Australian Football

Match Report

For the second week running Carlton has pushed a top four team to the limit but come up short of victory. The Blues pushed Geelong to within five points at Docklands in round 12 and were within four points of Hawthorn at the MCG on Friday night but, as was the case seven days earlier, could not capitalise on a fine third quarter and take home the four points.

Carlton got the first break of the match with a goal after just one minute to Mitch Robinson but Jarryd Roughead, fresh from an eight-goal performance against the Eagles a week earlier, squared things up a couple of minutes later. Matt Suckling kicked another to put the Hawks a goal ahead at the seven-minute mark but when Bryce Gibbs responded to level the scores four minutes later it looked like a close encounter was on the cards. The Hawks, however, skipped away with the last four goals of the term to take a 25-point lead into the first break.

As he had done in the first term Mitch Robinson kicked the Blues off with the first goal of the second to reduce the margin to 19 points, and the game see-sawed from that moment with Carlton and Hawthorn alternating goals. At the long break, the margin was an even three goals in the Hawks' favour.

Carlton needed to make an impact early in the second half if the Blues were to give themselves a chance and Levi Casboult did exactly that with a goal just 26 seconds into the third quarter. When Toy Menzel followed up with another at the eight-minute mark, the difference was just seven points. Carlton then kicked three of the next four goals and at the 23-minute mark were up by eight points and full of momentum. But the experienced Brad Sewell and Isaac Smith closed out the quarter with a goal each and the Hawks took a five-point lead into the three-quarter time orange break.

The Blues needed to do in the last term what they had done in the first three - kick the first goal - and Andrew Walker had a chance to help them do just that when he marked early in the quarter. Unfortunately his shot from the boundary line missed and when Bradley Hill crumbed a major for the Hawks soon after, the brown and gold led by 10 points. Hawthorn then gradually took control, kicking five of the match's last seven goals to run out victors by 28 points.

The two Brads, Sewell (29 disposals, five marks) and Hill (21 touches and a goal) were excellent for Hawthorn, while Chris Judd made a fine return from injury with 26 possessions.

Second on the ladder with a 9-3 record, the Hawks will take on Collingwood, who had an unexpectedly loss to the Bulldogs on Sunday, at the MCG next Saturday, while the Blues (12th, 4-8) will meet GWS at the Sydney Showground on Sunday.

GOALS
Carlton: Casboult 4; Robinson 3; Menzel 2; Gibbs, Thomas, Waite, Walker
Hawthorn: Rioli, Roughead 3; Suckling, Ceglar 2; Shiels, Hale, Breust, O'Brien, Sewell, Smith, Hill, Ross

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Carlton: Judd, Gibbs, Robinson, Casboult, Rowe, Carrazzo, Yarran
Hawthorn: Hill, Sewell, Rioli, Hodge, Smith, Suckling, Birchall

BEST - SPORTAL.COM.AU
Carlton: Casboult, Carrazzo, Murphy, Gibbs, Robinson, Judd
Hawthorn: Sewell, Hill, Smith, Rioli, Suckling, Bitchall

COACHES' COMMENTS
Mick Malthouse (Carl): We got beaten by a very good football side. I thought our endeavour was okay; I thought our tactics were quite sound but the class level under pressure, the fumbling and the decision making killed us. They were the two distinct areas that we didn't capitalise on with the football when we really could have put some more heat on the scoreboard.

Brendon Bolton (Haw): That was a real battle, the third quarter in particular. Their runners in Gibbs, Judd, Murphy gave them a fair bit of supply so we were under a fair bit of heat there but terrific that our guys stood up; they showed resilience.

INJURIES
Carlton: Lachie Henderson (tight hamstring) replaced in selected side by Matthew Watson, Michael Jamison (shoulder) replaced in selected side by Nick Graham.
Hawthorn: Jack Gunston (quad) replaced in selected side by Tim O'Brien.

SUBSTITUTES
Carlton: Matthew Watson replaced by Nick Graham in the third quarter.
Hawthorn: Tim O'Brien replaced by Ben Ross in the third quarter.

REPORTS: Cyril Rioli (Hawthorn) for engaging in rough conduct against Zach Tuohy (Carlton) in the third quarter.

UMPIRES: Margetts, Stevic, Hay

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Bruce McAvaney, Dennis Cometti, Leigh Matthews, Tom Harley, Wayne Carey, Matthew Richardson=