense standoff into a surprising percentage pile-on.