The Western Bulldogs have pulled off a crucial – but surprising – victory over Carlton at Marvel Stadium, coming up trumps with a 14.16 (100) win over the Blues’ 12.14 (86).
In a match filled with highlights from the get-go, the result has now tightened the gap between second and 12th even further as the finals race heats up.
The 14-point win sees the Bulldogs jump into the top eight – and while maybe only temporarily before the round’s end, it puts them right back in the finals mix.
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Forwards Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Rhylee West lit up Marvel Stadium all evening, kicking four goals apiece – with Ugle-Hagan particularly deadly .
Despite questions over his fitness leading into the match, Blues forward Charlie Curnow and his accomplice Harry McKay had their moments – but ultimately Curnow’s 3.7 came back to haunt Carlton; an incredible thought considering the Blues were actually more accurate in front of goal than their opponents.
The 3-2-1… (With Dylan Bolch)
3 – DOGS CLAIM BIG SCALP ON ‘CAREER-CHANGING’ DAY FOR JAMARRA
The Western Bulldogs have sent a reminder to the rest of the competition, write Luke Beveridge’s troops off at your own peril.
Despite losing star midfielder Adam Treloar to a calf issue before the first bounce, the Bulldogs rallied to cause a 14-point upset over the highly fancied Blues at Marvel Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Bulldogs “prime moving” half-back Bailey Dale was instrumental in the win, racking up 31 disposals, 634 metres gained and a goal.
But it was young key forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan who was the star of the show.
Ugle-Hagan was quiet early on in the contest but managed to have a huge impact in the second half, highlighting why he will be a gun of the competition for the next decade.
“Sometimes it’s not your day early in the piece, but he hung in,” Melbourne champion Garry Lyon said on Fox Footy.
“The responsibility was with him, and he ate it up,” Hawthorn sharpshooter Ben Dixon agreed.
“It could be a career-changing day for Jamarra,” commentator Anthony Hudson added.
Ugle-Hagan finished the day with 4.3 in front of the big sticks goals, as well as six marks and 20 touches.
The Dogs kicked seven behinds in the first quarter but were able to straighten themselves up after that as they put the Blues to the sword.
“The pressure was up early, and the Dogs gathered themselves,” Lyon began.
“They were more efficient, they couldn’t hit the side of a barn in that first quarter but they straightened up,” Brisbane Lions champion Jonathan Brown added.
“This was of one of the games of the season,” Lyon replied.
“What a game, this is as good as we’ve seen, this is high scoring, high pressure.”
Livewire forward Rhylee West booted four goals and was a handful for the Blues’ defence all day.
At the other end of the field, superstar Charlie Curnow was wayward in front of goal – kicking the most behinds ever in a match during his 127-game career.
The win means the Dogs stay in touch with the top eight ahead of a mouth-watering clash against Geelong in round 19 on Saturday night.
2.DOGS SHUT DOWN BLUES’ INTERCEPT BEAST
It’s no secret that Carlton defender Jacob Weitering is one of the Blues’ most important players.
When he’s at his intercepting best the Blues are an absolute force to be reckoned with.
“He was absolutely magnificent, his intercept marking was a big stumbling block, Jammara Ugle-Hagan had his hands full,” Melbourne champion Garry Lyon said on Fox Footy’s half-time coverage.
Weitering had taken a whopping six intercept marks in the first half, just one shy of his career-high of seven, before Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge decided something needed to be done.
Bulldogs’ livewire Cody Weightman, who booted one majors himself, made a point of trying to help out teammate Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, who was struggling to stop Weitering ruling the airways in Carlton’s back half.
“Cody Weightman said, ‘I won’t leave you on your own, I’ll get in there’ and he’s starting to get inside, block his run and compete with him,” Lyon continued.
“As a result of that, I reckon Jamarra Ugle-Hagan realised it’s not just him who has to beat Jacob Weitering, the whole team is going to get involved, I thought it was really significant.”
Weitering finished the day with 21 disposals and 11 marks – eight of which were intercepts – but it certainly would’ve been a lot more if the Dogs didn’t pay him some more attention from late in the second term onwards.
1. CRIPPS’ PARTY CELEBRATIONS SPOILED
What a champion Patrick Cripps has been for not only the Carlton Blues, but the AFL as an entire competition.
The 2022 Brownlow Medallist’s hunger and effort never faltered despite the loss, as Blues fans poured into Marvel Stadium to celebrate one of their greatest ever players.
The crowd were up on their feet when Cripps booted a superb goal on the run in the first half and Brisbane Lions champion Jonathan Brown couldn’t help but appreciate his greatness.
“He’s much loved and admired by not only Carlton supporters, but the wider football community… that’s a great highlight in his 200th game,” Brown said.
The cameras panned to Cripps’ family, including young daughter Koda, as the Blues celebrated his tremendous finish.
“She’ll be watching some YouTube videos of her old man doing that in a few years,” Brown said.
Cripps booted another major early in the fourth quarter and finished the day with 28 disposals and a whopping 11 clearances.
“He’s developed into a real icon of the game,” Lyon said.
Elsewhere, Harry McKay continued his strong 2024 campaign with three goals, nine marks and 14 disposals, while Charlie Curnow booted a wayward 3.7 in an almost-performance.
WESTERN BULLDOGS v CARLTON – AS IT HAPPENED
There were initially no late changes for either side, with Harvey Gallagher (Bulldogs) and Matthew Kennedy (Carlton) named the starting subs.
But the Dogs 25 minutes before the first bounce announced that star midfielder Adam Treloar had been withdrawn with a calf issue, with Gallagher coming into the 22 and Riley Garcia named the sub.
It’s been a slow start from both teams, with Cody Weightman providing an early highlight in the air for the Bulldogs.
Matt Owies broke the goalscoring drought with the match’s first major in the 11th minute mark of the first quarter – before backing it up with his second just two minutes later.
The Bulldogs had kicked six behinds before converting their first goal, as the Blues made much better use of their opportunities in front of goal early.
And Harry McKay converted his first for the evening to push Carlton’s lead out to 14 points with just over two minutes to play in the opening term.
Lachie Fogarty missed a set shot after the siren to leave his side’s lead at 15 points at the first break.
The scoreboard read quite remarkably at quarter time, with the Bulldogs’s 0.7 (7) an ugly look next to the Blues’ 3.4 (22).
Nic Newman’s 10 disposals and five marks were a standout in the midfield for Carlton, while McKay’s five score involvements from eight disposals are a worrying sign for Luke Beveridge – who sent Rory Lobb to the 2021 Coleman Medallist.
Weightman finally broke the Dogs’ drought in front of goal, snapping truly and giving his side life once again.
And captain Marcus Bontempelli followed suit not long after, also kicking around his body with success to bring the margin back to just three points.
Bailey Dale joined the party to give the Bulldogs their third goal in as many minutes, selling candy on the 50 metre arc before slotting his drop punt on the run to give them their first true lead of the match.
“They’ve started to find it the Dogs, and they’re back in front!” Fox Footy’s Anthony Hudson said during the play-by-play commentary.
In a growing concern for the Bulldogs, McKay booted two quick goals to continue his dominant performance over Lobb.
Rhylee West struck back with a terrific snap minutes later, with the margin sitting three points in favour of the Dogs with nine minutes left in the half.
From there on in, it was highlights galore heading into half time, with 200-gamer Cripps kicking off the period with a belting goal on the run.
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Bailey Williams quickly cancelled his contribution out with back-to-back goals in quick succession, before Charlie Curnow entered the game with a booming boot to tug back Carlton’s minor lead.
Caleb Poulter fittingly finished the first half by threading the needle from the left forward pocket with a bulls-eye drop punt.
At half-time, the Western Bulldogs 7.9 (51) led Carlton 7.6 (48) by three points.
“We’re in the fight – I think that’s the key; coming out of last week, that was the focus,” Bontempelli told Fox Footy’s Ben Dixon at the start of the main break.
Bailey Dale has been blitzing off half-back for the Bulldogs, gathering 21 disposals and 442 metres gained and a goal in the firt two quarters of football.
At the Blues, McKay has been best on ground so far for his 13 disposals, eight marks (two contested) and 3.2.
Carlton tagger Alex Cincotta has so far kept Bontempelli to nine touches at the half in a win for his coach Michael Voss.
Rhylee West got the Dogs off to a bolstering start to the third quarter with a rapid major to give his side an early kick int he second half.
Key forwards Curnow and Ugle-Hagan kicked goals within a minute of each other, with the latter in particular looking dangerous throughout the match.
Alex Cincotta kicked off a flurry of late goals in the third term, with West’s third goal the highlight amid an incredible game of football.
Elijah Hollands fired back at West’s major, before Ugle-Hagan popped his head back up again for his third goal from six shots on goal.
At three-quarter time, the scorecard read: Western Bulldogs 11.14 (80) leading Carlton 10.10 (70).
Sam Darcy and West extended the margin out to 23 points early in the last quarter, with West snagging an equal-career high fourth goal in a huge performance.
Curnow kicked his third goal from seven shots to drag the lead back, before captain Cripps slotted his second for the match with an electric celebration to bring the margin back under two goals.
Ugle-Hagan had the more important say just 90 seconds later though, nailing his fourth goal for the match to join West in a monstrous effort.
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